system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How were artists capable of depicting kings or persons who were deceased by the time they're about to do so? Did they used existing manuscripts about the person, or was there any complex research and studies made before depicting the subject?
gpt
They used existing descriptions, interviewed people that knew them, and studied existing artwork.

A lot of medieval artwork was also done to make the subjects look better than they actually did.

But in some cases they just guessed. With Jesus for example there were no descriptions or artwork available so the image traditional associated with Christ (Long hair, beard, white skin) is completely fictitious. They made him look like a contemporary European Noble.