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Portrait Paintings For Sale
Period: 19th Century
Period: 1930s
Fine 19th Century French Oil Painting Madonna & Child Carved Wood Scrolled Frame
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna & Child French School, 19th century presented in carved wood scrolled frame oil on canvas, framed frame: 27 x 20 inches canvas: 15.5 x 13 inches provenance: private colle...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ca. 1820 Portrait of a Woman with Kashmir shawl.
Located in Firenze, IT
Ca. 1820 Portrait of a Woman. Léon Cogniet (1794-1880, Paris), attributed. French school of 19th century. Tecnicque: oils on canvas. Dimensions: 70cm x 61cm 20th century wooden frame. Old attribution to Léon Cogniet (1794-1880, Paris) is inscribed on the wooden frame. Portrait of the restoration period, post Napoleonic wars. Stylistically the painting is found in the transition period from the late Empire period to the beginning of Romanticism. The new artistic trends can be seen in the increased naturalism, representation of the landscape/nature, in the contrasts, and in a greater emotionality of the person represented. Detailed but loose is the way to describe the winter dress...
Category

1820s Romantic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of 19th Century Philadelphia Merchant, Quintin Campbell
Located in Doylestown, PA
19th Century portrait of Quintin Campbell in the style of Thomas Sully. The 30 x 25 inches oil on canvas is framed in an ornate frame. Provenance: Private collection, Bucks County, P...
Category

19th Century American Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Oil - Lady with a Pocket Watch Chain
Located in Corsham, GB
This portrait showcases a woman in 19th-century attire, featuring a dark dress accented by a white shawl and an ornate bonnet. She sports a pocket watch chain adorned with ornate key...
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Man - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1933
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas mounted on board, realized by Francesco Settimj in 1933. Hand signed and dated lower left. Good condition.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

After Rembrandt "The Prodigal Son in the Tavern" Old Master Style Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
After Rembrandt "The Prodigal Son in the Tavern" Old Master Style Painting Late 19th century - Early 20th century Oil on Canvas 36.75 x 44.5 unframed 40.5" x 48.5" framed
Category

Late 19th Century Dutch School Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Man of Industry
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Jirayr Hamparzoom Zorthian was born April 14, 1911 in Kutahya, Turkey, of Armenian parents. At the age of three, he showed considerable talent in drawing and painting. Zorthian we...
Category

1930s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Escuela española (XIX) - Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de una dama
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra no va firmada, es de autor anónimo El estado de la obra es muy bueno Se presenta bien enmarcada la pintura Medidas obra: 80 cm de altura x 71 cm. altura Medidas marco: 10...
Category

Early 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

French 1930s Art Deco Society Portrait, Lady with a Diamond Earring.
Located in Cotignac, FR
French Art Deco, oil on canvas, society female portrait by Dembinkski (probably Anton J.) Signed, dated and located (Paris) bottom left. In later wood and gilt frame. A charming and...
Category

1930s Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Oil Portrait of a Victorian Lady, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Painted in the 19th century, this exquisite miniature portrait wonderfully exemplifies realism in traditional oil painting. The small artwork is painted in the conventional portraiture style of the Old Masters, and achieves soft realism with fine brushwork and a subdued, neutral palette. The half length portrait depicts a fine Victorian woman dressed in all black with a delicate lace collar and bonnet. She wears a ruby broach...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

English School 19th Century Oil - Gentleman in Black Neckerchief
Located in Corsham, GB
This portrait features a gentleman in dark attire set against a neutral background, creating a striking contrast that draws focus to the subject's face and upper body. Unsigned. Bea...
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Berthe Thorwaldsen with bust of Horace Vernet - 1833
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of Berthe Thorwaldsen with Bust of Horace Vernet is an original modern artwork realized by the Circle of Horace Vernet (30 June 1789 – 17 Januar...
Category

1830s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Young Woman Wearing a Copper Scarf', Paris, Salon d'Automne, Brittany, Skagen
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left, 'W. Schwartz' for Walter Erwin Otto Schwartz (Danish, 1889-1958), dated 1935 and inscribed 'Skagen' lower right. A substantial, psychologically penetrating portrait of a young woman with braids, shown dressed in a charcoal wool coat and wearing a copper-colored neck-scarf. The self-possessed sitter stands and meets the viewers gaze directly, proving herself an unusually confident subject for this noted Danish Modernist. Nephew of the Danish academic artist, Frans Schwartz, Walter Schwartz grew up surrounded by the painters who frequented the Danish art colony on the picturesque island of Skagen. Walter first studied formally (1904-8) with Michael Ancher...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman, American Folk Art Portrait, Sideburns
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
American School, 19th Century Portrait of a Gentleman, c. 1850s-1860s Oil on Canvas 14" x 12" Housed in a 2" Frame Overall Size: 17 1/2" x 15 1/2"
Category

Mid-19th Century Folk Art Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cardinals & Explorer Discussing Maps Grand Elaborate Interior Antique Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Studying the Maps Italian School, late 19th century signed lower corner watercolour on board, framed framed: 24.5 x 17.5 inches painting: 20.5 x 14 inches provenance: private collect...
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

The bearded man
Located in Genève, GE
Work on cardboard Golden molded wooden frame 60 x 50 x 4.5 cm
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Charles PICART LE DOUX, Model on Green Background, Oil on Isorel, 1949
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on isorel panel by Charles PICART LE DOUX (1881-1959), France, 1949. Model on green background. With frame: 97.5x76.5 cm - 38.4x30.1 inches ; without frame: 81x60cm - 31.9x23.6 i...
Category

1930s Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Old Woman 1893 by Famous Russian Master Oil Painting on Canvas Frame
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed by Nikolay Alekseyevich Kasatkin (1859 - 1930). In this touching artwork, the artist perfectly conveyed the character of the old woman, who has seen a lot in her life. The hands, tired out and riddled with veins, lie helplessly on the knees. Her slouched body tells us about the load of years lived. The painter skillfully conveys a sense of wisdom, kindness, and humility through her wrinkled face and detached gaze. The painting exudes warmth with a subtle touch of sadness and reflection on a life lived. Thanks to moderately contrasting colors, the portrait comes to life and shows us the depth of the artist's intention. Kasatkin not only continued the traditions of the best masters of portraiture in Russia in the 19th century, but also introduced new principles into it. He sought to display on canvas not only the external features of a person, but also to demonstrate his spiritual world. Antique oil painting on canvas, signed bottom left, framed. Size app.: 68.5 x 52.3 cm (roughly 27 x 20.6 in), frame is 80.5 x 63.5 cm (roughly 31.7 x 25 in). Very good condition, very well preserved recently conserved condition with minimal wear (notice few micro losses here and there). Please study good resolution images for cosmetic condition. In person actual painting may appear darker or brighter than in our pictures, strictly depending on sufficient light in your environment. Weight of app. 5.4 kg is going to measure 8 kg packed for shipment. Nikolay Alekseyevich Kasatkin (1859 - 1930) was a Russian painter, considered to be one of the founders of Social Realism in Russia. From 1873 to 1883 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with Vasily Perov and Illarion Pryanishnikov. Upon graduating, he received a medal for his painting "Beggars at the Church Door". In 1891, he began exhibiting with the Peredvizhniki and, from 1894 to 1917, was a teacher at his alma mater. For thirty years, beginning in 1883, he worked with Ivan Sytin, providing illustrations for his popular almanac/calendars and teaching lithography. He also contributed The Great Reform, an encyclopedia that celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation (1861), and a collection called "Russian History in Pictures". In 1903, he became a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. He participated in the Exposition Universelle (1900), where he won a silver medal, and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904), among others. In 1923, following the Civil War, he was named the first "People's Artist of the Republic" and became a member of the AKhRR (Association of Artists). He is considered to be one of the forerunners of Socialist Realism in the arts and was sometimes called the "Gorky of Painters". In 1956, the Soviet Union honored him with a 40 kopeck commemorative postage stamp. In 1971, his painting of a female mine worker...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Portrait of Two Seated Nude Women - British Modernist 1930's oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British Modernist portrait oil painting is by noted artist Lionel Ellis. The painting comes from a collection of works by the artist, previously owned by his wife. Painte...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th to 19th Century English Oil Portrait
Located in San Francisco, CA
18th to 19th Century English Oil Portrait Original oil on canvas Canvas dimensions 26" wide x 34" high The frame measures 31.75" wide x 39" hig...
Category

Early 19th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid 19th Century English Oil Painting Portrait of a Lady in Lace Bonnet
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Country Lady English artist, mid 19th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: some former restoration and s...
Category

Mid-19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Christ in the House of His Parents The Carpenters Workshop Antique English Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Carpenters Workshop British School, late 19th century based on the Pre-Raphaelite painting by Millais oil on canvas, framed framed: 27.5 x 39 inches canvas: 24 x 36 inches proven...
Category

Late 19th Century Pre-Raphaelite Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th century Oil portrait of a Hungarian Rabbi
Located in Woodbury, CT
This 19th-century oil on panel portrait depicts a Hungarian Rabbi, characterized by his traditional attire and solemn expression. The Rabbi is portrayed with a long, white beard and ...
Category

1890s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Antique Italian Portrait of Old Fisherman with Pipe Characterful Chap
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Elderly Fisherman Italian School, 19th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 14 x 12 inches Canvas: 10.5 x 9 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: several s...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian School Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique French Impressionist Young Woman Portrait Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique French impressionist landscape oil painting by Leon Richet (1847 - 1907). Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 22 by 29 inches overall and 15 by 20 painting alone.
Category

1880s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century Portrait of A Young Noble Girl by Giacomo GROSSO (1860-1938)
Located in Blackwater, GB
"Ritratto Di Nobildonna", 19th Century by Giacomo GROSSO (1860-1938) sales to $75,000 Large 19th Century Italian portrait of a young noble lady, oil on board by Giacomo Grosso. Exc...
Category

Late 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Boy with Guinea Pig - British Victorian animal art male portrait oil painting
By Henry Turner Munns
Located in London, GB
This charming British Victorian genre oil painting is by noted exhibited artist Henry Tuner Munns. It was painted in 1865 in realist palette with superb detail in the young boy's fac...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

After Francisco Goya "Osuna Family" Oil on Canvas
Located in Astoria, NY
After Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828), "The Duke and Duchess of Osuna and Their Children", Oil on Canvas, 19th century, unsigned, giltwood frame. Image: 25.5" H x 17.5" W; frame:...
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

An Exceptional Quality Orientalist Portrait of "A Moorish Chief"
Located in New York, NY
An Exceptional Quality Orientalist Portrait of "A Moorish Chief from Algeria", circa 1880. Oil on canvas painting depicting a Moorish chief / gu...
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

ORIGINAL 1860 Famous American Artist Henry Peters Gray (1819-1877) oil on canvas
By Henry Peters Gray
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an amazing original antique oil painting on canvas by Famous American Artist Henry Peters Gray (1819-1877), depicting a portrait of a W.P. Wright Esq. Some of his paintings are exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York. The painting has a commemorative inscription on the verso: "For W.P. Wright Esq. Portrait from Henry Peter Gray. Painted at Pittsfield MA August 1860. Please read some interesting information about this Artist from Wikipedia. Henry Peters Gray was born in New York City he was a pupil of Daniel Huntington...
Category

1860s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Victorian Portrait of Country Gentlemen Squire Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
English artists, circa 1870 oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 31 inches canvas : 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: overall very good and pr...
Category

1870s Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th Century French Realist Oil Profile Portrait of Lady Beautiful Quality
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French realist artist of the 19th century oil painting on board, unframed board: 12.5 x 10.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Cabaret Dancer
Located in London, GB
'The Cabaret Dancer', crayon on art paper, by Kolomon Moore (circa 1930s). The Crazy Years (les Années Folles) of Paris in the 1920s hit an abrupt end in...
Category

1930s Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Crayon

Girl with a pen
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large 19th Century French Portrait of Lady with Roses & Smart Dress oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Lady French School, 19th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 34 x 29 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sou...
Category

19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique French Impressionist Signed Oil Painting Portrait of Young Man
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Young Man French School, late 19th century indistinctly signed top right, 'Valadon'? oil on canvas, framed framed: 30 x 28 inches canvas: 26 x 21 inches private collect...
Category

Late 19th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of a worldly woman
Located in Paris, IDF
Marie Madeleine Amélie LOISEAU, born DUMONT (Paris, 1860 - ?) Portrait of a worldly woman Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower left 117 x 89 cm 1881 Exhibition: Salon de Pontoise of 1881 or 1882 under number 292 Marie Madeleine Amélie Dumont was born in Paris on January 23, 1860. She married on June 10, 1883 in Paris Mr. François Paul Raoul Loiseau, lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal. Three children were born from this union, two girls and a boy. Marie Loiseau was a student of Mademoiselle Espérance Langlois (active between 1860 and 1890) and Pierre Dupuis...
Category

Late 19th Century French School Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

English School 19th Century Oil - Lady In A Lace Collared Dress
Located in Corsham, GB
A charming portrait depicting a lady in classic Victorian attire with a lace-collared dress, elaborate gold brooch with a chain and a choker with a heart pendant. Unsigned. Presented...
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th Century Oil - Lady In Mourning Clothes
Located in Corsham, GB
In need of full restoration. Unsigned. On canvas.
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

German Miniature of Young Lady in a Fancy Hat
Located in New Orleans, LA
This charming German miniature painting, created of oil on copper, depicts a young woman wearing a large and lavish hat. With dark, braided hair and blue eyes, the sitter's cheerful ...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Copper

Falling Asleep While Spinning Yarn
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
"Falling Asleep While Spinning Yarn" by Louis Edwarmay is a captivating piece that beautifully captures the quietude and exhaustion of daily labor. The painting portrays a woman in t...
Category

Mid-19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Mid-Century Impressionist Portrait of an Elderly Woman Seated with Oranges
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Elderly Woman Simone Forge 1930's French Impressionist oil on canvas unframed canvas: 18 x 15 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: great condition For mo...
Category

Early 19th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th century portrait military officer 5th Royal Lancashire Militia, East Lancs
Located in York, GB
A fine 19th century oil on canvas portrait stated to be Captain Paul John Henry Butler, 5th Royal Lancashire Militia, half length, wearing breast star. Hou...
Category

19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, 19th century English portrait of a dogs head
By George Earl
Located in Woodbury, CT
!9th century English portrait of a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Wonderful portrait study of this very popular breed of dog. Dating from the middle of the 19th century this piece...
Category

1860s Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Brandenberg - German School Oil, Portrait of Anna Katherina Herrman
Located in Corsham, GB
This late 19th-century portrait depicts a figure in dark clothing against a muted brown background, creating a stark contrast that draws focus to the subject's expressive features. I...
Category

Late 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th century portrait painted in St Petersburg in 1819
Located in London, GB
Signed, inscribed and dated, lower right: 'Geo Dawe RA St Petersburgh 1819', also signed with initials, lower centre: 'G D RA'; and signed and inscribed verso: 'Geo Dawe RA Pinxit 1819 St Petersburgh'; Also inscribed on the stretcher by Cornelius Varley with varnishing instructions. Collections: Private collection, UK, 2010 Literature: Galina Andreeva Geniuses of War, Weal and Beauty: George Dawe...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Dipinto figurativo italiano ritratto di nudo maschile del XIX secolo
By Michele Cammarano
Located in Florence, IT
Sebbene atteggiato in una delle pose convenzionali adottate in Accademia per l’esercitazione della copia dal nudo, il modello anziano qui ritratto è indagato con tale sensibilità ana...
Category

1860s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century portrait of a spaniel dog in a landscape, a country house beyond
By Charles Bilger Spalding
Located in Bath, Somerset
A 19th century black and white spaniel standing in a landscape, with a country house in the distance. Signed C B Spalding, lower right. Oil on canvas in a giltwood frame. Charles B...
Category

19th Century English School Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique English Elegant Moonlit Young Woman Portrait Framed 19th C Rare Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique English portrait painting. Watercolor and gouache on paper. Framed. Measuring 17 by 23 inches overall and 10 by 15 painting alone.
Category

1890s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ANGLO-AMERICAN SCHOOL C. 1820'S PORTRAIT OF MERCHANT ON SHIP WITH GLOBE & MAP
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Anglo/ American School, early 19th century. Title: Full length portrait of a seated young gentleman wearing a dark suit, cream waistc...
Category

Early 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Very Large 1840s English Portrait of a Country Gentleman Holding Times Newspaper
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"The Corn Bill" English Artist, circa 1840's oil on canvas, framed in antique gilt scrolled and swept frame framed: 45 x 37 inches canvas: 36 x 28 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condition; please note the frame is very vulnerable and fragile and as such we are happy to include it free of charge with the painting but cannot warranty its condition on arrival. Historically significant portrait of this early Victorian...
Category

Mid-19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

E. D. K - Late 19th Century Oil, Bonnet Decorating
Located in Corsham, GB
A heartwarming late 19th Century scene in oil, showing a mother decorating her daughter's bonnet with leaves and flowers as her son watches with a smile. The scene has s simple domes...
Category

Late 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th century English portrait of a Collie Dog seated in an Interior
Located in Woodbury, CT
This charming portrait of a Collie dog by Frederick French, painted circa 1896, captures the loyal and calm nature of one of the most beloved breeds. French's delicate attention to d...
Category

1890s Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Renaissance Style Head Profile Portrait of Christ Beautiful Antique Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Head of Christ 19th Century Dutch School oil on paper laid down on board, unframed size: 7.5 x 6 inches private collection The painting is in overall very good and sound condition
Category

19th Century Renaissance Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Gentleman with Cigar Large 19th Century British Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman with a Cigar English artist, mid 19th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: overall good a...
Category

Mid-19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Lady Eleanor Dundas - Old Master 18C Scottish art oil painting female portrait
By Henry Raeburn (circle)
Located in London, GB
A fine large and stunning Scottish Old Master portrait oil painting on canvas portrait in good condition which depicts Lady Eleanor Dundas in a white dress set against an open landsc...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Young Woman - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas mounted on board, realized by Francesco Settimj in 1930s. Good condition.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Marelen Dietrich
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Jean Dominique Van Caulert, (1897-1979), although most often associated with his celebrity portraits and works for the theater, he was also a true symbolist in the tradition of the B...
Category

1930s Art Deco Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Paintings for Sale on 1stDibs

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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