From 1800 to 1950 · identity, society and modernity

From psychological portraiture to expressionism and the American icon, the modern face no longer guarantees quiet resemblance: color, framing and social environment become positions.

In the 19th century, portraiture accompanied the rise of the bourgeoisie, photography and a new public space. Some painters maintain a precise observation of rank and character; others use color and touch to make a presence more unstable. In the 20th century, Kirchner fragmented the space around Fränzi, Beckmann hardened Quappi's contours, while Grant Wood transformed two frontal figures into ambiguous images of rural America. The portrait can now name an individual, represent a social type or question the entire era through a pose. The portrait can now name an individual, represent a social type or question the entire era through a pose. The portrait can now name an individual, represent a social type or question the entire era through a pose. The portrait can now name an individual, represent a social type or question the entire era through a pose. The selection "200 Famous Portraits of the 19th and 20th centuries" notably compares Fränzi in front of a sculpted chair and Quappi in a pink sweater. His reading favors figures.

The modern portrait no longer only asks "who is this person?", but also "what world makes this presence possible?"