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.
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Ocean Beach Seascape Oil Painting Children Playing Michael Budden Summer Play
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Summer Play, Sailboats and the Jetty 6 x 8 unframed, 9.75 x 11.75 framed Signed LR Summer Play is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden t...
Oil
Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting Sunrise Series by Michael Budden People Jetty
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Study Image is 6 x 8 unframed, and 11.75 x 13.75 framed. Signed LR Sunrise Study is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that s...
Oil
Evolution
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting features two pieces of art. The difference between their creation is about 2000 years. The first is the sculpture, Venus de Milo, the most famous of all ancient Venuses....
Canvas, Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow With Horns Facing Away
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...
Chalk, Graphite
$1,589
«Under a Heavy Sky» — Realistic Oil Seascape of Turquoise Waters and Storms
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sky lowers itself, as if reaching for the sea. Dense and dark, it carries an unspoken weight. The turquoise water does not resist — it glows from within, breathing steadily, ac...
Oil, Canvas
"Der Maler in der Landschaft" original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. Printed in 1919 and published in Berlin by Paul Cassirer. Plate size: 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches (165 x 110 mm). Not signed.
Etching
Fragility of Strength -Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting of Breaking Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The moment before everything changes, where strength teeters on the edge of fragility. DETAILS ● 100% original hand-painted ● The painting is textured ● The picture is painted with ...
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century Oil Painting -- The White Persian Kitten, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Figurative -- White Persian Kitten by Mildred Kaucher Charming mid century portrait of a white Persian kitten with blue eyes and pink ears and nose by Los Gatos artist M...
Metal
India Madras Painting on board Portrait of Serving Girl with Pot c 1910
Located in Norfolk, GB
Madras School C 1910 Acrylic on board 11.5" x 8" Address on verso This painting dating to the early 20th century, c 1910, shows a young woman, possibly from Madras (see info on reverse), The colours follow the conventions of a genre of art called Company School painting...
Mixed Media, Board
$1,400
1899 Irma Vauthier Antique Oil Painting European Genre Scene by Gilt Frame
Located in Palm Coast, FL
An atmospheric late 19th-century European School oil on canvas depicting a poignant rural genre scene of women and children gathered beside a stone cross, set within a sweeping, wind...
Oil
Listed Artist Hewett Jackson Original Oil Painting Tall Ship Seascape Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a large original oil painting on canvas by listed maritime artist Hewett R. Jackson (1914–2007). This striking nautical scene depicts a majestic tall sailing ship brea...
Oil
$1,589
“Line of Stillness” — Contemporary Seascape Painting of Calm Ocean Horizon
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is about how formality dissolves when you’re surrounded by the right people. What is usually governed by rules, timing, and expectations quietly turns into something softer...
Canvas, Oil
Pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
The serene ceramic jar anchors the composition, creating a quiet dialogue between matte surfaces and glossy fruit. The carefully draped striped tablecloth introduces rhythm and movem...
Canvas, Oil
«The Calm Before the Rain» — Hyperrealistic Oil Landscape Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sky slowly gathers its weight, holding the promise of rain. Clouds breathe in silence — light still lingers in their folds, yet the depth beneath them darkens. The sea remains c...
Canvas, Oil
$2,260
Cowboy: The Freedom Rider- Western painting, American Artist, Horse painting
Located in Oslo, NO
cowboy, horse, prairie, Western art, Western painting, American art, American artist, freedom, Wild West "This painting was inspired by American Westerns and the films of the Wild W...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
Natalie Portrait Painting, Realism, Silvery-Ocher, 110x80 cm
Located in Oslo, NO
The portrait depicts a beautiful girl in the prime of her youth, when her whole life is ahead and full of hope. Despite the fact that it depicts a specific person, this portrait can ...
Canvas, Oil
"The Dark Waters" Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
This refined contemporary painting combines narrative elegance with a strong visual signature. The striking red boat immediately anchors the composition, floating against richly text...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Сoffee tradition
Located in Zofingen, AG
Original oil painting on canvas, still life painting made under natural light. This artwork is painted using high-quality fine linen canvas. Signed on the front and back of artwork. ...
Canvas, Oil
Metsälampi (Forest Pond), 1942
Located in Stockholm, SE
Metsälampi (Forest Pond) is a 1942 oil painting on panel by the Finnish artist Ragnar Ungern, depicting a forest pond with overhanging trees reflected in its still waters. Created in...
Oil, Wood Panel
“Where Everything Begins” — Hyperrealistic Seascape at Dawn
Located in Zofingen, AG
A moment of silence between night and day. The sea still holds the coolness and depth of darkness, yet the first path of sunlight already appears on the water — a sign of beginning, ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,417
Fresh and Peeled-realism Still Life Painting, Oil on board, Signed, 37x45 cm
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is framed, signed & currently available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery. There is an undeniable elegance in the simplicity of Fresh and Pee...
Oil, Board
$388Sale Price|76% Off
French school Still Life fruits Oil painting Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
➡️Still Life painting from C Romey⬅️ ⏩It is signed C Romey⏪ Cecil Romey 1889-1973 ⭐Medium:⭐ Oil on canvas ⭐Technique: ⭐Impasto painting with expressive brushwork. ⭐Size:⭐55x38 c...
Oil, Stretcher Bars, Gesso
$529
«Botany 4» Original floral painting. Circular small canvas . Gift . Home decor
Located in Oslo, NO
This artwork, a circular painting, deftly captures a vibrant botanical ensemble on a textured backdrop. Set against a muted, earthy background, the piece features an array of intrica...
Canvas, Oil
New York City Theater Painting Michael Budden Phantom of the Opera Study
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Phantom oil/panel 8x6 unframed, 13.38 x 11.25 framed signed LR Mystical Phantom is an oil painting study on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden...
Oil
Chile Sandias, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Red chiles are a great source of pride in New Mexico. In this still life, artist Duane Brown depicts the peppers as the Sandia Mountains, a range east of Albuqu...
Oil
"Guardian of the Plains" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood (2025)
By Terra Novak
Located in Denver, CO
"Guardian of the Plains" depicts a detailed buffalo profile against a warm yellow background. Inspired by Yellowstone National Park, the buffalo embodies wisdom, strength, and the en...
Wood, Oil
Fromage
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting captures a still life scene viewed from above, inviting you to explore its intimate details. At the center, a wooden board showcases a variety of cheeses, ...
Canvas, Oil
Quiet day
Located in Zofingen, AG
A poised still life rendered in luminous oil, where light glides across a draped table, revealing the tender gleam of porcelain and the play of silken folds. Two white jugs, a cup a...
Canvas, Oil
$1,012
European Village Scene with Figures by Dutch Artist Cor van Eijk (1914–1990)
Located in Preston, GB
European Village Scene with Figures by Dutch Artist Cor van Eijk (1914–1990) Art measures 10 x 14 inches Frame measures 16 x 20 inches This atmospheric mid 20th century oil paintin...
Canvas, Oil, Board
"Cloud Composition 2" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 2" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
«A Second Before the Touch» — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The wave rises and comes to stillness. Light passes through the water and remains within it. Movement slows, almost disappearing. This moment still holds its form. Nothing is broken ...
Canvas, Oil
Crowded Street Scene From Luntmakargatan, Stockholm
Located in Stockholm, SE
Olof Arborelius (1842–1915) From Luntmakargatan, Stockholm oil on paper mounted on board signed with monogram “OA” unframed 24 × 30 cm (9.4 × 11.8 in) frame 35 × 41 cm (13.8 × 16.1...
Oil, Board, Laid Paper
"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...
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
Fireflies II - contemporary, figurative, portrait, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic oil portrait of a young man is by Daniel Hughes. In a field surrounded by the magical glow of dozens of fireflies, a young man stands alone, looking towards hills in ...
Oil, Canvas
La Fille du Régiment
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
WILLIAM WEGMAN (b. 1943) 'La Fille du Régiment', 2007 SIGNED Vintage Oversized Artist's Photography Poster Commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera's 2007-2008 season, renowned arti...
Offset
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...
Chalk, Graphite
"Outstretched" - Original Oil Nude Portrait Painting on Linen Panel
By Matt Talbert
Located in Denver, CO
Artist bio/statement: Matt Talbert is a contemporary oil painter living in Southern California. Both a graduate from the Orange County School of the Arts and the Laguna College of A...
Panel, Linen, Oil
$106Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Cow Munching Grass 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...
Chalk, Graphite
$133
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...
Chalk, Graphite
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Off the Coast Seascape Study is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionist...
Oil
Black Cat. Canvas, oil, horizontal format, warm color
Located in Oslo, NO
She sprawls across the pale folds of the sofa, a languid sign between sleep and reality. Her slender fingers hold a cigarette holder, stretched out like a silent question, and from i...
Canvas, Oil
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.
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
"Cloud Composition 7" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 7" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
"What Am I Looking At?.." Signed Acrylic Painting, Realist
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork blends calm seaside serenity with an unexpected, dreamlike encounter. A solitary girl stands on the shore, dressed in timeless black-and-white attire, her posture compos...
Acrylic
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
Beach Path & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Path II oil/panel 11 x 14 image unframed, 17.38 x 20.38 framed Signed LL Beach Path II is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that sho...
Oil
"The New Scene of Van Eyden" Acrylic on Canvas, Signed
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...
Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
Basket Of Red Cherries Still-Life Oil Painting With Gilt Frame
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
This still life painting depicts a woven basket brimming with ripe cherries, delicately arranged on a tabletop against a subdued background. The cherries are rendered with a sheen, t...
Canvas, Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow with Horns In The Water Loche
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...
Chalk, Graphite
"What?.." Surreal Figurative Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting invites the viewer into a quiet, surreal moment suspended between reality and dream. A young woman, draped in black, leans forward onto a round wooden table, her postur...
Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
$8,032
Dolomite Landscape - Huge Italian Austrian Mountain River Waterfall Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful and huge mid 19th century oil on canvas depicting a landscape in the Dolomites, by Karl Moser. Excellent quality work on exhibition scale by this important Austrian arti...
Canvas, Oil
$2,236
«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...
Oil, Wood Panel
Listed Artist Hewett Jackson Original Oil Painting Tall Ship Seascape Large
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a large original oil painting on canvas by listed maritime artist Hewett R. Jackson (1914–2007). This striking nautical scene depicts a majestic tall sailing ship brea...
Oil
$420
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...
Emulsion, Monotype, Paper
"Return of the Prodigal Son" Realist Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captures a quiet yet emotionally charged moment where symbolism gently emerges from everyday life. A woman embraces a black cat whose direct gaze creates an immediate p...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$4,604Sale Price|20% Off
"The Norwegian Madonna" Original realistic portrair. Large vertical oil painting
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting was created specifically for the New masculinity collection on Singulart. The topic is very relevant and concerns many people .Gender roles have ceased to be as specifi...
Canvas, Oil
$2,754
Spotted Woodpecker - 21st Century Contemporary Acrylic Painting of a Bird
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Maikel van Emmerik Spotted Woodpecker 24 x 18 cm ( framed included in price 28 x 22 cm) Acrylic paint on canvas Maikel van Emmerik is a Dutch wildlife painter whose art reveals a pr...
Canvas, Acrylic
$621Sale Price|42% Off
Mountain Lake Forest Landscape Scene - Vintage Art 20th Century Oil Painting
Located in Preston, GB
Mountain Lake Forest Landscape Scene - Vintage Art 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 17 x 14 inches Frame measures 21 x 18 inches Vintage painting, ornate gold f...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$1,265Sale Price|25% Off
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting
Located in Preston, GB
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 32.5 x 26.5 inches Frame measures 36.5 x 30.5 inches This impressive oil p...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Dining In Gstaad, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features holidaymakers at a ski lodge at Gstaad, Switzerland, March 1961. This is an estate stam...
Lambda
$2,646Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by 20th Century Modern British Artist, James Wright Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 29 x 23 inches Pres...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil