Figurative painting is an approach to art that clearly depicts recognizable objects seen in the real world, in contrast to abstract art, which is non-objective--as in it does not depict specific objects--and non-representational. Stretching back to prehistoric cave painting, figurative painting has played a necessarily central role throughout every phase of art history, as a standard to either embrace or react against. Though originally taken to mean painting which represents the human or animal form, the term "figurative painting" evolved somewhat with the emergence of modern abstract art to … (read more)

Figurative painting is an approach to art that clearly depicts recognizable objects seen in the real world, in contrast to abstract art, which is non-objective--as in it does not depict specific objects--and non-representational. Stretching back to prehistoric cave painting, figurative painting has played a necessarily central role throughout every phase of art history, as a standard to either embrace or react against. Though originally taken to mean painting which represents the human or animal form, the term "figurative painting" evolved somewhat with the emergence of modern abstract art to mean work that is representational and directly refers to the human figure.

Modern figurative painting largely covers the same footprint as expressionist painting through the 20th Century. Pablo Picasso's work, specifically after approximately 1920, stands as some of the most representative Modern figurative painting. Artists hailing from the School of London, including Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, are exemplary figurative painters from the period following World War II. The lifeline of figurative painting can further be traced through Pop Art, the Neo-Expressionism of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel, and the work of such current contemporary artists as Elizabeth Peyton, John Currin, and Marilyn Minter.

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