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Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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
'A Black Cat Jumps to an Empty Tune, ' by Mark Gilmore, Oil Painting on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 42" x 34" landscape painting by Mark Gilmore features a rural scene of a hillside field and an emerging tornado hidden behind a moving rainsto...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil, Color Pencil

Pacific Ocean Currents, Handmade Cyanotype Seascape in Blue, Waves Landscape
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Ocean Currents" is a handmade cyanotype print of rough water texture resembling Pacific Ocean swell. Details: + ...
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Emulsion, Engraving, Etching, Paper

Uncertainty
Located in Zofingen, AG
In Uncertainty, Iryna Burda delicately yet uncompromisingly explores the fragile, unstable state between decision and helplessness, between motion and stillness. This work is not mer...
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Metamorphoses
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is not an image but a process. It does not depict — it transforms. The fish form, repeated, deformed, layered, becomes a rhythm of inner movement — not bodily, but psychic....
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

In a State of Depression...
Located in Zofingen, AG
Title: In a State of Depression… Gallery Description: In this piece, Iryna Burda immerses the viewer in the fragile space of the inner world of a person engulfed by depression. She ...
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Woman's head / - Female Wisdom -
Located in Berlin, DE
Emil Wachter (1921 Neuburgweiser - 2012 Karlsruhe), Woman's head, 1986. Drawing in ink on canvas, 24.5 cm x 19 cm (sheet size), 44.5 cm x 36.4 cm (frame), signed ‘E. Wa[achter]’ lowe...
Category

1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

"I Feel Like I've Been Torn to Pieces".
Located in Zofingen, AG
"I Feel Like I’ve Been Torn to Pieces" is a visual metaphor for deep inner conflict, a struggle between forces that tear the self apart. In this work, Irina Burda continues her explo...
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Montoya Drawing Baby Face
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
Category

20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Carbon Pencil

White and Gold Lace Kimono - Hand Augmented Collotype
Located in Soquel, CA
Hand-augmented collotype by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). Signed "Patricia A. Pearce" in the lower right corner. This piece has an iridescent quality to the coloration. No ...
Category

1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Pen, Color Pencil

Montoya Drawing Lady Looking Left Side
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
Category

20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Carbon Pencil

Impossible Series (Niagara Falls), Lowell Nesbitt - Drawing
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Lowell Nesbitt (1933-1993) Title: Impossible Series (Niagara Falls) Year: 1990 Medium: Graphite on Arches paper Size: 50.25 x 35.5 inches Inscription: Signed, dated by the ar...
Category

1990s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

Untitled (Colored Pencils), unique painting, Allan Stone Collection & Sotheby's
By Grace Knowlton
Located in New York, NY
Grace Knowlton Untitled (Colored Pencils), 1978 Mixed media watercolor and charcoal painting on paper. (Framed with labels from the legendary Allan Stone Collection...
Category

1970s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Watercolor, Mixed Media

"Red Medusa Mantle" (Ruffled Kimono) - Hand Augmented Collotype
Located in Soquel, CA
Hand-augmented collotype on layered paper by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). Signed "Patricia A. Pearce" in the lower right corner. Titled "Red Medusa...
Category

1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Pen, Color Pencil

Ruffled Kimono (Orange, Teal, and Purple)
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate kimono by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). This piece has an iridescent quality to the coloration. This piece is unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of other...
Category

1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pen, Color Pencil, Gouache

Advertising design for Pye Records Cambridge gouache Mid Century Wireless
Located in London, GB
Bowens (British, fl. mid 20th Century) Cambridge: Centre of Scientific Research Pye Group Records Pye - Nixa - Mercury - Vanguard - EmArcy c. mid-late 1950s Haig Road in Cambridge, where Pye had their factory, was subsumed into Elizabeth Way and was a long way from King's College chapel. However that iconic building is used to illustrate the Cambridge connection. EmArcy Records is a jazz record...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Rebekka / - Rebekka's Appearance -
Located in Berlin, DE
Emil Wachter (1921 Neuburgweiser - 2012 Karlsruhe), Rebekka, 1987. Watercolor mounted on cardboard, 13.5 (height) x 14 cm (width). Signed “E.[mil] Wa[chter]” in pencil within the ima...
Category

1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

Clifford Ellis Broad Chalk Wiltshire sketch Modern British Art New Naturalists
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings and drawings by Clifford Ellis and his wife Rosemary. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it clic...
Category

1950s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Carbon Pencil

Warm Toned Colorful Realistic Watermelon and Lemon Still Life Fruit Drawing
Located in Houston, TX
Still life pastel drawing by unknown artist. Realistic pastel drawing depicting watermelon, lemons, and other fruits in the background. Signed by artist at bottom left. Double matted...
Category

20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel

Small town. Red-blue mood. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 60, 5 x 71, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Small town. Red-blue mood. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 60,5 x 71,5 cm Zigmunds Šņore was born in 1942 in Latvia. His works has been exhibited since 1969 and are held in private collec...
Category

2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

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Abstract Blue landscape Original Drawing on Paper by Marilina Marchica
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Jazz Musicians (1950's Black Philadelphia artist)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
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Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Large Ink Drawing Abstract Expressionist Rooster Woman Artist Judith Brown
Located in Surfside, FL
Judith Brown (December 17, 1931 – May 11, 1992) was a dancer and a sculptor who was drawn to images of the body in motion and its effect on the cloth surrounding it. She welded crushed automobile scrap metal into energetic moving torsos, horses, and flying draperies. Brown attended Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York (B.A., 1954), where she learned to weld from her teacher, Theodore Roszak, a pioneering abstract expressionist sculptor. This is done in a style similar to Leonard Baskin. Select Commissions Mural Sculpture, Lobby, Louisville Radio Station WAVE Fountain, commissioned by Architectural Interiors, New York City Model, designed and executed for Festival of Two Worlds, Spoleto, Italy Sculpture, designed for Electra Film Productions, NYC Noah's Ark, exhibited at Bronx Zoo, New York City, at Rochester Museum and Science Center, Rochester, New York, and at Hopkins Center, Hanover, New Hampshire Store Windows, executed Tiffany & Company Windows, New York City, Christmas 1957, 1959, 1962, October 1969, Spring 1979, and October 1980 Wall Sculptures: for Youngstown Research Center (1963-4), commissioned by Youngstown Steel Company, Youngstown, Ohio; for Hecht and Company, Landmark Shopping Center, Alexandria, Virginia, Daniel Schwartzman, Architect; for Lobby, 570 Seventh Avenue, New York City, Giorgio Cavaglieri, Architect; for Lobby, Cities Service Company's New Research Center, Cranbury, New Jersey; for Ottauquechee Health Center, Woodstock, Vermont Eternal Lights: for Congregation Beth-El, South Orange, New Jersey; for Congregation Sharey Tefilo, East Orange, New Jersey Menorahs: commissioned by Architect Fritz Nathan for the Permanent Collection of the Jewish Museum, New York City; commissioned by Smith College for the Helen Hill Chapel, Northampton, Massachusetts; commissioned by Jules Scherman, of Wisteria Press, Inc., New York City Altar Cross, commissioned by Smith College for the Helen Hill Chapel, Northampton, Massachusetts Landscape, Memorial Piece for Gustave Heller, YM-YWCA, Essex County, New Jersey Memorial Plaque for Robert A. Ferguson, Westchester County Airport, Purchase, New York Sculpture for Vice President's office, Atlantic Richfield Company, New York City Bronze Relief Sculpture for Gymnasium Lobby, South Richmond High School, Staten Island, New York, Daniel Schwartzman, Architect Poster, Stratton Arts Festival, Stratton, Vermont Medallion, commissioned by Brandeis University National Women's Committee, New York City Model for Fountain for the Plaza at Windsor, Vermont Bronze Sculpture, commissioned by Intramural, Inc. for Building Lobby, N/E Cor. 79th Street and Second Avenue, New York City Presentation Piece, commissioned by Graphic Arts Associates of Delaware Valley, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wall Mural, Noah's Ark, Roosevelt Hospital, New York City 1977: Designed and executed Hanes Hosiery "Million Dollar Award"; Designed and executed "Old Spice" Smart Ship Award 1978: Commissioned to design and execute the "Walter White Award" for the NAACP for presentation to Hubert Humphrey; Commissioned to design and execute the Award for the Honorees of the National Board YWCA's First Tribute to Women in International Industry 1979: Designed and executed Jewelry for the Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Designed and executed limited edition of Mazuzas for Brandeis University-National Women's Committee, New York City 1980: Bronze Cross commissioned for St. James Episcopal Church, Woodstock, Vermont 1982: Eubie Award, New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 1985: Two Sculptures, Marriott Hotel, Orlando, Florida 1986: Two large Sculptures for indoor reflecting pools, Palm Desert Hotel, Palm Springs, California; John Portman, Eight Sculptures for Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia; John Portman, Beach House, Sea Island, Georgia 1987: Loan Installation, DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts 1988: Eleven foot outdoor Sculpture for Front Plaza, River Court, Charles River, East Cambridge, Massachusetts, H. J. Davis Development Corp.; Tomie dePaola...
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1950s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Master American Contemporaries
Located in Wien, 9
The art work is signed in the print at the lower left and numbered in pencil: P.P. II/IV This special art piece "Master American Contemporaries" by Alex Katz (*1927) is a colour lit...
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1990s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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TWO BIRDS
Located in Portland, ME
Graves, Morris (American 1910-2001). TWO BIRDS. Brown Ink on tan paper, not dated. Although signed in pencil, lower right, the signature proved fugitive dur...
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Mid-20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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TWO BIRDS
$3,500
H 18 in W 24 in
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Located in New York, NY
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Early 2000s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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"Falcon on Branch" Grey Tonal Painting of a Falcon Perched on a Branch
Located in Houston, TX
Grey tonal painting of a Falcon perched on a branch. The work is framed in a silver frame with a white matte. The artist signed the work in the bottom right corner. Artist Biograph...
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20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Aquatint

Walter Darby Bannard, Ammersee #2 signed painting by renowned Color Field artist
Located in New York, NY
Walter Darby Bannard Ammersee #2, 1975 Watercolor and acrylic painting on paper Signed, titled and dated lower recto This is a unique work Frame included: elegantly floated and frame...
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1970s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Graphite

Previously Available Items
Montoya Drawing Lady With Open Mouth Looking Front
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
Category

20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Carbon Pencil

Montoya Drawing Lady With No Hair Face
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
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20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Carbon Pencil

Montoya Drawing Lady On Profile Lines On Hair
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
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20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Carbon Pencil

Montoya Drawing Lady With Eyes Closed
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Renowned for his stunning ability to capture the essence of Mexican culture, Gustavo Montoya’s drawings offer a powerful narrative through minimalistic yet emotive lines. His works, ...
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20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Carbon Pencil

Mood. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 60, 5 x 85, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Mood. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 60,5 x 85,5 cm Zigmunds Šņore was born in 1942 in Latvia. His works has been exhibited since 1969 and are held in priva...
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2010s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Circle Patterned Realistic Armored Rhino Exotic Wildlife Pencil Drawing
Located in Houston, TX
Realist patterned pencil drawing of an exotic rhino. Beautiful example of an intricate wildlife drawing. Currently hung in a simple black frame with a complimentary white mat. Dime...
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1970s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Pacific Ocean Currents, Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper, White Border, 100x70cm
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Ocean Currents" is a handmade cyanotype print of rough water texture resembling Pacific Ocean swell. Details: + ...
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Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Engraving, Etching

Red Rope Kimono
Located in Soquel, CA
Multi-layered collotype by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). This piece is unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of other Pearce work. No frame. Patricia Pearce (Americ...
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1980s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Paper, Ink, Lithograph, Gouache

Red Rope Kimono
Red Rope Kimono
H 27.25 in W 22.25 in D 0.03 in
Galveston House Architectural Landscape View
Located in Houston, TX
Realistic watercolor painting of a house in Galveston, Texas. The work is signed by the artist in the bottom corner. It is framed in a black frame with a white matte. Dimensions without Frame: H 22 in x W 30 in. Artist Biography: Herb Rather is a painter whose subject is chronicling the past in the form of architecture. Working in watercolor and representational style, he pays strong attention to details and use of color. Rather graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1952 and then went on to study architecture and in 1954 graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He practiced architecture for 43 years. He has also studied under Ed Whitney, Harold Phoenix, and Marge Brichler...
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21st Century and Contemporary Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Rosemary Ellis flower painting 1950s Canna Lily gouache New Naturalists nature
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." R...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Green Conure and Philodendron, Tropical
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Tropical bright green colors of a parrot with philodendron together look beautiful!

About the Artist
Suren is an impressionist painter eloquently c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Abstract Photography 1966
By Cathal Brendan O'Toole
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original gelatin silver print by well listed Irish American artist Cathal O' Toole. This beautiful photograph comes in a natural wood archival frame presentation. The framed s...
Category

1960s Realist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Realist abstract drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist abstract drawings and watercolors 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 abstract drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Patricia A Pearce, Clifford & Rosemary Ellis, Clifford Ellis, and Herb Rather. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Watercolor 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 abstract drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 13 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract drawings and watercolors 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 $279 and tops out at $6,250, while the average work sells for $900.

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