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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…


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Painting, Radiant, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 cm Painting . 20 x 16 inch

€371

Painting, La couronne, Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

Painting . 27 x 21 x 2 cm Painting . 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.8 inch

€440

Photography, El duende, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

€1,187

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait, François Chapuis

François Chapuis

Fine Art Drawings . 49 x 35 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.3 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch

€580

Painting, Girl 8, Saoud Abdallah

Saoud Abdallah

Painting . 40 x 50 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 inch

€1,671

Painting, Le pied, Zwy Milshtein

Zwy Milshtein

Painting . 33 x 33 x 0.2 cm Painting . 13 x 13 x 0.1 inch

€1,500

Sculpture, Eole, Yoann Merienne

Yoann Merienne

Sculpture . 48 x 49 x 37 cm Sculpture . 18.9 x 19.3 x 14.6 inch

€14,000

Print, Square 3, Lantomo

Lantomo

Print . 29.7 x 21 cm Print . 11.7 x 8.3 inch

€110

Painting, Oliver Hartt, Ramonn Vieitez

Ramonn Vieitez

Painting . 39.9 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€1,857

Painting, Almost ready, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 26.5 x 12.5 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10.4 x 4.9 x 0.2 inch

€232 €209

Painting, La robe (2), Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€680

Painting, La robe, Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

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

€680

Painting, Concerned, Dzovig Arnelian

Dzovig Arnelian

Painting . 26 x 19 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10.2 x 7.5 x 0.2 inch

€186

Painting, Mirades III, Teresa Riba

Teresa Riba

Painting . 27 x 21 cm Painting . 10.6 x 8.3 inch

€750

Fine Art Drawings, Harmony, Hanna Sidorowicz

Hanna Sidorowicz

Fine Art Drawings . 29 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.4 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€980

Photography, Birds, Bridgeman

Bridgeman

Photography . 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€240

Painting, Reverie, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

€353

Photography, O prazer, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

€868

Painting, Jeremy Abbott, Ramonn Vieitez

Ramonn Vieitez

Painting . 39.9 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€1,857

Photography, Esperanza, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

€868

Painting, Fair day, Reinaldo Chavez

Reinaldo Chavez

Painting . 22 x 27.5 x 0.6 cm Painting . 8.7 x 10.8 x 0.2 inch

€320

Photography, Picasso (1), Gjon Mili

Gjon Mili

Photography . 30 x 24 x 0.05 cm Photography . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€250

Painting, Warmis, Reinaldo Chavez

Reinaldo Chavez

Painting . 40 x 50 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 inch

€720

Photography, El campesino, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

€993

Painting, Portrait, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Painting . 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€550