Portraits Throughout
Art History
A Special Short Course
Instructed by Alexandra Franz
Two Weeks
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm
December 8, 10, 15, & 17
Registration Deadline: December 5
[ REGISTER HERE ]
Tuition
$155 for 2-week, 4-meeting course
Description
In 1859, French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire stated,
“A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound?”
Portraiture is one of history’s longest and most enduring subjects in art, and before photography, this was the only way to preserve and record one’s physical appearance.
Additionally, portraiture reflects the values of the culture and society in which it is made and highlights certain people in certain ways. From Fayum mummy portraits to American Gothic, to Ukiyo-e prints of kabuki actors, to self portraits, even to the selfies we post on Instagram, by looking at the portraits created throughout history, we are not only able to see into the perspective of the artist or sitter, but also into the society and world that created it.
The course will cover both well-known and lesser-known artists, with an emphasis on closely examining and discussing specific portraits throughout history. Students will also explore the different ways portraits have been represented and studied in art history, and discuss how portraiture from a specific time can illuminate the larger cultural context.
This course includes lectures and conversation, offering an opportunity to learn about art history while also enjoying and appreciating the work of different artists. This course is ideal for those who have an interest in digging beneath the surface of art history.
Texts or other Required/Recommended Materials:
A notebook and/or sketchbook to take notes and sketch from the artwork we will be discussing.
Max Enrollment: 12
Level of Study: Open to all!
This class is open to all students who enjoy approaching the past with curiosity and courage.
Suggested Prerequisites: none
Bruno Walpoth
LOCATION: Unless otherwise specified, all courses are hosted at Manifest's new facility at 'M1' in Clifton at 3464 Central Parkway (see map and directions below). Manifest's new facility provides multiple studio classrooms, private lesson space, a darkroom, a film processing room, a state of the art printmaking wing, and a multi-purpose lecture and class meeting space as well as on-site parking, grounds, and exterior spaces in which to relax, discuss, and make art. The studios are outfitted with professional equipment, furniture, and study aids.
Map to Manifest's M1 Studios | Studio Calendar | Darkroom Calendar
Manifest's new home on Central Parkway is a historic 1932 structure ideally suited to the various programs of the Manifest Drawing Center (and future Manifest Gallery).
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Hans Mielich
Frida Kahlo
Kitagawa Utamaro
About the Instructor
Alexandra Franz is a representational painter of figures, portraits, and still lives. She served as an Open Figure Moderator at Manifest Drawing Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2023 to early 2026, including serving as Lead Moderator for the last six months of her moderating position. She has exhibited multiple works in nationally competitive professional-level exhibitions, and recently showed work in her first international exhibition in London in 2025, and exhibited two paintings, at NYC First Street Gallery and Bowery Gallery, this past summer. In 2023 she was invited to attend an 18-day artist residency in southern Italy.
Franz is a Cincinnati MacDowell Society Artist Award 2025 Grantee, and is an Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation 2024 Grantee. She received her BA in Art History from the University of Cincinnati, where she also studied Fine Arts and received a certificate in Museum Studies. Franz’s works are held in private collections around the U.S., and she recently exhibited over twenty recent works in a solo exhibition at Buckham Gallery in May/June of 2026.
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