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.
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
I’ll be with her when the roses bloom again
Filippa Bjerling
Painting - 103 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 40.6 x 28.7 x 1 inch
$2,729
Lovers - The portrait of love 4
Carmen Tyrrell
Painting - 50 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$705
Comfort Zone
Anastasia Gladkova (Naska)
Painting - 76 x 76 x 3.5 cm Painting - 29.9 x 29.9 x 1.4 inch
$2,000
2A24 - Portrait axé sur le regard
Dominique Fonteneau
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,153
Girl in the city (Double)
Esboner
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$1,898
Two Faces Of One Woman
Natasa Krstic
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,966
Happiness Is Something That You Share
Andra Daans
Painting - 49.8 x 34.8 x 1.8 cm Painting - 19.6 x 13.7 x 0.7 inch
$1,769
Lou dans la cuisine à Vergisson
Marc Dailly
Painting - 38 x 28 x 2 cm Painting - 15 x 11 x 0.8 inch
$1,661
The Man Coming From Far
Phan Thanh Minh
Painting - 135 x 95 x 3 cm Painting - 53.1 x 37.4 x 1.2 inch
$2,788
Generaciones
Adrian Gonzalez Torrez
Painting - 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
$1,720 $1,548
Egg girl in green
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,661
My side of the story
Haydee Torres
Painting - 45.7 x 35.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 18 x 14 x 1.5 inch
$765
Among Flowers
Anyck Alvarez Kerloch
Painting - 81.3 x 58.4 x 0.5 cm Painting - 32 x 23 x 0.2 inch
$555
Blue Towel 2
Olamilekan Bello
Painting - 99.8 x 79.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.3 x 31.3 x 1 inch
$2,200
Balls deep in the street
Luke Yocum
Painting - 75 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$10,855
Altar Boys
Roberto De Francisci
Painting - 140 x 145 x 0.1 cm Painting - 55.1 x 57.1 x 0 inch
$1,898
Marmaladium broth for those who feel a sleep in the theatre
Kakha Esebua
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$3,500
Portrait of a farmer
Laurent Proneur
Painting - 152.4 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm Painting - 60 x 48 x 2 inch
$30,300
Señor Azul 02
Shyne Eghosa Obazee
Painting - 125 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 49.2 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch
$4,698
Ogbontarigi Obinrin (Extraordinary Woman)
Abiola Olabamiji
Painting - 127 x 109.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 50 x 43 x 1 inch
$2,450
Her Green Robe
Oluwapelumi Oluyemi
Painting - 121.9 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch
$2,250
Ballerina pop 6 - Opéra Unica
Giorgio Stocco
Painting - 100 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,174
The Pulse of Energy
Alexandra Alimova
Painting - 80 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$2,200
Mémoire - Série Pop colorée
Selda Soyut dit Selda
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$741
Comme je l'imagine
Izabeau Jousse
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$3,440
My Culture, My Inheritance
Ajenifuja Abiodun
Painting - 121.9 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch
$1,850
The Lady and the Peacock
Carlos Gamez de Francisco
Painting - 61 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$5,457
The Entertainer
Terrece Beesley
Painting - 40.6 x 55.9 x 1.3 cm Painting - 16 x 22 x 0.5 inch
$1,850
Malaquias abyssus
Antonio Mejias
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$4,034
Autoportrait à la combi
Laurent Anastay-Ponsolle
Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$1,127
Times are changing
Akintomide Akinshola
Painting - 63.5 x 52 x 1 cm Painting - 25 x 20.5 x 0.4 inch
$2,634
An Ode of False Bonds
Olamilekan Okunade
Painting - 137.2 x 137.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 54 x 54 x 1 inch
$6,600
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
L'esprit Déchaîné (hand-painted)
tizlu
Painting - 50 x 35 x 2.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.9 inch
$2,135 $1,708
Top Elite Faschions
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 61 x 46 x 0.2 cm Print - 24 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch
$652
Degas Danseur de Ballet
Martín Duque
Sculpture - 44 x 16 x 20 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 6.3 x 7.9 inch
$1,163
Maiko in Springtime Kyoto
Takashi Murakami
Print - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$2,882
Love and Flowers - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Women
Taiwo Odejinmi
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
$2,450
Need help with Portrait Painting for Sale ?
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.