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Portrait Paintings For Sale
Period: 1960s
Period: 1940s
Sailors in Marseille
Located in London, GB
'Sailors in Marseille', gouache on art paper, French School (circa 1960s). Ever since the 6th century, there have been fishermen selling their catch in the Old Port of Marseille while sailors from visiting vessels have always enjoyed a night on the town. Today the Old Port is the city’s beating heart, a vital part of Marseille. In this work, the artist depicts a solo French sailor crossing paths with his American counterpart. The Frenchman sports his cap with iconic pom pom rouge while the American sailor is dressed in his white 'Cracker Jack...
Category
1960s Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Women in Deckchairs
Located in London, GB
'Women in Deckchairs', oil on canvas, by Camille Hilaire (circa 1960s). Folding wooden chairs with woven or cane seats and backs, of the type now...
Category
1960s Cubist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mischievous Child French Impressionist Portrait, Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mischievous Child, Impressionist Portrait, Signed Oil Painting
By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016)
Signed by the artist on the lower right hand corner
Oil painting on board...
Category
1940s Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Portrait of the Artist's Wife, 1945
Located in London, GB
CONSTANTIN Andreevic TERECHKOVITCH 1902-1978
(Russian)
Title: Portrait of the Artist's Wife, 1945
Technique: Original Signed Oil Painting on canvas
size: 33 x 24 cm / 13 x 9.5 ...
Category
1940s Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Ethiopians Shake Hands with Europeans
Located in Miami, FL
This deceptively naive painting was most likely done for a children's book. Upon close study, the viewer will recognize that this painting is anything but a child's effort. It's a g...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Au Bal Masque - Spanish girl at Opera
By Dietz Edzard
Located in Miami, FL
Au Bal Masque - Spanish girl at Opera - This spectacularly beautiful post-impressionist portrait t could be reminiscent of Degas.
A charming girl with a ...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Mid Century Sierra Mountains Double Sided Landscape - (w/ Clown verso painting)
Located in Soquel, CA
Midcentury impasto landscape of Sierra Mountains with stream in foregrounds snow-covered mountains in background. Signed "Lorie '65". Clown is painted on verso. Presented in carved a...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gesso, Acrylic
"Green" by Albert Radoczy - Contemporary Oil Painting
Located in Pasadena, CA
A Green Face painted diagonally by Albert Radoczy in a red-stained thin wood frame.
Many of his paintings, primarily the ones of facial features with near solid backgrounds, all suit...
Category
1960s Other Art Style Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Oil
Figure in a Wide-brimmed Red Hat
By René Gruau
Located in Miami, FL
Elegant and graphic study of a figure of undetermined gender. It's executed with quick and confident brush strokes in the artist's signature color scheme of black and red. It's a fla...
Category
1960s Contemporary Portrait Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Pastel, Gouache, Board
Nude. African American Woman exhibited piece 1942 University of Iowa exhibited
Located in San Antonio, TX
Coreen Mary Spellman (1905 - 1978) Dallas Artist Image Size: 20 x 14 Frame Size: 25 x 19 Medium: Oil
Bio:
Exhibited in the Ninth Annual Student Art show at the State University of Iowa
Coreen Spellman
Biography
Coreen Mary Spellman (1905 - 1978)
Coreen Mary Spellman was a fine-art
teacher as well as a painter, designer, illustrator, lithographer and
muralist. Many of her paintings depicted human-made structures and
industrial landscapes in a style combining realism, precisionism and
abstraction. Often the central subject such as in "Railroad Signal" was
the only suggestion of humanity against a backdrop of stark Texas
landscape.
Of her painting these isolated subjects she said: "I
enjoy taking some rather obscure or unimportant subject or theme and
making something fine and important out of it . . . It always gives me
great pleasure to discover something which has been passed over as being
inadequate material". (Trenton 199)
Spellman was born in Forney,
Texas in 1905. At an early age she moved to Dallas, Texas and studied
under Vivian Aunspaugh before attending the College of Industrial Arts
(Texas Woman's University). She received a Master of Arts degree from
Columbia University and a Masters Degree from the University of Iowa,
Iowa City in 1942.
In addition, Spellman received a Carnegie
Scholarship for study at Harvard University, followed by studies with
Kenneth Hayes Miller, Vaclav Vytlacil, and Charles Wheeler...
Category
1940s Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Morning Towers" Contemporary Figurative Self Portrait
Located in Soquel, CA
Saturated, intimate depiction of sharing a bed with a partner by Narcissus Robert Quagliata (Italian-American, b. 1942). While four fingers dominate the composition, the focus of the...
Category
1960s Contemporary Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Overflight over the city. 1947, paper, mixed media, 23x20 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Overflight over the city. 1947, paper, mixed media, 23x20 cm
Adolfs Zardins
(1890 08 II Riga, Latvia – 1967 07 II Jurmala, Latvia), painter.
Only in 1990 his relatives give his arti...
Category
1940s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Alabama Surreal Folk Art Oil Painting African American Woman, Flower Headdress
By Maltby Sykes
Located in Surfside, FL
The painting is signed Sykes and dated 1960 lower right.
It has "Maltby Sykes, 1911- for Leon" written on the stretcher verso
It is a Surrealist Folk Art ...
Category
1960s Folk Art Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Untitled, Boy Eating Watermelon
Located in Miami, FL
The work looks much better in person with snappy bright colors that form a complex abstract composition of interconnected shapes.
Hand-signed by artist, sticker label, The Work is Signed lower left - Provenance: Forum Gallery, New York - Label on verso
Swann Gallery...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Mid Century Fauvist Portrait of Red Headed Woman
Located in Soquel, CA
Striking Fauvist portrait with a vibrant, high voltage color palette, featuring a green woman with red hair by Sydney Helfman (American, 1926-2010). Aut...
Category
1960s Fauvist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Pair of Vintage Native American Portraits
Located in Soquel, CA
Pair of two vintage portraits of Native American figures, one older and one younger, in profile with braids and headdresses by Victor S. ...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas, Cardboard
Embracing Couple on Sailboat , Art Deco Style Romantic
Located in Miami, FL
Love at sea. A nautical romance is captured as a handsome couple embrace.
The big splash of water at the peak moment of drama symbolizes passion and defines Falter's creativity in communicating
a romantic narrative. This is a companion piece to a romance story.
Most likely done on assignment for a major newsstand magazine.
Hand-signed by artist, sticker label, Magazine Illustration circa 1940 Oil on board Signed lower right h: 28.5 x w: 30 in / h: 72.4 x w: 76.2 cm Morris Weiss collection...
Category
1940s Art Deco Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Portrait of a Girl, 1949 Watercolor Painting by Roger Etienne
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roger Etienne, French/American (1922 - )
Title: Portrait of a Girl
Year: 1949
Medium: Gouache On Paper, signed and dated
Size: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.64 cm)
Frame Size: 29 x ...
Category
1940s Fauvist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Mid Century Figurative Portrait of a Boy with Toy Car
Located in Soquel, CA
Realistic mid century portrait of a boy playing with an antique toy car by Ralph Joosten (American, 1928-2009). Signed "R. Joosten" in the lower left ...
Category
1960s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Modernist Portrait" Mid-20th Century Spanish Oil Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the 1940's by Spanish painter Julio Moises. Mostly known for his abstract figures on canvas, this piece is a w...
Category
1940s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Mid Century Portrait of a Clown #5
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid century portrait of a clown by Marjorie Blake (American, 1920-1994). Signed "Blake" in the lower left corner. Unframed.
Marjorie May Gulley Blake w...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
'The Red Headdress' by W. Worms
Located in London, GB
'The Red Headdress', pastel on art paper, by W. Worms (circa 1960s). A beautiful woman with contemplative expression and tender eyes is exquisitely portrayed by the artist. The treat...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel
Soldier Beats Up Muggers on Subway - Stag Magazine story illustration
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-signed by artist, sticker label, Signed (as Emmett Kaye) lower right it was Mort Kunstler's pseudonym, unframed
Category
1960s Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Antique American Large Surreal Masterpiece Landscape Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique surrealist oil painting of a landscape with a sculpture. Oil on board, circa 1949. Signed. Displayed in a period frame. Image, 35"L x 22"H.
Category
1940s Surrealist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Untitled - Mysterious Figure in Black Pancho and Expressive Hands
Located in Miami, FL
Haunting yet beautiful with a simple graphic composition and monochromatic palette.
Hand-signed by artist, sticker label, signed E. Kingman and dated (lower right)
Looks better in pe...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Mixed Media
A Lion Mangled Me - A Man Eating Lion
Located in Miami, FL
Using brilliant compositional devices and late afternoon light, Frank McCarthy captures a man at the precise moment before death.
The scene is staged wi...
Category
1960s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Casein, Board
Grand Prix Racer
Located in London, GB
'Grand Prix Racer', French School, oil on board (circa 1960s). The 'good ole' days' of Formula One racing are depicted in this thrilling mid-century...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Drums, Expressionist Group Portrait of Three Musicians by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Drums" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 34" x 40" oil on board group portrait of three musicians playing t...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
'She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not', Girl in a Gingham Dress, 1940's, Folk Art
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
A sensitively painted portrait of the artist's daughter, Nancy, aged two and a half, shown wearing a floral-striped, jade green gingham dress.
Signed lower right, 'Martha Tracy Frey' (American, 1915-2010) and painted 1944; additionally inscribed verso 'Picture of Nancy Jane Frey from life-sized photograph when about 2 1/2. Painted by her mother in 1944.' This Kern County...
Category
1940s Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Infanta - Study number 6 - a painting inspired by Velázquez by Fermin Aguayo
Located in PARIS, FR
A breath of modernity animates this iconic work, inspired by Velázquez' portrait of the Infanta Margarita, which reveals the immense talent of the pa...
Category
1960s Cubist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Resting, Expressionist Portrait of Young Man by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Resting" is an interior portrait of a young man resting on a sofa. This work was painted by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 24" x 32" oil on board painti...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Board, Oil
Young girl Redhead Holding her father's hand
By Robert Riggs
Located in Miami, FL
There is a reason why there are few contemporary painters who can paint a portrait this good. It's hard to do. It's easy to throw some paint or spray a mess of graffiti on canvas. That's easy art. Executing a portrait with a great depth of anatomy and structure takes years of academic training. In Riggs's time, there were teachers who knew how to pass on this knowledge. He studied at the Art Students League and the Académie Julian . Today, they are very few and far between. Tempera mixed with gum arabic and alcohol on Renaissance Panel - Robert Riggs was a Gay Artist...
Category
1940s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Heights & fast sketch. 1961. Paper, mixed media, 9, 5x6 cm; 9x6cm
Located in Riga, LV
Heights & fast sketch. 1961. Paper, mixed media, 9,5x6 cm; 9x6cm
Adolfs Zardins
(1890 08 II Riga, Latvia – 1967 07 II Jurmala, Latvia), painter.
Only in...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Androscoggin River Falls, study for The Manufacturers National Bank of Lewiston-
Located in Miami, FL
If there ever were a perfect work in the canon of art history, this masterpiece study by Dean Cornwell would be it. Every line has meaning and not a line out of place, as Cornwell d...
Category
1960s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Pencil, Pastel
Carpathian Ancestor
Located in Washington, DC
One of a kind painting by Noche Crist (1909- 2004). Noche Crist was an American artist born in Romania. Painting is on casein paint on plaster on board. Catalogue of a postumous retr...
Category
1960s Outsider Art Portrait Paintings
Materials
Wood, Casein, Plaster
1960s Clown Portrait #4
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a clown in three quarter view, with expressive brushstrokes and use of color by Marjorie Blake (1920-1994). Unsigned, but was purchased with...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Fiberboard
The Last Snapshot - Minimalism
Located in Miami, FL
This graphic and flatwork was an Interior illustration for the Saturday Evening Post.
George Giusti( Italian - American 1908-1990)- ''The Last Snapshot''- ink and acrylic on illust...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Gouache, Ink
"Boy Standing in The Field" Post-Impressionism French Oil Painting on Board
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts a whimsical portrait of a young boy outdoors with an alluring look. The bright colors and quick brush strokes are what makes this painting so attractive and des...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Girl at the Beach with wide Brim Hat
By Bernie Fuchs
Located in Miami, FL
Wonderful 60's chic is on full display in this beach scene. It's masterfully designed. The beautiful model horizontally fills the center space while supporting players fill background spaces. The style is very flat with lots of gray muting the colors and defining the artist's palette. Fuch's was a giant talent who is overlooked by today's art world participants. His style could be described as a post-post impressionist. This particular work is so deftly designed and exhibits the most intriguing positive and negative spaces. The model is rendered with loose, quick and authoritative brush strokes which give an air of chic confidence. Most of all, it's her dreamy blue eyes that truly captivate the viewer. All parts of the eye ( Iris, Pupil, Sclera ) are composed of a soft robin's egg blue which is in counterpoint the pink day-glow color on her lips. She looks at you. You look back and the process is repeated and repeated. Fuch's not just a great painter, designer, academic artist but a brilliant and innovative colorist as well. To demonstrate how great this simple work is, out of a world population of 7.2 billion people, as a betting man, I would say there may be no other artist who could render a scene this good. An artist such as Peter Doig, who does nice and beautiful work, may come close to the talent of Fuchs.
Bernard Fuchs
American, 1932 - 2009
Girl at the Beach...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gouache
At night. 1961. Paper, mixed media, 14x10 cm
Located in Riga, LV
At night. 1961. Paper, mixed media, 14x10 cm
Adolfs Zardins
(1890 08 II Riga, Latvia – 1967 07 II Jurmala, Latvia), painter.
Only in 1990 his relatives give his artistic heritage to...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Portrait of a Young Man in Striped Shirt
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful 1965 portrait of a young man (possibly the artist Don Bachardy) in a striped shirt looking back over his shoulder by Paul Sorel (American, b- 1920...
Category
1960s Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Tribesmen with Headdresses - Gay Artist
By Robert Riggs
Located in Miami, FL
"Riggs openly identified as gay to his friends in the Philadelphia art community, but did not disclose his orientation to his employers." - Woodmere Art Museum
Tempera mixed with gum arabic and alcohol on Renaissance Panel
"Robert Riggs was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence by the New York Art Directors Club for ten consecutive years and received many additional awards." He was elected to the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts and the U.S. Library of Congress. Riggs's compositons are "monumental" Walt Reed Riggs was a Gay Artist...
Category
1940s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Tempera
Portrait of a Woman
By Emily Elizabeth Guthrie Smith
Located in Austin, TX
Portrait of a Woman by Emily Elizabeth Guthrie Smith
Signed upper right
30 x 24
Framed
Pastel on paper
Category
1940s Portrait Paintings
Materials
Pastel, Parchment Paper
French Impressionist landscape the South of France, with children playing
Located in Woodbury, CT
A wonderful French impressionist landscape of children playing in a playground somewhere in the South of France.
The earliest work by the artist is from the late 1960s and this piece...
Category
1960s Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Portrait of a Young Lady" Post-Impressionism French Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts a whimsical portrait of a young lady posing with an alluring look in a colorful blouse. The bright colors and quick brush strokes are what makes this painting s...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century Young Blonde Girl Portrait Egg Tempera - Style of Thomas Hart Benton
By Robert Collins
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous pointillist egg tempera portrait of young blonde girl by Robert Joseph Collins (American, 1922-2011), 1947. Signed "Collins" and dated "'47." U...
Category
1940s Photorealist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Egg Tempera, Illustration Board
Tribesmen with Headdresses
By Robert Riggs
Located in Miami, FL
"Robert Riggs was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence by the New York Art Directors Club for ten consecutive years and received many additional awards." He was elected to the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts and the U.S. Library of Congress. Riggs's compositons are "monumental" Walt Reed - work is unframed. - Riggs was a Gay Artist.
Category
1940s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Tempera
'Portrait of a Young Woman', Philadelphia Modernist, PAFA, Baum School of Art
By Martin Zipin
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'Zipin' for Martin Zipin (American, 1920-1991) and painted circa 1960.
Displayed in the original, hand-carved giltwood frame.
Framed ...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Masonite
Tribesmen with Headdresses
By Robert Riggs
Located in Miami, FL
Tempera mixed with gum arabic and alcohol on Renaissance Panel
"Robert Riggs was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence by the New York Art Directors Club for ten consecutive years and received many additional awards." He was elected to the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts and the U.S. Library of Congress. Riggs's compositons are "monumental" Walt Reed Riggs was a Gay Artist...
Category
1940s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Tempera
Jazz, Expressionist Portrait of Woman with Violin by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Jazz" is a figurative painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon from 1968. The 34" x 40" oil on board portrait features a young African American woman playi...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Board, Oil
"Le Roi de Rome, d'apres Laurance", Impressionist Portrait, Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Le Roi de Rome, d'apres Laurance", Impressionist Portrait, Signed
By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016)
Signed and dated '1942' by the artist on the lower right hand corner
Titled verso
Oil painting on board, unframed
Board size: 8.5 x 6.5 inches
Wonderful portrait of a little boy, who we believe was called 'Laurance'. Also, 'Le Roi de Rome' translates to 'The King of Rome' which is a mystery.
The painting itself is quite exceptional. He has strawberry blond coloured hair, piercing big blue eyes and a beautiful mouth, a very handsome little boy. This would make a lovely addition to an interior looking to add some vintage oil painting portraits...
Category
1940s Impressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Suzanna and the Elders
By Ben Shahn
Located in Miami, FL
A modern interpretation of the biblical story Suzanna and the Elders.
Signed lower right
Ink and wash on paper
The Downtown Gallery
Felix Landau Gallery
Ernest Brown & Phillips, Ltd...
Category
1940s American Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Ink, Gouache, Archival Paper
Smoke Portrait - Original Ink and Tempera and Oil Painting by D. Bergamo - 1969
Located in Roma, IT
Smoke Portrait is an original Contemporary Artwork realized in Italy by Danilo Bergamo (b.1938) in 1969.
Original ink, tempera and oil painting on cardboard
Hand-signed and dated b...
Category
1960s Contemporary Portrait Paintings
Materials
Ink, Tempera, Oil
Vintage English Portrait Oil Painting of an English Writer
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3423 English writer portrait, oil on board displayed in a gilt -wood frame, signed by Welsh.Image size 10 H x 8 W
Category
1940s Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
Seated Figure, Male Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Seated Figure" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 48" x 35.75" oil on board portrait is painted in energetic and bold brushstrokes, with vi...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Self Portrait, Expressionist Figurative Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Self Portrait" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 47" x 28.5" oil on canvas portrait features Harmon at a young age of about 25 years old. ...
Category
1960s Expressionist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Secundo Congreso Feminino, Large Canvas Surrealist Female Group Portrait, 1969
By Leon Kelly
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Secundo Congreso Feminino " by Philadelphia born modernist painter Leon Kelly, is a large scale, surrealist painting of a group gathering showing women in the nude. The 60" x 42" oi...
Category
1960s Surrealist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century Pulp Art - Sad Clown Portrait with Green, Yellow, & Red
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid century pulp art portrait of a somber clown with a yellow shirt, red hair and a red nose, holding a scepter in a dramatized space with a candle and green ...
Category
1960s Outsider Art Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Cardboard
Shop Antique and Vintage Portrait Paintings
An elegant and sophisticated decorative touch in any living space, portrait paintings have remained popular throughout the years and are widely loved pieces of art for display in many homes today.
Portrait paintings are at least as old as ancient Egypt, where realistic, lifelike depictions of the recently deceased — commonly known as “mummy portraits” — were painted on wooden panels and affixed to mummies as part of the burial tradition.
For centuries, painters have used portraiture as a means of expressing a subject’s nobility, societal status and authority. Portraits were given as gifts in Renaissance Europe, and a portrait artist might have been commissioned to help mark a significant occasion such as a wedding or a promotion to high office. Prior to the advent of photography, which eventually replaced painted portraits as a quicker and more efficient way of capturing a person’s essence, the subject of a portrait had to sit for hours until the painter had finished. And during the 18th century in particular, if an artist commissioned for a portrait struggled with how to adequately memorialize and capture a subject’s likeness, sometimes a portrait painting wasn’t completed for up to a year.
Whether it’s part of the gallery-style approach to your living-room or dining-room walls or merely inspiration as you devise an eye-grabbing color scheme in your home, a portrait painting is a timeless decorative object for any interior. A landscape painting or sculpture might give you the kind of insight into a specific region of the world or a different culture that you can ascertain only through art. Similarly, when you take the time to learn about the subject of a portrait painting that you bring into your home — the sitter’s history, the relationship between the sitter and the artist should one exist, the story of how the portrait came to be — that work can become intensely personal in addition to its place as an object for an art-hungry corner of your apartment or house.
On 1stDibs, visit a vast collection of famous portrait paintings or works by emerging artists. Search by medium to find the right portrait paintings for your home in oil paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Find portrait paintings in a variety of styles, too, including contemporary, Impressionist and Pop art, or search by artist to find unique works created by painters such as Mark Beard, Steve Kaufman and Montse Valdés.
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