Question

Portraiture has evolved through various forms since it began in ancient times. What are the two earliest examples of portraiture that humans have created and preserved?

Paintings of members of
and the portraiture of
are some of the earliest examples of portraiture that humans have created and preserved over the centuries.

Answer 1

Some of the earliest expressions of portraiture include ancient Egyptian tonal portraits, painted on the lids of mummy cases, and the life-size sculptural busts or death masks made in ancient Rome. Both examples describe an enduring set of ideas central to the genre: to memorialise a subject and to capture a likeness.