English Reference

Word

portraiture

Phoneticspor·trai·ture

UK/pˈɔːtɹɪtʃɐ/

Definition

n. the art or practice of making portraits. It involves creating images or sculptures of a person's face and body to show their character or likeness.

n. the art or practice of producing portraits. Refers to the genre of visual art focused on the depiction of the human face and figure.

Examples

“She is a master of oil portraiture.”

“The museum's collection includes several famous examples of Renaissance portraiture that showcase the era's attention to detail.”

“While photography eventually replaced traditional portraiture for many practical purposes, the demand for hand-painted portraits remains high among those seeking a unique, artistic representation of their likeness.”

Examples

simple

“She is a master of oil portraiture.”

contextual

“The museum's collection includes several famous examples of Renaissance portraiture that showcase the era's attention to detail.”

complex

“While photography eventually replaced traditional portraiture for many practical purposes, the demand for hand-painted portraits remains high among those seeking a unique, artistic representation of their likeness.”

Real-World Examples

“If you look at his work, whether it’s portraiture, fashion or things in the natural world, if the photo was taken two seconds before or after, it just wouldn’t be his photo.”
The Guardian · 18 Sept 2026
“Vincent Tullo Photographer Vincent Tullo, who is based in New York, focuses on portraiture.”
Smithsonian Magazine · 31 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle English portraiture, portrature, purtraiture, pourtreture, from Old French portraiture, pourtraiture and Anglo-Norman purtraiture.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/portraiture

English Reference