Retratados

Retratados is the plural form of retratado, a Spanish term used to refer to the person depicted in a portrait or the subject of a portrait. The word comes from retratar, meaning “to portray” or “to depict,” with the participial suffix -ado. As a noun, retratado denotes the sitter or the person shown in the artwork; as an adjective, retratado describes someone represented in a portrait or depiction.

In art history and museology, retratados are central to cataloging and interpreting portraiture. Art historians study who the sitters are, how they are portrayed, and what the depiction conveys about status, role, or identity. Museums may label groups of portraits with phrases like “retratados de la colección” or refer to “los retratados de esta sala” to indicate the depicted individuals, rather than the artists.

The term is primarily used in visual arts, but it can appear in broader cultural or historical discussions about representation. It is distinct from retrato, which refers to the artwork itself, while retratado emphasizes the person depicted. In literary or critical discourse, the concept of a “retratado” may appear in discussions of portraiture as a mode of representation, though “retrato” and “retrato literario” are more common terms.

See also: retrato, retratos, retratista.