Realist Art
REALIST STYLE
Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world.
Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history.
By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.
Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.
Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.
Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Realist
On Parade
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #3/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Fly By
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #49/100 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Observation
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #12/20 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Jumpin' Jack
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #28/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Mountain Boomer
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #23/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Tallgrass Prairie
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #7/20 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Early Risers
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Scott Yeager.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 22.5 X 26.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Desert Elves
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #15/75 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Break in Weather
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Scott Yeager.
Signed lower right.
Unframed.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Give a Hoot
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #29/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Sanctuary
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #11/20 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Home Sweet Home
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #20/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Silent Passage
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #8/30 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Pride
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #32/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Cactus Run
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #89/100 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Busy Beavers
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #52/100 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Cactus Perch
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #29/100 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Covey of Quail
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #9/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Breakin' Out
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #30/75 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Cougar Cubs - Adira & Sipka
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #1/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Construction Crew
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #5/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Guardian Angel
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #10/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Echo of Sunset
By Jie Wei Zhou
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Jie Wei Zhou.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 32.5 X 32.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Flyover
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #26/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Alpine Pikas
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #18/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Enlightenment
By Jie Wei Zhou
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Jie Wei Zhou.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 25.75 X 21.75
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Cougar Canyon
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #19/30 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Beaver Lodge
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #23/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Bachelor Pad
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #10/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Above All
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #28/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Autumn Splendor
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #7/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Canyon Princess
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #24/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Portrait of a Lady Arranging Flowers - British 1940's art oil painting
By Sir Gerald Festus Kelly
Located in London, GB
This superb British portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Festus Kelly. Painted circa 1940 it is a half length portrait of an elegant lady in a light blue dress, pearls an...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
The Place for Secrets
By Jie Wei Zhou
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Jie Wei Zhou.
Signed lower right.
Framed Size: 17.5 X 17.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Preparing the Meal
By Jie Wei Zhou
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Jie Wei Zhou.
Signed lower right.
Framed Size: 37 X 31
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
White Horses Running Free Large Russian Signed Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Running Wild"
by Lubov Bazanova (Russian b.1957)
signed to the front, inscribed verso
oil painting on canvas, framed
framed: 24 x 34 inches
Beautiful quality contemporary oil painting on canvas, by the well listed Russian artist, Lubov Bazanova (born 1957). The work is signed to the front as well as inscribed verso in Cyrillic. It is a stunning image and superbly painted, capturing these wild horses...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Letter
By Jie Wei Zhou
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on linen by Jie Wei Zhou.
Signed lower right.
Framed Size: 37 X 31
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Sunrise Ridge (Hand-printed cyanotype, 12 x 18 inches)
Located in Oakland, CA
Brand-new addition to the Foggy Woods Collection of forests in northern California near San Francisco. New as of May 14, 2024. This is a hand-printed contact photograph using the ant...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
"A Silly Citrus" Oil Painting of a Lemon by Kelly Birkenruth
Located in Denver, CO
Kelly Birkenruth's "A Silly Citrus" (2023) is an original oil painting on panel, measuring 8 x 8 x 2 inches. This playful still life features a lemon wrapped in a colorful comic stri...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
The Start of the Finale
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 25.25 X 29.25
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Picasso with Woman Head and Faun - Original etching - "Bon a tirer" proof
Located in Paris, FR
Pablo PICASSO and Paul LEMAGNY
Portrait of Picasso with Woman Head and Faun, 1956
The upper part (portrait of Picasso) is an original etching by Paul Lemagny
The lower part (woman head and faun) is an original etching by Pablo Picasso
Printed signature in the plate
Annotated 9th state and 'Bon à tirer...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Etching
A Bit of Shade
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #35/45 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Violin - By Fernandez Arman
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Fine serigraphy on plexiglass 1973, hand signed and numbered (edition of 600), in good condition.
After Arman's so-called "allures d'objets", in which objects are inked and stamped o...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Plexiglass
Sunny day in Old Riga. Paper, watercolor, 42x30, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Sunny day in Old Riga
Paper, watercolor, 42x30,5 cm
The central focus of the artwork is on an old town, a historic district known for its antiquated architecture, cobbled streets, ...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
"Unravel" a realistic and close up view of the ship's sail folded and resting
Located in Edgartown, MA
Michel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
Crossing a Stream in the Highlands, Great Britain, Children, Figural, Landscape
Located in Wiscasset, ME
"Crossing a Stream in the Highlands" featuring children and their dog wading through a mountain stream was painted by the British artist, Edward Holmes, in 1880. Holmes was born in 1...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Rose & Thorns No.1, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A rose blooms quietly, its petals glowing softly in the light. The branches in the distance stretch out, piercing the night sky like steel knives. Painted with ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Rose & Thorns No.2, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two roses bloom next to each other, exuding a sense of roughness and passion. The leaves sprawl from below, adding depth and contrast to the delicate colors of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Golden Hour, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The sea exudes an atmosphere of comfort and peace at sunset. The water mirrors the glorious colors of the sky, creating a captivating display of light. The real...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Early Morning
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Benjamin Wu.
Signed lower left.
Framed Dimensions: 29.5 X 33.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Pumping Water
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Benjamin Wu.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 41.5 X 33.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
"Echoes of Childhood" by Irene Georgopoulou, Still Life with Marbles and Origami
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Echoes of Childhood" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 9 x 12 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Journey T...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Paper
"Royal Mystery" by Irene Georgopoulou, Pastel, Playing Cards Still Life
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Royal Mystery" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 14.50 x 12 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Journey Thr...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Paper
"Relics of a Bygone Era" by Irene Georgopoulou, Still Life with Antique Gun
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Relics of a Bygone Era" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 7 x 11.5 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Jour...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Paper
"Balance is Key in Life" by Irene Georgopoulou, Pastel, Antique Keys Still Life
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Balance is Key in Life" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 8.50 x 12 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Jou...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Paper
"The Last Catch" a vivid blue array of fisherman buoys resting
Located in Edgartown, MA
Michel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Linen
"Vintage Catch" by Irene Georgopoulou, Pastel, Baseball Glove Still Life
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Vintage Catch" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 8.50 x 11.50 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Journey T...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Paper
"Marbles and Mischief" by Irene Georgopoulou, Still Life with Playing Cards
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Marbles and Mischief" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 8 x 9 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Journey T...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Pastel
Realist art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Realist art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Michael Budden, Daniel Pollera, and Su Yu. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Realist art, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.