About Face: How to Read Portraits
May 12, 2025 6:30 pm
Art Society Lecture
About Face: How to Read Portraits
About Face: How to Read Portraits
Hunter Theatre
The Oxford English Dictionary defines portraiture as “a representation…of a person, especially the face…”. However, this simple explanation belies the complexities of reproducing the face.
Portraits range from the symbolic, where a likeness was not required, to images where concern with identity opens up the areas of character, personality, mood, status, costume, occupation, gender and age. We also need to consider the relationship between sitter and painter.
Portraits are quite distinct from other categories in art in the way they are made, the nature of what they represent and how they work in terms of display.
Alice Foster
Alice has lectured for Oxford University Department of Continuing Education since 1998. She lectures regularly at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and at the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock. Her busy freelance career includes organising History of Art study days with colleagues, and regular weekly classes in Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. In 2004 Alice joined The Arts Society and has lectured in Britain and in Europe. In 2010 she was elected President of Banbury Fine Arts Society.
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