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.
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Contemporary portrait As We Wait for the Taxi
Nataliya Bagatskaya
Painting - 100 x 70 x 2.3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.9 inch
€2,500
Spirale de Fibonacci 9
Lillia Baudo
Painting - 92 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 36.2 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€2,250
Ondulations - série puissance et énergie de la Nature
Zong
Painting - 120 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch
€1,300
Red Skies at Night
Carolyn Hardy
Painting - 22.68 x 30.48 x 2 cm Painting - 8.9 x 12 x 0.8 inch
€550
Princess of the Night
Miyuki Takanashi
Painting - 72.7 x 53 x 3 cm Painting - 28.6 x 20.9 x 1.2 inch
€1,600
Queen of Koryo 1
Kim Soo Young
Painting - 87.5 x 56.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 34.4 x 22.2 x 0 inch
€3,330
Le déjeuner sur l'herbe
Eric Bourdon
Painting - 65 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
The Heroic Rescuer
Areg Vahramyan
Painting - 60 x 110 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 43.3 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
Surréaliste 1972 Surrealist, Population d'images Images population
Maurice Rapin
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
€950
Portals to My Bedroom
Yusuf Epcin
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€2,854
The Geometer's Hand 13
Marilyn Henrion
Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 inch
€6,677
La tour
Graciela Castellano-Saavedra
Painting - 74 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 29.1 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€900
La révolte des Ouraniens
Timothy Archer
Painting - 150 x 207 x 5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 81.5 x 2 inch
€15,000
Les cavaliers papillons
Noël Granger
Painting - 41 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
€1,380
Le printemps : Le Héron sur le domaine de la reine guerrière
Noël Granger
Painting - 50 x 70 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 inch
€990
Elysium Fields
Lana Devidze
Painting - 69.5 x 49.5 x 1.6 cm Painting - 27.4 x 19.5 x 0.6 inch
€1,800
The love of mermaid
Sergey Khachatryan
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€4,573 €3,659
Window to the Ocean
Gegham Hunanyan
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€320 €256
Dreaming of Another World - Rêver d'un autre monde
Cecile Gonne Victoria
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
Sold
In a dessert on the way to Sedona
Vladimir Kolosov
Painting - 14 x 45.7 x 0.6 cm Painting - 5.5 x 18 x 0.25 inch
€238
Visisons of Sedona. Meditation on the way to Boyton Canyon.
Vladimir Kolosov
Painting - 15.2 x 30.5 x 0.6 cm Painting - 6 x 12 x 0.25 inch
€183
Cometas y estrellas
Charo Velasco
Painting - 73 x 93 x 3.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.6 x 1.4 inch
€750
Abstract - Galaxy Amusement Park
Guoyi Liu
Painting - 200 x 270 x 4 cm Painting - 78.7 x 106.3 x 1.6 inch
€43,700
Abstract - Superstring Series No.16
Guoyi Liu
Painting - 120 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€23,100
Portrait- Where is The Way
Guoyi Liu
Painting - 200 x 300 x 4 cm Painting - 78.7 x 118.1 x 1.6 inch
€46,300
Uccellini del paradiso
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 24 x 42 x 0.1 cm Painting - 9.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch
€150
Confused people series 10
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 09
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 07
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 06
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 05
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 04
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 03
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 02
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Confused people series 01
Renjie Gao
Painting - 53 x 75.5 x 3 cm Painting - 20.9 x 29.7 x 1.2 inch
€915
Un giorno qualunque
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 32 x 28 x 0.5 cm Painting - 12.6 x 11 x 0.2 inch
€325
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.