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Realist Art

REALIST STYLE

Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world. 

Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history. 

By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.

Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.

Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.

​​Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Realist
Mystic Louisiana Marsh Landscape in Blue Tones, Limited Edition Cyanotype Print
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Exquisite landscape of a "Mystic Louisiana Marsh". Details: + Title: Mystic Louisiana Marsh + Year: 2025 + Edition Size:...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype

Cat Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
466 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Cat Size: 12 x 16 inch, (30...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Nude. Abstract realism, Horizontal, Pastel colours, Beige, Cream, Ochre, Blue
Located in Oslo, NO
The subject of the painting is just awakened young woman, resting in a bad and enjoying first morning sunlight. The relaxed posture and soft colors express a calm mood, the freshnes...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Amber Light” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Sunset Ocean Wave.
Located in Zofingen, AG
«Amber Light» is a fleeting and rare moment when the sea glows from within, filled with warm golden light. A wave sparkles like a drop of amber, inviting us into the slow, quiet rhy...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

«Evening Symphony of the Sea» — Hyperrealistic Painting of Ocean Sunset and Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting depicts a magical moment between day and night at the seaside. The sand still holds the warmth of the fading sun, while waves dance along the shore, composing a gentle ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Socialite 1950's female portrait
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of a Socialite. Oil on canvas glued down to masonite panel. Panel measuring 25 x 30 inches. Unsigned and unattributed.
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Fiberboard

British Chalk Sketch of A Flock Of Herded Sheep On Deep Green Artist Paper
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Graphite, Chalk

BE WATER
Located in Zofingen, AG
She floats where silence begins — just beneath the skin of the water. Her form is neither here nor gone, dissolving into rhythm and light. There is no past, no edge, no name — only t...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy (Man)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy Gentleman, 2003. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Signed with monogram and dated lower right.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

«Splash of Silence» – Turquoise Wave Hyperrealism Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
A wave rises — calm, steady, full of quiet power. There is no noise here, only the deep breath of the ocean. "Splash of Silence" captures the moment just before everything moves again
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Esther Williams, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features American swimmer and actress Esther Williams (1921 - 2013) lounging on a trampoline. This ...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Seashore
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean is a mystery, full of secrets and deep emotions. Its power can be frightening, yet it beckons and offers freedom. In every wave lies a story of fear and love, intertwined i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

«Sea on Fire» - Hyperrealistic Oil Seascape Painting with Sunset Ocean Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Sea on Fire” is a moment when the sky bursts into flame above the horizon, and the sea catches its light as if holding a secret. The waves whisper in the language of sunset, rolling...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Train to Sunset, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Set on a winter evening at the 4th Avenue/9th Street station in Brooklyn, this painting captures a vivid sunset framed by the converging diagonals of the train ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Renewal
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Renewal" is the gentle touch of the ocean where water and soul meet, merging in a dance of light and motion. The waves envelop and carry away into a realm of quiet magic, where ever...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

«Light of Hope» – Hyperrealism Ocean Splash Wave at Sunset Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Created in March 2022, during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, Light of Hope carries a deep emotional resonance. This hyperrealistic seascape unites the fiery energy of a sunse...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Board

White lace
Located in Zofingen, AG
On the canvas of the artwork "White Lace" nature unveils its delicate side, as if weaving an intricate lace fabric for its masterpiece. A wave, enveloped in pristine foam, intertwine...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

WINDSWEPT LANDSCAPE Hand Drawn Lithograph, Green Trees, Peach Color Sky
Located in Union City, NJ
Artist - Laurent Marcel Salinas (born 1913 Alexandria, Egypt, died 2010 in America) Title - WINDSWEPT LANDSCAPE WINDSWEPT LANDSCAPE is an original hand drawn limited edition lithogr...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

British Chalk Pencil Sketches of A Bull Lying Down With White Features
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

Scottish Highlands Landscape Scene with Children & Dog Fishing by Mountain Lake
Located in Preston, GB
Scottish Highlands Landscape Scene with Children & Dog Fishing by a Mountain Lake by British Artist, Andrew Grant Kurtis M.A.(Lon) B.Des.(Hons) L.S.I.A.D. Art measures 30 x 20 inche...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with an Album of Japanese Prints
Located in Oslo, NO
The still life is done in light colors, in gentle neutral pearl-silver shades. The background for the objects is an open large album with Japanese prints. We see two reproductions wi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Echo of the Black Cat
Located in Zofingen, AG
This striking, contemporary painting invites the viewer into a space of quiet mystery and irony. A young woman with auburn hair, dressed in a dark, structured dress, stands confide...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Wikiva Basin, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This oil painting captures the quiet beauty of a Florida marsh. Palm trees and billowing clouds add depth and balance to the composition. Artist Kent Sullivan u...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Original painting on canvas board by Serg Graff " Futuristic Apple" COA
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is an original contemporary acrylic painting on canvas board in a modern still life style by Serg Graff, titled “Futuristic Apple.” The composition features a single boldly ren...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Dodo Bird
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Dodo, ca. 1940 Carved granite 7.75" wide, 5" deep, height is 7" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: Univers...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Dodo Bird
Dodo Bird
$1,600 Sale Price
60% Off
19th Century European Oil Painting Panoramic Landscape Sunrise with Pond Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
An atmospheric antique oil on canvas from the late nineteenth century presents a radiant sunrise over quiet countryside. In the center a large disk of the sun is half risen above the...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

"Italianizing landscape"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Adriaen van Diest (1655-1704) – "Italianizing Landscape" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 102 x 122 cm Dimensions (Flat): 74 x 106 cm Signature: Lower right corner Frame: O...
Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

New York City Snow Oil Painting Michael Budden Winter Union Square
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter Union Square oil/panel 9 x 12 x .25 unframed 14x17.25 framed as pictured. Frame has been touched up Winter Union Square is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Antique 19th Century Pastoral Landscape Oil on Canvas Old Master Style Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This antique oil painting on canvas represents a masterfully painted pastoral landscape from the first half of the 19th century and executed in the style of the old masters school. T...
Category

1830s Realist Art

Materials

Gold

Interior with Lady at the Staircase
Located in Stockholm, SE
This intimate painting captures a quiet domestic interior bathed in dim, lambent light. In the background, a lone woman in a blue dress stands at the foot of a staircase, just about ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magpie Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Magpie Size: 9 x 12 inch, (23x3...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Costa Rica Beach Foam, Shoreline Seascape, Minimal Blue, Limited Edition Print
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype of a Sandy Shore with Foam. Details: + Title: Sandy Shore with Foam + Edition Size: 100 + Stamped and Certificate of Aut...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Emulsion, Monotype, Paper

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of Cows Resting In The Grass Meadows
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Dou...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

“Chono Ca Pe, An Ottoe Chief”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Chono Ca Pe, is the remarkably handsome man looking back at us across some 200 years, expressing a certain wariness of the white man painting him. Also known as Big Kansas, the sitte...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Paper

The Cat Knows but Says Nothing
Located in Zofingen, AG
A woman sits in a sunlit room with soft geometric lines and a peaceful color palette of green, beige, and blue. A black cat rests on her lap, staring out the window at a calm, bl...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape OilPainting Michael Budden Mystical Monlight
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Moonlight oil/panel 8 x 10 unframed 13.25 x 15.25 framed. An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful moonlit ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

'Freedom', By Bojan Grof, Graphite, Charcoal and Oil Pencil Drawing on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 27" x 19" monochromatic graphite and charcoal drawing by Serbian artist, Bojan, is rendered in a hyper-realistic manner. A dog is the main subject in the lower right corner ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Graphite

"Last Light" - Oil on Canvas Winter Landscape with Sunset Mountains
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Harrison’s Last Light (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas that captures the fleeting beauty of twilight as it falls over a snow-covered plain and the rugged p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Daffodils in a milk jug
Located in Zofingen, AG
These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Peach Communion" (2015) By Michael DeVore, Oil on Canvas Still Life Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Michael DeVore’s "Peach Communion" (2015) is a masterfully executed original oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the artist’s refined approach to classical still life. This conte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Still Life"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Johann Rudolf Feyerabend, called Lelong (1749-1814) – Still Life Medium: Reverse painting on glass Dimensions: 16 x 23 cm Signature: Lower right corner Provenance: Private collection...
Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Fisherman Preparing His Fly Fishing Rod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 7 x 5.5 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

Field of Poppies - 2, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A field of red poppies bursts with vibrant color, illuminated by the golden hues of a setting sun. Bold strokes capture the depth and vitality of the scene. Pai...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

The Poor Girl – An Early Genre Scene by Julius Kronberg, 1873
Located in Stockholm, SE
This small, tenderly rendered painting— titled The Poor Girl (Den fattiga flickan)—offers a rare glimpse into Julius Kronberg’s early period, when he w...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"In Repose" (2025) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "In Repose" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a brunette seated at a table in deep contemplation. Artist bio/statement...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

New York City Painting Michael Budden Evening On Broadway St James & Sardis
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On Broadway, St. James & Sardi's Image is 10 x 8 unframed, 15.5 x 13.5 framed. An acrylic painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Antique 19th Century Romantic Moonlit Landscape Fisherman's Return Gold Frame
Located in Stockholm, SE
This evocative 19th century oil painting on canvas portrays a tender moment as a fisherman returns with his catch to his two daughters on the tranquil, moonlit shores of a sea bay b...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Pair of Terriers, Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Pair of Terriers Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961) Circa 1930s Gouache on paper 15 x 14 inches (frame) Signed on the back. Gianni Reggio was an Italian painter and illustrator wh...
Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

In an embrace. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. My intention was to keep tenderness and fragility of flowers, a ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist Skyscape Triptych in Blue Tones of Serene Cloudy Sky, Handmade Cyanotype
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Emulsion, Lithograph

'Golden Tranquility' Forest Lake Scene by American Postwar 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
'Golden Tranquility' Forest Lake Scene by American Postwar 20th Century Artist, Phillip Cantrell, born in 1922. Original, Signed, Landscape, Vintage Oil Painting. Art measures 16 x...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Painting Portrait Soldier in armor Circel of MESSONIER Wood panel 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
French school of the 19th century Ernest MESSONIER (Circle of) Portrait of a soldier in armor 27.5 x 17.5 cm (31 x 21 cm with the frame) Beautiful pitch pine wood frame Good condition
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

British Chalk Pencil Sketch Sheep Roaming in and Munching In The Field
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Dou...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

Hawk bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
475 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Hawk Size: 12 x 16 inch, (3...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Sunrise
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Morning Drama oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a dramatic sunrise se...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Crimson Murmurs" - Oil on Linen Figurative Painting With Red Birds
Located in Denver, CO
Alexandra Manukyan’s “Crimson Murmurs” (2024) is an original oil painting executed on linen mounted to aluminum gallery wrap, measuring 30 x 24 inches (32 x 26 inches framed). This e...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Linen

Late 19th Century Antique Oil Portrait of Young Peasant Girl Resting by Road
Located in Stockholm, SE
This enchanting original oil painting on canvas depicts a young Scandinavian peasant girl in traditional folk costume who has paused on a winding road to rest. The melancholic beauty...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Minimal Triptych of Calm Costa Rica Shore, Handmade Cyanotype on Paper, Blue
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Monotype

Sun Ripened, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Complementary colors take center stage in this still life. Purple plums rest in a yellow bowl, creating an immediate impact of bright hues. Above, a brightly ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Table top bottles still life painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful Italian Still Life painting by unknown artist in the style of Giorgio Morandi. Oil on panel, measuring 16 1/8 x 22 inches. ca. 1960s Artist board and fixtures are Italian.
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Realist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Michael Budden, Daniel Pollera, and Su Yu. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Realist art, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.

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