Emile Chepfer
20th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Figurative Paintings
Cardboard, Oil
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Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Tang Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
1830s Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Oil
Vintage 1950s Tunisian Art Deco Paintings
Wood, Paint
19th Century Portrait Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Vintage 1930s American Machine Age Floor Lamps
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Spanish Paintings
Paint
Early 19th Century Academic Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1890s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-19th Century French School Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Post-Minimalist Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Prints
Wood
Antique 18th Century North American Paintings
Paint
19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Vintage 1970s Italian Islamic Decorative Boxes
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Antique Late 19th Century Prints
Paper
19th Century Figurative Paintings
Panel, Oil
Recent Sales
20th Century Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Figurative Paintings
Cardboard, 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.