Kwame Akoto
Early 2000s Folk Art Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Plywood, Oil
Early 2000s Folk Art Portrait Paintings
Wood Panel, Oil
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Antique 1890s French Napoleon III Busts
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Vintage 1950s American Figurative Sculptures
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1980s Contemporary Nude Photography
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Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
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Vintage 1930s Italian Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
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Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
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Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Paintings
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1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
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1960s Pre-Raphaelite Figurative Paintings
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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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