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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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Painting, Uma, Esther Barend

Uma

Esther Barend

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

€2,500

Painting, Color carnaval 1, O'Farrell

Color carnaval 1

O'Farrell

Painting - 200 x 200 x 2 cm Painting - 78.7 x 78.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,800

Painting, Mind Full, Akande John

Mind Full

Akande John

Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 1 inch

€927

Painting, Hope, Seffar Adil

Hope

Seffar Adil

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

€1,023

Painting, Historia, Baptista Antunes

Historia

Baptista Antunes

Painting - 54 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

€2,500

Painting, Anna's aroma, Eugenia Isen

Anna's aroma

Eugenia Isen

Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

€556

Painting, Maternité, Maria Vich

Maternité

Maria Vich

Painting - 50 x 35 x 0.05 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€1,000

Painting, Georges, Arnaud Chapalain

Georges

Arnaud Chapalain

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

€5,900

Painting, Stop, Cagla Misirli

Stop

Cagla Misirli

Painting - 100 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,100

Painting, Mispa, Kum Cletus

Mispa

Kum Cletus

Painting - 119.9 x 100.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1 inch

€2,272

Painting, Sleepy, La Ba Quan

Sleepy

La Ba Quan

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

€1,669

Painting, QR Code, Joachim Romain

QR Code

Joachim Romain

Painting - 41 x 27 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€850

Painting, Osmosis, TT VU

Osmosis

TT VU

Painting - 70 x 115 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 45.3 x 1.2 inch

€5,000

Painting, Viva, Abayomi Odetomi

Viva

Abayomi Odetomi

Painting - 130 x 99.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 39 x 1 inch

€5,565

Painting, Arlecchino, Mario Pratesi

Arlecchino

Mario Pratesi

Painting - 121 x 93 x 0.01 cm Painting - 47.6 x 36.6 x 0 inch

€700

Painting, Hey Laura, Yulia Holi

Hey Laura

Yulia Holi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,298

Painting, Marie Curie, FXV

Marie Curie

FXV

Painting - 100 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€601

Painting, Maternity 1, Agustin Rio

Maternity 1

Agustin Rio

Painting - 65 x 46 x 1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch

€700

Painting, Chaplin 2002, Dr Hide

Chaplin 2002

Dr Hide

Painting - 70 x 70 x 0.1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0 inch

€2,000 €1,600

Painting, Rokurokubi, Sandra de Jaume

Rokurokubi

Sandra de Jaume

Painting - 60 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€2,500

Painting, Twins, Sandra Boskamp

Twins

Sandra Boskamp

Painting - 50.8 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm Painting - 20 x 20 x 1.5 inch

€1,669

Painting, Mandala, Ouroboros

Mandala

Ouroboros

Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,000

Painting, Reflection, Tom Miller

Reflection

Tom Miller

Painting - 55.9 x 55.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 22 x 22 x 1 inch

€1,385

Painting, 1720, Carl White

1720

Carl White

Painting - 51 x 51 x 4 cm Painting - 20.1 x 20.1 x 1.6 inch

€1,700

Painting, Ce jour là, Min Kyoung Lee

Ce jour là

Min Kyoung Lee

Painting - 100 x 81 x 3.9 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.5 inch

€2,800

Painting, Logan, Romero Britto

Logan

Romero Britto

Painting - 152.4 x 205.1 x 0.3 cm Painting - 60 x 80.75 x 0.1 inch

€73,730

Painting, Untitled, Pepe Morales

Untitled

Pepe Morales

Painting - 65 x 65 cm Painting - 25.6 x 25.6 inch

€4,800

Painting, Sac à main, Marion Cadet

Sac à main

Marion Cadet

Painting - 55 x 38 x 2.5 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15 x 1 inch

€1,800

Painting, The greed, Kaldea

The greed

Kaldea

Painting - 73 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,680

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Painting, No Need To Hide, tizlu

No Need To Hide

tizlu

Painting - 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,180

Fine Art Drawings, We Need You!, tizlu

We Need You!

tizlu

Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 40 x 1.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,600

Print, Untiteled, JM Robert

Untiteled

JM Robert

Print - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€800

Painting, Balloon girl, Mr Brainwash

Balloon girl

Mr Brainwash

Painting - 76 x 56 x 1 cm Painting - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

€8,000

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.