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, L'art me mens, Miss.Tic

L'art me mens

Miss.Tic

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

$16,912

Painting, Je te vois, Céline

Je te vois

Céline

Painting - 150 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch

$5,051

Painting, Pli, Céline

Pli

Céline

Painting - 104 x 106 x 4 cm Painting - 40.9 x 41.7 x 1.6 inch

$2,345

Painting, Forgiveness, Liubou Sas

Forgiveness

Liubou Sas

Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.5 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch

$3,732

Painting, Girl with donut, Daru

Girl with donut

Daru

Painting - 82 x 56 x 2 cm Painting - 32.3 x 22 x 0.8 inch

$1,691

Painting, Amina, Beddru

Amina

Beddru

Painting - 106 x 106 x 3 cm Painting - 41.7 x 41.7 x 1.2 inch

$9,809

Painting, Donna Smeraldo, Beddru

Donna Smeraldo

Beddru

Painting - 106 x 106 x 3 cm Painting - 41.7 x 41.7 x 1.2 inch

$9,809

Painting, Désignée, Royal Izbrina

Désignée

Royal Izbrina

Painting - 76.2 x 76.2 x 3 cm Painting - 30 x 30 x 1.2 inch

$7,723

Painting, Jannet, Tima&Hiba_Art

Jannet

Tima&Hiba_Art

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

$78,246

Painting, Absorbed, Tima&Hiba_Art

Absorbed

Tima&Hiba_Art

Painting - 120 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$78,246

Painting, The twins, Tima&Hiba_Art

The twins

Tima&Hiba_Art

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

$78,246

Painting, Illusion, Tima&Hiba_Art

Illusion

Tima&Hiba_Art

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

$78,246

Painting, Feuilles (2), Tanya Lytko

Feuilles (2)

Tanya Lytko

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

$2,029

Painting, Rouge, Tanya Lytko

Rouge

Tanya Lytko

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

$2,029

Painting, Human, Hom Nguyen

Human

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$13,417

Painting, Woman bleue, Hom Nguyen

Woman bleue

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$13,417

Painting, Passerelle, Marta Grassi

Passerelle

Marta Grassi

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

$2,029

Painting, Serie B, Jean-Paul Bocaj

Serie B

Jean-Paul Bocaj

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

Sold

Painting, Marie, Nikita

Marie

Nikita

Painting - 81 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, N° 1, Carlotta Baldazzi

N° 1

Carlotta Baldazzi

Painting - 60 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

$631

Painting, Maria, Antoine Stevens

Maria

Antoine Stevens

Painting - 180 x 150 x 3 cm Painting - 70.9 x 59.1 x 1.2 inch

$11,162

Painting, Victory, Agboola Oladapo

Victory

Agboola Oladapo

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

$7,000

Painting, Mind Full, Akande John

Mind Full

Akande John

Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 1 inch

$1,000 $770

Painting, Milena, Tigran Pogosyan

Milena

Tigran Pogosyan

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

$2,255

Painting, Grito, Rocío Soriano

Grito

Rocío Soriano

Painting - 100 x 73 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.4 inch

$902

Painting, Geisha, Mamen Coranti

Geisha

Mamen Coranti

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

$902

Painting, Frida Kahlo, Imogen Morris

Frida Kahlo

Imogen Morris

Painting - 85.3 x 85.3 x 3.4 cm Painting - 33.6 x 33.6 x 1.3 inch

$2,147

Painting, Puzzle, Irjan Moussin

Puzzle

Irjan Moussin

Painting - 381 x 254 x 5.1 cm Painting - 150 x 100 x 2 inch

$2,300

Painting, Untitled, Adonis

Untitled

Adonis

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

$620

Painting, Make Love 11, A.A.A

Make Love 11

A.A.A

Painting - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

$135

Painting, The rain, Ramonn Vieitez

The rain

Ramonn Vieitez

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

$2,000

Painting, Untitled, Pietro Beretta

Untitled

Pietro Beretta

Painting - 24.5 x 30.5 x 0.2 cm Painting - 9.6 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$846

Painting, Visage, Sylvain Vigny

Visage

Sylvain Vigny

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

$1,533

Painting, Picasso, David Lurkin

Picasso

David Lurkin

Painting - 80 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

$879

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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.