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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
Goldfinch, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
163 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art Title: Goldfinch, Size: 12 x 16 inc...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Saint Florian Monastery, Austria
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Saint Florian Monastery, Austria" c.1950 is a color etching on Wove paper by noted Austrian artist Josef Eidenberger, 1899-1991. It ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Study (Terra Incognita), 6 x 8, Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Step into the mysterious allure of the natural world with Robin Cole's "Study (Terra Incognita)," a captivating original oil on mounted linen painting from 2023. This piece, measurin...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Ladder to the Stars, 24 x 18 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Discover the ethereal beauty of Robin Cole’s “Ladder to the Stars,” a 2023 original oil on panel masterpiece measuring 24 x 18 inches. The framed dimensions add a grandeur presence a...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Antonio Ruiz Soler, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A flamenco dancer raises his hat in front of a poster advertising the virtuoso dancer Antonio (Antonio Ruiz Soler) in the national premiere of 'Ballet Espanol'. (Photo by Slim Aarons...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Antonio Ruiz Soler, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A flamenco dancer raises his hat in front of a poster advertising the virtuoso dancer Antonio (Antonio Ruiz Soler) in the national premiere of 'Ballet Espanol'. (Photo by Slim Aarons...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Domingo In Salzburg, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo in the back of a car at Mozartplatz in Salzburg, in front of the Mozart memorial, August 1981. Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity ...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Antonio Ruiz Soler, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A flamenco dancer raises his hat in front of a poster advertising the virtuoso dancer Antonio (Antonio Ruiz Soler) in the national premiere of 'Ballet Espanol'. (Photo by Slim Aarons...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Domingo In Salzburg, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo in the back of a car at Mozartplatz in Salzburg, in front of the Mozart memorial, August 1981. Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity ...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

The Same Moon, 20 x 13, Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Behold the quiet majesty of "The Same Moon," an evocative oil on panel by the artist Robin Cole, crafted in the year 2024. This original painting, sized at 20 x 13 inches (50.80 x 33...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Slim Aarons 'La Dolce Vita: Vuccino and Rava' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carla Vuccino, wearing a swimming cap, and a sunbathing Marina Rava, both wearing bikinis as they sit on the rear of a boat, on the waters off the coast of the island of Capri, Italy...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

River Bure, Norfolk. East Anglia. English Rural Landscape. Tugboat and Barges.
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Rowland Hilder. British ( b.1905 - d.1993 ). River Bure, Norfolk. Oil on Board. Signed. Image size 15.6 inches x 19.3 inches ( 39cm x 49cm ). Frame size 23.2 inches x 26.8 inches ( ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Everblooming, 20 x 10, Still Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Introducing "Everblooming," an original oil on mounted linen by contemporary artist Robin Cole, dated 2024. The painting, sized at 20 x 10 inches (50.80 x 25.40 cm), with framed dime...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

New York City Urban Painting Winter Brooklyn Bridge by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the bustling life and the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge in winter. The image measures 20 x 24...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Embryo III, 6 x 6 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Venture into the profound depths of creation with Robin Cole's "Embryo III," an original 2023 oil on panel that measures 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm), elegantly presented within a...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Study III (Surrender), 6 x 4, Waterfall Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Study III (Surrender)" is an original 2023 oil on mounted linen painting that conveys a compelling narrative of emotional release. The artwork's dimensions are 6 x 4 in...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Cornish Family in an Interior - British 1912 Newlyn School art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb British figurative interior oil painting is by noted Newlyn school artist Harold Harvey. Painted circa 1912 the composition is a Cornish family, bathed in golden light, s...
Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Study (The Space Between), 8 x 10, Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Explore the delicate nuances of Robin Cole’s “Study (The Space Between),” a 2023 oil on linen original, sized at 8 x 10 inches. This artwork is thoughtfully framed, with the external...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Study IV (Surrender), 9 x 5.75, Waterfall Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Introducing "Study IV (Surrender)," a profound oil on mounted linen by Robin Cole, created in 2023. This painting, with dimensions of 9 x 5.75 inches (22.86 x 14.60 cm) and an elegan...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Study (A New Light), 6 x 8 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Delve into the serene twilight with Robin Cole's original oil painting, "Study (A New Light)," created in 2023. Offered directly by the artist, this exquisite piece captures the evoc...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Pruned, 12 x 12, Still Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Pruned," a 2024 original, is an intimate oil on mounted linen painting that measures 12 x 12 inches, encased in a frame that extends the dimensions to 17 x 17 inches. T...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Embryo IV, 6 x 6 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Embryo IV" by Robin Cole is a profound exploration of creation and cosmos, masterfully depicted in oil on panel. This 2023 piece, measuring 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm) and frame...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Embryo II, 6 x 6 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Encounter the vibrant mystery of creation with Robin Cole's "Embryo II," an exquisite oil on panel from 2023. This piece, measuring 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm), beautifully frame...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Stardust, 23 x 41, Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement 'Stardust' “Our little planet floats like a mote of dust in the morning sky,” writes Carl Sagan. “All that you see, all that we can see, exploded out of a star bill...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Remember When, 30 x 30, Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's 2023 piece, "Remember When," is a poignant example of the artist's engagement with the classical landscape genre, presented in oil on mounted linen. The dimensions of th...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

A New Light II, 12 x 12 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "A New Light II," a 2023 original, captures the essence of dawn in an oil on linen masterpiece. Sized at a square 12 x 12 inches and framed to a commanding 20 x 20 inche...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hide n seek Home Scene w Grandma Russian early 20th Century Oil Genre Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed on the bottom right is "J. Braze", Osip Emmanuilovich Braz (1873 - 1936), renowned as a Russian-Jewish realist painter. As the scene unfolds on the canvas, we witness the gran...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cotton Canvas, Wood

Mystic Louisiana Marsh Landscape in Blue Tones, Limited Edition Cyanotype Print
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Exquisite landscape of a "Mystic Louisiana Marsh". Details: + Title: Mystic Louisiana Marsh + Year: 2024 + Edition Size:...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Emulsion, Printer's Ink, Watercolor, Photographic Pap...

"Mountain Road, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Samantha Buller's (US based) "Mountain Road" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a red roof of a building and the road that runs alongsi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Welsh Miner.1970s Social Realist Work.Original Mixed Media Painting.Coal Mines.
By Jack Crabtree
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Jack Crabtree. English ( b.1938 ). Welsh Miner Mixed Media. Signed. Image size 14.8 inches x 17.5 inches ( 37.5cm x 44.5cm ). Frame size 23.4 inches x 26.2 inches ( 59.5cm x 66.5cm ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Blood Moon, 9 x 12 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Blood Moon," a 2024 oil and gold on panel, is a captivating piece measuring 9 x 12 inches, presented within a frame sized at 13.50 x 16.50 inches. Available on 1st Dibs...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Tide Pool IV, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
An original oil seascape painting of shells and shell fragments scattered in a tidal pool. This is the 5th in my series of tide pool paintings. The paintings in this collection are i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Embryo I, 6 x 6 Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Embryo I," a 2023 original, is a mesmerizing oil on panel that measures 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm) with a striking framed dimension of 12 x 12 inches. This piece, ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Still Life wWth Quinces And Candlestick Classical Oil Painting Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
The beautiful gold color of fruits and their texture inspired me to create this work. The painting style is inspired by the masters of the 17th century of Holland. The color scheme i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Snorkeling In Hawaii, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This is a 6-panel original oil painting featuring a collection of my favorite reef fish in Hawaii set in a spectacular offshore beach setting at Bali Hai on the island of Kauai. Each...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Tide Pool IV, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
An intricate and textural painting of seashells and shell rubble in a tide pool. This is a 40â€
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Porte Saint Denis, Paris
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Porte Saint Denis, Paris" c.1929 is a color etching by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir 1881-1962. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist estate at the lower cen...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Hunting Dogs, Landscape by 19th Century French painter, period frame
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Hunting Dogs" is a 26 x 21.5 inches, oil on canvas landscape of two dogs on the trail by the river. The canvas is signed "G Boucher" in the lower left. G. Boucher is a listed artis...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

John Muench at Joan Whitney Payson Gallery of Art (Signed by John Muench)
Located in New York, NY
John Muench at Joan Whitney Payson Gallery of Art (Signed by John Muench), ca. 1982 Offset lithograph poster (Hand signed by John Muench) Hand-signed by artist, Pencil signed by John...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset, Pencil

Hunting Dogs with Geese, Landscape by 19th Century French painter
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Hunting Dogs with Geese" is a 26 x 21.5 inches, oil on canvas landscape of two dogs on the trail by the river. The canvas is signed "B Lanoux" in the lower left. B. Lanoux is a lis...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Malé-original abstract female portrait-figurative painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Montana Engels: "Malé is painted with sand and shells from the Maldives. Hence the name Malé, referring to the capital of the Maldives. From up close the painting looks abstract with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Celeste-original abstract female portrait-figurative painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Montana Engels: "Celeste is a painting that holds the entire world in her gaze. She captures every wandering eye and stops the world from spinning by drawing you in with her gaze." ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Blueminescence-original abstract Female portrait painting-contemporary Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Montana Engels: "This Blue work with blue and green accent, is inspired by the neon blue or green sparkles of the sea called bioluminescence. The ocean can glow and glitter like star...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Embracing The Past
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

Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait of a Woman
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Elizabeth Osborne (American/Philadelphia, b. 1936) Untitled (Portrait of a Lady), 1974. Watercolor painting on paper, signed and dated lower right. Unframed. Size: 22.75'' x 30...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper

Pocket Dark Cherries, Original Painting, Food art, Nature, Red, Affordable art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Dark Cherries is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque still ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Armenian Contemporary Art by Kamsar Ohanyan - Scotland
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Kamsar Ohanyan is an Armenian artist born in 1991 who lives and works in Yerevan, Armenia. He studied in Yerevan at State Pedagogical University with Kh. Abovyan at th...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Armenian Contemporary Art by Kamsar Ohanyan - Quietude Embrace
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Kamsar Ohanyan is an Armenian artist born in 1991 who lives and works in Yerevan, Armenia. He studied in Yerevan at State Pedagogical University with Kh. Abovyan at th...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Homey Scene with Flowers and Lady Reading 1897 Norwegian Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
The signature at the bottom right with the date and ink inscriptions on the stretcher lead us to the Norwegian painter Henrik Asor Hansen (1862 - 1929). In the center of the scene is...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Nuya-original abstract female figurative-wildife painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Montana Engels: "This pink, purple, blue painting is inspired by a sunset in the Mountains of Switserland. Dawn light hitting the mountains in an ever so delicate way that reflects t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sheep by an Idyllic Tree Lined River Landscape in Ireland by Modern Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Sheep by an Idyllic Tree Lined River Landscape in Ireland by Modern 20th Century Irish Artist, Frank Fitzsimons Art measures 18 x 14 inches Frame measure 21.5 x 17.5 inches Frank...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Crossing the ford Capriccio Baroque Landscape 18th century Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
As we gaze upon at this artwork, our eyes are immediately drawn to the foreground where a comical spectacle unfolds before us. A carriage, stubbornly stuck in the midst of a ford, se...
Category

Late 18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Fiesole Path
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Fiesole, Italy, just outside of the bustling city of Florence. Artist Bio Angel Ramiro Sanchez was born in 1974 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. At age six was accepted with full scholarship into the Instituto the Niños Cantores del Zulia, school for musically gifted children. At age fourteen he began five years of apprenticeship with the realist painter, Abdon J. Romero, an eminent specialist in murals for churches and public buildings. In 1993, a study grant from Mgr. Gustavo Ocando Yamarte, Founder the Niños Cantores, enabled him to travel to Florence, Italy, where he studied at the renowned Accademia di Belle Arti, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1997. At the same time, he was enrolled at The Florence Academy of Art,founded by painter Daniel Graves, where he received a diploma in Painting. Ramiro was appointed senior painting instructor at The Florence Academy of Art in 1997, and is currently Director of the Advanced Painting Program. Ramiro paints only from life, searching for accuracy beyond physical appearance to reach the psychological state of his subject. He believes the painter must draw his information from "all five senses" to tell the complete human story. Ramiros work is predominantly represented by th e Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York, but also Scriba Gallery, venice, Italy, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, Tx. Ramiros works can be found in numerous private collections in Europe, The United States and South America. Public collections include: The Fondazione Stelline, Milan, Italy. The Fremantle Foundation for Foreing Artist in Tuscany at Villa Peyron, Florence, Italy and The Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. USA. He shares his life and passion for art with his wife, the artist Melissa Franklin-Sanchez. Education 1993-1997 Florence Academy of Art, directed by Daniel Graves, Florence, Italy. 1993-1997 Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze Graduated Magna Cum Laude, Thesis: Historic and Technical Notes of Academic Realism Today. 1995 Florence, Italy: Michael John Angel...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Oxford Spires All Souls College Radcliffe Camera etching by Richard Beer
Located in London, GB
To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the ...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Yacht Wanderer (Slave Ship)
Located in Jacksonville, FL
When you gaze upon "Yacht Wanderer (Slave Ship)" by William Gay Yorke, you're not just looking at a maritime painting; you're peering into a fragment of history with profound and com...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boats in Harbor
Located in Clinton Township, MI
Boats are in the harbor which is captured by an unknown artist who is painting in oil. Vibrant colors dominate this original.painting.
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

The Citadel of Cairo, Evening
By Robert Swain Gifford
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Oil on canvas mounted on board. As twilight descends over the ancient city of Cairo, the iconic silhouette of the Citadel emerges against the fading light. This is the scene that Robert Swain...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Crucuses, Belgian Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
A vibrant blue and white crocuses vase is placed in a smooth, neutral space. I intended to keep the tenderness and preciousness of flowers, a quality I wanted to preserve. The work i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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.

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