Rudolph Wedow
1940s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
People Also Browsed
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Other
Vintage 1970s Canadian Native American Native American Objects
Pine
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Native American Objects
Yarn
Vintage 1980s North American Tribal Paintings
Acrylic
1930s Modern Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Post-War Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects
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Late 19th Century Realist Nude Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
1930s Naturalistic Nude Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
Margo Margolis"Mapping the Day" Playful/Sophisticated Abstract Calder/Matisse-Like Pink/ Green, 2022
Antique 1870s Paintings
Canvas
2010s Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Panel
1920s Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil
19th Century Medieval Figurative Paintings
Copper
1920s Naturalistic Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
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.