Double Portrait

Double Portrait is a type of portrait genre where the artist depicts two people, most often related by kinship, marriage, or close friendship. Such paintings appeared as early as the Renaissance, when portraits of spouses were commissioned in a unified style and composition.

Usually, the characters are arranged in a balanced composition: figures face each other or are mirrored. In double portraits, not only physical resemblance is important, but also the conveyance of emotional connection between the subjects—through gazes, poses, and hand positions.

In the 17th–18th centuries, aristocratic portraits of husbands and wives, painted by masters like Van Dyck or Reynolds, were especially popular. Later, this genre also spread to photography: from formal family pictures to intimate shots of love. Today, the double portrait remains a sought-after format, as it reflects human relationships no less than a novel or music.