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, Dance, Andriy Klishyn

Andriy Klishyn

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

€500

Painting, Secret desires, Julia Ruf

Julia Ruf

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

€800

Painting, Oreo Lovers, Anthea Missy

Anthea Missy

Painting - 80 x 70 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,700

Painting, Mona Lisa, Romain Dorez

Romain Dorez

Painting - 100 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€800

Painting, César, Christine Barrès

Christine Barrès

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

€550

Painting, Giada e Agata, Luigi Iona

Luigi Iona

Painting - 145 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 57.1 x 27.6 x 1 inch

€600

Painting, Super Hero, Lola Sergounine

Lola Sergounine

Painting - 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€650

Painting, Sun-Atsuko, Monika Nowak

Monika Nowak

Painting - 147 x 98 x 3.5 cm Painting - 57.9 x 38.6 x 1.4 inch

€8,700

Painting, Face 1, Tarek Butayhi

Tarek Butayhi

Painting - 60 x 55 cm Painting - 23.6 x 21.7 inch

€1,337

Painting, Flora, Yana Ros

Yana Ros

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

€1,604

Painting, Child, SISC

SISC

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

€500 €400

Painting, Lady with a hat, MKate

MKate

Painting - 45 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€579

Painting, Kira, Sophie Devignot

Sophie Devignot

Painting - 61 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,220

Painting, Sans titre, Bengt Lindström

Bengt Lindström

Painting - 54.5 x 73.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 21.5 x 28.9 x 0 inch

€4,500

Painting, Aires, Troy Henriksen

Troy Henriksen

Painting - 130 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

€4,000

Painting, Emerge, Kane Mclay

Kane Mclay

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

€900

Painting, Hanoï, Seaty

Seaty

Painting - 105 x 95 cm Painting - 41.3 x 37.4 inch

€9,800

Painting, M.50, Peter Klasen

Peter Klasen

Painting - 65 x 50 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 inch

€10,500

Painting, Street Market, Leo Guida

Leo Guida

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

€1,400

Painting, Amulet, Olivier Massebeuf

Olivier Massebeuf

Painting - 73 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 1 inch

€600

Painting, Thirst, Oleg Litvinov

Oleg Litvinov

Painting - 29 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€600

Painting, Saphia, Sébastien Allart

Sébastien Allart

Painting - 150 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 19.7 x 1 inch

€2,500

Painting, Les voyeurs, Hervé Di Rosa

Hervé Di Rosa

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

€10,000

Painting, Charme, Jean-Claude Lannes

Jean-Claude Lannes

Painting - 90 x 30 x 4 cm Painting - 35.4 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch

€680

Painting, La demoiselle IV, Kaige Yang

Kaige Yang

Painting - 50 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,600

Painting, Glow 1, Mayowa Esan

Mayowa Esan

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

€3,119

Painting, Her Blue Eyes, Trayko Popov

Trayko Popov

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

€600

Painting, De profil, Zafi

Zafi

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

€5,000

Painting, Amigo 7, Dimitris Pavlopoulos

Dimitris Pavlopoulos

Painting - 104.9 x 99.8 x 2 cm Painting - 41.3 x 39.3 x 0.8 inch

€1,782

Painting, Spellbound, Dillon Boy

Dillon Boy

Painting - 55 x 45 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch

€2,200

Painting, Armure Organique, Skio

Skio

Painting - 163 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 64.2 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch

€6,500

Painting, Fragile, Ender

Ender

Painting - 33 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

€550

Painting, Connected-1, SmaK-titi

SmaK-titi

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

€850

Painting, Devotion, Eleonora Taranova

Eleonora Taranova

Painting - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€800

Painting, The phone call, Socrate

Socrate

Painting - 30 x 30 x 4 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch

€800

Painting, Red Wulf, Cédric Lopez

Cédric Lopez

Painting - 54 x 64 x 3 cm Painting - 21.3 x 25.2 x 1.2 inch

€800

Painting, I'm A Spec 2, Azeez Salami

Azeez Salami

Painting - 106.7 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm Painting - 42 x 40 x 1 inch

€1,782

Painting, Composition 5, Kesko

Kesko

Painting - 50 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1 inch

€700

Painting, Alkonost, Anna Schill

Anna Schill

Painting - 120 x 160 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 63 x 1.2 inch

€2,270

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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.