Figurative Paintings
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Paint, Board
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Paper, Crayon, Wax Crayon, Pen, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Screen
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
1970s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Fabric, Canvas
1960s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Magazine Paper
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Tempera
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
Early 2000s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Paintings
Screen, Wood Panel
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A child in a red-and-white striped shirt sleeps peacefully among vibrant yellow sunflowers. Their face merges effortlessly with the petals, creating a dreamlike...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Enamel
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Graphite
1970s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Screen, Stencil
2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
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.