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A figure painting is a work of fine art in any of the painting media with the primary subject being the human figure, whether clothed or
Leopold Museum, Austria – ''Nude Men''
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – ''Degas and the Nude''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Figure Painting Visual arts Painting Nude art Visual arts genres
A figure painting is a work of fine art in any of the painting media with the primary subject being the human figure, whether clothed or nude
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
. Figure painting may also refer to the activity of creating such a work. The human figure has been one of the constant subjects of art since the first stone age cave paintings, and has been reinterpreted in various styles throughout history.
Unlike figure drawings which are usually nudes, figure paintings are often clothed depictions which may be either historically accurate or symbolic.
Figure painting is not synonymous with figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork (particularly paintings and sculptures) that is clearly derived from real object sources and so is, by definition, representational. The term is often in contrast to abstract a ...
, which may depict real objects of any kind (including humans and animals).Clothed figures
Portraiture
Aportrait painting
Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...
focuses on the creation of a likeness of a particular individual or group.
Everyday life
Genre painting
Genre painting (or petit genre), a form of genre art, depicts aspects of everyday life by portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities. One common definition of a genre scene is that it shows figures to whom no identity can be attached ...
portray ordinary people engaged in common activities.
Narrative paintings
Historical paintings depict events in a narrative, which may be allegorical.Nude figures
Thenude
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
has been a theme in Western art since classical antiquity and again in Renaissance art, after being largely absent during the Middle Ages.
While standing nude figures of both sexes are found in antiquity, in Western art, male nudes were more prevalent through the idealisation of the male form in society. The first female reclining nudes as a popular genre appeared during the Renaissance, most notably in a work by Giorgione. Oil paint historically has been the ideal media for depicting the figure. By blending and layering paint, the surface can become more like skin. "Its slow drying time and various degrees of viscosity enable the artist to achieve rich and subtle blends of color and texture, which can suggest transformations from one human substance to another."Scala, p. 1 Although working from live models is preferred, the length of time needed to complete a painting has led most modern painters to use photographs as references at least part of the time if not for the entire work.
History and styles
Notes
See also
* Depictions of nudityReferences
Books
* * * * *Web
*External links
;Museum exhibitsLeopold Museum, Austria – ''Nude Men''
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – ''Degas and the Nude''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Figure Painting Visual arts Painting Nude art Visual arts genres