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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, Sans titre, Arkane

Sans titre

Arkane

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

$1,310

Painting, VVIP III, Ezekiel Osifeso

VVIP III

Ezekiel Osifeso

Painting - 88.9 x 74.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35 x 29.5 x 1 inch

$1,799

Painting, Narciso, Ruse

Narciso

Ruse

Painting - 35 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 13.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,135

Painting, Kaduna boy, Simeon Nwoko

Kaduna boy

Simeon Nwoko

Painting - 104.1 x 72.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 41 x 28.5 x 1 inch

$2,200

Painting, Untiled, Aboudia

Untiled

Aboudia

Painting - 60 x 42 x 5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 16.5 x 2 inch

$38,692

Painting, Solitude, Alfredo Vannotti

Solitude

Alfredo Vannotti

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,585

Painting, Masque #2, Zahra Zeinali

Masque #2

Zahra Zeinali

Painting - 70 x 50 x 5 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 2 inch

$4,286

Painting, Rose, Henry James

Rose

Henry James

Painting - 83.8 x 66 x 2.5 cm Painting - 33 x 26 x 1 inch

$2,750

Painting, HM 12, Hanan Milner

HM 12

Hanan Milner

Painting - 85 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 33.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$2,548

Painting, La danse, Zeklo

La danse

Zeklo

Painting - 120 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,857

Painting, Untitled, Edward Shahda

Untitled

Edward Shahda

Painting - 71 x 63 cm Painting - 28 x 24.8 inch

$3,900

Painting, Amy, Zeljko Masic

Amy

Zeljko Masic

Painting - 40 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

$2,619

Painting, Joy 2, Dagmar Gertrot

Joy 2

Dagmar Gertrot

Painting - 210 x 100 x 0.2 cm Painting - 82.7 x 39.4 x 0.1 inch

$7,000

Painting, Florence, Ricardo Tena

Florence

Ricardo Tena

Painting - 150 x 120 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch

$8,643

Painting, Allegory 5, Ouisam Melhem

Allegory 5

Ouisam Melhem

Painting - 120 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch

$4,900

Painting, Gold lips, Agusil

Gold lips

Agusil

Painting - 150 x 150 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 1.6 inch

$5,714

Painting, Le jour d'après, Sunra

Le jour d'après

Sunra

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch

$3,333

Painting, Radious, Lucie Rydlova

Radious

Lucie Rydlova

Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,381

Painting, Malcomx, Lo Da

Malcomx

Lo Da

Painting - 120 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 2 inch

$1,905

Painting, Visage, Sylvain Vigny

Visage

Sylvain Vigny

Painting - 46 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,649

Painting, Sun family, Leobardo Huerta

Sun family

Leobardo Huerta

Painting - 34.3 x 27.9 x 0.3 cm Painting - 13.5 x 11 x 0.1 inch

$1,000

Painting, Silence 4, Yoyo Ich

Silence 4

Yoyo Ich

Painting - 60 x 52 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 20.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,143

Painting, Eaters, Federica Frati

Eaters

Federica Frati

Painting - 120 x 150 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch

$4,762

Painting, Portrait, Paul Duhem

Portrait

Paul Duhem

Painting - 39 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.4 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$1,191

Painting, In a hug, Lucie Vackova

In a hug

Lucie Vackova

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

$1,429

Painting, Selfie 4, MissMe

Selfie 4

MissMe

Painting - 58 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 22.8 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$4,167

Painting, Female figure, Pere Pruna

Female figure

Pere Pruna

Painting - 30 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

$2,083

Painting, Free, Sancko

Free

Sancko

Painting - 50 x 50 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 inch

$1,179

Painting, Isabel, Claudia Cruzat

Isabel

Claudia Cruzat

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

$1,786

Painting, Untitled 157, Joseph Nam

Untitled 157

Joseph Nam

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

$2,976

Painting, Self Defense, ArtoRich

Self Defense

ArtoRich

Painting - 80 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$2,024

Painting, Arlequin, Super Bab

Arlequin

Super Bab

Painting - 116 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch

$2,619

16/100

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Sculpture, König, Nando Kallweit

König

Nando Kallweit

Sculpture - 26 x 7 x 4 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 2.8 x 1.6 inch

$812

Print, Untiteled, JM Robert

Untiteled

JM Robert

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

$952

Fine Art Drawings, Sun Day, tizlu

Sun Day

tizlu

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

$1,405 $1,124

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.