Portrait in European and Polish Painting: History of the Genre

Portrait is one of the oldest and the most common genre of art and painting. It was created as a personal souvenir to remind about a person or an event related to him/her, and as an official presentation to commemorate the dignity of the portrayed person. The portrait had and still has many variations, both artistic and related to its social function. The synthesis of this genre of painting allows us to conclude how rich and diverse this field of art is. A portrait has served many functions, that is why over the centuries there have been so many types and possibilities of classification according to various keys.