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Realist Portrait Paintings

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
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Half Length Portrait of Mr. Robertson of Edinburgh
Located in Miami, FL
Half Length Portrait of Mr. Robertson Sir. Henry Raeburn ( Scottish 1756 - 1823 ) Half Length Portrait of Mr. Robertson 29x 24 Purchased, J Leger & Son,...
Category

18th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Russian Traveler Genre Portrait 19th Century Oil Painting Signed Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
The short signature lower left a monogram of joined Cyrillic letters "V" and "P" with date 77, leads to the Russian painter Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844 - 1927). Here we have pl...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Wood, Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Pietro Torrini (Florence, 1851 -1914). The Pope's Chef.
Located in Firenze, IT
Pietro Torrini (Florence, 1851 -1914). The Pope's Chef. Oil on canvas. Size with frame: cm 55 x 51. Size without frame cm 31 x 26.5 Carved and gilded wooden frame. Label present (Ge...
Category

19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Dog Painting: "Hunting Dogs at the Kennel, 1901" Jules-Bertrand Gélibert
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Dog Painting: "Hunting Dogs at the Kennel, 1901" Jules-Bertrand Gélibert (France, 1834-1916 Oil on canvas Signed lower left 24 x 19 inches, frame Jules-Bertrand Gélibert w...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Sculptor - expressive, male, figurative, realism, portrait, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This super realistic image of an older man, head slightly tilted as he looks soberly through reflective lenses is a poignant psychological portrait by Dan Hughes. An octane blue halo...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Cardinal Fine Antique Portrait Oil Painting in Ornate Gilt Frame
By Otto Eichinger
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Cardinal's Letter Otto Eichinger (1922 - 2004) signed oil painting on board, framed framed: 15 x 12 inches board: 12.5 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: v...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Tapestry, 16 x 16, Portrait, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Tapestry," a 2024 creation in oil on mounted linen, measures 16 x 16 inches and is framed to a stately 22 x 22 inches. This artwork weaves a visual narrative as intrica...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Maiden, Mother, 14.75 x 10.5, Portrait, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Available now is Robin Cole's "Maiden, Mother," a striking oil on mounted linen portrait from 2021. This intimate artwork measures 14.75 x 10.50 inches, and the framed dimensions pre...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cotton Canvas, Wood

Portrait of a Bride - British 1934 Romantic art female portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
This beautiful British 1930's portrait oil painting is by noted artist Frank Owen Salisbury or Frank O'Salisbury as he is also known. Painted in 1934, the composition is a half lengt...
Category

1930s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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 Portrait Paintings

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

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 Portrait Paintings

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper

Contemporary portrait "February 2022"
Located in Sempach, LU
What for? Yes, I'm alive, I take walks, go to cafes, and even hang out with friends, but inside everything is dead. There are no plans, no hopes, no desires... One question: Why? For...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Original Portrait of Noir Crime Writer Cornell Woolrich
Located in Soquel, CA
Vintage Portrait of 1940's Noir Writer Cornell Woolrich Pencil portrait of famous 1930's 40's noir/crime writer Cornell George Hopley-Woolrich, circa 1980. Cornell George Hopley-Woo...
Category

1980s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pencil

In Between
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Magic Realism Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Badseed" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 10” x 11.5” x 1” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Vellum by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchas...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Vellum

A Frightened Bay Horse Which Needs to be Treated with Special Care
Located in Charleston, US
Valarie Wolf's "Approach with Caution" portrays a bay horse, possibly startled or cautious, a horse painting which sparks a conversation or contemplation. For horse lovers, this pa...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

1940's Portrait of Cairn Terrier Dog Oil Painting Fine British Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Bob" Portrait of a Cairn Terrier by Frances Mabel Hollams (British 1877-1963) signed & dated 1946 titled to the lower corner oil painting on wood panel: 14 x 18 inches framed condit...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Contemporary portrait "Guardians"
Located in Sempach, LU
I wake up in the morning, open Facebook, read the news... and when the hell will I finally wake up from this nightmare...In creating this piece, I sought to bridge the classic with t...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

A Sacred Haloed Greyhound Reminding Us that All Dogs are Angels
Located in Charleston, US
In Valarie Wolf's captivating dog painting of a greyhound, "All Dogs Are Angels ", the sighthound's devoted gaze draws the viewer in, evoking its' angelic presence. While gracing you...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Of A Young Girl In A Lilac Dress With A Black Bow. Circa 1860. SIgned.
Located in Firenze, IT
Portrait of a young girl in a lilac dress with a black bow. Circa 1860. Signature below right, partially visible. Size with frame 59cm x 49cm Size without frame 33cm x 24cm The portr...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Crayon, Carbon Pencil

"Madrid Retiro", Intricate ink and brush on canvas, monochrome city scape
Located in Dallas, TX
Her meticulously constructed paintings play with the duality between the simple and the complex, between the observer and the observed.
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Ink, Canvas, Acrylic

Madrid Centro - contemporary detailed ink and brush on canvas, black and white
Located in Dallas, TX
Her meticulously constructed paintings play with the duality between the simple and the complex, between the observer and the observed.
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931 Oil on canvas Signed lower right "Heyer A." 25 1/2 x 21 (29 1/4 x 3...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magic Realism Acrylic Portrait, "Stenographer" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 16” x 22” x 3” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Wood Panel with Custom Framing and Found Objects by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity w...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Found Objects, Acrylic, Wood Panel

My Way 2
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Some...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Magic Realism Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Brother" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 15” x 19” x 1” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Wood Panel with Custom Framing by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Magic Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting, "Comet" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 18” x 9.5” x 3” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Vellum by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Vellum

Family Portrait Mother with Children Playing Coins Framed Antique Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Family genre scene late 19th early 20th century. The boy, tired of posing for a portrait painter, decided to play by spinning a coin on the table, this game greatly impressed his you...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil, Cardboard

Contemporary portrait "Poolside Party"
Located in Sempach, LU
It's strange to paint frills and ruffles when all I have in my head are post-apocalyptic images. But I've never swum in a pool, nor have I been to a real party, even when I was in sc...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Caesar on his way to Pompeii. 1999, canvas, oil, 40x50 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Caesar on his way to Pompeii. 1999, canvas, oil, 40x50 cm
Category

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Contemporary portrait "Entomological Collection"
Located in Sempach, LU
"In winter, we will go to the Natural History Museum," my husband said. Winter has passed, but we never went to the museum.In this painting, I've interwoven the essence of nature's i...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Youth" Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Youth" Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy 2023 ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine, provocativ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "In the Center of the Metropolis"
Located in Sempach, LU
I love walking the streets of the private sector when the weather is nice. It feels like being in a small town rather than in the center of a metropolis. I've aimed to capture the co...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Untitled" - Oil Painting of Nude Reclining Female Figure
Located in Denver, CO
Rebecca Venn's (US based) "Untitled" is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas paper that depicts a nude female model laying on her back. This is ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Regina dei Fiori - 19th Century Oil Painting Society Portrait of Italian Beauty
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Regina dei Fiori’ by Frédéric Soulacroix (1858-1933). The painting – which depicts an aristocratic Italian beauty sitting beside a porcelain vase full of peonies – is signed by th...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Contemporary portrait "New Look for an Old Jacket"
Located in Sempach, LU
Sometimes you dig into the closet, find a long-forgotten item, and start trying it on in different ways. You try it on, and it seems pretty cool, but then you think: Where am I going...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Contemporary portrait "Between You and Me"
Located in Sempach, LU
When some crap happens - in response, I draw. I draw something visually appealing and positive. It's so hard, really hard to draw some blah-blah-blah crap in response to a missile at...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Renewer
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
After a hectic day, I found myself staying back to reflect on the events that had transpired. As I gazed at the beautiful artwork behind me, I felt a sense of hope and optimism for the next day. It reminded me that no matter how challenging the day may have been, there is always the opportunity for a fresh start and new possibilities. Shipping Procedure 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 Authenticity. About Artist Olaniyi Timothy...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"The Necklace" Oil on board by Telopa
Located in Carmel, CA
Telopa, the father and son of artists, paints women in an elegant Mannerist style that combines classic beauty and mythological, symbolic allegory. A...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

The Norwegian Madonna
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting was created specifically for the New masculinity collection on Singulart. The topic is very relevant and concerns many people .Gender roles have ceased to be as specifi...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Eyes That Sees
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The future that seems far away The joy that comes once the night fades away The beauties that hang within the horizon of the mind Only the eye that sees can behold that which was hidden but yet obvious. If only we could see, less shall we journey in a circle. Shipping Procedure 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 Authenticity. About Artist Olaniyi Timothy...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Serene
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This artwork portrays a serene lady who remains composed amidst the chaos and stress of the world. It emphasizes the significance of mental health by urging us to prioritize our well-being rather than being consumed by life's challenges. The ability to remain centered and composed greatly impacts our overall mental state. Shipping Procedure 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 Authenticity. About Artist Olaniyi Timothy...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

My Way 1
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Sometimes you need to trust what you have seen and move in that direction and move away from distractions. Focus takes a man to where he should be so I move in my way and forget all the negative words... They don't add to me so I neglect them and move on Shipping Procedure 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 Authenticity. About Artist Olaniyi Timothy...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Blue-Eyed Young Woman Portrait Framed Oval by Swedish Master early 20th century
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed lower left “С Wilhemson” possibly leading to Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson (1866 - 1928), was a Swedish painter, draftsman, graphic artist, art educator and professor at the Royal A...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Katherine Merry Nee Horstmann Director Horstmann Gear Company 1946 City of Bath
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Howard Barron. English/Australian ( b.1900 - d.1991 ). Portrait of Katherine Joan Merry nee Horstmann b.1914 - d.1973. Director of Horstmann Gear Company of Bath, 1946. Oil on Canva...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gospel Scene on Sunrise Jesus Passing Peter 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Stockholm, SE
Gospel of Apostle Luke, Chapter 22: 61. and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Befor...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Holy Family with St Elizabeth and Young John Baptist 19th century Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
This tender depiction of the Holy Family represents a subject which was central to Raphael's oeuvre. The painting is based on the famous panel by Giulio Romano, called Madonna della ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Summer Fashion. Young Victorian Lady With Meadow Flowers In Her Straw Hat
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Alice Anne Renshaw. English ( b.1849 - d.1900 ). Young Lady With Meadow Flowers In Her Straw Hat Watercolor & Gouache on Artist's Board ( An embossed stamp in the top left hand corn...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Board

Contemporary painting with Mona Lisa "Spring"
Located in Sempach, LU
Spring is coming, lilacs will bloom, and we'll be able to wear ripped jeans again. In creating this piece, I fused figurative elements and realism to capture a moment, timeless yet i...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Reynard Fox Painting in Snowy Winter Landscape Celebrates the Fox's Cunningness
Located in Charleston, US
Beth Carlson's dramatic fox painting, titled "Reynard," emphasizes the fox's power of wit over strength. The cunning fox is set against a beautiful snowy winter backdrop. The fox pa...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Contemporary painting with Mona Lisa "New Hat"
Located in Sempach, LU
1 March. Today is spring, which means autumn is coming soon. These are the associations. In this visceral depiction, I've merged timelessness with contemporary energy. My strokes in ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Realist portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist portrait paintings 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 portrait paintings 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 Matt Talbert, Chikako Okada, Mark Beard, and Bruce Adams. 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 portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $180 and tops out at $885,000, while the average work sells for $3,600.

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