Obraz

Obraz is a Polish noun meaning image, picture, painting, portrait, or representation. It denotes a two-dimensional depiction of a subject, regardless of medium, including painting, drawing, photograph, print, or digital image. In everyday language it refers to any visible representation, whether displayed in a museum, on a screen, or in a book. The term can also denote a religious image, though more specialized words such as ikon a or ikona are sometimes used for devotional icons.

In art and culture, obraz is commonly used to describe works of visual art. Phrases like obraz olejny or obraz akwarelowy specify the medium of a painting. The term is broad enough to cover portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes, while more precise terms identify the form or subject matter, for example portret (portrait) or pejzaż (landscape).

In media and technology, obraz refers to digital or photographic representations. It encompasses digital images, video frames, and satellite imagery, with terms such as obraz cyfrowy (digital image), obraz rastrowy (raster image), and obraz wektorowy (vector image). In image processing, przetwarzanie obrazu describes the field that analyzes and manipulates pictures to extract information or enhance quality. Common image formats include JPG, PNG, and GIF.

Usage notes: the plural form is obrazy. While obraz is a general term, more specific words may be used for particular contexts, such as obraz sztuki, obraz cyfrowy, or portret when the subject is a person’s likeness. The word remains neutral and widely used across disciplines.