Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
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.
Artist Comments
This realistic watercolor captures a still life with a vivid touch. The bright red pottery symbolizes the summer sun, casting its rays upon a Granny Smith app...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Early 18th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pastel
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1890s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Board, Graphite
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Late 19th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Paper
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Paper
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Chalk
20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1950s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A plump green pear sits among scattered wine corks. The white background highlights the speckled skin of the fruit and the rustic appearance of the stoppers. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Grass emerges and spindly branches fan out as the snow begins to thaw. Muted tones of brown soil and green foliage blend with the lingering patches of white. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper
1990s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A ghostly white, weathered house stands in contrast against the dark, looming trees. The worn texture and faded paint of its exterior capture a sense of aband...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1940s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Crayon
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
India Ink
Artist Comments
An arrangement of baking essentials rests on a wooden table, illuminated by the interplay of light and shadow, which highlights the diverse shapes and texture...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Late 20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pastel
Early 20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Oil, Watercolor
20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A fallen tree stretches along a tranquil, icy riverbank, its gnarled branches reaching toward the pale winter sky. Patches of snow cling to the rugged bark, c...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A weathered country home seamlessly blends into its surroundings. Dry, golden grass adds warmth to the scene, contrasting the dark foliage and overcast sky. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A fallen tree stretches across a winding river, its bare branches creating a tangled web against the sky. The water flows gently, reflecting soft light as it ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1990s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
Mid-20th Century Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Graphite