Shepard Fairey Levis
20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings
Alkyd, Illustration Board
Recent Sales
20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings
Illustration Board, Alkyd
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Shepard Fairey is famous for his street art. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s through the prints, posters, stickers and murals related to his Obey Giant campaign, which was an international cultural phenomenon. Fairey’s now-iconic poster of Barack Obama became part of his presidential campaign. It encapsulates a number of recurring themes in the artist’s work, including propaganda, portraiture and political power. On 1stDibs, shop a diverse assortment of Shepard Fairey art.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 27, 2024The style of art that Shepard Fairey is best known for is contemporary art. Specifically, Fairey is a famous street artist. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s through the dispersion of prints, posters, stickers and murals related to his Obey Giant campaign, which yielded an international cultural phenomenon. Fairey's iconic poster of President Barack Obama was adopted as the official emblem associated with the presidential campaign and encapsulates a number of recurring concerns in the artist's work, including propaganda, portraiture and political power. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Shepard Fairey art.