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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Late night II
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 61 x 76.2 x 1.9 cm Painting - 24 x 30 x 0.75 inch
€10,976
Miradas en Venecia
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€6,100
Brindis a la monumental
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 195 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 76.8 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
€6,800
Al pacino
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€6,100
La fenêtre
François-Xavier de Boissoudy
Painting - 125 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 49.2 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
€6,500
Trumpet player
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 130 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€5,870
Screams for Peace
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 130 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€5,980
Powerful women who changed the world
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 180 x 250 x 4 cm Painting - 70.9 x 98.4 x 1.6 inch
€11,000
Opera singer
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 130 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€5,980
Boss having a hair cut
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 130 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€5,980
Lady with green lips
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 130 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch
€5,985
French School - Pachamama Glósóli X (XXL)
Bazévian Delacapucinière
Painting - 89 x 116 x 3 cm Painting - 35 x 45.7 x 1.2 inch
€5,500
The Little Dragon
Kevin Brewerton
Painting - 121.9 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch
€4,162
Fatal error
Irene Raspollini
Painting - 100.1 x 100.1 x 4.1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
€3,730
An example of good strategy
Irene Raspollini
Painting - 100.1 x 119.9 x 3.8 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 1.5 inch
€4,304
Portrait of an unknown Bersagliere
Irene Raspollini
Painting - 100.1 x 100.1 x 3.8 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.5 inch
€3,238
Portrait with blue eyes
Haydee Torres
Painting - 61 x 61 x 3.8 cm Painting - 24 x 24 x 1.5 inch
€805
Following the light II
Kamalky Laureano
Painting - 150 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
€6,100
La bicyclette rouge
Nathalie Montel
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Le meilleurs compagnon
Nathalie Montel
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,400
Par un bel après-midi
Nathalie Montel
Painting - 100 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,600
Project Gravity.#16.
Igor Shulman
Painting - 130 x 89.9 x 5.1 cm Painting - 51.2 x 35.4 x 2 inch
€5,122
Latitude e longitude das Antipatias
Rui Gomes
Painting - 90 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
€1,400
Barca de Refugiados
Celso Castro
Painting - 114.3 x 149.9 x 0.3 cm Painting - 45 x 59 x 0.1 inch
€2,744
Cellule de degrisement
Olivier Massebeuf
Painting - 37 x 46 x 3 cm Painting - 14.6 x 18.1 x 1.2 inch
€300
The inmate and the Black Virgin
Olivier Massebeuf
Painting - 61 x 31 x 3 cm Painting - 24 x 12.2 x 1.2 inch
€450
Il faut y croire
Stéphane Gubert
Painting - 100 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch
€2,900
Espoir sans nuages
Stéphane Gubert
Painting - 130 x 97 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch
€3,900
Dreamers redseries 47
Silvio Porzionato
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€14,500
Dreamers redseries 48
Silvio Porzionato
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€14,500
Guitarist (TR07)
Atom Hovhanesyan
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
€137,196
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!
Agnès Robin
Painting - 101.6 x 101.6 x 10.2 cm Painting - 40 x 40 x 4 inch
€2,427
Seductive - Série street-art
Glad_is_murmuring
Painting - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
€140
Nostalgie - Portrait de femme
Glad_is_murmuring
Painting - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
€140
La gardienne de mon coeur
Agnès Robin
Painting - 76.2 x 76.2 x 10.2 cm Painting - 30 x 30 x 4 inch
€1,718
Among my swan
Ramonn Vieitez
Painting - 100.1 x 70.1 x 0.3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch
€3,659
Life Enjoyment 2
Loje Oluwaseun
Painting - 109.2 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm Painting - 43 x 40 x 1 inch
€2,790
Sunday in recife
Ramonn Vieitez
Painting - 99.8 x 67.8 x 0.3 cm Painting - 39.3 x 26.7 x 0.1 inch
€3,659
Un mercredi aux bords de la Sèvre
Emmanuelle Tenailleau
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
Can anyone go all this way
Ramonn Vieitez
Painting - 99.8 x 69.9 x 0.3 cm Painting - 39.3 x 27.5 x 0.1 inch
€3,659
La muerte tenía un precio
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 97 x 130 x 3.4 cm Painting - 38.2 x 51.2 x 1.3 inch
€4,900
Carisma - Morgan Freeman
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 80 x 80 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.6 inch
€3,500
Florid thoughts
Ramonn Vieitez
Painting - 99.8 x 99.8 x 5.1 cm Painting - 39.3 x 39.3 x 2 inch
€2,744
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
L'esprit Déchaîné (hand-painted)
tizlu
Painting - 50 x 35 x 2.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.9 inch
€1,800 €1,440
Top Elite Faschions
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 61 x 46 x 0.2 cm Print - 24 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch
€550
Degas Danseur de Ballet
Martín Duque
Sculpture - 44 x 16 x 20 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 6.3 x 7.9 inch
€980
Maiko in Springtime Kyoto
Takashi Murakami
Print - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€2,429
Love and Flowers - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Women
Taiwo Odejinmi
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
€2,241
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.