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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Elna - Territoires habités, relation homme animal
Isaure
Painting - 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch
€475
Estampe N°1 - Portrait stylisé coloré
Christelle Maria
Painting - 29.5 x 20.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.6 x 8.1 x 0 inch
€275
Athena's Trinity
Afeez Aregbede
Painting - 147.1 x 102.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 57.9 x 40.2 x 1 inch
€3,823
Cloaks 3: Expose
Victor Anachuna
Painting - 119.9 x 89.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 35.4 x 1 inch
€2,913
Woman Portraite
Artavazd Talalyan
Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,990
Serge Gainsbourg
Keith O'Connor
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€2,200
Ainsi de Suite 3
Annick Bouvattier
Painting - 100 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€4,900
Portrait Basquiaise N°9
Sylvain Copete
Painting - 35 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.8 x 0 inch
€315
Without Instructions 1
Tatiana Elizarova
Painting - 10 x 10 x 1 cm Painting - 3.9 x 3.9 x 0.4 inch
€300
La femme est une rose
Jacques Bronner
Painting - 90 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
€2,500
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
€2,867
Envol et profondeur
Alain Beraud
Painting - 81 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch
€11,500
All Mixed Up
Danny J. Martinez Van Dame One
Painting - 30 x 24 x 4 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 1.6 inch
€2,900
Untitled (Royal Officer 2)
Prince Obasi
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
€4,096
While I Wait
Joseph Christian Ekom-Obong
Painting - 121.9 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 1 inch
€2,549
Gouache d'étude pour Gitanes
Pierre Fix-Masseau
Painting - 41 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.1 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€3,500
Communion
Ariane Konstantinovskaia
Painting - 97 x 130 x 5 cm Painting - 38.2 x 51.2 x 2 inch
€8,000
Change of Plan
Joanna Sulek Malinowska
Painting - 90 x 90 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch
€2,495
Gueule d'ange N°17
Stephane Richard
Painting - 68 x 49 x 1 cm Painting - 26.8 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch
€890
Homme et femme, jeux
Armen Gasparian
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€4,600
Anonyme, le musicien
Azeddine Essaouira
Painting - 20 x 15 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inch
€190
The Kissing Couple
Swen Van Schijndel
Painting - 80 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
€4,000
Oiseleuse aux oreilles grises
Maria Guilbert
Painting - 120 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
€5,000
Evêque au fauteuil
Serge Labégorre
Painting - 195 x 130 x 2.5 cm Painting - 76.8 x 51.2 x 1 inch
€17,000
L'Hermite - Symbole des cartes de Tarot
Espolisto
Painting - 100 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
€3,500
Marionnette déchirée
François Cognet
Painting - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
€1,900
Hommage à Dubuffet Coucou Bordel
Signé Dupied
Painting - 65 x 54 x 5 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 2 inch
€1,100
Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow - River Phoenix
Dongni Hou
Painting - 95 x 70 x 5 cm Painting - 37.4 x 27.6 x 2 inch
€9,000
Our reality
Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli
Painting - 91.4 x 137.2 x 3 cm Painting - 36 x 54 x 1.2 inch
€8,000
Étude de portrait
Frédéric Schmied
Painting - 29.5 x 22.6 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.6 x 8.9 x 0.1 inch
€836
Jeune fille espagnole au foulard
Edouard Morerod
Painting - 47.5 x 34.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.7 x 13.6 x 0.2 inch
€2,340
The future is a big kiss
Isabelle Scheltjens
Painting - 138 x 103 x 4.5 cm Painting - 54.3 x 40.6 x 1.8 inch
€17,500
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
€1,480
Top Elite Faschions
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 61 x 46 x 0.2 cm Print - 24 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch
€550
Degas Danseur de Ballet
Martín Duque
Sculpture - 44 x 16 x 20 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 6.3 x 7.9 inch
€980
Maiko in Springtime Kyoto
Takashi Murakami
Print - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€2,429
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
€2,230
Mask geometric - Geometric art
Tarek
Painting - 73 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
€2,300 €1,955
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.