Figurative Paintings
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1910s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
20th Century Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1930s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1960s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
1990s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Watercolor
1960s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Charcoal, Ballpoint Pen
1910s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Early 20th Century Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1930s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
1940s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1960s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 1900s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Paper, Gouache
1970s Pointillist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Board, Laid Paper
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 1900s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Oil
1930s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1930s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1970s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1980s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1890s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1940s Fauvist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil, Panel
2010s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
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.