Portraiture – Facing
the subject
By Joanna Woodall
Critical introductions to Art
Portraiture occupies a central position in the mimetic culture of the west. The most popular genre of painting, it has been crucial to the construction and articulation of individualism. Yet its status within art theory remains uncertain and there is a dearth of sustained critical analysis of the subject. This book introduces major issues in portraiture and provides a coherent set of studies demonstrating critical perspectives from which these issues can be approached. It establishes frameworks or interpretation which take account of recent shifts in the understanding of the human subject and representation. In particular, it enters into critical dialogue with dualist distinctions between mind and body, subject and object reality and representation. The volume is designed to fulfil the pronounced need for critical texts with which to teach courses on portraiture.
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