Conquistador Portrait Painting

Opinions differ on who painted the most realistic portraits. Among historical artists, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, John Singer Sargent, Jan van Eyck and Diego Velázquez are all contenders for the title. Many contemporary Photorealist and Hyperrealist portrait artists have also produced incredibly lifelike works. Among them are Taner Ceylan, Robert Longo, Chuck Close, Kelly Birkenruth and Daniela Werneck. Find a large selection of portrait paintings on 1stDibs.

Miniature portraits were first painted on a variety of mediums, some of the more popular being vellum, and card or cardboard. Paintings would typically be done in watercolor. Later painting in enamel on metal became a classic medium for painting miniature portraits. On 1stDibs, find an array of authentic miniature portraits.

Chuck Close stated that he painted portraits as a way to overcome a cognitive disorder. Called prosopagnosia, or face blindness, the condition made it difficult for Close to differentiate and recognize faces. The American artist found that painting people's faces helped him to notice their fine details, allowing him to begin to notice differences. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Chuck Close art.

Although many artists may fit this description, a famous German artist who painted realistic portraits is Wilhelm Leibl. As a printmaker and painter, Leibl worked during the second half of the 19th century and created many paintings of German peasants in traditional dress. Some of his most notable works include Three Women in Church, Die Dorfpolitiker, Farm Girl with a White Head Scarf and Die junge Pariserin (Die Kokotte). On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of Realist art.