Von Plettenberg
Early 18th Century Rococo Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
People Also Browsed
Early 19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
17th Century Baroque Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Antique 19th Century German Neoclassical Revival Paintings
Giltwood, Canvas
1660s Portrait Paintings
Oil
1790s Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
18th Century Rococo Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
17th Century Old Masters Paintings
Oil
Early 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Copper
Vintage 1930s British Art Deco Paintings
Paint
18th Century Rococo Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 17th Century Other Art Style Figurative Paintings
Oil
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century French School 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.