Portrait Drawing for Sale

Portraiture has existed for many centuries. The Greeks produced portraits for funeral and religious rituals; they aimed to “bring back to life those who have passed away." In the Roman era, portraits were often reserved for the ruling figures of society; for example, a warrior would have his portrait painted to illustrate his bravery during a battle. In Europe, it is only during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance that Italian and Flemish painters started to practice the art of portraiture.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, painters created works commissioned by wealthy patrons. Painters sketched out preliminary freehand drawings, which were often then approved by the patron, before beginning to work on their oil paint or, later, watercolor. Facial features were sometimes improved to the detriment of realism, although some painters were known for their ability to reproduce their models' expressions. Some artists worked in great detail while others focussed more heavily on trying to capture the real personality of their model.

For much of its history, portrait not only told a story but it also conveyed a message of power, promoting a well-controlled image to the wider population and establishing the sitter's authority through its circulation. For example, Florentine elites would use paintings and drawings as a mean of controlling their image and establishing their authority. Portraits were a way for someone to live on long after their death. Today we find the faces of aristocracies and the European bourgeoisie in many museums, immortalized by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci or Rembrandt.

The results obtained through drawing depended largely on the tools and materials used. Red chalk was very popular (especially at the beginning of the 16th century) to represent the facial features and the warmth of the skin, while charcoal produced harder lines and pastel created a softer, colorful touch. Artists adapted their technique depending on the subject and the emotion they wanted to convey. The commercialisation of pencils in the nineteenth century made it a popular medium for artists and amateurs alike. Pencil art became more popular and the tool was often used for sketching portraits.

One thing is certain; capturing facial expressions is a demanding art form and the art of portraiture requires a lot of practice. Drawing a face down to its finest details may take hours to obtain the desired result: a protruding jaw, the shape of a skull, thick brows, smiling eyes, dilated pupils… Even more difficult, are children's portraits? It can be difficult to get them to stay still for long. The artist has to be skilled enough to immortalise these men, women and children full of life.

Gradually, sketched portraits became less and less realistic but increasingly daring and experimental in terms of colour. On Artsper, discover drawings by Jean Cocteau, Julien Calot, Alice de Miramon, Philippe Pasqua, Sabine Danzé, Bahareh Navabi and Stéphanie Stindel.

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The Couple

Mino Maccari

Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 20.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.1 x 0.1 inch

€740

Sleeping Girl

Mino Maccari

Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 33 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 13 x 0 inch

€1,100

Smiling Boy

Anthony Roaland

Fine Art Drawings - 41.5 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€390

Nude

Jean-Raymond Delpech

Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€400

Nude

Jean-Raymond Delpech

Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€300

Nudes

Jean-Raymond Delpech

Fine Art Drawings - 56 x 45 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 17.7 x 0 inch

€300

Reclined Nude

Georges-Henri Tribout

Fine Art Drawings - 27 x 20.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.6 x 8.1 x 0 inch

€300

Homme de profil

Isabella Kretzdorn

Fine Art Drawings - 64 x 46 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.2 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

€950

Lucky Luke

Morris

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 x 0.4 inch

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Ancêtre

Richard Laillier

Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 15 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inch

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Yurei

Richard Laillier

Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 10 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.5 x 3.9 x 0.4 inch

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Silent Soul (06)

Richard Laillier

Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 13 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.1 x 5.1 x 0.4 inch

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Suaire

Richard Laillier

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 14 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.4 inch

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Étude d'après Munch

Richard Laillier

Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 8 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.7 x 3.1 x 0.4 inch

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Untitled

Alexandre Taillandier

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

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Post Mortem VIII

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Ana

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Bipolar

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Être

Mathilde André

Fine Art Drawings - 69 x 46 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.2 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€250

Le poids du monde

Mathilde André

Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch

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Le docteur

Eric Demelis

Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

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Série femme pantin

Mathilde André

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 29.5 x 0.4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 11.6 x 0.2 inch

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Une autre saison

Flo. M

Fine Art Drawings - 66 x 46 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€1,700

Estampe concubine pensée

Flo. M

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 29 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 11.4 x 0.2 inch

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D'âme

Flo. M

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 29 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

€1,000

Blues

Flo. M

Fine Art Drawings - 88 x 68 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 34.6 x 26.8 x 0.2 inch

€2,000

Tick Tock

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 inch

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Post Mortem VII

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Wood II

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Jabamiah

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 4.7 inch

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Sans titre (#1)

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.7 x 4.7 inch

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Mary-Ann

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.7 x 4.7 inch

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Axele

Vavjeniak

Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 12 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.7 x 4.7 inch

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Ladder

Joe Lasker

Fine Art Drawings - 29.2 x 17.8 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.5 x 7 x 2 inch

€939

La Fuerza

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 27 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch

€6,500

Woman

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 inch

€9,600

The encounter

Reinaldo Chavez

Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 13.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 5.3 inch

€340

Ray Charles and the Band

Jay Russell

Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 11 x 2 inch

€2,253

The Blues Boss

Jay Russell

Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 11 x 2 inch

€2,253

Okinawo

Fred Borghesi

Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 18 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 7.1 x 0.1 inch

€2,200

Biunivoco

Lantomo

Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 inch

€2,500

Pepino

Leonardo Aliaga

Fine Art Drawings - 48 x 36 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.9 x 14.2 inch

€500

Diablo

Leonardo Aliaga

Fine Art Drawings - 48 x 36 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.9 x 14.2 inch

€520