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Portraits of the Past
Use this image collection with the MIA's "Portrait of George Washington" Teaching the Arts feature.
18th century painters kept collections of pictures by other artists to get ideas for their own work. You can start your own collection of portrait samples using these images. Look through the sample portraits. What details would you borrow for a portrait of your friend? Your school principal? Today's president of the United States? Sharpen your pencils and try out your ideas.
Press the space bar for the next slide.
Portrait of George Washington (1732–1799)
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.631510416667" id="zoomer_102715_24796iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ce/98/f02b1251516aea29f33fa3543313/140/120/102715.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Sully" height_offset="0" /></div>
Bust of George Washington
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.763020833333" id="zoomer_319_13679iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/58/91/7fe164a043e81fec8781be6ca076/140/120/319.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Bust of George Washington, Hiram Powers" height_offset="0" /></div>
Six Tuscan Poets
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.98046875" id="zoomer_104016_28621iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/79/60/c5722d1e85175fe2173c336a573e/140/120/104016.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Six Tuscan Poets, Giorgio Vasari" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Charlotte of France
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.76953125" id="zoomer_1538_28664iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/57/ed/ecd1f3c6c0a5e8174bab4f68c5c0/140/120/1538.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Charlotte of France, Jean Clouet the Younger" height_offset="0" /></div>
Big Self-Portrait
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.783854166667" id="zoomer_22154_35981iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/96/ea/c4e65c6ca4e243b6f30089c1984f/140/120/22154.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Big Self-Portrait, Chuck Close" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of a Lady
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.747395833333" id="zoomer_103193_980iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ae/68/913d22115f9914771a94ddc7a4f6/140/120/103193.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Lucia Wijbrants (1638-1719), Gabriël Metsu" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of a Cardinal in his Study
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.932291666667" id="zoomer_2843_15581iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/16/ee/9cb9cd143352bf833e0a04f25ad8/140/120/2843.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of a Cardinal in his Study, attributed to Lorenzo Costa" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Dr. Thomas Penrose
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.76171875" id="zoomer_71811_53723iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ac/e4/e3300db519f260e8432d7f3f34a2/140/120/71811.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Dr. Thomas Penrose, Louis Gauffier" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Mlle. Hortense Valpinçon
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:96.796875px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.44632768362" id="zoomer_1121_26367iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/43/ea/ade2fe8b28f48315a5db2ad50612/140/120/1121.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Mlle. Hortense Valpinçon, Edgar Degas" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait Group of the Drummond Family, Peter Auriol Drummond (1754-1799), Mary Bridget Milnes Drummond (1755-1835), and George William Drummond (1761-1807)
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:117.508196721px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.19140625" id="zoomer_72892_6282iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/7e/7d/bf4bb2a67b40829158bfd4380129/140/120/72892.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait Group of the Drummond Family, Peter Auriol Drummond (1754-1799), Mary Bridget Milnes Drummond (1755-1835), and George William Drummond (1761-1807), Benjamin West" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of a Burgomaster
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.80859375" id="zoomer_102619_61917iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ff/48/ec88f99c342900034ca0c1dd8112/140/120/102619.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of a Burgomaster, Bartholomeus van der Helst and Studio ; Bartholomeus van der Helst" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Magda Pach
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.825520833333" id="zoomer_103725_12571iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/3b/46/cb008f100ca192050cd3cb932b97/140/120/103725.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Magda Pach, Jacques Villon" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Madame de SĂ©rilly
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.736979166667" id="zoomer_168_20800iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ac/aa/747c4160fa68b6fd1ba8a32b6f11/140/120/168.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Madame de Sérilly, Jean-Antoine Houdon" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Mademoiselle Dubois
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.817708333333" id="zoomer_100685_44834iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/a3/d9/a01867005e5f0cb4cc2870aabe27/140/120/100685.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Mademoiselle Dubois, Alfred Stevens" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Paris von GĂĽtersloh (1887-1973)
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.783854166667" id="zoomer_72837_39475iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/a2/b0/1c9250b0eabcc722a348a4f1d362/140/120/72837.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Paris von Gütersloh (1887-1973), Egon Schiele" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Sir Edward Walpole's Children
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.990885416667" id="zoomer_104978_51761iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/f3/32/03001c3ae7ea0cdd3897285d46c1/140/120/104978.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Sir Edward Walpole's Children, Stephen Slaughter" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of an Officer
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.81640625" id="zoomer_73055_26332iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/78/e8/8ea266956969c061d893c40f1f0e/140/120/73055.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of an Officer, Louis-Léopold Boilly" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Robert Devereux, Second Earl of Essex, 1599
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.799479166667" id="zoomer_103069_6646iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/8b/00/ab5088205ff585a89441c9580ace/140/120/103069.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Robert Devereux, Second Earl of Essex, 1599, Artist Unknown" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of a Girl
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.735677083333" id="zoomer_103098_40999iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/b5/51/11e1693223a251169b39cfd26498/140/120/103098.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of a Girl, Artist Unknown" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of a Lady
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.67578125" id="zoomer_4273_40500iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/6d/ea/0390135738f8ccee2aa38d54a499/140/120/4273.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of a Lady, Benedetto Ghirlandaio" height_offset="0" /></div>
Self-Portrait
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.994791666667" id="zoomer_71048_3424iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/c8/a7/f00d06c56ac629b3afc1a09ebaaa/140/120/71048.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Self-Portrait, Andy Warhol ; Leo Castelli Gallery" height_offset="0" /></div>
Head of an Old Woman
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.778645833333" id="zoomer_104583_33958iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/dc/01/ea5beb51bc9a3a7ae22d3316d1c2/140/120/104583.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Head of an Old Woman, Robert Koehler" height_offset="0" /></div>
Portrait of Captain Samuel Chester Reid (1783-1861)
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.708333333333" id="zoomer_66105_11909iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/aa/65/d12814ecf1f8a576d44dbc498916/140/120/66105.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Portrait of Captain Samuel Chester Reid (1783-1861), John Wesley Jarvis" height_offset="0" /></div>
