Year 9 - Art and design
Exploring power in the portrait
Identity: exploring portraiture
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores portraiture's power in expressing identity, culture, and belief. Pupils will study artists who challenge stereotypes and explore power, representation, and concealment. They will develop critical thinking while reinforcing respect, tolerance, and self-expression.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to create a cut out figure that shows power and presence.
Key Notes
- Portraits have historically been used to convey power and use composition to do this
- The history of the portrait also highlights a lack of representation, artists are changing this narrative
- Portraits are personal representations and can include other elements to help tell a person's story
Vocabulary To Learn
- representation: groups which have been included in artworks and/or have made artworks
- status: a person's level of importance, rank, or social standing
- pose: the way someone stands or sits, especially in to show a certain feeling, attitude, or idea
- gaze: how the subject's eyes are directed—whether they are looking directly at the viewer, or in a different direction
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Making a portrait always means painting a face.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Portraits have historically been used to convey power and use composition to do this. The history of the portrait also highlights a lack of representation, artists are changing this narrative.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'representation'
groups which have been included in artworks and/or have made artworks.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Making a portrait always means painting a face. Correction: Artists use paper, cardboard, silhouettes and even walls to create bold, powerful and expressive figures. You do not need to only paint a face to create a portrait.
More Lessons In This Unit
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