1.The art of painting; representation by painting. (Obs.) "Any well-expressed image... either in picture or sculpture."
2.A representation of anything (as a person, a landscape, a building) upon canvas, paper, or other surface, produced by means of painting, drawing, engraving, photography, etc.; a representation in colors. By extension, a figure; a model. "Pictures and shapes are but secondary objects." "The young king's picture... in virgin wax."
3.An image or resemblance; a representation, either to the eye or to the mind; that which, by its likeness, brings vividly to mind some other thing; as, a child is the picture of his father; the man is the picture of grief. "My eyes make pictures when they are shut." Note: Picture is often used adjectively, or in forming self-explaining compounds; as, picture book or picture-book, picture frame or picture-frame, picture seller or picture-seller, etc.
Picture writing. (a)The art of recording events, or of expressing messages, by means of pictures representing the actions or circumstances in question.
(b)The record or message so represented; as, the picture writing of the American Indians.