Donny Finley
Late 20th Century American Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1990s Realist Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1970s Contemporary Interior Prints
Lithograph
1870s Victorian Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Oil, Gesso
Mid-20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Laid Paper, Oil
1970s Contemporary Portrait Prints
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Paintings
Paint
1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1940s Impressionist Nude Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Canvas
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Laid Paper, Mixed Media
20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Late 20th Century Contemporary Nude Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Portrait 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.