Margaret Beale
20th Century Figurative Paintings
Oil
People Also Browsed
Antique Late 19th Century French Animal Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century European Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Dutch Paintings
Wood, Paint
Antique 17th Century Belgian Paintings
Canvas
Antique 19th Century French Romantic Paintings
Canvas
Antique Late 19th Century English Paintings
Giltwood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Chairs
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century English Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Antique 19th Century English Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century French Porcelain
Porcelain
Antique Late 19th Century Danish Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Antique 19th Century Paintings
Wood
Antique 19th Century Italian Romantic Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Revival Caucasian Rugs
Organic Material, Wool, Natural Fiber
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Scottish Late Victorian Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
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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