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, Dottore, Alexander Daniloff

Dottore

Alexander Daniloff

Painting - 32 x 23 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12.6 x 9.1 x 0.1 inch

€260 €234

Painting, Serenata, Alexander Daniloff

Serenata

Alexander Daniloff

Painting - 35 x 9.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 13.8 x 3.7 x 0.1 inch

€235 €212

Painting, Infanta, Alexander Daniloff

Infanta

Alexander Daniloff

Painting - 35 x 10 x 0.3 cm Painting - 13.8 x 3.9 x 0.1 inch

€235 €212

Painting, Aurora, Xavi Figueras

Aurora

Xavi Figueras

Painting - 100 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€3,900

Painting, Profil, Albena Vatcheva

Profil

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 15 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

€175

Painting, elegance, Gillian Brin

elegance

Gillian Brin

Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

€650

Painting, DiCaprio, PyB

DiCaprio

PyB

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€190 €171

Painting, Infanta, Alexander Daniloff

Infanta

Alexander Daniloff

Painting - 25 x 17.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 9.8 x 6.9 x 0 inch

€180 €162

Painting, Vrindavan, Ladamenrouge

Vrindavan

Ladamenrouge

Painting - 65 x 110 x 7 cm Painting - 25.6 x 43.3 x 2.8 inch

€1,900

Painting, Chitwan, Ladamenrouge

Chitwan

Ladamenrouge

Painting - 104 x 110 x 6 cm Painting - 40.9 x 43.3 x 2.4 inch

€1,900

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, The unknown, Serge Lecomte

The unknown

Serge Lecomte

Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 1.9 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.75 inch

€1,921

Painting, Nature wisdom, Chung Euijun

Nature wisdom

Chung Euijun

Painting - 72.7 x 60.6 x 3 cm Painting - 28.6 x 23.9 x 1.2 inch

€1,900

Painting, 1856, Carl White

1856

Carl White

Painting - 145 x 122 x 4 cm Painting - 57.1 x 48 x 1.6 inch

Sold

Painting, La lyre, Albena Vatcheva

La lyre

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€250 €238

Painting, Profils, Albena Vatcheva

Profils

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 15 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

€175

Painting, Divination, Ruth Arbiser

Divination

Ruth Arbiser

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€1,600

Painting, En jaune 5, Anna Camille

En jaune 5

Anna Camille

Painting - 102 x 74 x 3 cm Painting - 40.2 x 29.1 x 1.2 inch

€3,600

Painting, Lewis Hamilton, PyB

Lewis Hamilton

PyB

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, El torero, Paco Rosselló

El torero

Paco Rosselló

Painting - 81 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch

€4,000

Painting, Santo, Ludovic Isidore

Santo

Ludovic Isidore

Painting - 190 x 110 cm Painting - 74.8 x 43.3 inch

€4,200

Painting, Sappho, Alea Pinar Du Pre

Sappho

Alea Pinar Du Pre

Painting - 120 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

€12,000 €10,800

Painting, Madone, Albena Vatcheva

Madone

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€250 €238

Painting, Ensemble, Albena Vatcheva

Ensemble

Albena Vatcheva

Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€250 €238

Painting, Monarch, Carl White

Monarch

Carl White

Painting - 58 x 48 x 3 cm Painting - 22.8 x 18.9 x 1.2 inch

€1,990 €1,692

Painting, Frida, Mush Lazar

Frida

Mush Lazar

Painting - 80 x 117 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 46.1 x 1.6 inch

€3,492 €2,969

Painting, La musicienne, Jia Juanli

La musicienne

Jia Juanli

Painting - 61 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€9,500

Painting, Portrait 3, Erdna André

Portrait 3

Erdna André

Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€500 €400

Painting, Dance, Plamen Ovcharov

Dance

Plamen Ovcharov

Painting - 62 x 42.5 x 2 cm Painting - 24.4 x 16.7 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Julia, Virginie Clement

Julia

Virginie Clement

Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

€800

Painting, Frida, Viza

Frida

Viza

Painting - 42 x 42 x 1 cm Painting - 16.5 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch

€390

Painting, The bat heist, Ben Gulak

The bat heist

Ben Gulak

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

€5,800 €4,930

Painting, Le petit baiser, Marco

Le petit baiser

Marco

Painting - 15 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

€140

Painting, B.B Shebam, LNG

B.B Shebam

LNG

Painting - 98 x 97 x 3 cm Painting - 38.6 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch

€5,900

Painting, B.B Fleurs, LNG

B.B Fleurs

LNG

Painting - 98 x 97 x 3 cm Painting - 38.6 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch

€5,900

Painting, Incandescent Ice, Martín X

Incandescent Ice

Martín X

Painting - 180 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 70.9 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch

€5,500 €4,950

Painting, Shine On, Martín X

Shine On

Martín X

Painting - 180 x 130 x 3.5 cm Painting - 70.9 x 51.2 x 1.4 inch

€5,500 €4,950

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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.