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Portrait Paintings

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Art Subject: Portrait
State of Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In a bid to find myself strength amidst an inferiority complex. I realized that, whether as an individual or as a nation, What we call strength and weakness, yellow, black and white...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled Portrait II (Modern, Academic Style Portrait Painting of a Young Man)
Located in Hudson, NY
Modern, academic style portrait painting on canvas of a young athletic male oil on canvas, 26 x 17 inches in antique wood frame This vertical, contemporary portrait painting of sin...
Category

2010s Academic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Self-portrait oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
LLuis Ribas (1949) - Self-portrait - Oil canvas Oil measurements 55x46 cm. Frameless.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pigging Out at the Diner, Surreal Anthropomorphic Pig Satirical Illustration
Located in Soquel, CA
A satirical, surreal depiction of a pig at a lunch counter by an unknown artist (20th Century). This scene, full of symbols and satire, portrays the anth...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Illustration Board

Attrib. Filippo Marantonio (1863-1937) - Framed Italian Oil, Portrait of a Woman
Located in Corsham, GB
A delightful 20th Century Italian school portrait depicting a older lady dressed in a chequered mustard coat and blue head scarf. Well presented in a simp...
Category

Early 20th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early German Realistic Military Portrait of a Man (Johann Ludwig-Mosley)
Located in Houston, TX
Realistic early German portrait painting of Johann Ludwig-Mosley wearing his various military awards. The back features further documentation about the man's life and service. Curren...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Anticipation" (2024) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "Anticipation" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a brunette in a dark slip. Artist bio/statement: Matt Talbert is a co...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Bad Hombre XLIV" (2025) By Mark Andrew Bailey, Original Oil Painting, Cowboy
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Andrew Bailey's "Bad Hombre XLIV" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an impressionistic profile portrait of a male cowboy with a beard wearing a hat. Ab...
Category

2010s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Justin Head Study
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas Signed in red, u.r. 9 x 8 inches, canvas size 9.5 x 8.5 inches in distressed black painted wood frame This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Of Mrs Diana George (nee Atkinson), dated 1930 Pre Raphaelite School
By John Maler Collier
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of Mrs Diana George (nee Atkinson), dated 1930 by John Maler Collier OBE (1850-1934) National Portrait Gallery Exhibition, reference: 323, 1930 Large 1930 Pre-Raphaelite ...
Category

Early 20th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Green Bubble-Faced Portrait with Ornate Frame - Ancestor Clones #16 Bubbles Aunt
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This distinctive acrylic painting by Natasha Lelenco from her acclaimed series Ancestor Clones presents a captivating portrait characterized by a symbolic face composed entirely of s...
Category

2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings

Materials

Metal

"Little Girl in White Dress" Impressionist Girl Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts a whimsical portrait of a young girl. The bright colors and quick brushstrokes are what make this painting so attractive and desirable. The piece is done in a h...
Category

20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vibrant K Dorfman Portrait of a Black Woman
Located in New York, NY
K. Dorfman Untitled (Portrait of an Unknown Black Woman) Oil on canvas 36 x 28 in. Framed: 37 1/2 x 29 1/2 x 2 in. Signed lower right: K. Dorfman
Category

Mid-20th Century Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Young woman
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas
Category

19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"In the Room Where You Sleep" by Daire Lynch, Original Oil Painting, Nude Female
Located in Denver, CO
"In the Room Where You Sleep" by Daire Lynch (Ireland based) is an original oil, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas that depicts a red haired nude model in ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Nude Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Il Romantico, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil on canvas, approximately 12â€
Category

2010s Contemporary Paintings

Materials

Oil

Preparing the Trick
Located in Missouri, MO
Canvas Size: approx 26.5 x 18 Framed Size: approx 30 x 22 inches Born into a poor family in Durham, England, John George Brown (1831-1913) earned a reputation as one of 19th-century...
Category

Late 19th Century American Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Gentleman Van Mierevelt 17th Century Paint Flemish Old master Oi Canvas
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (Delft 1566 - 1641) circle Portrait of a gentleman in dark suit with ruff, aged fifty-nine, 1624 Top right family crest, age of the sitter ‘59’, and the d...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Woman Princess Diziani Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Gaspare Diziani (Belluno 1689 - Venice 1767) Portrait of a Young Princess (Salome?) Oil on canvas 42 x 33 cm Framed 70 x 63 cm A charming portrait of a beautiful young woman with ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid Century French Portrait Seated Male Nude in a Meditative Pose
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Seated Male Nude in a Meditative Pose Artist: Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: signed black pen/charcoal on artists paper stuck on board, glass covered Size: 9.5 (h...
Category

Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ballpoint Pen, Charcoal

Portrait of a Lady - British Edwardian art female portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British Edwardian Impressionist portrait oil painting is by noted artist Percy William Gibbs. Pained circa 1910 it is a head and shoulders portrait in semi profile of a d...
Category

1910s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sisterhood 3 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women Africa Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Sisterhood is also about growth and transformation. As we go through life, we change and evolve as individuals, and our relationships with our sisters change and evolve with us. The ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

'Lady on the Sofa' by Herman Richir (1866 – Brussels – 1942)
Located in Knokke, BE
Herman Richir 1866 – Brussels – 1942 Belgian Painter 'Lady on the Sofa' Signature: signed lower right Medium: pastel on canvas Dimensions: image size 134 x 106 cm, frame size 152,5...
Category

Late 19th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Pastel

Virgin Mary and Child Jesus oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Virgin Mary and Child Jesus Artist: Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31.9 x 25.6 inches (unframed) Date of creation: 1942 Style: Classical Academicism with Renaissance influences Description of the Artwork The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in a tender and intimate moment. Warm colors, primarily reds, greens, and soft flesh tones, enhance the devotional nature of the scene. The use of golden halos, symbolizing sanctity, along with serene and realistic expressions, directly connects with the Renaissance pictorial tradition. The style belongs to classical academicism, characterized by a balanced composition, meticulous drawing, and a masterful use of chiaroscuro to give volume and depth to the figures. The detailed rendering of the flesh tones and draperies amplifies the spirituality and solemnity of the piece, evoking the works of great masters such as Raphael and Murillo. Artist's Biography Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) was a prominent 20th-century Spanish painter known for his depictions of religious scenes, female portraits, and costumbrist works. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Ribera Gómez received numerous accolades and was regarded as one of the great exponents of Spanish academicism. His work combines a rigorous technical foundation with luminous sensitivity and an idealized sense of beauty. Influences and Comparisons Francisco Ribera Gómez's work can be compared to other academic and religious artists who share a similar aesthetic: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: In the emotional and approachable treatment of religious themes. William-Adolphe Bouguereau: For the idealization of human figures and technical mastery. Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio): For harmonious composition and the depiction of the Virgin Mary. Within the Spanish tradition, his style recalls Eduardo Rosales...
Category

1940s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on cardboard realized by Francesco Settimj in 1930s. Painted on both sides, recto and verso. Good condition.
Category

1930s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Elegant Lady in a Black Corset and Dark Blue Hat
Located in West Sussex, GB
Konstantin Razumov (Born 1974) Russian Elegant Reclining Nude wearing a Black Corset Top and Blue Hat Oil on canvas: 11 x 8inches. Frame: 18 x 15 inches. Konstantin Razumov's wor...
Category

2010s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Painting Male Portrait 19thC
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on Canvas. French school of the late 1700s-early 1800s. Portrait of a gentleman in elegant bourgeois dress. The canvas has slight tears and is in need of cleaning. It is presente...
Category

19th Century Other Art Style Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Painting Male Portrait  19thC
Painting Male Portrait  19thC
$2,162 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Early American Signed Female Modernist Portrait Original NY Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist portrait oil painting by Salpi Miriam Mavian (Born 1908). Oil on canvas, circa 1930. Signed. Displayed in a giltwoo...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Young Woman Sleeping (artist showed in major Paris exhibitions), Framed
Located in New Orleans, LA
For me, this reclining nude spectacularly captures 1920's Paris, in life and art, at least as I understand it from the many books I have read focusing on that magical period. The mo...
Category

1920s Nude Paintings

Materials

Oil

Famous German Artist Fedor Encke (1851-1936) Huge Antique oil painting on canvas
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an original antique oil painting on canvas by Famous German - American Artist Fedor Encke, depicting a portrait of a Gentlemen dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and...
Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Susannah (Without the Elders) /// Old Masters British Nude Bath Biblical Story
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Frederick Goodall (English, 1822-1904) Title: "Susannah (Without the Elders)" *Monogram signed and dated by Goodall lower left Year: 1885 Med...
Category

1880s Victorian Nude Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Oil, Paint, Canvas

Mid Century French Portrait of a Woman with Draped Veil Drawing
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Portrait Artist: Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil/ charcoal on artists paper Size: 25 (height) x 19 (width) Stamped: Verso Condition: Go...
Category

Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Pencil

Fine Edwardian British Society Portrait of a Distinguished Gentleman signed oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Distinguished Gentleman by John Arthur Machray Hay (Scottish, 1887-1960) signed and dated 1910 oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 24 inches provenance: private co...
Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Beautiful Woman SALOMAN Gouache Danish Swedish painter 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Geskel SALOMAN Tonder (Denmark) 1821 – Bastad (Sweden), 1902 Portrait of a woman with a book Gouache on bone 8.8 x 8.5 cm (16.5 x 15.5 cm with the frame) Signed lower right “G. Salom...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Secret - Contemporary Expressive Figurative Oil Painting, Boy Portrait
Located in Salzburg, AT
The inspiration for Daniel Wimmer’s art consistently stems from the human body. He is particularly fascinated by the beautiful colors of the skin and is constantly searching for intr...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th Century English Victorian Oil Painting on Canvas Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an English Gentleman English artist, 19th century oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 30.5 x 25 inches Provenance: Private collection, England Condition: overall very good an...
Category

19th Century Victorian Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

LUNA DE CARNAVAL GOYO DOMINQUEZ SPANICH CONTEMORARY ARTIST
Located in Pollenca, Illes Baleares
I was born in the bosom of a modest family. My father had a natural talent for drawing and he made portraits of his brothers during a long convalescence due to a serious illness. Und...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Magdalene, Portrait, Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Alexander Litvinov Work: Original oil painting, handmade artwork, one of a kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Style: Classic Figurative Year: 2004 Title: Magdalene Size: 18" x 20" x...
Category

2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Emotions of Crossed Fingers" Portrait of Asia Girl Oil painting on canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
Oil on canvas. In this painting, we see a little girl sitting on her haunches and crossing her fingers near her face as if she holds a secret in her small hands. In this simple gesture, the emotions and mood of the little child are encapsulated. Crossed fingers...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Fine Edwardian British Society Portrait of an Elegant Lady Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Elegant Lady by John Arthur Machray Hay (Scottish, 1887-1960) signed and dated 1910 oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, UK c...
Category

1910s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

18th Century Pastel Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 18th Century pastel portrait on paper of a bearded gentleman. Presented under glass in a fine period gilded carved wood frame. A cha...
Category

Late 18th Century Rococo Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Paper

Quellinus Allegory Vanity Paint Oil on canvas old master 17th Century Flemish
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Erasmus Quellinus II (Antwerp 1607 - 1672) Vanitas (as an Allegory of the Vanity of Life or of Youth) Oil painting on canvas - cm. 121 x 84, in the frame cm. 135 x 98 The work is a...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Rabbi and Student, Modern Oil Painting by Abraham Straski
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Abraham Straski, Polish (1903 - 1987) Title: Rabbi and Student Year: 1957 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: 16 x 11 inches Frame Size: 25 x 20 inches
Category

1950s Post-War Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Self Portrait Of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), 18th Century English School
Located in Blackwater, GB
Self Portrait Of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), 18th Century English School Large 18th Century English Self portrait of painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, oil on canvas. Excellent qual...
Category

18th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Focus (Bold Face) - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you are going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal. Spend your energies on moving forward t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Jester, Impressionist Portrait, Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Jester, Impressionist Portrait, Signed Oil Painting By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016) Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner Oil...
Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist Interior Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl Of Mornington, circa 1800
By Sir Thomas Lawrence
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait of William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl Of Mornington, circa 1800 Circle of Sir Thomas LAWRENCE (1769-1830) Large circa 1800 English Regency portrait traditionally identified ...
Category

Late 18th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Girl Reading Card-American Realist Portrait-Mid-Century Original Oil Painting
Located in Marco Island, FL
Clyde Singer was a master of capturing the small and significant moments of everyday life. This painting, titled Girl Reading Card, 1948, is one of those perfect scenes that he docu...
Category

1940s American Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Elegant Lady with a Red Lipstick
Located in West Sussex, GB
Konstantin Razumov (Born 1974) Russian Elegant Reclining with a Red Lipstick Oil on canvas: 14 x 10 inches. Frame: 21 x 17 inches. Konstantin Razumov's work has been offered at a...
Category

2010s Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine Dutch Old Master Large Oil Painting Portrait Gentleman in Ruff Collar Robes
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman in Ruff Collar and Robes Dutch School, 18th century oil on canvas laid over panel, unframed board: 28.5 x 24 inches provenance: private collection condition: ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Beauty of Becoming Oil on canvas by Francesco Longo Mancini
Located in Gent, VOV
She sits at the threshold of transformation. A young woman, caught in the quiet exultation before her first ball, smiles—not to anyone in particular, but to herself, and to the momen...
Category

20th Century Academic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Woman with glass oil on board painting Ramón Pichot
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Woman with Glass Author: Ramón Pichot Soler (1924-1996) Technique: Oil on hardboard Dimensions: 18.1 x 15 inches Framing: Unframed Estimated year: 1970s Descripti...
Category

1970s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Saint George 17/18th Century Paint Cima Da Conegliano Oli on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Saint George A follower of Giovanni Battista Cima, known as Cima da CONEGLIANO (Conegliano c. 1449 - Conegliano c. 1517) Oil on canvas 126 x 49 cm. Framed 143 x 65 cm. The painting...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early 20th century Woman Profile Portrait in a Red Dress.
Located in Stockholm, SE
A small colorful and interesting profile portrait of a blond woman dressed in a red dress and wearing lots of jewelry also on her head scarf. Signed but unfortunately not identified...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Court Portrait Of King Edward VI (1537-1553) King Of England
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of King Edward VI (1537-1553) King Of England after William SCROTS (1510-1553) Large circa 17th Century portrait of Edward VI, King Of England, oil on canvas. Excellent quality and condition half length portrait of the only surviving son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour wearing Prince Of Wale Feathers and the crown upon a pendant. Exceptional quality distinctly similar to the works of court painter William Scrots. Presented in a gilt & ebony frame. Measurements: 40" x 34" framed approx Provenance: The estate of Richard Philip...
Category

17th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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

Hector Chavepeyer (1891-1967) - Mid 20th Century Oil, Portrait of A Lady
Located in Corsham, GB
This classical portrait features a woman elegantly draped in a dark, patterned shawl against a cool, muted background. The subject's pose is dignified and contemplative, with the com...
Category

20th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Peasants in a Cornfield (Boer in het veld) by David Teniers the Younger
By David Teniers the Younger
Located in Stockholm, SE
Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...
Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Some Ambiguous Words- 21st Century Contemporary Painting of a Young Man
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Tania Rivilis Some Ambiguous Words 63 x 45 cm Oil on wood panel First we can announce some wonderful news! 3 May 2022 Tania Rivilis did win the first price of the Royal Academy of ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Framed Late 19th Century Oil - A Distinguished Gentleman
Located in Corsham, GB
A fine 19th century Continental School portrait depicting a distinguished gentleman dressed in formal attire, set against a dark background. The portrait is beautifully housed in an ...
Category

Late 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

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This kaleidoscopic early-modern art style has long deserved another look. Now, the Guggenheim museum is doing just that.

The 50 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold

Curious about the most expensive paintings in the world? Discover the stories behind these masterpieces as well as the staggering prices they fetched.

Ludwig Bemelmans Captures the Thrilling Sight of Coney Island at Night

The ‘Madeline’ creator and Carlyle Hotel legend was in a New York state of mind in the 1940s when he produced this exuberant and rare oil painting.

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