![Painting, Tête Z, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2137908_1_grid.jpg)
Somber Portrait Painters
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![Painting, Tête Z, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2137908_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Bodhisattva mask, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1175841_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Mask in pinks and blue, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1175838_1_grid.jpg)
Mask in pinks and blue
Marc Prat
Painting - 130 x 95 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 37.4 x 1.2 inch
$3,332
![Painting, L'inconnu, Ghislaine Ferreira](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/111793_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Méditation P 2, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1066317_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Khasmin, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/933141_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Rusty, Daan Van Doorn](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1960233_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1517040_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1411488_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1411449_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1411440_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1350219_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, La maison rouge, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1287024_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Apparition #2, Alice Laverty](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1204884_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Yellow and blue, Carlos Mendez](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2180635_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Green and Red, Carlos Mendez](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2180632_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Golden Character, Carlos Mendez](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2180630_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Vertical Red 2, Carlos Mendez](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2180628_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Vertical red, Carlos Mendez](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2180608_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Hommage à Dora Maar 1,2,3,4,5 (Complete suite), Antonio Saura](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2174925_1_grid.jpg)
Hommage à Dora Maar 1,2,3,4,5 (Complete suite)
Antonio Saura
Print - 65 x 50 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 inch
$13,787
![Painting, Tête V, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2152377_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Tête Z, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2141320_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Mouflon, Julien Cuny](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2008170_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Portrait of Giorgio Morandi, Mino Maccari](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1578663_1_grid.jpg)
Portrait of Giorgio Morandi
Mino Maccari
Painting - 30 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
$2,413
![Painting, Le griffon, Julien Cuny](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1538373_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Maryse Condé, Marin Marcos](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1329000_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Camille Claudel, série Les Palpitantes, Alice Laverty](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1121850_1_grid.jpg)
Camille Claudel, série Les Palpitantes
Alice Laverty
Painting - 80 x 80 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.6 inch
$3,447
![Painting, Brave, Sancko](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1103001_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Concert baroque, Verdi, Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2194093_1_grid.jpg)
Concert baroque, Verdi
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 20 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.1 x 7.9 inch
$13,787
![Painting, Vert outremer (1), Julien Cuny](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2177690_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Bain de nuage, Ewa Hauton](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2168766_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Verlaine, Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1807227_1_grid.jpg)
Verlaine
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 29 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 11.4 x 0.2 inch
$18,382
![Fine Art Drawings, Rimbaud, Regards, étude n°16, Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1807224_1_grid.jpg)
Rimbaud, Regards, étude n°16
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 24 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.4 inch
$16,084
![Fine Art Drawings, Personnage en colère, Georges Bru](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/37135_1_grid.jpg)
Personnage en colère
Georges Bru
Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 23 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.5 x 9.1 inch
$1,264
![Fine Art Drawings, Perspective d'animal, Georges Bru](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/36023_1_grid.jpg)
Perspective d'animal
Georges Bru
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 29 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.4 inch
$1,723
![Fine Art Drawings, Acrobat, Georges Bru](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/36012_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, L'amour chemine, Cécile Desserle](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2202168_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Réecrire l'histoire, Cécile Desserle](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2187900_1_grid.jpg)
Réecrire l'histoire
Cécile Desserle
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 0.8 inch
$4,366
![Sculpture, Andy Warhol, Marin Marcos](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2172844_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Ronaldo, Marin Marcos](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2172830_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, 6:22pm – Beirut Explosion, August 4, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1766028_1_grid.jpg)
6:22pm – Beirut Explosion, August 4
Dzovig Arnelian
Painting - 120 x 180 x 0.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 70.9 x 0.2 inch
$1,680
![Painting, Coeur à l'envers, Cécile Desserle](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1451898_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Furn El Chebbak, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1197261_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Achrafieh – Karm El Zeytoun, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1197255_1_grid.jpg)
Achrafieh – Karm El Zeytoun
Dzovig Arnelian
Painting - 60 x 80 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 inch
$1,320
![Painting, Still Life, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1197219_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Trapped inside, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1197216_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Interior II, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1054218_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Interior I, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1054215_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Ramlet Al Baida, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1054197_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Toro study, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/959727_1_grid.jpg)
Toro study
Marc Prat
Fine Art Drawings - 90 x 120 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 35.4 x 47.2 x 0 inch
$896
![Fine Art Drawings, Nexus papel III, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/44468_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Racine, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2209133_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Installation 2, Sarkis Sislian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1583451_1_grid.jpg)
Installation 2
Sarkis Sislian
Sculpture - 60.5 x 60.5 x 17 cm Sculpture - 23.8 x 23.8 x 6.7 inch
$3,480
![Fine Art Drawings, Kindness, Erdna André](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1560531_1_grid.jpg)
Kindness
Erdna André
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$574
![Fine Art Drawings, Pensif, Erdna André](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1560000_1_grid.jpg)
Pensif
Erdna André
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$574
![Painting, Veil 2, Sarkis Sislian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1472226_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Veil 1, Sarkis Sislian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1462605_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Meditacion P VI, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1066305_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Coeur, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/887703_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Tondo II, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/648138_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Tondo I, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/648132_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Mains IV, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/604707_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Se Torno...Scampia - Naples., Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2137975_1_grid.jpg)
Se Torno...Scampia - Naples.
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Print - 75 x 105 cm Print - 29.5 x 41.3 inch
$2,861
![Painting, Meditacion P X, Marc Prat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1279578_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Mao, Pei-Ming Yan](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/612546_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Icare, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2209116_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Femme assise, Philippe Pasqua](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2203718_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Selo 17, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2172457_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Selo-U, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2161951_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Monna Lisa, Mino Maccari](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1694223_1_grid.jpg)
Monna Lisa
Mino Maccari
Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$804
![Painting, Pratensis, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1504302_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Smoke eyes, Lucile Callegari](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1455861_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, La Certitude, Lucile Callegari](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1455810_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Art Game, Lucile Callegari](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1455798_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Etude d'après Marie Madeleine, Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/738486_1_grid.jpg)
Etude d'après Marie Madeleine
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 95.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 37.6 inch
$20,680
![Painting, Roots, Julien Cuny](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2179062_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Portrait, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2174971_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Tutu II, Jean-Baptiste Dumont](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2119470_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Buffle, Julien Cuny](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2008161_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Portrait 1, Ivan Tzonev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1195383_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, L'Envol, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/967437_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Le porte drapeau, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/847224_1_grid.jpg)
![Sculpture, Le nouveau règne, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/567324_1_grid.jpg)
Le nouveau règne
Yoann Merienne
Sculpture - 93 x 70 x 42 cm Sculpture - 36.6 x 27.6 x 16.5 inch
$28,722
![Print, Hidden, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2209129_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Oncle Bui, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2207778_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Sans repères, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2197126_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Calligraphie, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2197125_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Un monde meilleur, Hom Nguyen](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2197121_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Chiaruscoro of still life, Lisbeth Buonanno](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2182116_1_grid.jpg)
Chiaruscoro of still life
Lisbeth Buonanno
Painting - 40 x 50 x 1.8 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.7 inch
$1,379
![Painting, Ryushen, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2139881_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Nyx, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2139852_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Lyral, Yoann Merienne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2138987_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Sans-titre, Ernest Pignon-Ernest](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1802847_1_grid.jpg)
Somber Portrait Painters
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…