Matthew Tierney The Dancer
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
People Also Browsed
2010s Abstract Abstract Prints
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Screen
2010s Abstract Abstract Prints
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
1980s Post-Modern Figurative Paintings
Lithograph
1980s Nude Prints
Woodcut
1960s Abstract Geometric Portrait Prints
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Conceptual Abstract Prints
Screen, Graphite, Pencil
Early 20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Contemporary Art
Paint
2010s Abstract Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Sculptures
Plexiglass, Neon Light
Recent Sales
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment
Matthew Tierney for sale on 1stDibs
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.