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Definition of portrait noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

portrait

noun
 
/ˈpɔːtreɪt/,
 
/ˈpɔːtrət/
 
/ˈpɔːrtrət/
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  1. a painting, drawing or photograph of a person, especially of the head and shoulders
    • portrait of somebody a portrait of his wife
    • a full-length portrait
    • He had his portrait painted in uniform.
    • a portrait painter
    Synonyms picturepicturepainting drawing portrait print sketchThese are all words for a scene, person or thing that has been represented on paper by drawing, painting, etc.picture a scene, person or thing that has been represented on paper using a pencil, a pen or paint:
    • The children were drawing pictures of their pets.
    painting a picture that has been made using paint:
    • a collection of paintings by American artists
    drawing a picture that has been made using a pencil or pen, not paint:
    • a pencil/​charcoal drawing
    portrait a painting, drawing or photograph of a person, especially of the head and shoulders:
    • Vermeer’s ‘Portrait of the artist in his studio’
    • a self-portrait (= a painting that you do of yourself)
    print a picture that has been copied from a painting using photography:
    • a Renoir print
    sketch a simple picture that is drawn quickly and does not have many details:
    • I usually do a few very rough sketches before I start on a painting.
    Patterns
    • to draw a picture/​portrait/​sketch
    • to paint a picture/​portrait
    • to make a painting/​drawing/​portrait/​print/​sketch
    • to do a painting/​drawing/​portrait/​sketch
    Collocations Fine artsFine artsCreating art
    • make a work of art/​a drawing/​a sketch/​a sculpture/​a statue/​engravings/​etchings/​prints
    • do an oil painting/​a self-portrait/​a line drawing/​a rough sketch
    • create a work of art/​an artwork/​paintings and sculptures
    • produce paintings/​portraits/​oil sketches/​her most celebrated work/​a series of prints
    • paint a picture/​landscape/​portrait/​mural/​in oils/​in watercolours/(US English) in watercolors/​on canvas
    • draw a picture/​a portrait/​a cartoon/​a sketch/​a line/​a figure/​the human form/​in charcoal/​in ink
    • sketch a preliminary drawing/​a figure/​a shape
    • carve a figure/​an image/​a sculpture/​reliefs/​a block of wood
    • sculpt a portrait bust/​a statue/​an abstract figure
    • etch a line/​a pattern/​a design/​a name into the glass
    • mix colours/(US English) colors/​pigments/​paints
    • add/​apply thin/​thick layers of paint/​colour/(US English) color/​pigment
    • use oil pastels/​charcoal/​acrylic paint/​a can of spray paint
    • work in bronze/​ceramics/​stone/​oils/​pastels/​watercolour/​a wide variety of media
    Describing art
    • paint/​depict a female figure/​a rural scene/​a pastoral landscape/​a domestic interior
    • depict/​illustrate a traditional/​mythological/​historical/​religious theme
    • create an abstract composition/​a richly textured surface/​a distorted perspective
    • paint dark/​rich/​skin/​flesh tones
    • use broad brush strokes/​loose brushwork/​vibrant colours/​a limited palette/​simple geometric forms
    • develop/​adopt/​paint in a stylized manner/​an abstract style
    Showing and selling art
    • commission a new piece/​a bronze bust of somebody/​a portrait/​a religious work/​an artist to paint something
    • frame a painting/​portrait
    • hang art/​a picture/​a painting
    • display/​exhibit modern art/​somebody’s work/​a collection/​original artwork/​drawings/​sculptures/​a piece/​a painting
    • be displayed/​hung in a gallery/​museum
    • install/​place a sculpture in/​at/​on something
    • erect/​unveil a bronze/​marble/​life-size statue
    • hold/​host/​mount/​open/​curate/​see an exhibition (especially British English)/(North American English usually) an exhibit
    • be/​go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit
    • feature/​promote/​showcase a conceptual artist/​contemporary works
    • collect contemporary art/​modern British paintings/​Japanese prints
    • restore/​preserve a fresco/​great works of art
    see also self-portrait
    Extra Examples
    • a portrait of the Queen by Annigoni
    • Vermeer's ‘Portrait of the artist in his studio’
    Topics Artb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • full-length
    • half-length
    • oil
    verb + portrait
    • do
    • draw
    • paint
    portrait + verb
    • hang
    portrait + noun
    • gallery
    • artist
    • painter
    preposition
    • portrait by
    • portrait of
    See full entry
  2. a detailed description of somebody/something synonym depiction
    • portrait of somebody/something a portrait of life at the French court
    • The film paints a portrait of a man consumed with jealousy.
    Extra Examples
    • The book drew a stark portrait of Quebec's urban poor.
    • The novel provides a vivid portrait of the Holberg family.
    • Her first film was a stunning portrait of life in the sugar plantations of her native Martinique.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • intimate
    • vivid
    • pen
    verb + portrait
    • create
    • draw
    • offer
    See full entry
  3. (used especially before another noun) the way of printing a document in which the top of the page is one of the shorter sides
    • You can print landscape and portrait pages in the same document.
    compare landscape (4)Topics Computersc2
  4. Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French, past participle (used as a noun) of Old French portraire ‘portray’.
See portrait in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee portrait in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
given
adjective
 
 
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