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, No Need To Hide, tizlu

No Need To Hide

tizlu

Painting - 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

$1,578

Painting, Retrato, Enrique Pichardo

Retrato

Enrique Pichardo

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

$835

Painting, Indiana Jones, C215

Indiana Jones

C215

Painting - 31 x 44 x 1 cm Painting - 12.2 x 17.3 x 0.4 inch

$2,819

Painting, The Hug, Wencke Uhl

The Hug

Wencke Uhl

Painting - 90 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,200

Painting, Wonderful, Stoz

Wonderful

Stoz

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

$789

Painting, En avant la vida, Jazzu

En avant la vida

Jazzu

Painting - 100 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$2,255

Painting, The eye, Noah Borger

The eye

Noah Borger

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

$564

Painting, My wild music 1, Isafara

My wild music 1

Isafara

Painting - 140 x 180 x 0.3 cm Painting - 55.1 x 70.9 x 0.1 inch

$902

Painting, Child, SISC

Child

SISC

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

$564 $451

Painting, Fragile Future, Asko

Fragile Future

Asko

Painting - 70 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch

$902

Painting, Family, Ya Su

Family

Ya Su

Painting - 100 x 100 x 5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 2 inch

$2,703

Painting, D29295180C, Wo$h

D29295180C

Wo$h

Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$902

Painting, Bunmi, Meshach Charity

Bunmi

Meshach Charity

Painting - 86.4 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 34 x 30 x 1 inch

$1,750

Painting, Soul, Arsen

Soul

Arsen

Painting - 32 x 32 x 3 cm Painting - 12.6 x 12.6 x 1.2 inch

$620

Painting, Beach day, Ivo Petrov

Beach day

Ivo Petrov

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

$1,071

Painting, Ça vous gagne, AKET

Ça vous gagne

AKET

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

$1,917

Painting, Cigale / Fourmi, Levalet

Cigale / Fourmi

Levalet

Painting - 60 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$2,368

Painting, Portrait11, Barbara Kroll

Portrait11

Barbara Kroll

Painting - 49 x 34 x 0.3 cm Painting - 19.3 x 13.4 x 0.1 inch

$540

Painting, Happy life, Daru

Happy life

Daru

Painting - 80 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

$2,029

Painting, Air, Jean Marie Drouet

Air

Jean Marie Drouet

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

$5,976

Painting, La sportive, Sylvie Eudes

La sportive

Sylvie Eudes

Painting - 25 x 25 x 4 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 1.6 inch

$902

Painting, Sans titre, Jana & JS

Sans titre

Jana & JS

Painting - 47 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 18.5 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$1,218

Painting, Ton feu, Cécile Desserle

Ton feu

Cécile Desserle

Painting - 116 x 89 x 3 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 1.2 inch

$4,284

Painting, Les Pensées, Nèle Nèle

Les Pensées

Nèle Nèle

Painting - 100 x 81 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.6 inch

$2,255

Painting, 20 déc. 87, Bernard Noël

20 déc. 87

Bernard Noël

Painting - 59.5 x 39.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 23.4 x 15.6 x 0 inch

$902

Painting, Secret desires, Julia Ruf

Secret desires

Julia Ruf

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

$902

Painting, Karl, Aiiroh

Karl

Aiiroh

Painting - 75 x 75 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 29.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,700

Painting, Jo, Jef Aérosol

Jo

Jef Aérosol

Painting - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

$4,735

Painting, Herald, Guy Denning

Herald

Guy Denning

Painting - 20 x 20 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 inch

$440

Painting, Moviegoer, Dima Filatov

Moviegoer

Dima Filatov

Painting - 73 x 121 x 0.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 47.6 x 0.2 inch

$902

Painting, M.50, Peter Klasen

M.50

Peter Klasen

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

$11,838

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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.