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Magical portraits are a type of sentient artefact, and are common in the wizarding world. The subjects of portraits are sentient, can speak to and with people on the outside, and they can move into other portraits in the same building, as well as visit their own portraits in other places. Some pure-blood wizards think that Muggle portraits are weird, because they do not move or display the personality in them.
Portraits beings
Beings in painted portraits have most of the capabilities of physical beings, only from inside the world of their frame or network of portraits nearby in which they can travel. They are usually resurrected for a fixed purpose which they stick to. They are fully sentient however, the details of the personalities and memories vary depending on the circumstances of the being depicted; and in most cases are more like an "echo" of the person they represent. They are still conscious beings, only embedded inside a frame. In most cases they are not able to accurately remember all of their subject's memories, and therefore have separate memories and a separate existence from within the portrait world whilst taking the form of a real person. Therefore it is safe to say that in most cases a portrait being's personality is only a replica of their subject's. However, if the portrait painter is drawing themselves it is most likely that the portrait being could have exactly the same personality and memories of the subject (depending on which aspects of themselves the subject wants to be portrayed). Portrait beings are aware that they are not actually the person they represent but a replica, and they may describe themselves as 'only a copy of themselves,' if they are not able to accurately answer a question about their subject's life. It is thought that the accuracy of a portrait personality is that of where and/or when the being's personality is depicted, the accuracy could also depend on how well the portrait painter knows the person they are painting.
Portrait beings can live indefinitely, although they are not completely immortal, and it is thought that if caused by another portrait being, or if the portrait is damaged from means of the outside world, then a being can die. However portraits can be restored.
Portraits are often produced or created after a person's death. This can allow the person to live on to some extent, and if a self-portrait (and the subject decided to portray every aspect of their personality), then in some rare cases, the dead person is effectively 'bought back to life eternally,' and the portrait is completely accurate. However this is very rare, and in most cases the portrait being is only an echo of their subject with many differences to their personality and memories.
Portrait beings may not only be humans, but animals as well. Entire landscapes can also exist in portraits. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when the Fat Lady's portrait was damaged, the portrait she moved to was a landscape with animals in it. It is most likely possible that portrait beings can effectively 'add' to their portraits, and even create places within the portrait that is not visible from the portrait's frame.
Portraits are used to guard secret passages, and possibly used for everyday tasks; for example, a portrait being representing the owner of a house-elf could command it in the absence of the owner so that the house can be maintained.
The portraits of past Headmasters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are created to help the current Headmaster. A portrait of a Headmaster appears in the office after their death. These portraits only have memories which shall be useful to assisting future headmasters, and are therefore barely accurate although these portraits' personalities are similar to that of their subject's.
It is most likely that to paint a magical portrait, a certain type of magic paint is required, however this may not be the case. Albus Dumbledore's portrait appeared in the Headmaster's office within hours, if not minutes of his death. This suggests that either Headmaster's portraits are created during the Headmaster's lifetime, or else the position is somehow enchanted to ensure that a painting is automatically created.
Portraits vs. magical photographs
Portraits are different than the moving photographs seen in the wizarding world. Any movement within a photograph is just a mere recording on a continuous loop. The people depicted have no sentience whatsoever. They are essentially isolated within the world of their photograph.
Travelling in portraits
The Fat Lady hiding in another portrait.
Apparently, only a single portrait-being of an individual can exist, and if they have more than one portrait, they must spend time moving between them. Apparently if the location inside two portraits are the same, then a being could essentially be in both portraits at one time; it is possible that this trick is used as a means of communication.
Phineas Nigellus Black has a painting in the Headmaster's office in Hogwarts and at 12 Grimmauld Place. In 1997, Hermione took Phineas' portrait from 12 Grimmauld Place and placed it in her small, beaded bag and carried it with her during their travels.[1] Later, Harry, asked the portrait of Phineas Nigellus if it was possible to bring Professor Dumbledore from his portrait in Hogwarts to the portrait from Grimmauld Place, but Phineas Nigellus angrily answered that the portraits of Hogwarts may commune with each other, but they cannot travel outside the castle except to visit a painting of themselves hanging nearby.[2]
Known portraits
Headmaster portraits
- Albus Dumbledore
- Ambrose Swott
- Armando Dippet
- Basil Fronsac
- Dexter Fortescue
- Dilys Derwent – Linked to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in London.
- Eoessa Sakndenberg
- Everard – Linked to the Ministry of Magic.
- Heliotrope Wilkins
- Newton Scamander
- Phineas Nigellus Black – Linked to 12 Grimmauld Place in London.
- Quentin Trimble
- Severus Snape
- Vulpus
- Walter Aragon
Behind the scenes
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is established that at least some portrait subjects have the ability to move between different portraits, at least within Hogwarts. After her portrait is damaged, the Fat Lady vacates it, and a search of other portraits is ordered (and she is indeed found hiding in one nearby). In a deleted scene, Sir Cadogan is also shown moving from portrait to portrait, even to the extent of flirting with a female portrait.
- In the LEGO Harry Potter games, portraits are shown to be far more interactive than in any other media, with objects able to move from the portrait out to the real world and vice versa. Many puzzles in both games revolve around getting a portrait to give you a necessary object, or bringing a real world object into the portrait to assist its occupants.
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 12
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 15
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) - PC version