Alfredo Palmero
1960s Realist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1990s Modern Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil
People Also Browsed
2010s Mexican Brutalist Contemporary Art
Wood
20th Century Greco Roman Statues
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Classical Greek Figurative Sculptures
Copper
Vintage 1960s Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Steel
Antique Late 18th Century Maps
Paper
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Paint
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Bookcases
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Renaissance Revival Panelling
Wood, Pine
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Antique Early 1900s Italian Rococo Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Figurative Sculptures
Marble
19th Century Realist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Swiss Islamic Paintings
Giltwood, Canvas
Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Figurative Sculptures
Stone
Finding the Right Figurative-paintings for You
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.
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