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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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Painting, The seventies, ShuJie Wang

The seventies

ShuJie Wang

Painting - 90 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Painting, Reasonable, Youthone

Reasonable

Youthone

Painting - 68 x 101 x 0.1 cm Painting - 26.8 x 39.8 x 0 inch

€1,000 €900

Painting, Heart Face, Youthone

Heart Face

Youthone

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

€1,010

Painting, Octave, Zwy Milshtein

Octave

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 54 x 37 x 0.1 cm Painting - 21.3 x 14.6 x 0 inch

€1,600

Painting, AA, Rob Omodiagbe

AA

Rob Omodiagbe

Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 inch

€2,782

Painting, Imagine, Rico Sab

Imagine

Rico Sab

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

€320

Painting, Léonie, Zwy Milshtein

Léonie

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 115 x 82 x 2 cm Painting - 45.3 x 32.3 x 0.8 inch

€5,000

Painting, Le machino, Zwy Milshtein

Le machino

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 56 x 38 x 0.1 cm Painting - 22 x 15 x 0 inch

€1,600

Painting, Cheveux aux vents, Boudier

Cheveux aux vents

Boudier

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

€1,900

Painting, Skull, M.Cros

Skull

M.Cros

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

€2,200 €1,980

Painting, Mobile 2, Alexandre Akar

Mobile 2

Alexandre Akar

Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

€1,800

Painting, Femme assise, Hrasarkos

Femme assise

Hrasarkos

Painting - 100 x 80 x 0.1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0 inch

€410

Painting, Artemis, Roman Durcek

Artemis

Roman Durcek

Painting - 65 x 45 x 1.5 cm Painting - 25.6 x 17.7 x 0.6 inch

€3,445

Painting, Elyna, Flu

Elyna

Flu

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

€1,600 €1,280

Painting, Kamala, Flu

Kamala

Flu

Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,000 €800

Painting, Cash Prize, Flu

Cash Prize

Flu

Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

€1,900 €1,520

Painting, Lilies, Nadezda Stupina

Lilies

Nadezda Stupina

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

€1,100

Painting, One?guine, Cyb

One?guine

Cyb

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

€1,000

Painting, Scoop 2, Agathe Wagner

Scoop 2

Agathe Wagner

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

€1,000

Painting, La femme qui chasse, AE2

La femme qui chasse

AE2

Painting - 150 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

€2,000 €1,800

Painting, Sous l’eau, AE2

Sous l’eau

AE2

Painting - 89 x 116 x 5 cm Painting - 35 x 45.7 x 2 inch

€1,320 €1,188

Painting, Mike Jagger, Lo Da

Mike Jagger

Lo Da

Painting - 120 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 2 inch

€1,600

Painting, Diotime II, Cyb

Diotime II

Cyb

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

€3,000

Painting, Diotime I, Cyb

Diotime I

Cyb

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

€3,000

Painting, Dance l, Kerstin Paillard

Dance l

Kerstin Paillard

Painting - 66 x 48 x 0.3 cm Painting - 26 x 18.9 x 0.1 inch

€1,000

Painting, Sphère, Chantal Roux

Sphère

Chantal Roux

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

€1,600

Painting, Elle, Onemizer

Elle

Onemizer

Painting - 146 x 89 x 5 cm Painting - 57.5 x 35 x 2 inch

€5,000

Painting, Carnaval, Zwy Milshtein

Carnaval

Zwy Milshtein

Painting - 57 x 76 x 1 cm Painting - 22.4 x 29.9 x 0.4 inch

€2,800

Painting, Friends 59, Veronica Vilsan

Friends 59

Veronica Vilsan

Painting - 152.4 x 200.7 x 2.5 cm Painting - 60 x 79 x 1 inch

€4,540

Painting, Souls 4, Veronica Vilsan

Souls 4

Veronica Vilsan

Painting - 175.3 x 195.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 69 x 77 x 0.1 inch

€4,950

Painting, Feminism, Veronica Vilsan

Feminism

Veronica Vilsan

Painting - 78.7 x 78.7 x 5.1 cm Painting - 31 x 31 x 2 inch

€907

Painting, Beaten, Cecilia Cubarle

Beaten

Cecilia Cubarle

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

€2,800

13/100

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Discover the selection of our experts

Painting, No Need To Hide, tizlu

No Need To Hide

tizlu

Painting - 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,180 €992

Fine Art Drawings, We Need You!, tizlu

We Need You!

tizlu

Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 40 x 1.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,600 €1,440

Print, Untiteled, JM Robert

Untiteled

JM Robert

Print - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€800

Painting, Balloon girl, Mr Brainwash

Balloon girl

Mr Brainwash

Painting - 76 x 56 x 1 cm Painting - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

€8,000

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.