Vin - Femme voilée - Série : Carnotzet
Moz - David Vuillermoz
Photography - 96 x 120 x 0.1 cm Photography - 37.8 x 47.2 x 0 inch
$3,326
Portrait Photography for Sale
In the 1830s, Nièpce discovered the process for setting images onto pewter plates. In 1833, upon Nièpce's death, Louis Daguerre and François Arago continued his experiments and invented the daguerreotype, a process which created a printed image on a silver plate that had been exposed to light. Photography was born.
Similarly to how portrait painting had dominated artistic output in previous centuries, portrait photography was to become the pillar of the Second French Empire's photographic industry. Lenses with a shorter focal length, which enabled reduced exposure times, gradually appear on the market. The required equipment was expensive and difficult to handle. Some photographers, called daguerreotypists, decided to open their own photography studios to make a profit from their endeavours. The daguerreotype process was temperamental, and photographers had to take their pictures with great precision and attention to detail. They welcomed many people into their studios and customers choose how they wished to be photographed from catalogue of poses. Originally only accessible to the bourgeoisie, lower prices resulting from the growing number of studios eventually attracted a wider customer base. This phenomenon infuriated the poet Charles Baudelaire who was frustrated by the sense of narcissism sparked by the daguerreotypists.
Despite his protests, the egotistical trend only grew with the emergence of 'carte de visite' portraits (small photographs, the size of today's business cards). These were the brainchild of Adolphe Eugène Disdéri came up with the idea of producing portraits akin to visiting cards in 1859. He printed eight portraits in a variety of poses onto a single plate and once developed they could be cut up into eight distinct “visiting cards". Very popular with the bourgeoisie, they highlighted the sitters' social status. 'Carte de visite' portraits featuring celebrities were also sold to customers, who could subsequently add them to their albums.
The photographer Nadar was one of the first to demonstrate a conscious artistic approach to producing these portraits. He emphasised facial expressions and ensured the sitter was comfortable and at ease before taking the photograph. He photographed the era's greatest thinkers and artists, including Honoré de Balzac, George Sand, and Victor Hugo. He even managed to reconcile Baudelaire with portraiture.
At the end of the 19th century, the art of photography started to enter the mainstream, with the arrival of the Kodak company. The use of the camera, and the taking of portraits, became everyday occurrences. A century later, it was the invention of the digital camera which challenged the status quo. Whereas before alterations could only be made to photographs when they were being taken or developed, with the digital camera editing became easier, quicker and more convenient. Digital photography has given photographers much more freedom when it comes to editing and new methods and techniques are constantly being explored.
Some of the photographers who have left their mark on the last century include: Cindy Sherman, who excelled in self-portraits, Annie Leibovitz, who captured celebrities, the wacky duo, Pierre and Gilles, as well as Diane Arbus, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton and Bettina Rheims.
So, do portraits help us to learn more about each other, to remember, to invent, to act, or to reconnect with ourselves? Find out on Artsper, by exploring the works of Formento & Formento, Naomi Vona, Ahmed Bennani, Chou Ching Hui, Samuel Cueto, Brno del Zou, Ren Hang, Markus + Indrani, Jerome Liebling as well as Annina Roescheisen.
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Donna Summer
Michael Putland
Photography - 61 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$1,973
Coluche - Iconic portraits
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$676
Elan
Yevgeniy Repiashenko
Photography - 120 x 120 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0 inch
$2,954
Mainbocher Corset. Paris. Printed later
Horst P. Horst
Photography - 35.6 x 27.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 14 x 11 x 0.1 inch
$12,000
Don de soi XXVII
Feng Kaixuan
Photography - 80 x 120 x 3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
$8,118
Where There Is Beauty, There Were Women
Thandiwe Muriu
Photography - 90 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$10,147
Marilyn Monroe: The Last Sitting Portfolio 4
Bert Stern
Photography - 61 x 61 cm Photography - 24 x 24 inch
$30,000
Smoking Garçonne
Mathilde Oscar
Photography - 60 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$846
The Coen Brothers (2001)
Kevin Westenberg
Photography - 61 x 51 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 inch
$2,368
El grupo (Colección La Bolsa Mágica)
Sonja H Lukenic
Photography - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$1,015
Sick Bacchus, after Caravaggio (Pictures of Magazine 2)
Vik Muniz
Photography - 132 x 101.6 cm Photography - 52 x 40 inch
$37,000
Don't Tell Me You Didn't Know
Idan Wizen
Photography - 120 x 120 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0 inch
$2,819
That look you give
Sammy Slabbinck
Photography - 100 x 80 x 5 cm Photography - 39.4 x 31.5 x 2 inch
$2,086
Hidden in Plain Sight
Amrita Bilimoria
Photography - 34 x 53.3 x 0.5 cm Photography - 13.4 x 21 x 0.2 inch
$1,500
Dans la machine
Muriel Deumie
Photography - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$620
Mick Jagger - Le poing - London - Derniers tirages
Pierre Terrasson
Photography - 50 x 40 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 inch
$2,819
Picasso Preside la Corrida - Frejus, 1962
Lucien Clergue
Photography - 45.7 x 55.9 cm Photography - 18 x 22 inch
$12,000
Daily Bread - Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print
Alain Le Garsmeur
Photography - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$671
Jamie Dornan and Antonio Banderas, Diptych. Intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 107 x 166 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42.1 x 65.4 x 0.1 inch
$10,000
Nai (Identity Assertions Series)
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 30 x 36.5 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 14.4 x 0 inch
$902
Faye Dunaway Morning After Oscars - Limited Estate Print
Terry O'Neill
Photography - 51 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 20.1 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$16,123
Peché originel
Yoland Rafougilet
Photography - 61 x 46 x 2 cm Photography - 24 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$654
Le guide
Gérard Rancinan
Photography - 125 x 125 x 1.5 cm Photography - 49.2 x 49.2 x 0.6 inch
$22,549
Le Rêve
Christelle Yambayisa
Photography - 30 x 22.5 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 8.9 x 0.4 inch
$665
Lucia at nine
Cristina Fontsare
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$902
On est notre environnement (Mathieu)
Aline Part
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$676
Judith Malina at La Mama Theatre
Amy Cohen Banker
Photography - 25 x 30 x 0.3 cm Photography - 9.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
$564 $507
The Mystery of the Mouth
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 152.4 cm Photography - 45 x 60 inch
$15,000
Close to nothing (Pink)
Sophie Derrick
Photography - 42 x 30 x 8 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch
$1,616
L'intimité (Suisse)
Vincent Citot
Photography - 40 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$846
La montée des eaux
Fabienne Cresens
Photography - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch
$564
152 - Van Gogh
Bernard Pras
Photography - 106 x 80 x 3 cm Photography - 41.7 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$5,637
Tina Turner, Paris
Bob Gruen
Photography - 35.6 x 27.9 x 1.3 cm Photography - 14 x 11 x 0.5 inch
$1,950
Rumble in the jungle
Axel Crieger
Photography - 120 x 160 x 7 cm Photography - 47.2 x 63 x 2.8 inch
$11,049
Nithya(Eternel)
Laurence Verney
Photography - 57.5 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 22.6 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$564
Mutum Village, Rio Gregório Indigenous Territory, State of Acre, Brazil (XL)
Sebastião Salgado
Photography - 61 x 88.9 x 2.5 cm Photography - 24 x 35 x 1 inch
$18,500
Iconic Beauty #3
Benoit Lapray
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$676
Paradis perdu 9 - série portraits de femmes
Stéphane Vereecken
Photography - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$564
Portrait of Francis Picabia
Man Ray
Photography - 27 x 21 x 0.2 cm Photography - 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$36,079
1892. Framed
Salvatore Arnone
Photography - 58.4 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 23 x 16 x 0.1 inch
$1,950
Garçon dans les salons de l’hôtel Albergo dans le quartier chrétien Achrafieh, Beyrouth, Liban
José Nicolas
Photography - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$902
Cinematography inspired session #24
Grzegorz Sikorski
Photography - 45 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 17.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$214
Himba mother and child
Faie Davis
Photography - 113.6 x 81.6 x 0.25 cm Photography - 44.7 x 32.1 x 0.1 inch
$1,500 $1,125
Sphere of Life, #2238, Mixed-Media Collage
Natasha Zupan
Photography - 54 x 44 x 2.5 cm Photography - 21.25 x 17.32 x 1 inch
$1,600
Paradise Portraits (portfolio of 8)
Erwin Olaf
Photography - 18 x 13.5 x 2 cm Photography - 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inch
$5,637
Groucho (Marx) Donuts
Candice CMC
Photography - 88.9 x 71.1 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 28 x 0.1 inch
$3,950 $2,765
Deseo Insular XIV
José Sierra
Photography - 91.4 x 55.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 22 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
All possible forests #1. Framed
Maria Jose Arjona
Photography - 109.2 x 109.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 43 x 43 x 0.1 inch
$12,400
Calligraphing en l'air #6
Cody Choi
Photography - 75 x 50 x 1.5 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$2,019
Joie version 2
Joël Moens
Photography - 110 x 110 x 2 cm Photography - 43.3 x 43.3 x 0.8 inch
$3,608
The Drunken Beauty, Chinese opera 3
Diane Vo Ngoc
Photography - 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.1 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.3 x 0 inch
$620
Grandma Divers IX
Alain Schroeder
Photography - 120 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$2,819
Frida Kahlo I
Marcel Sternberger
Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.3 cm Photography - 20 x 16 x 0.5 inch
$1,600
Cache cache sur le pont
Jean-Marc Stoeffler
Photography - 37 x 47 x 1 cm Photography - 14.6 x 18.5 x 0.4 inch
$282
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
La Cage et la trace du crayon
Sandra Chevrier
Print - 36 x 30.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 14.2 x 12 x 0 inch
$2,255
Commanda Large Format
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 105 x 77 x 0.1 cm Print - 41.3 x 30.3 x 0 inch
$2,819
Need help with Portrait Photography ?
What makes a portrait photograph?
A portrait photograph can be a photograph of a person's head and shoulders, but it can also be of an animal or of a different section of the subject's body such as their feet. Portrait photographs in art often tell or hint something about its subject to the viewer, such as an aspect of their personality, but still contain an element of mystery.
What are the three major types of portrait photography?
The three major types of portrait photography are posed portraits, candid or anonymous portraits, and conceptual portraits. The last type, conceptual or creative portraits, can be experimental and abstract, and may not represent an image close to a traditional portrait.
What are the six styles of portrait photography?
The six main types of portrait photography are fine art portraits, traditional portraits (for example posed portraits taken at school), lifestyle portraits, group portraits, street portraits and glamour portraits.