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What is the definition of realism in art?
1 Answer
In art, the definition of realism is work that 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. Realism as an artistic movement usually refers to 19th-century French artists such as Honoré Daumier, who explored social and political issues in biting prints, and Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet, who painted people 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. On 1stDibs, shop a range of realist art.
1stDibs ExpertAugust 26, 2024
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Shop for Realist Art on 1stDibs
Full Blue Moon, Handmade Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper, Cosmos, Deep Blue Space
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype.
"Blue Moon" shows an outstanding full moon with all its details.
Details:
+ Title: Blue Moon
+ Year: 2022
+ Edition Size...
Category
2010s Realist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Emulsion, Watercolor
New York City Brooklyn Bridge PLein Air Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Brooklyn Bridge
oil/panel
11 x 14 unframed, 16.63 x 19.63 framed
signed LL
Here is beautiful plein air painting done on location in Brooklyn of the Brooklyn Bridge back in 2011. It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
"Persian Cats with Flowers" Oil Painting Portrait of Two White Cats in a Garden
By Beno Boleradsky
Located in New York, NY
This piece depicts two white, long-haired Persian cats in a natural setting. The cats are positioned on a grassy patch adorned with small flowers, including clusters of pink blossoms...
Category
20th Century Realist Animal Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Lucas Loves You" - Whimsical Animal Portrait, Oil on Paper (2025)
Located in Denver, CO
Lucas R. Frinklemire is a fine gentlemunk of means, who enjoys the simple things in life. His message is a cheerful one everything is OK. Always remember that Lucas loves you! (He so...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Animal Paintings
Materials
Oil, Archival Paper
"Reclining Nude" Realist Interior Nude Female Figure Laying on Bed Oil Painting
Located in New York, NY
A 19th-century exceptional oil painting depicting a nude figure reclining on a bed with white drapery, set against a dark background. This intimate figurative scene portrays a female...
Category
19th Century Realist Nude Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
«Eternal Pulse» – Ocean Wave Oil Painting in Refined Vert Bosphore Palette
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sea knows no rest.
It breathes, it lives, it calls — in every movement, in every shimmer of light.
This wave is a moment between calm and storm,
a breath that holds eternity with...
Category
2010s Realist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel

