The Face Value of Portraits by Inhye Lee

The Face Value of Portraits visualizes the physical dimension of portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, with an interest in the gender difference in the collection. A few pre-curated salons are available, reflecting data about a portrait’s physical dimension, the year of completion (from 1710s to 1960s) and the gender being portrayed. The project started with a question whether a portrait - its existence and size - would signal a portrayed figure’s social status. The visualization method is inspired by salon-style-exhibitions where visitors can compare the physicality of artworks in a single gallery space.