Figurative Paintings
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Wood Panel, Acrylic
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
17th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Pastel, Ink, Canvas, Acrylic
Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
Late 17th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal, Mixed Media
1850s Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1890s Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Linen
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Archival Pigment, Canvas
19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
18th Century Academic Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Academic 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.