Every good art collection needs at least one portrait. Well, that’s not so true these days, but it certainly used to be so.

According to Wikipedia, “Historically, portrait paintings have primarily memorialized the rich and powerful. Over time, however, it became more common for middle-class patrons to commission portraits of their families and colleagues. Today, portrait paintings are still commissioned by governments, corporations, groups, clubs, and individuals. In addition to painting, portraits can also be made in other media such as etching, lithography,photography,video and digital media.”

Wikipedia further states, “A well-executed portrait is expected to show the inner essence of the subject (from the artist’s point of view) or a flattering representation, not just a literal likeness. Artists may strive for photographic realism or an impressionistic similarity in depicting their subject, but this differs from a caricature which attempts to reveal character through exaggeration of physical features. In most cases, this results in a serious, closed lip stare, with anything beyond a slight smile being rather rare historically.”

If you love having interesting original artwork on your walls at home, be sure to consider adding portraiture to your collection. Check out our great collection of portraits today on Zatista.com.