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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.

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Painting, Fragile, Ender

Fragile

Ender

Painting - 33 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

$655

Painting, FabuLLeuse 1, B.AX

FabuLLeuse 1

B.AX

Painting - 60 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

$1,179

Painting, Untitled 2, Vakho Bugadze

Untitled 2

Vakho Bugadze

Painting - 200 x 160 x 3 cm Painting - 78.7 x 63 x 1.2 inch

$7,738

Painting, Ilemoicafe 3, Isafara

Ilemoicafe 3

Isafara

Painting - 140 x 180 x 0.3 cm Painting - 55.1 x 70.9 x 0.1 inch

$952

Painting, Hervé, Noah Borger

Hervé

Noah Borger

Painting - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$476

Painting, Brothers, M. Hovol

Brothers

M. Hovol

Painting - 85 x 85 x 2 cm Painting - 33.5 x 33.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,381

Painting, Maya, Josue M Pierre

Maya

Josue M Pierre

Painting - 95 x 71.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 37.4 x 28.3 x 1 inch

$2,200

Painting, Portrait I (1), Rong Su

Portrait I (1)

Rong Su

Painting - 40 x 30 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch

$952

Painting, Damsel, Busari Adewale

Damsel

Busari Adewale

Painting - 121.9 x 106.7 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 42 x 1 inch

$2,920

Painting, Armure Organique, Skio

Armure Organique

Skio

Painting - 163 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 64.2 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch

$7,738

Painting, The Shame, Anna Paloma

The Shame

Anna Paloma

Painting - 55 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

$900

Painting, Now Future Battle, Su Yu

Now Future Battle

Su Yu

Painting - 150 x 200 x 6 cm Painting - 59.1 x 78.7 x 2.4 inch

$28,572

Painting, Emerge, Kane Mclay

Emerge

Kane Mclay

Painting - 40 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,071

Painting, Sun's Out, Carrie Graber

Sun's Out

Carrie Graber

Painting - 91.4 x 68.6 x 3.2 cm Painting - 36 x 27 x 1.25 inch

$8,770

Painting, Moonlight, Seonghwa Hong

Moonlight

Seonghwa Hong

Painting - 32 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 12.6 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

$952

Painting, Sea Wolf, Bulat Valeriy

Sea Wolf

Bulat Valeriy

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$893

Painting, A bout de souffle, SOMA

A bout de souffle

SOMA

Painting - 92 x 62 x 1 cm Painting - 36.2 x 24.4 x 0.4 inch

$2,857

Painting, Skateboard, Floe

Skateboard

Floe

Painting - 80 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

$595

Painting, Flora, Yana Ros

Flora

Yana Ros

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,800

Painting, Mujer azul, Lluís Girau

Mujer azul

Lluís Girau

Painting - 63 x 63 x 2 cm Painting - 24.8 x 24.8 x 0.8 inch

$952

Painting, Dice, Alexander Calder

Dice

Alexander Calder

Painting - 94 x 129.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 37 x 51 x 1 inch

$450,000

Painting, The wildcat, Djé WILD art

The wildcat

Djé WILD art

Painting - 80 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

$714

Painting, Women With Cat, Ramon Poch

Women With Cat

Ramon Poch

Painting - 80 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,143

Painting, Composition 5, Kesko

Composition 5

Kesko

Painting - 50 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1 inch

$833

Painting, Alkonost, Anna Schill

Alkonost

Anna Schill

Painting - 120 x 160 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 63 x 1.2 inch

$2,702

Painting, La lettre, Henri Aprin

La lettre

Henri Aprin

Painting - 30 x 38 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15 x 0.4 inch

$952

Painting, Red Wulf, Cédric Lopez

Red Wulf

Cédric Lopez

Painting - 54 x 64 x 3 cm Painting - 21.3 x 25.2 x 1.2 inch

$952

Painting, Heart, Katalina Koneva

Heart

Katalina Koneva

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$810

Painting, Femme II, Hong Shen

Femme II

Hong Shen

Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$595

Painting, Août, Carole Leprince

Août

Carole Leprince

Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$714

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Sculpture, König, Nando Kallweit

König

Nando Kallweit

Sculpture - 26 x 7 x 4 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 2.8 x 1.6 inch

$812

Print, Untiteled, JM Robert

Untiteled

JM Robert

Print - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$952

Fine Art Drawings, Sun Day, tizlu

Sun Day

tizlu

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

$1,405 $1,124

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.