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Portrait Quotes

Lines on portraiture, self-image, and capturing a place.

These lines treat a portrait as more than a likeness, whether it's a classic novel exploring how vanity clashes with a hidden inner self, or a photographer describing years spent capturing the planet from above as a kind of collective portrait. A filmmaker adds that a city on screen often reflects the maker's own view rather than a strict document of reality. See Artist for related creative reflections.

The way we think about a presidential portrait is one that is imbued with dignity from the outset.

Quotes by Kehinde Wiley

I wanted to become a cartoon artist, a portrait artist, and an illustrator. This was my first idea.

Quotes by Karl Lagerfeld

The portrait of my parents is a complicated one, but lovingly drawn.

Quotes by Joyce Maynard

For years, I've had a hankering for the portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph Duplessis. Franklin is credited with so many inventions: the postal system, lightning rods, the constitution. He was a rock star before there was such a thing.

Quotes by Jon Bon Jovi

For the surf idol Duke Kahanamoku portrait, which I created for the Surfrider Foundation, I took a photo from a book cover and abstracted the photo image into a drawing. This drawing was laminated onto a surfboard and auctioned to...

Quotes by John Van Hamersveld

With the Larry Bertlemann portrait, I started with a photograph that I could use for it. I built the drawing's identity to serve as a graphic identity. After a number of sketches, I went into my own abstract vernacular of...

Quotes by John Van Hamersveld

Every time I paint a portrait I lose a friend.

Quotes by John Singer Sargent

A portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth.

Quotes by John Singer Sargent

Is it possible that the portrait of the divine Son of God is an exaggeration, at best, or a complete fabrication, at worst, of the original Jesus?

Quotes by John Clayton

Not only are Christians writing about Jesus, but also Communists, Jews, atheists and agnostics are taking up their pens to paint a portrait of Jesus.

Quotes by John Clayton

Not long before my mother died, I found a long-lost portrait of Jane Franklin's granddaughter, Jane Flagg, aged nine - oil on canvas - in the basement of a public library not a dozen miles from my mother's house.

Quotes by Jill Lepore

I had been elected to the National Academy of Design in New York, and one of the requirements was that you give a portrait, a self-portrait of yourself.

Quotes by Jamie Wyeth

It takes a long time for a man to look like his portrait.

Quotes by James Whistler

A city is like a family portrait - you don't tear it up if you don't like your uncle's nose.

Quotes by Jaime Lerner

The artist who imagines that he puts his best into a portrait in order to produce something good, which will be a pleasure to the sitter and to himself, will have some bitter experiences.

Quotes by Jacob Epstein

The severe portrait that is not the greatest joy in the world to the subject may be enormously interesting to the reader.

Quotes by Irving Penn

There are a lot of recurring themes that I resonated with when I read 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.'

Quotes by Hozier

Your library is your portrait.

Quotes by Holbrook Jackson

My job as a portrait photographer is to seduce, amuse and entertain.

Quotes by Helmut Newton

Whenever I do someone's portrait, I'm trying to locate the photo in the lens while reaching into that person psychologically. There's the magic! I don't always achieve it. It's a hit or a miss!

Quotes by Gerard Malanga

Frequently Asked Questions

What angle do these Portrait quotes take?
They treat portraiture broadly, from classic literature about vanity and identity to photography and film that capture a place rather than just a face.
Why do people search for portrait quotes?
Artists, photographers, and writers often look for language that frames what a portrait is really trying to say beyond mere likeness.
Is there a literary reference in this collection?
Yes, one line references a classic novel's exploration of vanity clashing with a person's true inner self.
Does this set include quotes about photographing places?
One quote describes years spent photographing the planet from above, treating the whole project as a large-scale image of the world itself.
What related page pairs well with this one?
Try Artist for more on the creative process behind capturing an image.

Across mediums, a portrait becomes less about accuracy and more about intention, what the creator wants the subject to say. Continue with Life or City for related perspectives on capturing a place or a moment.