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
"Baby" - Original Acrylic Painting of Woman and Deer by Mary Carroll
By Mary Carroll
Located in Denver, CO
Mary Carroll's "Baby" (2024) is a deeply evocative acrylic painting, measuring 24 x 18 inches, ready to hang even without a frame. This poignant artwork captures a somber yet tender ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Acrylic
"Presence" - Original Oil of Contemplative Woman by James Van Fossan
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan's "Presence" (2023) is an exquisite oil on linen painting that captures the tranquil beauty of a woman in a moment of quiet reflection. This 16 x 16-inch artwork, th...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Linen
"Patience" - Original Oil of Thoughtful Woman by James Van Fossan
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan’s “Patience” (2024) is a striking oil on linen portrait, measuring 19 x 14 inches. This unframed artwork, which is ready to hang, captures the serene, contemplative ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Linen
Self Portrait at 72" - Imagined Future, Original Painting by David Kassan
By David Kassan
Located in Denver, CO
David Kassan’s "Self Portrait at 72" (2021) is an introspective exploration into the future, where the artist imagines himself as an elder. Painted in oil on acrylic mirror and measu...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Mirror
Lake. 1965, paper, watercolor, 52x67 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Lake.
1965, paper, watercolor, 52x67 cm
The central focus of the artwork is on birches at the lake at early autumn
Janis Brekte (1920.15.VIII – 1985.27.XII)
Janis Brekte his first ...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Old Riga. 1982, paper, watercolor, 60x32 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Old Riga. 1982, paper, watercolor, 60x32 cm
The central focus of the artwork is on an old town, a historic district known for its antiquated architecture, cobbled streets, and a sen...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Who I Meet
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure
FREE Shipping Worldwide
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authent...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Ballpoint Pen
Emotions and Fiction
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure
FREE Shipping Worldwide
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authent...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Ballpoint Pen, Paper
Natural Beauty
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure
FREE Shipping Worldwide
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authent...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Ballpoint Pen, Acrylic
Carmen Sevilla, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish actress and singer Carmen Sevilla. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Carmen Sevilla
Chromogenic Lambda print
1957, Printed Later
Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Com...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
"Secret Passage" - Original Oil Seascape by Adam Hall, Dynamic Wave Art
By Adam Hall
Located in Denver, CO
"Secret Passage" by Adam Hall, a 2023 oil on panel painting, measures 24 x 24 inches with a sophisticated frame extending to 31 x 31 inches. This artwork captivates with its portraya...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Wren, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
81
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper,
Year: 2023
Style: Classic Art,
Subject: Wren,
Size: 12 x 16 in...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
Graffiti Break
Located in Atlanta, GA
This item is in excellent condition, only shown in a gallery.
Griselda Ferrandez was born in the city of Barcelona, a cosmopolitan and open city. From her balcony she could contempla...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Poolside Host, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Guests by the pool at Nelda Linsk's desert house in Palm Springs, California, January 1970. The house was designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar J. Kaufmann. At far left is Lita Baron....
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
The Ayase River and Kanegafuchi, Summer, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Located in Soquel, CA
The Ayase River and Kanegafuchi, Summer, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Summer on the Ayase River by Hiroshige (Ando) Utagawa (Japan, 1797 - 1858 ). Woodcut circa 1856.
Ima...
Category
1850s Realist Art
Materials
Woodcut, Ink
Distant Blue-original British landscape panorama oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Distant Blue" stands as a captivating original realist aerial landscape masterpiece crafted by the talented artist, Harry Brioche. This exquisite artwork, skillfully rendered in oil...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Board, Oil
Portrait of James Dean
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Joseph Kardonne (1911-1985). James Dean, 1950. Charcoal on textured paper, sheet measures an irregular 11.25 x 18 inches. It has been folded in half a bears a crease along central li...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Charcoal
"White Noise" - Original Oil Seascape by Adam Hall, Ocean Wave Art
By Adam Hall
Located in Denver, CO
Adam Hall's "White Noise" (2023) is an expansive original oil painting on panel, with dimensions of 72 x 60 inches, elegantly framed to 73 x 61 inches. This artwork captures the tumu...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Marie Louise Bion (1858-1939) – Portrait of a Young Woman – 19thC Oil Painting
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Marie Louise Bion
(Swiss, *1858 ; † 1939)
• Portrait of a young Woman
• Oil on canvas
• Stretcher ca. 56 x 46 cm
• Original 19thC frame ca. 68 x 59 cm
• Signed and dated ‘ 7/85 ’ ...
Category
1880s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Green and Gold-original British landscape panorama oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Green and Gold" by Harry Brioche is a stunning original realist aerial landscape painting that invites viewers into a world of serene beauty and atmospheric charm. Executed with pre...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
"Swell Season" - Original Oil Seascape by Adam Hall, Coastal Wave Art
By Adam Hall
Located in Denver, CO
"Swell Season" (2023) by Adam Hall is an evocative original oil painting on panel, measuring 24 x 18 inches and elegantly framed to 25 x 19 inches. This piece captures the gentle yet...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
"Visions In Pale Splendor" - Oil Painting, Cultural Fusion with Female Model
Located in Denver, CO
Alexandra Manukyan presents "Visions In Pale Splendor," an exquisite oil on linen on wooden panel from 2023, framed to 28 x 22 inches. This piece captures a fusion of traditional Jap...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Slim Aarons 'Kings of Hollywood'
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Film stars (left to right) Clark Gable (1901 - 1960), Van Heflin (1910 - 1971), Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961) and James Stewart (1908 - 1997) enjoy a joke at a New Year's party held at R...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Carmen Sevilla, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish actress and singer Carmen Sevilla. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Carmen Sevilla
Chromogenic Lambda print
1957, Printed Later
Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Com...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Bird, Original, Watercolor Handmade Painting
Located in Granada Hills, CA
50
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper,
Year: 2022
Style: Realism,
Subject: Bird,
Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
Antoni Costa Woman original figurative drawing painting
By A. Costa
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
woman. original figurative academician drawing painting. FRAMED
Barcelona, 1904 - Barcelona, 1965
It was formed in Buenos Aires, in the Circle of San Lucas of Barcelona and the FAD...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Carbon Pencil
Artist Materials On Shelves
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting beautifully captures a realistic view of an artist's studio. The boxes covered in oil paint fingerprints, the small dent in the wall, the palette, tubes of paint scatt...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Alice In Acapulco, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alice Topping and Minnie Cushing (left) relax with friends in Acapulco, Mexico, February 1966. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certifi...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Carmen Sevilla, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish actress and singer Carmen Sevilla. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Carmen Sevilla
Chromogenic Lambda print
1957, Printed Later
Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Com...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Naumburg Bandshell, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Couples dance to a live band performing at the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York City, 1948. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Naumburg Bandshe...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Carmen Sevilla, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish actress and singer Carmen Sevilla. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Carmen Sevilla
Chromogenic Lambda print
1957, Printed Later
Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Com...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Polish Judaica Portrait of Hasidic Rabbi Shtetl Tailor Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
Older, realistic portrait of an older Jewish shtetl tailor by Polish artist. Here the artist conveys a sense of quiet grandeur through the eyes of his subject and the way it's render...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Board
Contemporary portrait "I'll Tell You..."
Located in Zofingen, AG
I talk to an imaginary friend almost all the time.)
Is this normal at all?)
In this painting, I explored the depth of human connection, crafting an intimate narrative through a reali...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Coffee Run
Located in Atlanta, GA
This item is in excellent condition, only shown in a gallery.
Griselda Ferrandez was born in the city of Barcelona, a cosmopolitan and open city. From her balcony she could contempla...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Alice In Acapulco, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alice Topping and Minnie Cushing (left) relax with friends in Acapulco, Mexico, February 1966. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certifi...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Sunflowers
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Walter Nelson – American (1942- )
Title: Sunflowers. From the Fleur portfolio
Year: 1981
Medium: Dye transfer color photograph
Sight size: 14.25 ...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Dye Transfer
Naumburg Bandshell, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Couples dance to a live band performing at the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York City, 1948. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Naumburg Bandshe...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Gladiator. Bronze, 33 x 30 x 15 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Gladiator. Bronze, 33 x 30 x 15 cm
Category
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Naumburg Bandshell, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Couples dance to a live band performing at the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York City, 1948. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Naumburg Bandshe...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Naumburg Bandshell, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Couples dance to a live band performing at the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York City, 1948. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons
Naumburg Bandshe...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Alice In Acapulco, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alice Topping and Minnie Cushing (left) relax with friends in Acapulco, Mexico, February 1966. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certifi...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Alice In Acapulco, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alice Topping and Minnie Cushing (left) relax with friends in Acapulco, Mexico, February 1966. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certifi...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
"Reflection: Barred Owl" - Original Oil Painting, Forest Bird Art
Located in Denver, CO
Allison Leigh Smith's "Reflection: Barred Owl" (2023) is a captivating original oil painting on aluminum, measuring 10 x 10 inches with a frame size of 12.50 x 12.50 inches. This pie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Metal
"Reflection: Barn Owl" - Original Oil Painting, Wildlife Art
Located in Denver, CO
Allison Leigh Smith’s “Reflection: Barn Owl” (2023) masterfully captures the mysterious allure of the barn owl, framed within a 10 x 10 inch oil on aluminum surface. This unique artw...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Metal
Gumball Machine & Red Trunk No. 1
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery. Stott’s work is almost object portraiture, applying traditional still life compositions and lighting but ventures beyond time honored subject m...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Reading is my First Love
Located in Atlanta, GA
This item is in excellent condition, only shown in a gallery.
Griselda Ferrandez was born in the city of Barcelona, a cosmopolitan and open city. From her balcony she could contempla...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Swimming In The Bahamas, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brightly coloured swimmers in a pool in Nassau on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas, 1959.
40 x 60 inches
$3950
30 x 40 inches
$3350
20 x 30 inches
$3000
10 x 12 inches...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Carl Ranch - Mantel clock, gilded bronze h 59.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Carl Ranch - Mantel clock, gilded bronze H 59.5 cm; L 38 cm; W 15,5 cm
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Book. Original engravings 155 pсs., 1 piece with blend. 1822 London
Located in Riga, LV
William Hogarth (1697-1764)
Original engravings 155 pсs., 1 piece with blend. 1822 London
From A. Neibergs collection
Category
1820s Realist Art
Materials
Engraving, Paper
Verbier Vacation, Switzerland, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons
Verbier Vacation
Verbier Vacation: Holiday-makers take the sun on a mountain top in Verbier, 1964.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of a...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
She Didn’t Like It
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Dated: 1987/55
Signed and dated upper edge
Provenance:
The artist
Coe Kerr Gallery, New York
Wright Gallery, New York
Private collection, New York (Purchased from above, 1995)
This...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
Striped cups with blossom, original still life oil painting by Tim Snowdon
Located in BUNGENDORE, AU
Original artwork by established Australian painter Tim Snowdon.
Striped cups with blossom, oil on linen, 23.8 inches x 21.4 inches, 2020
“I try to paint i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
Academic nudes painter - 19th century figure drawing - Pencil paper Italy
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (19th-20th century) - Academic male nude.
39.5 x 33 cm without frame, 60.5 x 54 cm with frame.
Pencil and white chalk drawing on paper, in a lacquered wooden frame....
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Old Testament Scene with Angel 1813 Large Grisaille Drawing on Paper Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
One of the characters in this scene is a mature man, kneeling with his head bowed and hands clasped near his chest in a gesture of supplication. His posture conveys a sense of humili...
Category
Early 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Mahogany, Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
The Journey's End (Hand-printed cyanotype, 30 x 20 inches)
Located in Oakland, CA
Unframed. 2022. Signed on the back.
This photograph was taken just weeks after the artist's husband died, thus the title, "The Journey's End." Paths that disappear into the mist, p...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Photogram
Forest Sunrise (Hand-printed cyanotype, 18 x 24 inches)
Located in Oakland, CA
Unframed. New from 2023.
This is an original, hand-printed original cyanotype photograph on heavy cotton watercolor paper. Just one of 10 prints were made. Four have sold. Only six...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Photogram
19th Century British "On the Medway. Morning"
Located in San Francisco, CA
Masterfully executed 19th century British oil on canvas. This fabulous piece depicts a possible battle scene at Medway, which in the 1600s the Dutch had a huge victory against the Br...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Caminante No Hay Camino (Hand-printed cyanotype, 24 x 18 inches)
Located in Oakland, CA
Unframed.
Hand-printed original cyanotype photograph on watercolor paper.
Actor Timothée Chalamet owns one smaller edition of this photo, having bought it in person at The Other ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Photogram
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.