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Year 9

Exploring power in the portrait

I can create a cut out figure that shows power and presence.

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New
New
Year 9

Exploring power in the portrait

I can create a cut out figure that shows power and presence.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Portraits have historically been used to convey power and use composition to do this
  2. The history of the portrait also highlights a lack of representation, artists are changing this narrative
  3. Portraits are personal representations and can include other elements to help tell a person's story

Keywords

  • Representation - groups which have been included in artworks and/or have made artworks

  • Status - a person’s level of importance, rank, or social standing

  • Pose - the way someone stands or sits, especially in to show a certain feeling, attitude, or idea

  • Gaze - how the subject’s eyes are directed—whether they are looking directly at the viewer, or in a different direction

Common misconception

Making a portrait always means painting a face.

Artists use paper, cardboard, silhouettes and even walls to create bold, powerful and expressive figures. You do not need to only paint a face to create a portrait.


To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Exploring power in the portrait, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to think of this task as performing power through portraiture. It’s not about creating perfect drawings — it’s about collaborating, taking creative risks and owning space in a way that challenges traditional portrait rules.
Teacher tip

Equipment

cardboard, scissors, paint, paintbrushes, rollers, printing inks.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does the term gaze refer to in a portrait?
The subject’s hairstyle
The background of the painting
Correct answer: Where the subject is looking
The lighting technique used to highlight the face
Q2.
Which is the best definition of 'target audience'?
A general public interested in art.
A group of critics reviewing an artwork.
A group of people who enjoy all forms of art.
Correct answer: A particular group at which an artwork is aimed.
Q3.
Fill the gap: A is a group of people who share common interests, goals, experiences or values.
Correct Answer: community, network, collective
Q4.
Which of the following best describes how people understand art?
Art has one clear meaning for all audiences.
Correct answer: Art is interpreted differently by different people.
Art is only understood by artists and critics.
Art is universally understood in exactly the same way by everyone.
Q5.
Which of the following best describes where art can be found?
Correct answer: Art is found in lots of locations, both public spaces and private spaces.
Art is only created for academic purposes in universities.
Art is only found in galleries and museums.
Art is restricted to specific cultural contexts, like community centres.
Q6.
Complete the sentence: Artists create a with their target audiences.
Correct Answer: connection, engagement, dialogue, interaction, links

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which is the most accurate statement about how symbols can convey power in a portrait?
Symbols are used to decorate the artwork and don’t have much meaning or status.
Correct answer: Symbols can communicate wealth, status and control without using words.
Symbols are only used in portraits of kings and queens to show status.
Q2.
Match these key words with the correct definition:
Correct Answer:representation,groups which have been included in artworks and/or have made artworks

groups which have been included in artworks and/or have made artworks

Correct Answer:status,a person’s level of importance, rank, or social standing

a person’s level of importance, rank, or social standing

Correct Answer:community,a group who share common interests, goals, experiences or values

a group who share common interests, goals, experiences or values

Q3.
Fill in the gap: A subject's helps to communicate power in a portrait.
Correct Answer: gaze, pose, body, expression
Q4.
Which is the missing word? Artists make work for lots of reasons to create a legacy, make money, connect with __________ or make a statement among many other reasons.
buyers
critics
Correct answer: communities
galleries

Additional material

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