Oil painting portraits
Before the advent of photography, portrait paintings and sketches were the only way that images of loved ones could be preserved for posterity. Perhaps the most famous oil painting portrait in the world is the Mona Lisa, painted by Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century. Oil painting portraits became increasingly popular in European countries over the next few centuries, with masters like Rembrandt in the Netherlands and Gainsborough in Britain completing some of his most famous and exquisite portraits. In the 18th and 19th centuries, American artists completed important works of art. Some of these works are now in the National Portrait Museum in Washington, D.C. For more information visit Ruebens portraits . While photography added an element of realism to the images, the fascination with oil portraits continued. Oil portraits became a status symbol that only the very wealthy could offer. As color photography became more sophisticated, paper reprints