Pierre de Clausade On Sale

Pierre de Clausade was born in Paris in 1910 and held his first exhibition in Paris in 1943, which was a phenomenal success. Clausade exhibited regularly at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and became a member of the Salon d'Hiver. His fame spread abroad and he exhibited as far afield as Rio de Janeiro, Boston and New York. His paintings entered many distinguished collections, including that of the Brazilian ambassador and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Minneapolis. Despite this success, Clausade continued to develop his technique, striving for perfection and the satisfaction of his analytical nature. He delights us with his creation of a world of solitude, which expresses at the same time the beauty of nature, particularly the enchantment and inspiration of great cloud masses. Clausade was awarded the great honor of the Médaille d'Argent by the jury of the Salon in Paris in 1953.

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.