portraiture

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːtrɪtʃə/

noun

[mass noun]
  • the art of painting or taking portraits: Ingres is a master of portraiture
  • vivid and detailed description: his strength as a novelist lay in his portraiture of upper-class families
  • [count noun] formal a portrait.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French, from portrait (see portrait)