Fantastical painting for Sale
Fantasy painting is a style of art which explores the supernatural, depicting fantastical elements such as legends, ancient myths and divine figures. Mythical creatures are also prevalent in this genre where elves, fairies, dragons and wizards are often depicted alongside deities, angels and demons.
Fantasy painting grew in popularity after the invention of photography replaced the demand for Realism in the 19th century. The 20th century saw the introduction of new idealistic movements such as Expressionism, Cubism, Abstraction and Surrealism, where artists abandoned portraying subjects truthfully and embraced the implausible and supernatural. Although Fantasy Painting can technically be traced back to antiquity, it wasn't until the 20th century that it became an accepted art form. Artists of the Italian Renaissance were equally inspired by mythological characters in Greek and Roman culture. However, religious mythology was a highly sophisticated and incredibly important topic during the Renaissance, and is therefore not an example of fantasy painting.
Contemporary fantasy art has certainly been influenced by a surge in demand for science fiction and whimsical literary plots. This pushed artists to explore the darker corners of fantasy art, employing vampires and werewolves into their artwork. In 1923 the first all-fantasy fiction magazine was created called “Weird Tales", which helped bring fantasy painting onto a contemporary platform. As a result, fantasy painting became a powerful tool in the marketing of fantasy literature and film. Robert E. Howard's comic book hero “Conan the Barbarian" was a prominent feature in Weird Tales magazine. However, when the stories were re-released in 1960 with cover art by notable fantasy painter, Frank Frazetta, over 10 million copies were sold. This success lead to the creation of other fantasy art magazines. French magazine, “Métal Hurlant" (howling metal) was created in 1974. Due to its huge readership and demand, it was translated and republished in the United States as “Heavy Metal" in 1977. The late 70s also saw a boom in computer games and blockbuster films, which only furthered the popularity of fantasy painting. Hugely successful films like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Twilight were paramount in fantasy painting's not only rise to prominence, but also increasing acceptance as an art form.
Despite the skill of artists that produce fantasy paintings, it is still not considered canonical. Since it is not an example of “high art", the genre is generally not exhibited in galleries or taught in art schools, which many claim is due to the popularity of fantasy literature and film. However, as fantasy painting's reputation grows, so does the acceptance for a wider variety of art forms. Therefore, we can't eliminate the possibility that this massively prominent genre won't be considered highbrow one day.
Discover our selection of original paintings by contemporary artists and painters who have been inspired by all things supernatural, mythical and divine.
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
Just another planet
Yo Xarek WOLTER
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,600
Pions - d'échec - Surréalisme et imaginaire
Alyne
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€375
Village Fiesta 1982 Collection National MMCA Museum Modern Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
Ryu HU RIAL
Painting - 32 x 124 x 1 cm Painting - 12.6 x 48.8 x 0.4 inch
€2,945
TIME TRAVEL RED
Ekatherina Savtchenko
Painting - 70 x 90 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch
€10,000
Refuge ? Je cherche encore
Mathilde Neri
Painting - 200 x 150 x 0.15 cm Painting - 78.7 x 59.1 x 0.1 inch
€2,900
Portrait in Old Fashion
Jingyi Wang
Painting - 86.4 x 66 x 2 cm Painting - 34 x 26 x 0.8 inch
€13,720
Lute Player and 9 Little Indians
Serge Lis Eliseev
Painting - 160 x 157 x 3 cm Painting - 63 x 61.8 x 1.2 inch
€14,800
L'oiseau guide les chameaux
Philippe Jacq
Painting - 50 x 65 x 5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 2 inch
€2,500
A Falcaroo Named Knievel
Brett Crawford
Painting - 101.6 x 101.6 x 2.54 cm Painting - 40 x 40 x 1 inch
€68,598
The dark side of the beauty
Walter Geraci
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€380
1970 Rêve Astral Dream
Gigi Lilavois
Painting - 40 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
€2,950
Piece of Chile
Carolina Hidalgo Salas
Painting - 81 x 60 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.9 x 23.6 x 0.6 inch
€550
SK-RB skateboard diptyque
Gladys to meet you
Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
€300
The Childhood of Chaos 10 original masterpiece O Kloska (1977)
Ovidiu Kloska
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
La temptació
Salvador de Batlle
Painting - 100 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
€2,000
Mar de nuestros Ancestros
Delia Montanha
Painting - 30 x 26 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 10.2 x 0.4 inch
€600
It_helped_me_diamond
Axel Jenny
Painting - 125 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 49.2 x 39.4 x 0 inch
€2,000
Three Graces (Sagrada Familia, Notre Dame)
Zbigniew Wozniak
Painting - 40 x 32.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 12.8 x 0.2 inch
€900
We Used to Believe in Story
Yi Zhang
Painting - 15 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
El túnel, vida más allá de la vida
Toni Caimari
Painting - 65 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
€3,960
241 - Un souvenir qui tangue
Jacques Resch
Painting - 26 x 38 x 0.5 cm Painting - 10.2 x 15 x 0.2 inch
€800
La luna llora y hace un océano de vida
Micaela Piñero
Painting - 29.7 x 21 x 2 cm Painting - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
St. George and the Dragon (Large Late 20th Century Framed Painting)
George Zafero
Painting - 119.4 x 119.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 47 x 47 x 1 inch
€3,447
Le veilleur céleste
Jean-François Segura
Painting - 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
€6,950
Tree of meat (Baum aus Fleisch)
Paul Verstraten
Painting - 110 x 150 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch
€12,950
Fruit of the Goddess
Gino Tintin
Painting - 112 x 46 x 1 cm Painting - 44.1 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch
€3,088
Absense of real intention
João Cardoso
Painting - 150 x 150 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 1.6 inch
€3,950
Hommage à Jangarh ou Golden Birds
Bhajju Shyam
Painting - 120 x 163 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 64.2 x 1.2 inch
€4,500
Si No Tuvieras Miedo
Marco Battaglini
Painting - 100 x 125 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 49.2 x 2 inch
€30,000
La vie mysterieuse dans la mer
Japani Shyam
Painting - 55 x 38 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15 x 1.2 inch
€450
Party on the boat
Wojciech Kubaty
Painting - 130 x 170 x 2.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 66.9 x 1 inch
€2,000
À âmes égales skateboard diptyque
Pas de Veine
Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
€630
1983 Alchimie de vie Life Alchemy
Jutta SCRANNAGE
Painting - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€950
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Le Chef-d'Oeuvre ou les Mystères de l'Horizon
René Magritte
Print - 45 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 17.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
€780
La forêt intérieure
Clémence Dupuch
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€1,600
Femme au bord de l'eau, 1910 | Woman at the Shoreline, 1910
Léon Spilliaert
Print - 59 x 72 cm Print - 23.2 x 28.3 inch
€750
Need help with Fantastical painting ?
What is a fantasy painting?
A fantasy painting depicts imaginary, supernatural, or unreal scenes, often inspired by myths, dreams, or fantasy. It invites the viewer to explore worlds where imagination takes precedence over reality.
What is dreamlike and fantastic painting?
Dreamlike and fantastical painting explores imaginary worlds, blending dreams with the unreal. It is characterized by surreal scenes, invented creatures, and mysterious landscapes, inviting escape and personal interpretation.
What characterizes the fantasy genre?
The fantasy genre is distinguished by the eruption of supernatural or inexplicable elements into a realistic universe, arousing doubt and confusion in both the characters and the viewer. It invites us to question the boundary between reality and imagination, a theme often explored in contemporary art.
What is the prettiest painting in the world?
The notion of "the most beautiful painting in the world" is subjective and varies according to taste. Among the most admired works, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa fascinates with its mystery, but every contemporary art lover will find their own favorite on Artsper.