Alexander Sharpe Ross
1950s Realist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1940s Modern Portrait Paintings
Gouache
1950s Romantic Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Gouache, Board
1940s Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1940s Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century American Scientific Instruments
Iron
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Cardboard, Acrylic
Antique Mid-19th Century American Victorian Trunks and Luggage
Alligator
1950s Interior Paintings
Board, Color Pencil, Oil
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
1970s Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1930s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1920s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century American Realist Landscape Paintings
India Ink, Oil
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
20th Century Italian Centerpieces
Silver
1930s Academic Portrait Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Still-life Photography
Archival Pigment
20th Century Interior Paintings
Gouache, Board
1920s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Recent Sales
1950s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1940s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1950s Modern Figurative Paintings
Gouache, Illustration Board
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.
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In Francks Deceus’s ‘Mumbo Jumbo #5,’ the Black Experience Is . . . Complicated
Despite the obstacles, the piece’s protagonist navigates the chaos without losing his humanity.
With Works Like ‘Yours Truly,’ Arthur Dove Pioneered Abstract Art in America
New York gallery Hirschl & Adler is exhibiting the bold composition by Dove — who’s hailed as the first American abstract painter — at this year’s Winter Show.
Donald Martiny’s Jumbo Brushstrokes Magnify the Undeniable Personality of Paint
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Patrick Hughes’s 3D Painting Takes Us on a Magical Journey through Pop Art History
The illusions — and allusions — never end in this mind-boggling portrayal of an all-star Pop art show on a beach.
Mid-Century Americans Didn’t Know Antonio Petruccelli’s Name, but They Sure Knew His Art
The New York artist created covers for the nation’s most illustrious magazines. Now, the originals are on display as fine art.
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