Portrait Drawing for Sale

Portraiture has existed for many centuries. The Greeks produced portraits for funeral and religious rituals; they aimed to “bring back to life those who have passed away." In the Roman era, portraits were often reserved for the ruling figures of society; for example, a warrior would have his portrait painted to illustrate his bravery during a battle. In Europe, it is only during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance that Italian and Flemish painters started to practice the art of portraiture.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, painters created works commissioned by wealthy patrons. Painters sketched out preliminary freehand drawings, which were often then approved by the patron, before beginning to work on their oil paint or, later, watercolor. Facial features were sometimes improved to the detriment of realism, although some painters were known for their ability to reproduce their models' expressions. Some artists worked in great detail while others focussed more heavily on trying to capture the real personality of their model.

For much of its history, portrait not only told a story but it also conveyed a message of power, promoting a well-controlled image to the wider population and establishing the sitter's authority through its circulation. For example, Florentine elites would use paintings and drawings as a mean of controlling their image and establishing their authority. Portraits were a way for someone to live on long after their death. Today we find the faces of aristocracies and the European bourgeoisie in many museums, immortalized by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci or Rembrandt.

The results obtained through drawing depended largely on the tools and materials used. Red chalk was very popular (especially at the beginning of the 16th century) to represent the facial features and the warmth of the skin, while charcoal produced harder lines and pastel created a softer, colorful touch. Artists adapted their technique depending on the subject and the emotion they wanted to convey. The commercialisation of pencils in the nineteenth century made it a popular medium for artists and amateurs alike. Pencil art became more popular and the tool was often used for sketching portraits.

One thing is certain; capturing facial expressions is a demanding art form and the art of portraiture requires a lot of practice. Drawing a face down to its finest details may take hours to obtain the desired result: a protruding jaw, the shape of a skull, thick brows, smiling eyes, dilated pupils… Even more difficult, are children's portraits? It can be difficult to get them to stay still for long. The artist has to be skilled enough to immortalise these men, women and children full of life.

Gradually, sketched portraits became less and less realistic but increasingly daring and experimental in terms of colour. On Artsper, discover drawings by Jean Cocteau, Julien Calot, Alice de Miramon, Philippe Pasqua, Sabine Danzé, Bahareh Navabi and Stéphanie Stindel.

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El jardín de los inocentes

Gabriel Rigo

Fine Art Drawings - 37 x 51 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.6 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$954

Retrato anónimo

Gabriel Rigo

Fine Art Drawings - 51 x 37 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20.1 x 14.6 x 0 inch

$954

Giambattista Valli Haute couture

Manuel Santelices

Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.1 inch

$990

Sans titre

Philippe Pasqua

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

$3,576

Souffler le bonheur

Jazzu

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,311

Le roi d'âmes

Jazzu

Fine Art Drawings - 76 x 56 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch

$1,192

Devenir exceptionnel

Jazzu

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,073

Lianes 11

Mathilde Neri

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 inch

$954

Red Ballerina

Lali Kakubava

Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.7 x 0 inch

$596

The Art World Series

Manuel Santelices

Fine Art Drawings - 76.2 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 30 x 0.1 inch

$3,600

Tête rose

Valérie Hadida

Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 36 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch

$1,907

Rêves

Valérie Hadida

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.6 inch

$1,550

Dos de femme

Valérie Hadida

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

$1,550

Marie

Béa Bealaff-Girotto

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$799

La belle de Cadix

Béa Bealaff-Girotto

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$799

Femme fleur

Béa Bealaff-Girotto

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$799

Barbara

Béa Bealaff-Girotto

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$799

Al

Béa Bealaff-Girotto

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$799

En costume

Jéko

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.7 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.1 inch

$989

Radôh L'ange de "dieu"/ Avant pour signe le sang qui veut dire guerre .

Frédéric Bruly Bouabré

Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 39 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 15.4 inch

$1,550

Etude pour Desnos

Ernest Pignon-Ernest

Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 27 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$16,690

Etude pour Nerval

Ernest Pignon-Ernest

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 33 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 13 inch

$21,458

CSTDF

Stefano Mazzolini

Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$596

Sienna Portrait Sculpture 1977

Moon Shin

Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 10 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 3.9 inch

$4,649