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.
to
2,210
4,774
2,945
2,553
1,899
1,748
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
332
1,092
5,346
7,175
117
70
121
140
170
582
937
1,084
706
291
198
115,357
65,138
54,238
27,012
14,878
9,178
6,343
5,793
4,180
3,054
2,609
2,308
2,246
716
6,870
4,718
1,684
5,581
2,800
2,198
1,841
1,763
1,252
1,240
1,136
956
926
815
812
697
670
660
629
612
557
529
523
7,993
5,648
2,866
2,646
2,562
2,518
98
92
90
60
4,056
3,510
9,041
3,941
Style: Realist
Portrait of a Young Boy Seen from Behind
Located in Stockholm, SE
This intimate oil painting presents a young boy viewed from a three-quarter rear angle, caught in a quiet, reflective moment. The child’s back is turned gently toward the viewer, ren...
Category
1890s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Board
New York City Evening Theater Painting by Michael Budden Phantom of the Opera
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Phantom
oil/canvas
14x20 unframed, 27.75 x 21.75 framed
signed LR
Mystical Phantom is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. I...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
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 Art
Materials
Emulsion, Watercolor
The New Scene of Van Eyden
Located in Zofingen, AG
In The New Scene of Van Eyden, I reimagine a classical genre scene as a contemporary reflection on self-perception. Three figures — myself, my avatar, and the avatar’s companion — sh...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
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 Art
Materials
Oil
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
“Total Freedom” — Hyperrealistic Oil Painting of a Woman Underwater
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean holds endless mysteries — vast, untamed, and profoundly unknown. From childhood, we are taught to fear it: the currents, the waves, the unseen depths, and the creatures tha...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"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 Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
«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 Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
"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 Art
Materials
Oil, Archival Paper
Pocket Strawberry - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Heels? Never Heard of Them
Located in Zofingen, AG
There is a pause between two worlds — and in that pause, she sits. Barefoot, dressed in black, the woman rests against a handmade wooden fence, surrounded by the quiet pulse of natur...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Ballerinas at the dressing room
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I captured the quiet, tender moments before the performance, where anticipation and grace blend beautifully. Using oil, I brought warmth and life to the dancers’ delic...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Magpie Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2025
Style: Classic Art
Title: Magpie
Size: 9 x 12 inch, (23x3...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Thinking about Degas III
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I captured a quiet moment of anticipation and reflection among dancers. Using oil, I painted their delicate forms and soft light to evoke a blend of impressionism a...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Morning in Venice, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The Venice Grand Canal and its iconic domed architecture bathe in the gentle morning light, revealing a timeless grandeur. Delicate brushwork captures subtle sh...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
River Meadow Landscape with Children & Dog at a Picnic in English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
River Meadow Landscape with Children & Dog at a Picnic in the English Countryside by British Artist, Andrew Grant Kurtis M.A.(Lon) B.Des.(Hons) L.S.I.A.D.
Art measures 30 x 20 i...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Oxford Light
11 x 14 unframed and 17.25 x 20.25 framed
signed LR
Oxford Light is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beauti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland
Located in Preston, GB
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland, by Contemporary Artist, Derek Quann
Art measures 10 x 8 inches
Frame measures 17.5 x 15.5 inches
Th...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Young Calf's Face with Detailed Pink Features
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
Conca dei Marini, Italy, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1980s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a busy bay in Conca dei Marini, on the Amalfi coast in Italy, August 1984.
This is an est...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of Small White Sheep Lying Down
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
$92 Sale Price
30% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse Patiently Waiting at The Wooden Fence
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of Cows Resting In the Meadow
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Graphite, Chalk
$92 Sale Price
30% Off
«Free, Weightless, Brave. No.1»— Hyperrealistic Oil Underwater Nude Woman
Located in Zofingen, AG
There is so much unknown, undiscovered, and mysterious about the ocean. Much of what we are taught encourages fear—we learn about rips and currents, big waves and sharks, hear of dro...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy (Man)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy Gentleman, 2003.
Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches.
Signed with monogram and dated lower right.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
VENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller
Located in Union City, NJ
VENDEDORA, a limited edition lithograph by the renowned American-born Mexican sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett(b.1915–2012) depicts a sensitive black and white portrait of a...
Category
Early 2000s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse Munching On Grass
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
$92 Sale Price
30% Off
The childhood of Harley Quinn
Located in Zofingen, AG
Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. In this painting, I captured the delicate innocence and quiet melancholy of childhood ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Train to Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Set on a winter evening at the 4th Avenue/9th Street station in Brooklyn, this painting captures a vivid sunset framed by the converging diagonals of the train ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse with White Features Waiting at The Fence
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Dou...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
Purple Drops - original realism still life oil painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is framed & currently available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery.
With its moody elegance and striking composition, Purple Drops invites the vie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
New York City Painting Michael Budden Evening On Broadway St James & Sardis
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On Broadway, St. James & Sardi's
Image is 10 x 8 unframed, 15.5 x 13.5 framed.
An acrylic painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
$1,000 Sale Price
20% Off
Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful copy by an unknown artist, of the original painting "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" originally created in 1925 by the great American artist Felicie Waldo Howell (1897-1968)...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Original painting on canvas board by Serg Graff " Futuristic Apple" COA
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is an original contemporary acrylic painting on canvas board in a modern still life style by Serg Graff, titled “Futuristic Apple.”
The composition features a single boldly ren...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
“Blue Horizons” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where the sea meets the sky, infinity is born.
The horizon dissolves into shades of blue, promising freedom and new paths.
Unstretched
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Mrs. A. Watson Armour III, Illinois, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1960s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Mrs. A. Watson Armour III walking with her poodles on her Lake Forest Estate, Illinois, USA.
T...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
“Whisper of the Tides» — Hyperrealistic Oil Painting of Ocean Sunset and Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
The gentle light of the sunset dissolves into the foamy surf, tinting the waves with shades of rose and gold. In this moment, the ocean seems to whisper its eternal secrets, flowing ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
“Pulse of the Ocean” — Hyperrealistic Oil Seascape Painting of Sunset Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean pulses like a heart in love with the sunset. Its waves are gentle touches, holding the secrets of endless love.
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
British Chalk Sketch of A Young Horse with White Markings
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
$92 Sale Price
30% Off
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: A 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
"Stone of Unction, Church of the Holy Sepulchre" is a framed 19th century hand-colored lithograph by David Roberts from the large folio edition of his monumental 6 volume publication...
Category
1840s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Lips in Perspective, Nude Lithograph by Roberto Carbone
Located in Long Island City, NY
Lips in Perspective
Roberto Carbone, Italian (1949)
Date: 1979
Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition of 250
Size: 27 in. x 20 in. (68.58 cm x 50.8 cm)
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Brown Cow - original realism wildlife portrait oil painting - contemporary art
By Paul Jansen
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Costa Rica Beach Foam, Shoreline Seascape, Minimal Blue, Limited Edition Print
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype of a Sandy Shore with Foam.
Details:
+ Title: Sandy Shore with Foam
+ Edition Size: 100
+ Stamped and Certificate of Aut...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Emulsion, Monotype, Paper
Wikiva Basin, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This oil painting captures the quiet beauty of a Florida marsh. Palm trees and billowing clouds add depth and balance to the composition. Artist Kent Sullivan u...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
«Evening Symphony of the Sea» — Hyperrealistic Painting of Ocean Sunset and Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting depicts a magical moment between day and night at the seaside. The sand still holds the warmth of the fading sun, while waves dance along the shore, composing a gentle ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Renewal
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Renewal" is the gentle touch of the ocean where water and soul meet, merging in a dance of light and motion. The waves envelop and carry away into a realm of quiet magic, where ever...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
1916 Danish Interior Genre Painting Conversation w Reverend Scene Framed Oil
Located in Stockholm, SE
Painting is signed for acknowledged artist Niels Holbak 1884-1954, who educated at the Art Academy in Finland 1909-10 and was taught at the Art Academy in Copenhagen from 1912-1914 a...
Category
1910s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Oil
Sunbathing In Capri, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1970s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features sunbathers by a swimming pool at the Hotel Punta Tragara on the island of Capri, Italy, Au...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
“Amber Light” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Sunset Ocean Wave.
Located in Zofingen, AG
«Amber Light» is a fleeting and rare moment when the sea glows from within, filled with warm golden light. A wave sparkles like a drop of amber, inviting us into the slow, quiet rhy...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
BE WATER
Located in Zofingen, AG
She floats where silence begins — just beneath the skin of the water.
Her form is neither here nor gone, dissolving into rhythm and light.
There is no past, no edge, no name — only t...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Wood Panel, Oil
Antique American Realist Horse Portrait Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American horse portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Signed verso. Framed. Measuring: 9 by 7 inches overall, and 7 by 5 painting alone. In excellent original condition. Hands...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse and Farmers Preparing The Hay Cart
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922)
graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches
Provenance: private collection
Condition: very good condition
Dou...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
'Freedom', By Bojan Grof, Graphite, Charcoal and Oil Pencil Drawing on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 27" x 19" monochromatic graphite and charcoal drawing by Serbian artist, Bojan, is rendered in a hyper-realistic manner. A dog is the main subject in the lower right corner ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Graphite
Malibu Pine Sea View, Blue Tones California Landscape, Handmade Cyanotype, Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype.
Stunning image of a breezy "Malibu Pine Sea View".
Details:
+ Title: Malibu Pine Sea View
+ Year: 2025
+ Edition Size: 50...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
Echo of the Black Cat
Located in Zofingen, AG
This striking, contemporary painting invites the viewer into a space of quiet mystery and irony. A young woman with auburn hair, dressed in a dark, structured dress, stands confide...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
'Bacchus Cumampelo' — 18th Century Classical Italian Realism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Giovanni Domenico Campiglia, 'Bacchus Cumampelo', engraving, 1734, edition unknown. Signed 'Dom. Campiglia del.' in the plate, lower left. Engraving by Gabbugiani, after the original...
Category
1730s Realist Art
Materials
Engraving
Madison Square Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Viewed across Madison Square Park at sunset, the Metropolitan Life Tower glows orange against a dramatic sky, with Eleven Madison echoing its warm light. Clouds...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Seashore
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean is a mystery, full of secrets and deep emotions. Its power can be frightening, yet it beckons and offers freedom. In every wave lies a story of fear and love, intertwined i...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Forest shadows", green, Landscape Paintings, paper, vertical, mixed media
Located in Oslo, NO
This expressive mixed media sketch on paper (study for a large painting) captures the essence of a dense forest landscape with bold brushstrokes and layered textures. The interplay o...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
Painting Portrait Soldier in armor Circel of MESSONIER Wood panel 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
French school of the 19th century
Ernest MESSONIER (Circle of)
Portrait of a soldier in armor
27.5 x 17.5 cm (31 x 21 cm with the frame)
Beautiful pitch pine wood frame
Good condition
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
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.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Mauritz Lindstrom
Maximillien Luce
Michael Budden Central Park
Midcentury Matador Paintings
Mike Wright
Miracle On Ice
Mississippi River Painting
Monarch Of The Glen Painting
Moroccan Paintings Essaouira
Morpho Butterfly Art
Mount Tamalpais
Murray Dessner
Native American Oklahoma
New England Barn
New Orleans Jazz Poster
Niagara Falls Oil
Oil Painting By Alice
Oil Painting Willow Tree