Patricia Emrich Gillfillan On Sale
1980s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
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Canvas, Paint
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Hardwood, Paint
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Canvas
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Paint
Vintage 1960s Italian Bohemian Paintings
Canvas
Vintage 1970s Danish Modern Paintings
Paint
1990s American Bohemian Paintings
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Swedish Paintings
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Mid-20th Century Bohemian Paintings
Canvas
Late 20th Century Portrait Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century North American Bohemian Paintings
Wood, Paint, Paper
Mid-20th Century Bohemian Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century North American Paintings
Paint
Recent Sales
1970s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
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.