[Detail] Maria Gonzalez and soldaderas. Photographer - Robert Runyon.
Portraiture and Character Sketch
This collection of Robert Runyon's photographs includes nearly 3,000 portraits, catalogued as such in the Subject Index. They provide the impetus for two creative projects. First, students can study portraiture by comparing these images with portraits of today. Have students consider the similarities and differences with the following questions:
- What kinds of people are pictured?
- Based on the collection, when and why do you think people had portraits made? When and why do people commission portraits today?
- How are people dressed?
- How are they posed?
- What is the setting or background?
- What feelings or information are conveyed through portraits and how?
- Where does one find portraits today? For what are they used?
- What do you think were the main purposes of Runyon's portraits? What are the main purposes of portraiture today?
Use these questions in a class discussion to explore how different elements and techniques of portraiture are used to convey information or give impressions about people. Then challenge your students to use what they've learned in making their own portraits of people. Ask them to articulate what they want to convey about their subject, how they plan to do so, and whether they think they were successful.
Second, students may exercise their imaginations and descriptive-writing skills in using a portrait as a starting point for a character sketch or even a short story. You may want to supply them with literary examples to help them consider what techniques an author uses to create a powerful character. Students may also compare these techniques with those of a portrait photographer.
