Richard Rackus
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
People Also Browsed
20th Century Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Paintings
Hide
Vintage 1960s American Paintings
Canvas
Vintage 1930s American Adam Style Paintings
Paint
Early 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Vintage 1960s American Adirondack Paintings
Paint
Vintage 1980s American Adirondack Native American Objects
1990s Paintings
Paint
Antique 19th Century North American Paintings
Canvas
1990s Paintings
Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Paintings and Screens
Glass, Giltwood, Paint
18th Century Academic Landscape Paintings
Oil
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gouache
20th Century American Adirondack Paintings
Boxwood
1930s Surrealist Abstract Paintings
Gouache
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.