In the Republican period, art was produced in the service of the state, showing public sacrifices or celebrating victorious military campaigns.

Portraits of people praised the goals of the Republic; hard work, age, wisdom, being a community leader and soldier.  Patrons chose to have themselves represented with balding heads, large noses, and extra wrinkles, demonstrating that they had spent their lives working for the Republic as model citizens, showing their acquired wisdom with each furrow of the brow. We now call this portrait style realism, referring to the naturalistic features that emphasize every flaw, creating portraits of individuals with personality and essence.

Compare this portrait to the one below, which shows Paul Martin, ex-Prime Minister of Canada, giving the thumbs up to his official portrait as it is unveiled to be hung in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. How might you describe the image of the man compared to the painting of him?

Paul Martin gives a thumbs up as his official prime ministerial portrait is unveiled during a ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)