Portrait Painting for Sale
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Gabrielle II
Christiane Simon-Roques
Painting - 100 x 70 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 2 inch
$1,573
My Peregrinations 4
Damola Ayegbayo
Painting - 121.9 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 1 inch
$2,800
Uncle Josh
Akinboye Akinola Peter
Painting - 95 x 85.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 37.4 x 33.8 x 1 inch
$2,500 $2,250
Adaugo (You and I in Color 3)
Lynda Charles
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
$3,150
Insatiable Cravings
Afolayan Emmanuel
Painting - 91.4 x 127 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 50 x 1 inch
$2,650 $2,385
Rumble in the Jungle
Boris Gobina
Painting - 110 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,697
Baby Doll n149, Paco Rabane Tribute
Rachel Bergeret
Painting - 70 x 41 x 1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch
$3,877
Alter Ego
Franklin Ndibam
Painting - 140 x 100.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 39.4 x 1 inch
$3,850 $3,465
Black Angel
Abiola Olabamiji
Painting - 121.9 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch
$2,550 $2,295
Community II
Felix Treadwell
Painting - 182.2 x 121.5 x 2.54 cm Painting - 71.7 x 47.8 x 1 inch
$35,000
Wetin Man Go Do
Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Painting - 114.3 x 113 x 2.5 cm Painting - 45 x 44.5 x 1 inch
$2,800 $2,520
Omosewa
Amiolemen Emmanuel
Painting - 101.6 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 40 x 36 x 1 inch
$2,350 $2,115
Un monde meilleur
Hom Nguyen
Painting - 250 x 190 x 3 cm Painting - 98.4 x 74.8 x 1.2 inch
Price upon request
Sans titre - profil d'homme
Hashtag Jeff (D-Philippot)
Painting - 120 x 65 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 25.6 x 1.6 inch
$2,247
Trust Your Vision
Lena Bera-Pancini
Painting - 90 x 90 x 90 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 35.4 inch
$2,135
Black and Bold 1
Loje Oluwaseun
Painting - 74.9 x 49.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 29.5 x 19.5 x 1 inch
$1,450
Inner Peace 1
Meshach Charity
Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 1 inch
$1,850 $1,665
Envy Ferrari
Plastic Jesus
Painting - 75 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$11,237 $8,428
Alessandro Magno nº3
Davide Ricchetti
Painting - 42 x 28.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.2 x 0.2 inch
$1,011
Ajala Travel 1
Abdulateef Salaudeen
Painting - 121.9 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 1 inch
$2,500 $2,250
The Albino Series IX
Éric Odartey
Painting - 76 x 76 x 3 cm Painting - 29.9 x 29.9 x 1.2 inch
$2,247
Vendeur de bouées avec ballon de Barcelone
Rosario Heins
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$8,989
Mask Off (Breathe)
Gianluca Fascetto
Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,686
Un peu, beaucoup, passionnément
Virginie Clement
Painting - 50 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch
$562
A Girl In A Window
Yosl Bergner
Painting - 40 x 30 x 3.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.4 inch
$5,100
Carlo Pomti’s Nightmare (original)
Pure Evil
Painting - 75 x 75 x 1.5 cm Painting - 29.5 x 29.5 x 0.6 inch
$3,708
Ostende et le pantographe
Joël Kermarrec
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,472
Not all dreams come true
Djénina Hagenburger
Painting - 122 x 190 x 1 cm Painting - 48 x 74.8 x 0.4 inch
$5,394
Avec vous
Jean-Joseph Sanfourche
Painting - 115 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 45.3 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch
$6,742
Girl With Crystal Earring
Kehinde Mayowa
Painting - 90.2 x 90.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35.5 x 35.5 x 1 inch
$3,450
Circle of Trust 1
Iyiola Odunayo
Painting - 101.6 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 40 x 36 x 1 inch
$2,000 $1,800
Les Mannequins (The Supermodels) 1
Alawaye Tope
Painting - 81.3 x 81.3 x 2.5 cm Painting - 32 x 32 x 1 inch
$1,850
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Diamant Noir
Sinden Collier
Photography - 51 x 41 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.1 x 16.1 x 0 inch
$1,798
The tree of life
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,200
Passeur de brise
Pascal Billard
Sculpture - 78 x 45 x 30 cm Sculpture - 30.7 x 17.7 x 11.8 inch
$1,663
Mickey Mouse Soldier
Belart Collective
Painting - 120 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$2,236
Circus Acrobats
Joanna Zakrzewska-Cholewa
Sculpture - 49 x 15 x 6 cm Sculpture - 19.3 x 5.9 x 2.4 inch
$1,797 $1,618
Portrait Painting for Sale
Portraiture is one of the most important subjects in painting. The discipline has changed significantly over time and has a fascinating history.
In antiquity, portraits were exclusively reserved for gods and the most influential people in society. Paintings and statues representing the bodies of the deceased were erected to decorate tombs in Egypt. They weren't realistic but rather had a very standardized way of representing each part of the body.
In contrast to the Egyptians, painters and sculptors in Greece, who had a more in depth knowledge of the human anatomy, were more concerned about realism. Many portrait paintings from this period were done on vases and depicted gods and mythological scenes.
In the Middle Ages, most portraits paintings were commissioned and featuring the most important people of the time; they were painted into religious scenes to emphasize their piety and faith, along with their social status. Once these works of art had been painted, they were often donated to churches and monasteries.
The Renaissance marked a renewal for the arts and portrait painting was no exception. At the beginning of this period, artists were unconcerned about lifelike, realistic work. Sitters or the subjects represented were identifiable through the use of symbolic objects and the inclusion of their name.
Giotto revolutionized portraiture by imitating sculpture. He began to paint shadows, the subjects' expressions, effects of depth and began to use foreshortening. His knowledge soon began to spread.
Brunelleschi then introduced the idea of perspective in architecture, a concept which Masaccio adapted to painting. Italy became the center of portrait painting and the most important Italian families (including the Médici family) commissioned artwork by the best painters. Competition between these painters led them to innovate and led them to produce some of the greatest artworks in history. The most famous is undoubtedly the Mona Lisa by Leonardo de Vinci.
In Northern Europe during the 16th century, Flemish art was restricted by iconoclasm during the Reformation, a period during the depiction of religious figures was banned. Artists turned to courtly art which was particularly popular during the following centuries. A century earlier, Flemish art had marked a turning point with Jan Van Eyck, the inventor of oil painting (the preferred painting technique of Renaissance painters) and master of detailed realism, who influenced an entire generation of Flemish painters.
Over the following centuries, portrait painting continued to be an art form for the elite of society, but painters grew increasingly concerned about depicting realistic figures and communicating the sitter's inner world and emotions. The 20th century saw a growing trend: subjects were not painted to look beautiful (sometimes to their great dismay).
At the end of the 19th century, Impressionist painters became less reliant on sculpted models and sculpture's influence. They left their studios and painted portraits outside, “en plein air." They captured the light as they saw it and painted groups of people together rather than in in several stages.
Modern and contemporary art of the 20th century saw anything go when it came to portraits. Artists like Gustav Klimt, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and Lucien Freud turned traditional techniques and codified rules on their heads and developed their own unique styles.
Discover portraits by Philippe Pasqua, Robert Combas, Guangyu Dai and Erró on Artsper.
What is meant by portrait painting?
A portrait painting is a painted artwork that depicts a person. A portrait painting usually depicts the upper body of a sitter, for example from the shoulders up.
What art style is a portrait?
A portrait can be created in various different art styles and forms, including sculpture, painting and drawing.
What makes a good portrait?
A portrait can be considered a good work of art for a variety of reasons, including its handling of light, tone and color, its likeness to the person it represents, or its expression of emotion.