What can a portrait tell you about a person?

Artists have always been interested in capturing likenesses of themselves and other people. A successful, complex portrait reveals not only what the sitter looks like, but also aspects of his or her character, and even something about the attitudes of the artist. Looking at a portrait, we may ask ourselves what the artist has chosen to show (of him- or herself and of the sitter), and how those characteristics are indicated (through gestures and expressions, or perhaps through the choice of materials or artistic style).