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, No Evil, O'Neil Scott

O'Neil Scott

Painting - 200 x 100 cm Painting - 78.7 x 39.4 inch

$32,000

Painting, Sparrow, Adda Donato

Adda Donato

Painting - 140 x 100 cm Painting - 55.1 x 39.4 inch

$1,950

Painting, Climb a Dream, Akio Harada

Akio Harada

Painting - 40.6 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 16 x 1.5 inch

$1,950

Painting, Grito, Rocío Soriano

Rocío Soriano

Painting - 100 x 73 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.4 inch

$975

Painting, Faces1, Emma Donaldson

Emma Donaldson

Painting - 50.8 x 38.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 20 x 15 x 1 inch

$141

Painting, Grand dos, Kouka

Kouka

Painting - 100 x 66 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 26 x 0.8 inch

$4,266

Painting, Pétale de sang, Christy

Christy

Painting - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,585

Painting, Untitled 157, Joseph Nam

Joseph Nam

Painting - 40.64 x 50.8 x 3 cm Painting - 16 x 20 x 1.2 inch

$3,047

Painting, X-Men, Ladamenrouge

Ladamenrouge

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

$1,585

Painting, Untitle, Luis Fernández

Luis Fernández

Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$4,266

Painting, Untitled I, Michael W. Soi

Michael W. Soi

Painting - 99 x 99.5 x 2 cm Painting - 39 x 39.2 x 0.8 inch

$2,413

Painting, La Guitariste, Jean Chapin

Jean Chapin

Painting - 18.8 x 15.3 x 0.3 cm Painting - 7.4 x 6 x 0.1 inch

$829

Painting, Les Fauves, Karine Secret

Karine Secret

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

$2,743

Painting, Ardore, Antonio Murgia

Antonio Murgia

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

$4,876

Painting, Unbound, Harry Ergott

Harry Ergott

Painting - 70 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

$2,925

Painting, Kooo, Tristan Wu

Tristan Wu

Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$707

Painting, Motherhood, Henry James

Henry James

Painting - 149.9 x 119.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 59 x 47.2 x 1 inch

$3,850

Painting, Spring Moon, Margot Laffon

Margot Laffon

Painting - 45 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 17.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$7,314

Painting, La Revanche, Clara Breuil

Clara Breuil

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

$4,876

Painting, Soldier, Philippe Dailler

Philippe Dailler

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

$1,828

Painting, Self Care V, Alai Ganuza

Alai Ganuza

Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$1,828

Painting, Geisha, Mamen Coranti

Mamen Coranti

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

$975

Painting, Prying Eyes, Irish Galon

Irish Galon

Painting - 115 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 45.3 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$5,150

Painting, Victoria, Nikita

Nikita

Painting - 61 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,451

Painting, Regarde la mer, VirJnie

VirJnie

Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$366 $311

Painting, Isabel, Claudia Cruzat

Claudia Cruzat

Painting - 40 x 29.5 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.6 x 1.2 inch

$1,402

Painting, Beky, Ninu Art

Ninu Art

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 1 inch

$902

Painting, Chevaleresque, Serge Dumez

Serge Dumez

Painting - 100 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch

$2,048

Painting, Hope, Seffar Adil

Seffar Adil

Painting - 42 x 29.7 x 0.01 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

$1,247

Painting, Meditation Maze, Madstitch

Madstitch

Painting - 76 x 76 x 3 cm Painting - 29.9 x 29.9 x 1.2 inch

$8,411

Painting, Organic gold, Gery Vlady

Gery Vlady

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$707

Painting, Fusionnels, Amélie Béral

Amélie Béral

Painting - 150 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 59.1 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch

$3,962

Painting, Aliens, Nataliia Svitlychna

Nataliia Svitlychna

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

$670

Painting, Pretty, Christian Vey

Christian Vey

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

$2,255

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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.