Figurative Paintings
1980s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1920s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Etching, Aquatint
1970s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Paper
1970s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1930s Cubist Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1950s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1970s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1930s Cubist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
1930s Modern Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Pop Art Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Chalk, Oil
Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Panel
1970s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Graphite, Permanent Marker, Pastel, Paper, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Pop Art Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Lithograph
Late 19th Century Victorian Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s Pop Art Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
1980s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Acrylic
Early 1900s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
1980s Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Figurative Paintings
Oil
1970s Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil
1970s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Figurative Paintings for Sale
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.