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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, Libre, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting . 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

€2,550

Painting, Landscape, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 50 x 90 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch

€1,300

Painting, Souvenirs - 1, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 92 x 65 x 2.5 cm Painting . 36.2 x 25.6 x 1 inch

€850

Painting, Silios, Yoann Merienne

Yoann Merienne

Painting . 120 x 160 x 5 cm Painting . 47.2 x 63 x 2 inch

€10,500

Painting, Le Kazakhs, Olivier Daumas

Olivier Daumas

Painting . 116 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting . 45.7 x 28.7 x 1 inch

€3,000 €2,250

Painting, Untitled, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

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

€850

Painting, Silence - 1, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 146 x 114 x 2.5 cm Painting . 57.5 x 44.9 x 1 inch

€1,500

Painting, Mexico, Toni Caldentey

Toni Caldentey

Painting . 116 x 81 x 2 cm Painting . 45.7 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€2,000

Painting, Operating, Katalin Soós

Katalin Soós

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

€7,600

Painting, Entrecote I, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 96.5 x 75.5 x 1 cm Painting . 38 x 29.7 x 0.4 inch

€2,321

Painting, Sin retorno, Toni Caldentey

Toni Caldentey

Painting . 130 x 97 x 2 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.8 inch

€2,000

Painting, Outremer, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting . 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch

€3,700

Painting, Untitled 4.4, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting . 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

€1,200

Painting, Teal Wonder, Isabel Emrich

Isabel Emrich

Painting . 76.2 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm Painting . 30 x 40 x 1.5 inch

€3,992

Painting, Le bain, Béatrice Terra

Béatrice Terra

Painting . 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€2,200

Painting, Duo - 1, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 130 x 97 x 2.5 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 1 inch

€1,200

Painting, Jeunes filles, Jean Ducommun

Jean Ducommun

Painting . 46.5 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 18.3 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€1,774

Painting, Carmen, Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer

Painting . 53.5 x 37 cm Painting . 21.1 x 14.6 inch

€1,400

Painting, The Fishing, Eugene Berman

Eugene Berman

Painting . 17.1 x 23.8 x 0.1 cm Painting . 6.7 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€850

Painting, Untitled 2.2, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting . 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

€1,200

Painting, Bleu traffic, Nicolas Monjo

Nicolas Monjo

Painting . 100 x 81 x 2.5 cm Painting . 39.4 x 31.9 x 1 inch

€3,400

Painting, Rouge gorge, Nicolas Monjo

Nicolas Monjo

Painting . 89 x 116 x 2.5 cm Painting . 35 x 45.7 x 1 inch

€3,800

Painting, Untitled, Natia Sapanadze

Natia Sapanadze

Painting . 38 x 33 x 3 cm Painting . 15 x 13 x 1.2 inch

€850

Painting, Untitled, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 50 x 60 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€850

Painting, Selo - Z, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting . 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch

€850

Painting, Untitled 1.1, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting . 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

€2,000

Painting, In the Field, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 70 x 110 x 4 cm Painting . 27.6 x 43.3 x 1.6 inch

€2,100

Painting, Untitled, Natia Sapanadze

Natia Sapanadze

Painting . 60 x 75 x 3 cm Painting . 23.6 x 29.5 x 1.2 inch

€1,620

Painting, Reverb, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 130 x 97 x 2.5 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 1 inch

€4,200

Painting, Lovefall, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 63 x 57 x 0.5 cm Painting . 24.8 x 22.4 x 0.2 inch

€928

Painting, Untitled, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 60 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 23.6 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

€850

Painting, Untitled, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Painting . 70 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 27.6 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€850