Portraits have long served as a way to explore identity, memory, and the human experience. Twenty Portraits presents a selection of works from the permanent collection, focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries, that reveal the many ways artists have interpreted the people around them, and, in doing so, how we understand ourselves.
From carefully rendered examples of 19th-century realism to expressive sketches and portraits that approach abstraction, this exhibition highlights the evolution of portraiture across generations. Some artists focused on precise details, capturing likeness, personality, and social identity through traditional techniques. Others moved beyond representation, using color, shape, gesture, and form to explore impressions.
Together, these works demonstrate that portraiture is never simply about recording a person’s appearance. A portrait reflects a relationship between artist and subject, between observation and interpretation. It can reveal how individuals wished to be seen, how artists perceived their subjects, and how viewers connect with the images before them.
Across changing styles and approaches, these portraits remind us that the act of looking is also an act of discovery. They invite us to consider not only who is represented, but what these images reveal about identity, perspective, and the ways we see ourselves and others.
