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Realist Figurative 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
"Spring at Window" 18th Century Antique realism Watercolor painting on Paper
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed and dated 1858 Felix Schlesinger (1833-1910) was a German painter known for his charming and detailed portrayals of domestic ...
Category

Mid-18th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Anxious Thoughts.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Anxious Thoughts Ink drawing This piece visualizes a state where inner anxieties take shape and begin to constrict the mind. The octopus represents a multi-limbed embodiment of subc...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Gipsies with Horses in England Landscape Painting by 19th Century British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Gipsies with Horses & Covered Wagons in the Wild Moorland Landscape of England. An Original Watercolour Painting by 19th Century British Artist, James Walter Gozzard...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Board, Paint, Watercolor

Codependent love
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece speaks of love that loses its freedom and becomes a cage. Of a bond in which a person dissolves, forgetting themselves, living through another’s needs, pain, and fears. It...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Man in Thought
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Robert Bliss (1925-1981). Man in Thought, 1964. Graphite on canvas, 11.5 x 46 inches. Signed and dated lower left. Right piece of basic wood strip frame i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Graphite

Sitges beach Barcelona Spain charcoal drawing
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Francesc Ferret Farreras ”Bruno” (1921-2000) - Sitges Beach - charcoal Measurements drawing 44x59 cm. Frame measures 65x79 cm.
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

1937 Academic Female Nude Charcoal Drawing "Head in Hand" UC Berkeley
By John Ayres
Located in Arp, TX
John Ayres Head in Hand May 1, 1937 Charcoal on Paper 25"x19", unframed $1250 Signed and dated in charcoal top right *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect fr...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, India Ink

Malua Rosea Multiplex (drawing paper monochrome Botany girl braids monochrome)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
keywords; surrealism, portrait, oil painting, earth tones, figurative painting, strangeness, contemporary surrealistic, unsettling, contemporary figurative painting, dreams, symbolic...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Color Pencil, Paper

Commedia dell'arte – Four Character Studies in Watercolor, 1920s
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Unidentified artist, 'Commedia dell’arte' – four character studies (Arlecchino, Pantalone, Pantalone giovane, Tartaglia), watercolor and pencil, c. 192...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

André-henri Dargelas (1828 - 1906)
Located in PARIS, FR
André-henri Dargelas (Bordeaux 1828 - Ecouen 1906) Self-portrait in profile Charcoal and stump 49 x 42 cm With frame
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Morning stretches
Located in Zofingen, AG
A quick live sketch is always a little imperfect - too little time and too much adrenaline in the blood at this moment, but it perfectly conveys the delight of beauty and, as the Fre...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello. Portrait of a young man, 1963 Pencil on paper, sheet measures 18 x 24 inches. Crease running diagonally....
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

1920's Illustration of a Country Girl
Located in Soquel, CA
Finely detailed figurative illustration of a young woman leaning against a fence. The woman is wearing a plaid dress and bonnet with a black ribbon. Some of the landscape has been il...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Ink, Gouache

"The Long Walk Home". Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Male nudes, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Male nudes Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the male figure...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

"Ukrainian Cossacks"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Mikhail Chemiakin (b. 1943) “Ukrainian Cossacks”, 1981 Watercolor, ink on paper 29.5 × 29.5 cm Signed lower right A vivid and theatrical work by the internationally acclaimed Russia...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Ink, Paper

"The Newcomes, Chapter XI" - Early 20th Century Figurative Watercolor with Piano
Located in Soquel, CA
An fine period watercolor, dated 1910, an illustration by Charles Edmund Brock (English, 1870-1938). This, from a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, "The Newcomes, Memoirs of the Most Respectable Family." The novel was published in 1855. Below this image are two characters from "The Newcomes, Chapter XI". Presented in a rustic giltwood frame. Signed "C.E. Brock" and dated "1910" lower left. Image size, 10"H x 7.5"W. Charles Edmund Brock was a widely published English painter, line artist and book illustrator, who signed most of his work C. E. Brock. He received his first book commission at the age of 20. He became very successful, and illustrated books for authors such as Jonathan Swift, William Thackeray, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot. Brock also contributed pieces to several magazines such as The Quiver, The Strand, and Pearsons...
Category

1910s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Great Escape by Patsy McArthur - unique charcoal on paper - white box frame
Located in Dallas, TX
This is a beautiful and unique charcoal on paper drawing. The Fabriano paper is a high quality watercolour grade set in a custom white wood frame, all archival materials. Scottish ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper

'The Thief from François Villon's Christmas', San Francisco Bay Area Illustrator
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'James March Phillips' (American, 1913-1981) and painted circa 1965. Displayed in an original card mat decorated by the artist. Signed lower right, in pencil, 'J. M. Phillips' and titled, lower left, ''The Thief' - from Francois Villon's Christmas'. Mat dimensions: 16 x 13 inches. Born in California, James March Phillips first studied in San Francisco at the Jean Turner Art Academy and, later, under Alfred Owles...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board

'The Working Class Enjoying a Meal', Satire of Capitalism, Proletarian
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left, 'A. Manganaro' for 'Antonio Manganaro (Italian, 20th Century), and titled lower center, 'Ability of the Working Classes to Enjoy Meals Under Humble Surroundings'. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache, Pen, Graphite

"L'intrus" - Satirical French Illustration - Hand Colored Lithograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Comical illustration by Gaston Hoffmann (French, 1883-1977). A doctor is giving a shot to a female patient, while a nurse tries to prevent a man from barging in. Pencil signed "G Ho...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph

Katya
Located in Zofingen, AG
This is one of those sketches where Evgeniy Monahov first used an industrial marker together with tempera - the thick velvety black of his lines expands the tonal range of the delica...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Male nudes II, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Male nudes II Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the male fig...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Spartan Warriors (male nude fantasy)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Amazing fantasy group male nude composition by American artist, Robert Frederick Vorreyer (1924-2016). Graphite pencil on paper, image measures 15 x 27 inches; 27.5 x 40.5 inches framed. signed and dated lower right. Excellent condition with no damage or conservation. VORREYER, Robert Frederick Robert Frederick Vorreyer (August 25, 1924 - January 27, 2016) was truly a master of graphic media. The power and dynamics of Robert's graphics are in the use of negative space in the skillful rendering of the human form. Handled with great sensitivity and dignity, the figures seem to be alive with a sharpness that challenges the eye of the beholder. Robert was born in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago, IL and graduated from the Downers Grove High School with and art scholarship to an accredited college. He attended the University of Illinois, the Brooklyn Museum Art School, the Royal Academy in London as well as studying independently with various artists. Robert was a World War II special service artist in Camp Robinson, AR and eventually became the art director for TLVA Infantry/Airborne School in Fort Benning...
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Fleurus Airship French Army
Located in Middletown, NY
A portait of the first Allied airship to perform a bombing raid from the sky by a celebrated artist whose work hung on the Titanic. Watercolor and ink on heavy wove watercolor paper, 10 5/8 x 15 inches (270 x 380 mm). Signed in black watercolor in the lower right image area. In very good condition with minor surface soiling on the verso. Titled "Verdun" in pencil on the verso in the artist's hand. Adhered on the verso to matboard at the extreme margins with non archival tape. Presented handsomely in a simple, period maple frame. Titled, dated, inscribed and initialed by the artist on a label on the frame back. Born in Cambridge in 1898 and educated at Southsea School of Art, Norman Wilkinson is known for his graphic art, specifically his British Railway poster images, and also for something quite incredible; Wilkinson revolutionized the art of naval camouflage. Having been assigned to submarine patrols in Dardanelles, Gallipoli, and Gibraltar during WWI as a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Wilkinson was deeply troubled by the unprecedented success the German submarine fleet had torpedoing British ships. He hoped to find a solution to this gaping vulnerability, and in a lightning bolt moment, he had an epiphany that would change everything. Wilkinson says in his autobiography, A Brush With Life (Seeley, 1969), that he realized a ship could be painted to hide its shape against the sea and sky. In his own words, Wilkinson states that the hull of a ship could be camouflaged "not for low visibility, but in such a way as to break up her form and thus confuse a submarine officer as to the course on which she was heading." After some preliminary testing, the theory Wilkinson called "dazzle camouflage" was accepted by British Admiralty and Wilkinson was placed in charge of the naval camouflage unit. The unit, which was headquartered in the basement of the Royal Academy of Arts, consisted of Wilkinson and about two dozen "camoufleurs;" they were artists, students, model makers and consultants, including a zoologist. The dazzle schemes were tested on models and then distributed to artists who were stationed at the docks, where the ships would be painted. At the end of the war Wilkinson was formally declared the inventor of dazzle camouflage and awarded for his contribution. Wilkinson went on to enjoy a long and celebrated career as a painter of maritime scenes, naval vessels, and warships. He served as the president of the Royal Institute of Painter in Water Colours (RI) from 1936 until 1963 (having been elected a member in 1906); he was elected Honourable Marine Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1919, and he was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Society of Marine Artists, and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. In 1918 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1948. In January 1920 he was appointed knight (chevalier) of the Belgian Order of the Crown. Among the many notable points of interest regarding Wilkinson's career is that his painting Plymouth Harbour, which was commissioned by Cunard White Star Lines for the first class smoking room of the RMS Titanic, was lost at sea when it perished with the ship. Wilkinson had also created a comparable painting entitled The Approach to the New World, which hung in the same location on the Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Cecil Beaton - Watercolour Ballet Costume Design for Le Pavillon - 1936
Located in London, GB
SIR CECIL BEATON, CBE (1904-1980) Ballet Costume Design for Le Pavillon - 1936 Signed and bears wardrobe mark l.r.: Beaton Watercolour and ink 49 by 39 cm., 19 ¼ by 15 ½ in. (fram...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

A girl II - XXI century, Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing PROVENANCE Exhibited at Katarzyna Napiorkowska Gallery. The Gallery is a primary representative for this artist. The Gallery o...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Pastel, Pencil, Cardboard

Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello. Portrait of a young man, c.1950. Pencil on paper, sheet measures 14 x 17 inches. Excellent condition. S...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Untitled (Coastal Scene)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Untitled (Coastal Scene)" c.1990, is a watercolor on paper by noted Canadian/Japanese artist Suezan Aikins, b.1952. It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork (image) size is 10 x 28 inches, framed size is 17.25 x 35.25 inches. Custom framed in a silver metal frame, with double off white matting. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some minor rubs and scratches. About the artist: Born in Montreal in 1952, Suezan was influenced early in her life by the works of modern Japanese woodblock printmakers which hung throughout her parents’ home. She attended the Fine Arts programme at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick (1969 - 1971), The Ontario College of Art (1971-73), L’ ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts (1974), Nova Scotia College of Art and Design -BFA (1975) as well as a very intensive year of study with Toshi Yoshida in Tokyo (1984-85). She has exhibited extensively in both public and private galleries throughout North America and Japan. Recent exhibitions include solo shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, and Boston with group exhibitions at the Wenniger Gallery, Boston, Royal Canadian Academy in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Her paintings and woodblock prints are found in many collections such as The Canada Council Art Bank, The Nickle Art Museum, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Royal Bank of Canada, Prince Takamanonamiya Norihito, the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, The Thomas Moore Institute as well as private collections. Suezan Aikins was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant in 1983, Nova Scotia Department of Culture - Development Grants in 1980, 1987 and 1988. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1990 and received the Canadian Progress Club- Women of Excellence Award for Culture in 1993. Her work has been featured in a number of television documentaries as well as many Canadian magazines. STUDIES: Yoshida Woodblock Print Studio Tokyo, 84-85 Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, Halifax, 74-75 BFA Ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts, Montreal, 74 Ontario College of Art, Toronto, 71-73 Mt. Allison University, 69-72 SELECTED SOLO SHOWS: 25 Year Retrospective of Woodblock Prints traveled to three Public Galleries in Germany: Dornum Castle; Tollhousverein, Leer; Rastede Palace, Oldenberg 2000-2001 color catalog and reviews. Private Exhibitions, Falmouth, Mass., July 1996; Montreal, November 1996; Gibson Island, Md., April 1999. Gold Paintings and Woodblock Retrospective, travelling: Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo; Genkan Gallery, Tokyo American Club; Blue Nile Gallery, Osaka; Kanda's Gallery BOQ, Okinawa; May 1994 (color catalogue) Edo Gallery, Boston, November 1992, Private Exhibitions, Chatham, Mass, July 1992, Toronto, Oct. 1991 New Paintings and Woodblocks Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo, May 1991, and also in 1987. Japanese Garden and Pavilion Foundation, Montreal, September 1990, Ownens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University 1988 Zwickers Gallery, Halifax, NS, 1979; Gallery 78; Fredericton, November, 1983; Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, November, 1982 SELECTED GROUP SHOWS: "A New Leaf" 30 foot instalation of mixed media/ goldleaf reliefs, Artsplace, Annapolis Royal, N.S., 2000 color catalog "Far and Wide" Juried Bienials, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; 1996 to '99, travelling, catalogs "Moku Hanga Travelling Exhibition: Contemporary Japanese...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

"L'intrus" - Satirical French Illustration - Hand Colored Lithograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Comical illustration by Gaston Hoffmann (French, 1883-1977). A doctor is giving a shot to a female patient, while a nurse tries to prevent a man from barging in. Pencil signed "G Ho...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph

We are so different, yet so alike at the same time.
Located in Zofingen, AG
“We are at once different and so alike” — this piece explores the collective nature of internal limitations. It reflects on the delicate boundary between individual uniqueness and th...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Trailblazer by Patsy McArthur, charcoal drawing, underwater diver and bubbles
Located in Dallas, TX
Scottish artist Patsy McArthur explores the grace and power of human movement in her naturalistic drawings and paintings. Her latest works, including small ink studies, charcoal and ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Archival Paper

Nude. Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing on cardboard by Polish artist Andrzej Szypluk. Monochromatic drawing of a female in nude. PROVE...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Chalk, Cardboard, Pencil

Untitled (Man Reading Newspaper)
Located in New York, NY
Conté crayon on paper Signed, l.r. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now lives in New York City. His works ...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Conté

The Great Escape by Patsy McArthur - unique charcoal on paper - white box frame
Located in Dallas, TX
This is a beautiful and unique charcoal on paper drawing. The Fabriano paper is a high quality watercolour grade set in a custom white wood frame, all archival materials. Scottish ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper

We are so different, yet so alike at the same time.
Located in Zofingen, AG
“We are at once different and so alike” — this piece explores the collective nature of internal limitations. It reflects on the delicate boundary between individual uniqueness and th...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

"Lounging Nude" 1940's Charcoal Nude Drawing Bay Area Artist
Located in Arp, TX
John Bowers Lounging Nude 1940s Charcoal on Paper 25"x19", unframed Came from a portfolio from the estate of John Bowers John Henry Bowers September 9, 1921 - January 30, 2017 Joh...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello. Portrait of a young man, c.1950. Charcoal and pastel on paper, sheet measures an impressive 11 x14 inches...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

"Lady in White" (2024) By Bunyod Suvonov, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Lady in White" (2024) by Bunyod Suvonov is original handmade oil painting done on canvas. This piece depicts a portrait of a woman with long brown hair wearing a white dress on an a...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Charcoal with red and white conté crayon on Rives BFK paper Signed and dated, recto This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Conté, Charcoal

The Jewel that is London, 1930s art deco poster design by A. E. Halliwell
Located in London, GB
A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) The Jewel that is London Airbrush and gouache 26 x 33 cm c.1930 Signed to reverse Provenance: Family of the artist A.E. Halliwell (1905–1986) was a Brit...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

19th Century Loch Tay Scottish Landscape
By Aaron Edwin Penley
Located in Soquel, CA
Masterful Scottish watercolor landscape of Loch Tay with boats and small figures on the short by Aaron Edwin Penley (English, 1826-1897)....
Category

1870s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Portrait of a Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Vito Tomasello. Portrait of Wayne Herman, 1971. Pasel on paper, 18 x 24 inches. Signed and dated upper left. A lifetime NYC resident, Tomasello is best known for his male nude draw...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Ballet Espagnol, Pilar Lopez
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Ballet Espagnol Pilar Lopez" c.1955 referring to the famous Spanish Flamenco dancer, Pilar Lopez, 1912-2008 is a pastel and crayon on paper by noted French artis...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Scarlett Macaw Parrots and Ferns Watercolor, Large-Scale Horizontal Panorama
Located in Soquel, CA
Scarlett Macaw Parrots and Ferns Watercolor, Large-Scale Horizontal Panorama A substantial horizontal watercolor of four Scarlett Macaw parrot...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

'The Enduring Attractions of the Open Market', Capitalism Satire
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'A. Manganaro' for 'Antonio Manganaro (Italian, 20th Century), and titled lower center, 'The Enduring Attractions of the Open Market'. Matted Dimensions: 16 x 20
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache, Pen, Graphite

Family Dinner
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Family Dinner” size of illustration 23-29 cm This work explores the invisible scripts that unfold around a familiar table. It reflects on tradition as something that both connects a...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Codependent love
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece speaks of love that loses its freedom and becomes a cage. Of a bond in which a person dissolves, forgetting themselves, living through another’s needs, pain, and fears. It...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Puissance, Horse Drawing, Charcoal and graphite on Fabriano paper, white frame
Located in Dallas, TX
Puissance is a beautiful and unique charcoal drawing on paper of a dynamic horse. The Fabriano paper is a high quality watercolor grade set in a custom white wood frame, all archival...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite

"Waiting" (2023) By Bunyod Suvonov, Original Charcoal and Graphite Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
"Waiting" (2023) by Bunyod Suvonov is original handmade drawing made with charcoal and graphite on toned paper. This piece depicts a portrait of a woman with long flowing hair laying...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

"Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) By James Van Fossan, Original Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan's "Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) is an original handmade charcoal and graphite drawing on paper that depicts a cowboy leaning against a sawhorse in a moment of re...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

The Watercarrier, Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Mid Century Santa Cruz, California Figurative Vintage Boardwalk Scene, 1944
Located in Soquel, CA
A lively and detailed mid-1940's vintage boardwalk scene of Santa Cruz, California by California artist Cassard (20th Century), 1944. This figurative...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Siegfried and the Bear
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Exhibitions William Stout: South Pasadena and Nordic Myths at The Raymond, Pasadena, CA, November 2, 20Provenance Acquire...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

1920's Historical Fashion Illustration of Lady in 17th Century Dress
Located in Soquel, CA
Finely detailed historical figurative fashion illustration painted in watercolor in 1921, of a lady in 17th century dress; complete with a full blac...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Back At The Stables (I)" (2024) By James Van Fossan, Original Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan's "Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) is an original handmade charcoal and graphite drawing on paper that depicts a cowboy about to lean against a sawhorse. James Va...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

Puissance, Horse Drawing, Charcoal and graphite on Fabriano paper, white frame
Located in Dallas, TX
Puissance is a beautiful and unique charcoal drawing on paper of a dynamic horse. The Fabriano paper is a high quality watercolor grade set in a custom white wood frame, all archival...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite

Bottle Bag (Lady Selborne, Pretoria, South Africa)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tshidiso Andrew Motjuoadi (1935-1968) Bottle Bag (A Penny for a Bottle). 1963. Ink on handmade paper laid down on plywood board, panel measures 20.5 x 28.75 inches. Signed and dated ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Dorothy Fitchew - 20th Century British Watercolor Illustration of Flower Fairies
By Dorothy Fitchew
Located in London, GB
DOROTHY FITCHEW (1889-1975) “I Must Go Seek Some Dewdrops Here, And Hang a Pearl in Every Cowslip’s Ear.” Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II, Scene I Signed l.l.: DOROTHY FITCHEW ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Carriage coming from a Small Village - Original Signed Charcoals Drawing
Located in Paris, IDF
Gustave Poetzsch (1870-1950) Carriage coming from a Small Village, c. 1900 Original charcoals and pencil drawing Signed bottom right Stamp of the Estate auction sale on the back On...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Pencil

Seaman in petticoat breeches and slops, smoking a pipe, carrying a carpetbag.
Located in Middletown, NY
English School, 18th century Pen and black ink with gray wash on cream laid paper, 9 1/4 x 5 inches (238 x132 mm). 1/4 inch repaired loss, top center, to the left of the figure’s h...
Category

18th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Laid Paper, Pen

César - Friendship - Original Signed Watercolor
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
César Baldaccini Original Watercolor and ink pencil on paper dedicaced and signed in red Dimensions: 27 x 26 cm Signed César Baldaccini was born in Marseille in 1921. At the age of 12, he left the school to help his father, cooper. At 15 years old, he studied at the Art college of Marseille. He took evening drawing teachings, and then was interested in sculpture until 1939. In 1942, César received a scholarship and went to Paris. He studied ten years at the School of Beaux-Arts; he worked in the studios of Gaumont and Alfred Jeanniot and was named “Grand Massier” (teacher) of this school. At that time, he was living in the same house as Alberto Giacometti. In 1944, short of resources, he went to Marseille, then return to Paris, next year. With the 50s, he made discovered his work through his first exhibitions. One of its works (« The fish ») obtained a place in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (1955). Henceforth, he exhibited ceaselessly, participating in numerous “Salons” in France and abroad. César received numerous prices there. He got personal exhibitions everywhere (Japan, the United States, Holland, France, Italy, etc.). Important retrospectives came, later. In 1970, he was named professor a foreman to the School of Beaux-Arts in Paris. During his all life, Caesar was stimulated by « the love of the profession » and by an extraordinary will to innovate. The humor of the man did not miss and was noticed through his work. Pablo Picasso was his major reference, also Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, Pablo Gargallo and Julio Gonzales...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Sleeping Nude Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Drawing of a sleeping nude woman by S. LeDrew (20th Century). Signed "S. LeDREW" in the lower right corner. Presented in a double mat of dark red and whi...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Conté

'Napoleonic Guard at the Cathedral of Uspensky Sobor', Moscow, French Militaria
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Initialed lower left, 'C.H.' for Charles Constantine Hoffbauer (French, 1875-1957) and painted circa 1900. Accompanied by the original artist-signed mat, original backing with inscription and newspaper clipping from Los Angeles Times' review of Hoffbauer's 1949 Legion of Honor Exhibition. Mat dimensions: 12.75 x 13.5 Inches An exceptionally fine and detailed, cabinet-sized gouache showing members of the Napoleonic guard relaxing in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Uspensky Sobor during France's brief occupation of Moscow during the fall of 1812. Born in Paris in 1875, Charles Hoffbauer studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Fernand Cormon and Gustave Moreau and, during his studies, became acquainted with Matisse, Rouault, and Marquet. He was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards including an Honorable Mention in the Salon of 1896, and prizes at the Salons of 1898 and 1899. He was awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1900 and, in the same year, a French government scholarship, the Prix National du Salon, that allowed him to travel and study in Italy, Greece and Egypt. In 1902, he won the Prix Rosa Bonheur. At the Salon of 1904, the French government purchased 'Champs de Bataille' for the Musée du Luxembourg and Hoffbauer was elected a member of the Legion of Honor. Hoffbauer served in the French Army as an official war artist during the first world war, winning the Croix de Guerre and acting as liaison officer to the American camouflage section. On the recommendation of the mural painter, James Wall Finn, Hoffbauer received the 1935 commission to paint the murals for Battle Abbey, the Confederate memorial in Richmond, Virginia. He revisited America to accept a commission for the mural in the Missouri State Capitol, and was appointed to membership of the jury of the 1937 International Exposition. Two years later, he became an American citizen and settled in Rockport, Massachusetts. Charles Hoffbauer's work may be found in the permanent collections of numerous national museums including the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Reference: Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Peter Hastings Falk, Sound View Press 1999, Vol. 2, p. 1585; Thieme-Becker Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zu Gengenwart, Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag 1992, Vol. 17/18, p. 246; E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Jacques Busse, 1999 Nouvelle Édition, Gründ 1911, Vol. 7, p. 105; Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers of the U.S.: Colonial to 2002, Bob Creps, Dealer’s Choice Books, Inc. 2002, Vol. 1, p. 643; Steen, James T. "The Story of a Painting," Carnegie Magazine 31/32 (February 1957): 57-59; Charles Hoffbauer (1875-1957). Drawings, Temperas & Oil Paintings. Exh. cat. Somerville, MA: Gropper Art Gallery, 1977; Glueck, Grace. New York: The Painted City. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"The Remote", Pigments Watercolor Acrylic Paper Drawing
Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Titled "The remote", this artwork created by Frank Girard, utilizes pigments, Chinese ink, watercolors, acrylics, and colored pencils on 400g/m2 neutral white paper. It remains unfra...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil, Pigment

Nude. Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing on cardboard by Polish artist Andrzej Szypluk. Monochromatic drawing of a female in nude. PROVE...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Pastel, Cardboard, Pencil

Infanta Madre Tierra (Mother Earth)
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Infanta Madre Tierra (Mother Earth)' features the face of a young woman with flora motif (top) and series of birds and flora motif (bottom) representing ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Graphite

Ballerina and Bugs
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Melodie Provenzano (b.1974). Ballerina and Bugs, 2006. Graphiye pencil on paper, sheet measures 14.5 x 20.5 inches. 16.5 x 22.5 inches framed. Signed, titled and dated on back of sheet. Excellent condition. Melodie Provenzano lived and worked in New York City until 2020. After receiving her BFA from Parsons School of Design in 1996, she freelanced for more than a decade painting window displays, showrooms and various commissioned projects for fashion companies including, Saks 5th Avenue, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Chanel and Hermes. At this time, she sharpened her drawing and painting skills while developing her fine art. Melodie has exhibited in group shows at The Brattleboro Museum, VT, The Chelsea Art Museum, NYC, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA, and solo shows at Lyons Wier Gallery, NYC, Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL, The University School of Nashville, TN, and Nancy Margolis Gallery, NYC. She has also written and recorded songs as "Connie Acher", releasing five LPs on Flipped Out Records and her most recent "For Giving" on UK label Golden Lab. Melodie currently lives and works in the countryside near Nashville, TN. Born in Hudson, NY, 1974 EDUCATION 1996 BFA Parsons School of Design SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS 2020 Seeing Oneself in Others, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY, February 27 - April 11 2015 Stealth Peace, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY, May 14 - June 20 2014 Raw Ribbon, University School of Nashville, Nashville,, January 9 - February 10 2012 Rock Center, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York, NY, November 15 - December 15 Selected Work 2005-2011, 5th Avenue Windows of Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, October 5-12 2011 Drawn Together: Melodie Provenzano & Philippe Simille, The Marketplace Gallery, Albany, NY, May 6-28 2010 Melodie Provenzano & Rachel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Gentleman in Black-Tie, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Gentleman in Black-Tie Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

No, I'll not give you my password!
Located in Zofingen, AG
Usually viewers try to look over the shoulder to see what the artist is painting, but here Evgeniy Monahov, in a quick sketch portrait, seems to be looking over the shoulder of his m...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Realist figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist figurative 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 figurative 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 blue, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Frank Girard, Chikako Okada, Rosy Andreasi-Verdier, and Mark Beard. 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 figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 2.41 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative 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 $124 and tops out at $100,123, while the average work sells for $1,239.

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