Figurative Paintings
19th Century Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 20th Century Pre-Raphaelite Figurative Paintings
Oil
1940s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Post-Modern Figurative Paintings
Wood, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
1890s Victorian Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board, Graphite
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
1920s Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
1960s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
2010s Pop Art Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A woman gazes sideways, her eyes twinkling. The black-and-white palette adds depth to her emotion. 1998–1999 marked a particularly tumultuous chapter for arti...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil
1870s Hudson River School Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1890s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1890s Victorian Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1940s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil Pastel, Gouache
Late 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Realist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-18th Century Rococo Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Modern Figurative Paintings
Paper, Woodcut
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Cardboard, Gouache
1910s Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 1800s Tonalist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Gesso
1970s American Modern Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
18th Century and Earlier Northern Renaissance Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
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.
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