What is the meaning of “figurative art”? The term "figurative art" is often taken to mean art which represents the human figure, or even an animal figure, and, though this is often the case, it is not necessarily so: “Since the arrival of abstract art the term figurative has been used to refer to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world.” It could be said that every drawing of the figure is a "self portrait". To a practiced eye much can be learned by studying figurative work about the mores and morals of the individuals producing it. Great figurative art invites the viewer to participate emotionally in the work. It communicates universally to all humanity. The portrayal of the body gives innumerable clues to how its creator thinks about scale , beauty , mortality and consciousness itself.” Figurative art is an open envelope that can contain works as disparate as Michelangelo's Pieta and Francis Bacon's Screaming Pope.” by Jake Bialos