Portrait

Portraiture is a highly popular genre where a person or animal’s face or body is the main theme of the artwork. During ancient times, the Middle Age and the Renaissance, painting portraits were reserved for gods, royalty, or the high society. From the 18th to the 20th century, portraiture expanded as a genre due to the increasing wealth of the middle-class, universal access to painting materials, and, eventually, the introduction of photography. In this section, Aworanka showcases a curated selection of the best portrait images from African photographers.