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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Laure retour de match
Bertrand De Cointet
Painting - 60 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
€720
Woman of Integrity
Taiwo Oguntola
Painting - 58.4 x 50.8 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23 x 20 x 1 inch
€1,463
In the silence
Roman Rembovsky
Painting - 119.9 x 100.1 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€10,991
El Bosque De Los Mitos. From The Series Of Revelación,
Daniel Casique
Painting - 75 x 60 x 5.1 cm Painting - 29.52 x 23.62 x 2 inch
€2,287
The Space Between - Viridian V1
Sophie Derrick
Painting - 150 x 100 x 5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 39.4 x 2 inch
€8,437
The Freedom Rider
Shahen Aleksandryan
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,280
Many Years Later (Based on A. Dumas's The Three Musketeers)
Bulat Valeriy
Painting - 54 x 43 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 16.9 x 0.8 inch
€750
Délia Fille de la Mer
Laurent Chimento
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€630
Who Are These Angels CXLIII
Naoko Paluszak
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 1.5 inch
€777
Enigma IV - scène de vie onirique inspiré du paysage d'Hourtin plage, presqu'île du Médoc
Ti Ban
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€500
Self-Worth 2
Hezekiah Oyejide Obidare
Painting - 121.9 x 91.4 x 5.1 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 2 inch
€2,973
The desire to take refuge in oblivion and frivolity arises
Ramonn Vieitez
Painting - 119.9 x 99.8 x 0.3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.3 x 0.1 inch
€3,659
T'as eu ce que t'as eu
Petrus Von Tricht
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€2,000
Trio de la reine
Emmanuel Braudeau
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
€650
Soy feliz...Si nada te quita el sueño
Carol Tomàs Alcaine
Painting - 40 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
€800
Le corps souple de la belle
Herve Malcom Thomas
Painting - 146 x 114 x 2 cm Painting - 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.8 inch
€2,200
Joyful Moment 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Children
Oluwatobiloba Amusan
Painting - 30.5 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 12 x 10 x 1 inch
€595
Blossom of Beauty - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Woman
Agwunwa Theophilus
Painting - 86.4 x 81.3 x 2.5 cm Painting - 34 x 32 x 1 inch
€2,332
Etat d'âme - série Portrait et l'oiseau
Michel Philippon
Painting - 58 x 58 x 1 cm Painting - 22.8 x 22.8 x 0.4 inch
€530
La mélodie des oiseaux qui passent
Philippe Loubat
Painting - 41 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
€650
Sous le regard des ancêtres!
Florence Malcombe
Painting - 55 x 38 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15 x 0.8 inch
€690
Peace Shall Prevail 3
Babafemi Ogunkanmbi
Painting - 61 x 38.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 24 x 15 x 1 inch
€1,829
La cage, un nouveau monde
Sandra Chevrier
Painting - 76 x 56 x 3 cm Painting - 29.9 x 22 x 1.2 inch
€13,900
Donde nace el horizonte nº8
Marta Fàbregas
Painting - 100 x 70 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 2 inch
€3,000
Sin darnos cuenta 13
Carme Pastrana
Painting - 25 x 25 x 0.5 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inch
€750
Gaze 2 - Contemporary, 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women
Ayotunde Ayomide
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 2.5 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 1 inch
€1,006
Embrace (Nature) 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Women
Oyeleye Feranmi
Painting - 111.8 x 81.3 x 2.5 cm Painting - 44 x 32 x 1 inch
€2,058
Dotted Blue
Awosola Michael Angello
Painting - 73.7 x 73.7 x 2.5 cm Painting - 29 x 29 x 1 inch
€1,784
Discover the styles & movements
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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.