Figurative Paintings
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Gouache, Cardboard, Watercolor
1930s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century Baroque Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
1960s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1930s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
1970s Conceptual Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
Jon BlanchetteCapitola, California, 1950s Framed California Seascape Marine Oil Painting, circa 1955
2010s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Early 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1930s Figurative Paintings
Other Medium
1930s American Modern Figurative Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Graphite
1930s 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.