Rinze Hamstra
1950s Symbolist Figurative Paintings
Wax Crayon
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Paintings
Scagliola, Wood, Paint
16th Century Old Masters Paintings
Oil
16th Century Mannerist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Handmade Paper
Vintage 1980s Japanese Books
Paper
20th Century Czech Photography
Paper
Antique 19th Century Baroque Paintings
Canvas, Paint
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Leather, Porcelain, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Mixed Media
16th Century Figurative Paintings
Panel, Oil
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Wood
Antique 17th Century Italian Other Paintings
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Oil Crayon
Antique Late 19th Century Prints
Paper
Antique Late 19th Century Prints
Paper
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.