Kim, great question for the great topic!
I myself always believed that a "portrait" can be at the level of "figure", and depending on the subjectmatter and the composition can even become a multi-figurative piece.
I agree with Michele, if it's meant to depict a particular someone, then it's a portrait. Besides, to better portray a particular person and his/her personality, we often include in the painting such attributes as books, furniture, photographs, pets, etc. Why not other people?....
Rembrandt's
The Nightwatch was originally a commissioned portrait.
With regards to the titles, in museums on painting descriptions you can often see
"The Title" and right underneath that
Portrait of...
I always cosidered my "For Gold, God and Glory" painting to be a portrait of C. Columbus. When we think of Columbus, we think of the discovery of Americas. Therefore why not to portray him in "action"?.... Besides, there were several portraits done of Columbus in the history of art, they all looked like the portraits of different people, because nobody really knew how he looked like. I created "my own" Columbus based on the description written by his son. Inclusion of the Santa Maria's sail and the people around him and dressed in the fashion of that time, definitely contributed to even better viewer's understanding, that the man is Columbus, and to be convinced, that it is precisely how he looked like, and not any other way.
Another painting I should mention,which I titled "Believe" is actually a commission portrait of Pope John Paul II. When I first started to think of the portrait composition, I just couldn't see this Pope by himself. It would probably be the same for many of us, just try to think of the Pope, good chance, that you may think of him being with other people, which adds to his personality, his character and who he is about.
You can see the above mentioned paintings on my website
www.Babailov.com
Thank you
and best regards,
Linear Mode
