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…

Close-up 7 (Jiali`s lips)

Frédéric Léglise

Painting . 41 x 33 x 3 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 1.2 inch

$2,659

Le Temps Suspendu... 027

Jean-Michel Rousvoal

Photography . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$967

Jardin des nations-Carla

Antonio Saura

Print . 74.8 x 55.8 x 0.1 cm Print . 29.4 x 22 x 0 inch

$1,450

Marseille : La Corniche

Yves Brayer

Print . 50 x 64 x 0.1 cm Print . 19.7 x 25.2 x 0 inch

$483

Ange 2014

Hanna Sidorowicz

Painting . 29 x 42 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch

$1,511

Un jour ce qui se prépare aura lieu

Nathan Chantob

Fine Art Drawings . 31 x 31 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.2 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

$2,659

Croquis éternel 'Choisir la lumière'

Natacha Birds

Sculpture . 23.5 x 20 x 0.5 cm Sculpture . 9.3 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch

$133

Untitled

Adam Sabhan

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

$967

Vanité aux papillons

Philippe Pasqua

Sculpture . 22 x 48 x 48 cm Sculpture . 8.7 x 18.9 x 18.9 inch

$21,757

Un ange passe

Cécile Desserle

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

$4,593

Crépuscule

Olivier Daumas

Painting . 65 x 92 x 3 cm Painting . 25.6 x 36.2 x 1.2 inch

$3,868

A Peaceful Place

Dimitri Godycki Cwirko

Painting . 50 x 83 x 2.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 32.7 x 1 inch

$4,230

In the mood for 2026 : Le Patriarcat se fait du souci / On ne peut plus rien dire

Laurent Anastay-Ponsolle

Painting . 35 x 27 x 3 cm Painting . 13.8 x 10.6 x 1.2 inch

$2,055

L'éclosion

Myriam Le Fol

Painting . 73 x 90 x 2 cm Painting . 28.7 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,692

Bassin de Saint Marc, la nuit

Charles Lapicque

Print . 58 x 77 cm Print . 22.8 x 30.3 inch

$1,632

The Fortune Teller

Mino Maccari

Fine Art Drawings . 25 x 34 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.8 x 13.4 x 0 inch

$967

Emilia

Sébastien Allart

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

$1,450

Salon rouge

David Jamin

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,027 $925

Quiet Time

Damilola Ilori

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 9 x 1 inch

$1,140

Take My Heart

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 14 x 14 x 12.5 cm Sculpture . 5.5 x 5.5 x 4.9 inch

$145

Untitled 7-1-21

Montse Valdés

Painting . 65 x 54 x 3.5 cm Painting . 25.6 x 21.3 x 1.4 inch

$6,581

Melody In Her Thoughts - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, African, Modern

Ayandare Adeniran Ayanmuyiwa

Painting . 88.9 x 68.6 x 2.5 cm Painting . 35 x 27 x 1 inch

$3,852

Léon en suspens

Béatrice Terra

Painting . 90 x 90 x 4 cm Painting . 35.4 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

$3,022

Fix The Sky (Blue)

Snik

Painting . 214.6 x 120 x 2.5 cm Painting . 84.5 x 47.25 x 1 inch

$12,996

Trucks (3)

Rene Rikkelman

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

$1,753

Etude

Philippe Pasqua

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

$10,878

Le reflet

Sandra Quintin

Painting . 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting . 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$1,753

Tradition

Ger Doornink

Print . 87 x 72 x 1 cm Print . 34.3 x 28.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,185

Boy#5, Cigar

Dominique Dève

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

$242

The Reader -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Women (1)

Agboola Oladapo

Painting . 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting . 36 x 24 x 1 inch

$3,790

Regardons la réalité en face

Clement Garnung

Painting . 155 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 61 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,659

Bardot

Marin Marcos

Sculpture . 56 x 17 x 30 cm Sculpture . 22 x 6.7 x 11.8 inch

$3,022

Jeunes filles

Jean Ducommun

Painting . 46.5 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 18.3 x 13 x 0.8 inch

$2,089

Untitled

Jules Be Kuti

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 40 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$701

S’allécher

Marie Rauzy

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

$2,176

Cardinal

Olivier de Sagazan

Sculpture . 63 x 25 x 28 cm Sculpture . 24.8 x 9.8 x 11 inch

$3,626

Cavalos e pitangas and Reflection. The river Diptych

Ramonn Vieitez

Painting . 99.8 x 249.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 39.3 x 98.3 x 0.1 inch

$9,747

Girl child

Eyitayo Alagbe

Painting . 121.9 x 91.4 x 5.1 cm Painting . 48 x 36 x 2 inch

$3,790

That's Him

Ya-Wei Li

Painting . 45 x 35 x 4 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13.8 x 1.6 inch

$2,417

Where the light finds us

Damilola Ilori

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.81 x 9 x 1 inch

$650

Marionette

Tsanko Tsankoff

Painting . 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,330

On est encore là

Maxime Frairot

Painting . 70 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$604

L’événement V

Camille Cottier

Painting . 22 x 16 x 2 cm Painting . 8.7 x 6.3 x 0.8 inch

$1,148

Madame

Pitu

Painting . 195 x 130 x 2.5 cm Painting . 76.8 x 51.2 x 1 inch

$10,274

Elégante

Yves Brayer

Painting . 24 x 20.5 cm Painting . 9.4 x 8.1 inch

$907

Nu de femme

Stéphane Lejeune

Fine Art Drawings . 39 x 29 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.4 x 11.4 x 0.4 inch

$406

Samu

Ricardo Tena

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

$8,775

L'enfant aux rêves tissés

Els Knockaert

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

$1,027

Malcomx

Lo Da

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

$1,934

The Flight

Guy Ghazanchyan

Sculpture . 44 x 62 x 34 cm Sculpture . 17.3 x 24.4 x 13.4 inch

$5,077

Swallowed Souls

Natia Sapanadze

Painting . 38 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 15 x 13 x 0.8 inch

$1,088

Danseuse Prière

Rachel Yedid

Painting . 130 x 142 x 5 cm Painting . 51.2 x 55.9 x 2 inch

$10,153

Un monde meilleur

Hom Nguyen

Painting . 250 x 190 x 3 cm Painting . 98.4 x 74.8 x 1.2 inch

$70,226

Les étudiants

Nathan Chantob

Painting . 92 x 73 x 3 cm Painting . 36.2 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch

$5,439

Figuras Negro

Antonio Saura

Print . 76 x 56 cm Print . 29.9 x 22 inch

$2,284

Midas

Snik

Print . 93 x 74.9 x 1.5 cm Print . 36.6 x 29.5 x 0.6 inch

$2,712 $2,306

Flash

Lantomo

Fine Art Drawings . 73 x 54 cm Fine Art Drawings . 28.7 x 21.3 inch

$3,868

Héritage

Alexandre Monteiro (Hopare)

Print . 80 x 50 cm Print . 31.5 x 19.7 inch

$1,245 $1,120

Black Love Matters I - Contemporary African Acrylic Painting

Ekele Francis

Painting . 91.4 x 91.4 x 5.1 cm Painting . 36 x 36 x 2 inch

$3,249

Mindscapes - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Mixed Media, Modern

Eyitayo Alagbe

Painting . 91.4 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting . 36 x 36 x 1 inch

$3,635

Océan

Laurent Betremieux

Painting . 73 x 60.5 x 2 cm Painting . 28.7 x 23.8 x 0.8 inch

$1,632

Selo-B

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$302

Passion

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 44 x 27 x 7 cm Sculpture . 17.3 x 10.6 x 2.8 inch

$846

Femme Zoulou

Laurence Verney

Photography . 60 x 60 x 0.5 cm Photography . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch

$2,297

Golgotha

Philippe Pasqua

Sculpture . 160 x 100 x 80 cm Sculpture . 63 x 39.4 x 31.5 inch

$47,140

Saint Sébastien

Kosta Kulundzic

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

$2,417

Hommage à Modigliani

David Jamin

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

$3,868

Scène de corrida

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings . 24.4 x 31.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.6 x 12.3 inch

$725

La sabiduría del Minotauro

Rocio Mazuecos

Painting . 80 x 80 x 2.5 cm Painting . 31.5 x 31.5 x 1 inch

$3,384

Raihana

Ahmed Art

Painting . 150 x 100 cm Painting . 59.1 x 39.4 inch

$2,115

Eye see you 1/3

Stephanie Larène

Painting . 78 x 106 x 1 cm Painting . 30.7 x 41.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,330

Subconscious No. 4

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 101.6 x 76.2 x 1.9 cm Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.75 inch

$2,816

Soma

Erwann Tirilly

Painting . 130 x 162 x 3 cm Painting . 51.2 x 63.8 x 1.2 inch

$14,504

Portrait de jeune fille

Alain Bonnefoit

Print . 18 x 12.8 x 0.1 cm Print . 7.1 x 5 x 0 inch

$91

Portrait VIII

Antonio Saura

Print . 30 x 20 cm Print . 11.8 x 7.9 inch

$604

The Girlfriends

Nataliya Bagatskaya

Painting . 120 x 85 x 2.2 cm Painting . 47.2 x 33.5 x 0.9 inch

$3,022

Veranda V

Cécile Duchêne-Malissin

Painting . 200 x 200 x 0.5 cm Painting . 78.7 x 78.7 x 0.2 inch

$13,054

La maison aux tournesols (tourterelles et tournesols)

Agrume

Painting . 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting . 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,417

Je suis une femme connard!

G. Carta

Painting . 21 x 14.8 x 0.1 cm Painting . 8.3 x 5.8 x 0 inch

$302

Untitled

Carlos Mendez

Fine Art Drawings . 45 x 64 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 17.7 x 25.2 x 0 inch

$671

Préparation d'affiche "Fête des fleurs, Genève"

Henri Fehr

Fine Art Drawings . 44 x 29 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 17.3 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

$670

Rape of Europe

Antonio Feltrinelli

Painting . 75 x 100 x 3 cm Painting . 29.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$9,065

Dada Awuru

Ogunniyi Oluwatosin

Painting . 66 x 55.9 x 6.4 cm Painting . 26 x 22 x 2.5 inch

$1,029

Malgré le fascisme

Julien Cuny

Fine Art Drawings . 105 x 90 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings . 41.3 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

$544

Untitled

Maria Carbonero

Painting . 61 x 50 cm Painting . 24 x 19.7 inch

$7,252

Morning preparations

Victor Sheleg

Painting . 120 x 80 x 2.5 cm Painting . 47.2 x 31.5 x 1 inch

$11,483

The Scarecrow

Mino Maccari

Painting . 20.5 x 15 x 0.1 cm Painting . 8.1 x 5.9 x 0 inch

$459

Roi du Ciel

Fabrice Leito

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

$5,077

Paper VIP

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 37 x 37 x 13 cm Sculpture . 14.6 x 14.6 x 5.1 inch

$302

Untitled

Adam Sabhan

Painting . 15 x 15 x 2 cm Painting . 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

$1,571

Beyond the Limits

Busari Adewale

Painting . 106.7 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm Painting . 42 x 36 x 1 inch

$2,869

Les reclus

Charles Lapicque

Print . 37 x 27 cm Print . 14.6 x 10.6 inch

$151

Sailor blur 2

Raphaël Federici (ParisSketchCulture)

Painting . 65 x 54 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch

$3,989

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