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 PasquaRobert CombasGuangyu Dai and Erró on Artsper.

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Painting, Solitude, Yana Raynus

Solitude

Yana Raynus

Painting - 102 x 76 x 2 cm Painting - 40.2 x 29.9 x 0.8 inch

€1,113

Painting, Sans titre, Maurice Falise

Sans titre

Maurice Falise

Painting - 146 x 114 x 0.2 cm Painting - 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.1 inch

€20,000

Painting, All Will Be Good II, tizlu

All Will Be Good II

tizlu

Painting - 80 x 50 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€3,800 €3,230

Painting, We Need You!, tizlu

We Need You!

tizlu

Painting - 80 x 40 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 2 inch

€3,400 €2,890

Painting, Drifting, tizlu

Drifting

tizlu

Painting - 80 x 40 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 2 inch

€3,200 €2,240

Painting, Skyblue Sun, tizlu

Skyblue Sun

tizlu

Painting - 50 x 20 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 7.9 x 1 inch

€1,100 €880

Painting, Pistacchio Sun, tizlu

Pistacchio Sun

tizlu

Painting - 50 x 20 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 7.9 x 1 inch

€1,100

Painting, Ghetto Cat, tizlu

Ghetto Cat

tizlu

Painting - 80 x 40 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 2 inch

€1,800

Painting, Pour la vie, David Jamin

Pour la vie

David Jamin

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

Sold

Painting, Afternoon, Tarek Butayhi

Afternoon

Tarek Butayhi

Painting - 70 x 55 cm Painting - 27.6 x 21.7 inch

€1,762

Painting, Youri Gagarine, Martin

Youri Gagarine

Martin

Painting - 100 x 100 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 inch

€990

Painting, Happy life, Daru

Happy life

Daru

Painting - 80 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

€1,800

Painting, Be confident, David Jamin

Be confident

David Jamin

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1 inch

€2,550

Painting, Pride, David Jamin

Pride

David Jamin

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

€3,400

Painting, Katare XXL, Asko

Katare XXL

Asko

Painting - 132 x 112 x 0.1 cm Painting - 52 x 44.1 x 0 inch

€1,130 €1,017

Painting, Débordements, Marta Grassi

Débordements

Marta Grassi

Painting - 120 x 150 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch

€4,000

Painting, Friends For Life, Asko

Friends For Life

Asko

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

€3,000

Painting, Mademoiselle 37, Kaige Yang

Mademoiselle 37

Kaige Yang

Painting - 30 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,600 €1,440

Painting, Face 4, Tarek Butayhi

Face 4

Tarek Butayhi

Painting - 50 x 50 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 inch

€1,391

Painting, Mister mignon, Rico Sab

Mister mignon

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 50 x 1.8 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.7 inch

€290

Painting, Confused, Kane Mclay

Confused

Kane Mclay

Painting - 30 x 30 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€950

Painting, Rose, Albena Vatcheva

Rose

Albena Vatcheva

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

€1,199

Painting, Flashback, Albena Vatcheva

Flashback

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 100 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 19.7 x 1 inch

€2,190

Painting, Trois, Albena Vatcheva

Trois

Albena Vatcheva

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

€950

Painting, Bilyana, Albena Vatcheva

Bilyana

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 80 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,650

Painting, Homeless, François Sauvage

Homeless

François Sauvage

Painting - 100 x 100 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 2 inch

€750 €713

Painting, En boucle, Mathilde André

En boucle

Mathilde André

Painting - 44 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 17.3 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€850

Painting, Third Eyes, Youthone

Third Eyes

Youthone

Painting - 103 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 40.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

€1,010

Painting, Hurt, Marta Zawadzka

Hurt

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 120 x 140 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 55.1 x 0.8 inch

€3,850

Painting, Fête, Zwy Milshtein

Fête

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€1,600

Painting, Simpler days II, Rico Sab

Simpler days II

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 60 x 1.8 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.7 inch

€320

Painting, Emmanuelle, Pol Ledent

Emmanuelle

Pol Ledent

Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€900

Painting, Le pied, Zwy Milshtein

Le pied

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 33 x 33 x 0.2 cm Painting - 13 x 13 x 0.1 inch

€1,500

Painting, BrooKlyne, 2Kyff

BrooKlyne

2Kyff

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

€900

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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.