Portraits - Additional: Actors Playing a Role

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 75042

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Donna" <deemarie1a at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> > >> Portraits are actors in two senses; they are playing the role
of the person in the portrait and the are playing the role OF a
portrait. <<
> > > bboy_mn
> > 

> > bboy_mn:
> > 
> > I want to add some additional thoughts about how and why I
> > concluded that protraits are actors playing a role.
> > 
> > Actually, I base this on enchanted photographs which are not as
> > sophisticated, refined, or as subtle as portraits and therefore 
> > their action are a little easier to read.
> > 
> > You will notice that photographs in newspaper and magazine
> > articles while they to to a small extent reflect the person in the
> > photo, they more often reflect the content of the article. 
> > 
> > ...edited...
> > 
> > bboy_mn

> Donna:
> 
> I think... photographs, as Colin pointed out need to be developed in
> special solutions to make them move.  Move only, not communicate.
> 

bboy_mn:

Agreed. Actually I agree with most of what you said, but I think we
are looking at it from a slightly different perspective.

True, photographs MOVE ONLY, they don't communicate; at least, not
with speech. But the do commuicate with body language and demeanor.
Also notice that all the examples I gave in the sections I edited out
above, all referenced appearance. In bad articles of Harry, he looks
shifty and devious. In good articles about Harry, he looks like a
clean cut all around nice guy. I could even be the same photo for both
articles, but the image in the photo plays a different actor's role
that reflects the context of the article. As a side note: the context
of a portrait is the persons life, using the same language as above,
the persons live story and history are the context that is reflected
by the actor in the portrait.

Also true, photos are developed in a special potion, and while it is
not clearly defined, portraits may also use potions, but generally, 
portraits are produced by a different process. All I am saying, is
that the result of each process produces a similar result. However,
photos are very primitive and limited, whereas, portraits are very
detailed and sophisticated. But the nature of primitive photos can
serve as a model to give us insight into the nature of more
sophisticated portraits. Because photos are less sophisticated, the
actor playing the role becomes more obvious. 



> With portraits, since they would be painted by wizards/witches,
> would be enchanted someway to reflect the personality of the person 
> posing.  And it would definately have to involve a living person.  
> How else would that person's personality be transferred.   I don't 
> think that a "piece of the person" need be imbedded in the paint. 

bboy_mn:
I admited that I wasn't sure of the reference to putting tissue of the
person in the portrait, but I vaguely recall coming across it several
times. Still, I can't say if it was people speculating, or if there is
some data to back it up. Maybe someone else remembers the reference
and can clear that up for us.

And again, I acknowledge the different process, but in my own personal
opinion, one process is just an extension of the other. The portrait
process in just a much more complicated and sophisticated version of
the photo process. 

> 
> If you remember, in GoF, when Hermione takes Harry and Ron to the 
> kitchens, she tickles the pear, it giggles and turns into a 
> doorknob.  How do you explain that, if a pear is not a person?
> 
> Donna

bboy_mn:
A worthwhile point, but we need to remember that the portrait with the
pear has been additionally enchanted to function as a tool. That tool
being a 'door knob'. So here we have gone beyond animating the
portrait, to given it a practical function. That is a different
process, a different enchantment for a completely different purpose
than portraits that are true to life animated representations of a
living or at one time living person.

Remember, that most of this is just my best guess as to what is likely.

Just a thought.
bboy_mn