portraiture

noun

por·​trai·​ture ˈpȯr-trə-ˌchu̇r 

-chər,

-ˌtyu̇r,

-ˌtu̇r

1

: the making of portraits : portrayal

2

: portrait

Synonyms

• definition
• delineation
• depiction
• description
• picture
• portrait
• portrayal
• rendering
• sketch
• vignette

Examples of portraiture in a Sentence

The museum is exhibiting portraiture from the late 19th century.

Recent Examples on the Web

The portraiture of a Black woman, along with the straw hat (an item synonymous with campesino iconography), brought together several concepts, and grew to become Catlett’s most renowned image in the eyes of many. —Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Mar. 2025

Frick was partial to portraiture, particularly to images of comely women and prosperous-looking men. —Holland Cotter, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025

For hundreds of years, artists have captured the theater’s greatest actors through portraiture. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024

The artist Amy Sherald is known for her stirring portraits of First Lady Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, and often uses grayscale to complicate representations of race in portraiture. —Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English purtreiture, portratowre, portrature "representation by painting or drawing, the art of painting or drawing," borrowed from Anglo-French purtraiture (also continental Old French pourtraiture), from purtrait, past participle of purtraire "to represent, depict" + -ure -ure — more at portray

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1