General Electric Refrigerator
1930s Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
People Also Browsed
1970s Expressionist Portrait Prints
Lithograph
Vintage 1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Prints
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century American Paintings
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Paintings
Paint
Antique 1880s Spanish Rococo Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Paintings
Wood, Canvas
Antique 19th Century Italian Renaissance Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Vintage 1970s North American Organic Modern Vases
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Abstract Prints
Screen
1990s Contemporary Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pastel
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Wood
Antique 19th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens
Hardwood
Antique Late 19th Century French Paintings
Canvas, Paint
19th Century Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
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.