- 1a painting, drawing or photograph of a person, especially of the head and shoulders He had his portrait painted in uniform. a full-length portrait a portrait painter Synonymspicture painting 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 artistsdrawing a picture that has been made using a pencil or pen, not paint:a pencil/charcoal drawingportrait 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 printsketch 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 Wordfinderpaintingart, background, canvas, exhibition, foreground, frame, fresco, painting, portrait, watercolour CollocationsFine 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/his most celebrated work/a series of prints paint a picture/landscape/portrait/mural/in oils/in watercolours/(especially 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/an altarpiece/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/(especially US English) colors/pigments/paints add/apply thin/thick layers of paint/colour/(especially 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 mediaDescribing art paint/depict a female figure/a biblical 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 styleShowing and selling art commission an altarpiece/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 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)/(usually North American English) an exhibit be/go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit feature/promote/showcase a conceptual artist/contemporary works collect African art/modern British paintings/Japanese prints restore/preserve a fresco/great works of art see also self-portrait Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull-length, half-length, oil, … verb + portraitdo, draw, paint, … portrait + verbhang portrait + noungallery, artist, painter, … prepositionportrait by, portrait of See full entry See related entries: Artwork and techniques
- 2a detailed description of somebody/something synonym depiction a portrait of life at the French court Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveintimate, vivid, pen, … verb + portraitcreate, draw, offer, … See full entry Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French, past participle (used as a noun) of Old French portraire ‘portray’.Extra examples The book drew a stark portrait of Quebec’s urban poor. The letters contained many deft pen portraits of his colleagues. The novel provides a vivid portrait of the Holberg family. a fashionable portrait painter a portrait of the Queen by Annigoni Her first film was a stunning portrait of life in the sugar plantations of her native Martinique. She had her portrait painted. Vermeer’s ‘Portrait of the artist in his studio’ a self-portrait in pen and ink
portrait
nounBrE BrE//ˈpɔːtreɪt//, BrE//ˈpɔːtrət//; NAmE NAmE//ˈpɔːrtrət//
Artwork and techniquesCheck pronunciation: portrait
