How unimaginably fantastic was the first portrait?
The very first painting by a human of another human
And it looked just like its subject matter
Not an oval or circle with wavy or curly lines for hair
Or almond shapes with circles in them for eyes
No small triangle for a nose or a line for a mouth
This portrait, this rendering of another humans face
Adequately captured the features
The jawline, the forehead, the hair
All were well-enough represented to be readily identifiable
By everyone
Thousands of years ago
Maybe in a temple in India
Or a tomb in Egypt
Or a bathhouse in Rome
A person with the first known talent
For capturing the likeness of another person
Had a piece of charcoal or a stick with a charred end
And a suitable material to draw upon
He or she said to someone
With a face they thought interesting
Hold still
The light is perfect
It'll just take a few minutes
Your hair looks great
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