The Image of the Individual

The portrait in the Renaissance has long been connected with the "cult of personality" which emerged in the 15th century and provoked people to record their features accurately for the first time since antiquity. These essays develop and challenge this concept of individuality, showing that manifold definitions of individuality of the period inspired portraits in a large range of media, which may be faithful to their subject but also may be idealized, generalized or exaggerated according to need.