Thinking of giving art for Christmas?

Explore our gift guide

Portrait

Sadness, melancholy and gloom have found an outlet in artists throughout history and in the depiction of figurative art. Through artists, humanity and their emotional and physical states are portrayed to be viewed and related to. The instant recognition of such a grave subject also plagues human history itself, thus carving out its own rightful spot amongst the history of art movements. In Edgar Degas' 1875 painting L'Absinthe, where viewers see a portrait of a young woman solemnly contemplating her situation, disengaged from their gaze, her surroundings, maybe even from herself. 

Dark hues and colors define somber portrait painting and can highlight the cause of such sadness, whether that be the subject's emotional state or a greater rendering of the world's expanse and the human existence within it. Existential or not, the traits of somber artwork can be found in our own collection of portraits on Artsper. The portraiture work of Nicolas Fropo de Habart works the body in all its dimensions to create an absolute feeling of vastness while Antoine Stevens also depicts wandering souls in his dimmed portraiture. But given the nature of humanity, somber depictions of the figure are not entirely unexpected…


Read more
Print, Le paysagiste, Jean Le Gac

Jean Le Gac

Print . 53.5 x 75 x 0.1 cm Print . 21.1 x 29.5 x 0 inch

€300

Sculpture, Sirocco, Yoann Merienne

Yoann Merienne

Sculpture . 38 x 21 x 23 cm Sculpture . 15 x 8.3 x 9.1 inch

€7,000

Painting, Matelot, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 60 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 23.6 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,380

Painting, Sympathie, Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

Painting . 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,200 €1,080

Painting, Victory, Agboola Oladapo

Agboola Oladapo

Painting . 182.9 x 146.3 x 2.5 cm Painting . 72 x 57.6 x 1 inch

€6,499

Photography, Promenade, David Jamin

David Jamin

Photography . 81 x 60 x 2 cm Photography . 31.9 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€2,100

Print, Resonance, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Print . 100 x 80 x 0.5 cm Print . 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.2 inch

€200

Fine Art Drawings, Strong Mans, Ilia Balavadze

Ilia Balavadze

Fine Art Drawings . 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

€1,800

Painting, Entrecote I, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 96.5 x 75.5 x 1 cm Painting . 38 x 29.7 x 0.4 inch

€2,321

Painting, Anthony, Ricardo Tena

Ricardo Tena

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

€7,260

Painting, Baby, Nathan Chantob

Nathan Chantob

Painting . 65 x 80 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€3,900

Painting, Outremer, David Jamin

David Jamin

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

€3,700

Painting, The rain, Ramonn Vieitez

Ramonn Vieitez

Painting . 64.8 x 49.8 x 0.3 cm Painting . 25.5 x 19.6 x 0.1 inch

€1,857

Painting, Le bain, Béatrice Terra

Béatrice Terra

Painting . 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€2,200

Painting, Zikik, Ahmed Art

Ahmed Art

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

€590

Painting, Memento Mori, Nawel Aubert

Nawel Aubert

Painting . 100 x 81 x 2.5 cm Painting . 39.4 x 31.9 x 1 inch

€900

Print, Resonance, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Print . 100 x 80 x 2 cm Print . 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€200

Painting, Code 1925, Thierry Carrier

Thierry Carrier

Painting . 27 x 19 x 2 cm Painting . 10.6 x 7.5 x 0.8 inch

€1,000

Painting, Shema, Nathan Chantob

Nathan Chantob

Painting . 130 x 97 x 3 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch

€8,900

Photography, Kito de Pavant, Maud Bernos

Maud Bernos

Photography . 80 x 80 x 5 cm Photography . 31.5 x 31.5 x 2 inch

€3,000

Painting, Dr Season, Nathan Chantob

Nathan Chantob

Painting . 146 x 114 x 2 cm Painting . 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.8 inch

€7,500

Painting, Respiro, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 130 x 97 x 2.5 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 1 inch

€4,200

Painting, Fauno, Ricardo Tena

Ricardo Tena

Painting . 120 x 110 x 4 cm Painting . 47.2 x 43.3 x 1.6 inch

€5,444

Painting, Au tribunal, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 60 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€800

Fine Art Drawings, Boy#5, Cigar, Dominique Dève

Dominique Dève

Fine Art Drawings . 29 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€200

Photography, 4 monkeys, Samuel Cueto

Samuel Cueto

Photography . 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€800

Print, Resonance, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Print . 100 x 80 x 2 cm Print . 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€200

Painting, Rainy Day, Smoka

Smoka

Painting . 195 x 130 x 4 cm Painting . 76.8 x 51.2 x 1.6 inch

€2,400

Painting, Reverb, David Jamin

David Jamin

Painting . 130 x 97 x 2.5 cm Painting . 51.2 x 38.2 x 1 inch

€4,200

Photography, lusclnuS, Louis Blanc

Louis Blanc

Photography . 70 x 70 x 1 cm Photography . 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

€1,000

Painting, Lovefall, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 63 x 57 x 0.5 cm Painting . 24.8 x 22.4 x 0.2 inch

€928

Painting, Phototype Outremer, G. Carta

G. Carta

Painting . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

€600

Painting, Le Seau, Nathan Chantob

Nathan Chantob

Painting . 116 x 89 x 5 cm Painting . 45.7 x 35 x 2 inch

€5,500

Painting, Shoten, Yoann Merienne

Yoann Merienne

Painting . 120 x 90 x 3 cm Painting . 47.2 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch

€7,000