General Electric Refrigerator
1930s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
People Also Browsed
Antique 18th Century French Paintings
Antique 1830s French Louis XVI Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Antique Late 17th Century Belgian Paintings
Canvas
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Wallpaper
Wood, Paper
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Armchairs
Walnut
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Wood
Antique 1790s French Directoire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood, Paint, Mirror
Antique Late 19th Century French Romantic Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Plywood
20th Century American Books
Paper
Antique 19th Century French Rococo Paintings
Gesso, Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Austrian Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Trumeau Mirrors
Canvas, Wood
20th Century American Books
Paper
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Vitrines
Bronze
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Trumeau Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Canvas, Giltwood
Antique 18th Century British Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Finding the Right figurative-paintings for You
Figurative art, as opposed to abstract art, retains features from the observable world in its representational depictions of subject matter. Most commonly, figurative paintings reference and explore the human body, but they can also include landscapes, architecture, plants and animals — all portrayed with realism.
While the oldest figurative art dates back tens of thousands of years to cave wall paintings, figurative works made from observation became especially prominent in the early Renaissance. Artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance masters created naturalistic representations of their subjects.
Pablo Picasso is lauded for laying the foundation for modern figurative art in the 1920s. Although abstracted, this work held a strong connection to representing people and other subjects. Other famous figurative artists include Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud. Figurative art in the 20th century would span such diverse genres as Expressionism, Pop art and Surrealism.
Today, a number of figural artists — such as Sedrick Huckaby, Daisy Patton and Eileen Cooper — are making art that uses the human body as its subject.
Because figurative art represents subjects from the real world, natural colors are common in these paintings. A piece of figurative art can be an exciting starting point for setting a tone and creating a color palette in a room.
Browse an extensive collection of figurative paintings on 1stDibs.