Portrait

Sadness, melancholy and gloom have found an outlet in artists throughout history and in the depiction of figurative art. Through artists, humanity and their emotional and physical states are portrayed to be viewed and related to. The instant recognition of such a grave subject also plagues human history itself, thus carving out its own rightful spot amongst the history of art movements. In Edgar Degas' 1875 painting L'Absinthe, where viewers see a portrait of a young woman solemnly contemplating her situation, disengaged from their gaze, her surroundings, maybe even from herself. 

Dark hues and colors define somber portrait painting and can highlight the cause of such sadness, whether that be the subject's emotional state or a greater rendering of the world's expanse and the human existence within it. Existential or not, the traits of somber artwork can be found in our own collection of portraits on Artsper. The portraiture work of Nicolas Fropo de Habart works the body in all its dimensions to create an absolute feeling of vastness while Antoine Stevens also depicts wandering souls in his dimmed portraiture. But given the nature of humanity, somber depictions of the figure are not entirely unexpected…


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Painting, Dawn, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

£486

Painting, Dignity, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

£486

Painting, Poignant, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

£510

Painting, Heal, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

£551

Painting, Natural, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 61 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 24 x 18 x 0.1 inch

£551

Painting, Observe, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 61 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 24 x 18 x 0.1 inch

£470

Painting, Earnest, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 61 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 24 x 18 x 0.1 inch

£470

Painting, Haven, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 61 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 24 x 18 x 0.1 inch

£470

Painting, La robe (2), Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

£593

Painting, La robe, Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

£593

Painting, Code 2220, Thierry Carrier

Thierry Carrier

Painting . 89 x 130 x 3 cm Painting . 35 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch

£5,060

Painting, Fly Bar, Lisbeth Buonanno

Lisbeth Buonanno

Painting . 81 x 100 x 2 cm Painting . 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

£2,181

Painting, Fair day, Reinaldo Chavez

Reinaldo Chavez

Painting . 22 x 27.5 x 0.6 cm Painting . 8.7 x 10.8 x 0.2 inch

£279

Painting, Warmis, Reinaldo Chavez

Reinaldo Chavez

Painting . 40 x 50 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 inch

£628

Painting, Portrait, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Painting . 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

£480 £432

Painting, Tarongers, Núria Bosch

Núria Bosch

Painting . 105 x 95 x 4 cm Painting . 41.3 x 37.4 x 1.6 inch

£2,748

Painting, Oisellement 2, Marie Rauzy

Marie Rauzy

Painting . 200 x 70 x 3 cm Painting . 78.7 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch

£11,342

Painting, Code 2107, Thierry Carrier

Thierry Carrier

Painting . 110 x 200 x 4 cm Painting . 43.3 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch

£8,725

Painting, Inception, Lisbeth Buonanno

Lisbeth Buonanno

Painting . 130 x 89 x 2 cm Painting . 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

£4,362

Painting, Le coq, Julien Cuny

Julien Cuny

Painting . 105 x 75 cm Painting . 41.3 x 29.5 inch

£523