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, Mercure, César Malfi

Mercure

César Malfi

Painting - 70 x 50 x 6 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 2.4 inch

$2,925

Painting, Boy, Doby

Boy

Doby

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

$760

Painting, Ballerinas, Elena Sokolova

Ballerinas

Elena Sokolova

Painting - 50 x 60.2 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.7 x 0.4 inch

$551

Painting, Organic gold, Gery Vlady

Organic gold

Gery Vlady

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

$679

Painting, Vertiges, L'Aimant Libre

Vertiges

L'Aimant Libre

Painting - 46 x 38 x 2.5 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 1 inch

$468

Painting, Hey, Juan-Manuel Pajares

Hey

Juan-Manuel Pajares

Painting - 185 x 160 x 3 cm Painting - 72.8 x 63 x 1.2 inch

$5,850

Painting, Prying Eyes, Irish Galon

Prying Eyes

Irish Galon

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

$4,943

Painting, Victoria, Nikita

Victoria

Nikita

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

$1,392

Painting, Air Bowl, Lksir

Air Bowl

Lksir

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

$936

Painting, Geisha, Mamen Coranti

Geisha

Mamen Coranti

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

$936

Painting, IA #1, Nicolas Jesbac

IA #1

Nicolas Jesbac

Painting - 55 x 46 x 2.5 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 1 inch

$585

Painting, Grito, Rocío Soriano

Grito

Rocío Soriano

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

$936

Painting, Léa, Ariane Fourquier

Léa

Ariane Fourquier

Painting - 32 x 25.9 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12.6 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

$616

Painting, La lettre, Henri Aprin

La lettre

Henri Aprin

Painting - 30 x 38 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15 x 0.4 inch

$936

Painting, Fake Abstract, Lino Lago

Fake Abstract

Lino Lago

Painting - 110 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$6,000

Painting, No Pen no Gain, Enigme09

No Pen no Gain

Enigme09

Painting - 80 x 56 x 0.1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 22 x 0 inch

$655

Painting, Deep Inside, Ewa Hauton

Deep Inside

Ewa Hauton

Painting - 130 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$4,563

Painting, Njinga, Nadine Denjean

Njinga

Nadine Denjean

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

$796

Painting, Reste En Rouge, Joan Raset

Reste En Rouge

Joan Raset

Painting - 49 x 64 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.3 x 25.2 x 0.1 inch

$2,106

Painting, Scoop 1, Agathe Wagner

Scoop 1

Agathe Wagner

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

$936

Painting, Geisha, Michelino Iorizzo

Geisha

Michelino Iorizzo

Painting - 31 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 12.2 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch

$819

Painting, Bar Paris, Guy Olivier

Bar Paris

Guy Olivier

Painting - 60 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,872

Painting, L'Homme, Gaetan Olias

L'Homme

Gaetan Olias

Painting - 183 x 70 x 3 cm Painting - 72 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch

$1,930

Painting, 010 Leta, Allison M. Low

010 Leta

Allison M. Low

Painting - 26 x 18 x 0.5 cm Painting - 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.2 inch

$936

Painting, Climb a Dream, Akio Harada

Climb a Dream

Akio Harada

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

$1,872

Painting, Pink Portrait, Roco Studio

Pink Portrait

Roco Studio

Painting - 110 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$3,158

Painting, Resilience, Esther Obiwuru

Resilience

Esther Obiwuru

Painting - 91.4 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 30 x 1 inch

$2,000

Painting, Musing, Rene Rikkelman

Musing

Rene Rikkelman

Painting - 110 x 90 x 4 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

$3,451

Painting, Umano, Ljuba Ananina

Umano

Ljuba Ananina

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

$877

Painting, Femme, Kazy Usclef

Femme

Kazy Usclef

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

$1,872

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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.