Examine a gallery of famous portraits and learn the stories behind them, while finding out fascinating information about the artists and the people they painted. With the rise of the "selfie" and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, modern day portraits have become incredibly popular and this book is a brilliant guide to their origin. Learn how Shah Jahan, an Indian artist, used real gold in his portrait to convey the importance of his subject, and how Frida Kahlo experimented with distorting mirrors to show her face in a different way, while painting a self portrait. What is a portrait? What forms do portraits come in? Why are portraits so popular? Find out the answers to these intriguing questions in this detailed information book with breath-taking oil paintings, photographs and illustrations.