Figurative art is believed to have originated in congruence with Abstract art during the 20th Century.It is a complex and vast categorization of art, holding many different art movements in the (figurative) palm of its hand.
If we look at Figurative art in the context of the 20th century or Modern art, around the time Abstract art became more prominent as an intentional art style, it gains a different meaning.
In Post-Impressionism paintings, artists painted more figurative abstract art that expressed the ideals of the artist and how they saw the subject matter.
Paul Cézanne’s The Large Bathers (1900 - 1906) is another fine example of the move from symmetrical and realistic depictions of the nude figure to a more abstracted and expressive rendering.
Other contemporary figurative painters include the Kenyan Michael Armitage, who paints colorful and expressive renderings of figures and events based in East Africa.
There is a lot of overlap when it comes to Figurative art and Abstract art, as it is a comingling of concepts.The figure has long been a staple subject matter in art, and artists have experimented, and continue to do so.