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
New York City Brooklyn Bridge PLein Air Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Brooklyn Bridge
oil/panel
11 x 14 unframed, 16.63 x 19.63 framed
signed LL
Here is beautiful plein air painting done on location in Brooklyn of the Brooklyn Bridge back in 2011. It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
"Lucas Loves You" - Whimsical Animal Portrait, Oil on Paper (2025)
Located in Denver, CO
Lucas R. Frinklemire is a fine gentlemunk of means, who enjoys the simple things in life. His message is a cheerful one everything is OK. Always remember that Lucas loves you! (He so...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Archival Paper
"Reclining Nude" Realist Interior Nude Female Figure Laying on Bed Oil Painting
Located in New York, NY
A 19th-century exceptional oil painting depicting a nude figure reclining on a bed with white drapery, set against a dark background. This intimate figurative scene portrays a female...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,000 Sale Price
20% Off
Ballerinas at the dressing room
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I captured the quiet, tender moments before the performance, where anticipation and grace blend beautifully. Using oil, I brought warmth and life to the dancers’ delic...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Heels? Never Heard of Them
Located in Zofingen, AG
There is a pause between two worlds — and in that pause, she sits. Barefoot, dressed in black, the woman rests against a handmade wooden fence, surrounded by the quiet pulse of natur...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Thinking about Degas III
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I captured a quiet moment of anticipation and reflection among dancers. Using oil, I painted their delicate forms and soft light to evoke a blend of impressionism a...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Persian Cats with Flowers" Oil Painting Portrait of Two White Cats in a Garden
By Beno Boleradsky
Located in New York, NY
This piece depicts two white, long-haired Persian cats in a natural setting. The cats are positioned on a grassy patch adorned with small flowers, including clusters of pink blossoms...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
River Meadow Landscape with Children & Dog at a Picnic in English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
River Meadow Landscape with Children & Dog at a Picnic in the English Countryside 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
«Free, Weightless, Brave. No.1»— Hyperrealistic Oil Underwater Nude Woman
Located in Zofingen, AG
There is so much unknown, undiscovered, and mysterious about the ocean. Much of what we are taught encourages fear—we learn about rips and currents, big waves and sharks, hear of dro...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
“Whisper of the Tides» — Hyperrealistic Oil Painting of Ocean Sunset and Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
The gentle light of the sunset dissolves into the foamy surf, tinting the waves with shades of rose and gold. In this moment, the ocean seems to whisper its eternal secrets, flowing ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The childhood of Harley Quinn
Located in Zofingen, AG
Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. In this painting, I captured the delicate innocence and quiet melancholy of childhood ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Out Islands, Bahamas, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features sailing boats in the Out Islands of the Bahamas, April 1964.
This is an estate stamped an...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Nude. Abstract realism, Horizontal, Pastel colours, Beige, Nudes across mediums
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
Train to Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
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
Antique Victorian Countryside Oil Landscape Sunset on River Scene 1890s Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This charming British oil painting by David Charles Jenkins (1867-1916) captures a serene countryside landscape bathed in the gentle glow of sunset. The composition leads the eye alo...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Oil
“Pulse of the Ocean” — Hyperrealistic Oil Seascape Painting of Sunset Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean pulses like a heart in love with the sunset. Its waves are gentle touches, holding the secrets of endless love.
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Mrs. A. Watson Armour III, Illinois, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1960s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Mrs. A. Watson Armour III walking with her poodles on her Lake Forest Estate, Illinois, USA.
T...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Mother and Child, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A mother holds her baby tenderly, her gentle smile reflecting their bond. Rich red tones and intricate clothing details stand out against the dark background. P...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
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
"Portrait of Harriet Conel Herter" Albert Herter, Female Portrait, Wedding Dress
Located in New York, NY
Albert Herter
Portrait of Harriet Conel Herter, 1947
Oil on canvas
36 x 30 inches
Provenance
The artist
Mrs. Harriet C. Herter, Dobbs Ferry, New York
Private Estate, Westchester, Ne...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, 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
Antique American Realist Interior Portrait Signed Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract landscape oil painting by Charles Courtney Curran (1861 - 1942) . Oil on canvas, lain to board. Framed. Measuring: 23 by 27 inches overall, and 18...
Category
1920s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
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
Lips in Perspective, Nude Lithograph by Roberto Carbone
Located in Long Island City, NY
Lips in Perspective
Roberto Carbone, Italian (1949)
Date: 1979
Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition of 250
Size: 27 in. x 20 in. (68.58 cm x 50.8 cm)
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
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
“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
“Blue Horizons” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where the sea meets the sky, infinity is born.
The horizon dissolves into shades of blue, promising freedom and new paths.
Unstretched
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse with White Features Waiting at The 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
Dou...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
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
The "New York" 1898, Marine, Seascape, Steamer, Ship at Sea, American, Realism
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Milton James Burns was born in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, in 1853. A founding member of the Salmagundi Club in New York, Burns became a highly acclaimed marine painter, one of the few who was...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Conca dei Marini, Italy, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1980s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a busy bay in Conca dei Marini, on the Amalfi coast in Italy, August 1984.
This is an est...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
"Forest shadows", green, brown, landscape painting, 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...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
"Sunset West" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Sunset West" is an original, handmade oil painting of a sunset above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a "barn wood" frame and is ready to hang. ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: A 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
"Stone of Unction, Church of the Holy Sepulchre" is a framed 19th century hand-colored lithograph by David Roberts from the large folio edition of his monumental 6 volume publication...
Category
1840s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of Horse Drinking at The Water Hole
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
Impressionistic Moonlight Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening Moonrise Study
oil/panel
10 x 8 unframed 14.38 x 12.38 framed.
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a romantic moonli...
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
Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful copy by an unknown artist, of the original painting "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" originally created in 1925 by the great American artist Felicie Waldo Howell (1897-1968)...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,000 Sale Price
20% Off
«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
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
Blue Damson - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online.
In Grape, Dani Humberstone reduces the still life tradition to ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, 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
Raspberry - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online.
In Raspberry, Dani Humberstone suspends a delicately painted fr...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
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...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Emulsion, Monotype, Paper
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
Berries in a golden bowl
Located in Zofingen, AG
The scene is set with a quiet reverence—a simple golden bowl, brimming with the last treasures of the season. These are not just fruits; they are memories of sunlight, gathered and p...
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
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
Fan Mail, Beverly Hills, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962), wearing a red negligee trimmed with black lace, sorts out h...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
1940s Philippino Masterpiece
Located in San Francisco, CA
I believe this powerful painting is by the very talented Philippines artist Virgilio Daclan. He was born in 1920 in Cebu city. He studied art in 1951 at the UP school of fine arts. T...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Malibu Pine Sea View, Blue Tones California Landscape, Handmade Cyanotype, Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype.
Stunning image of a breezy "Malibu Pine Sea View".
Details:
+ Title: Malibu Pine Sea View
+ Year: 2025
+ Edition Size: 50...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
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
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
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...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Chalk, Graphite
Large Realist STILL LIFE AT NIGHT Oil Painting by English painter Michael Exall
Located in Cirencester, GB
Artist: Michael Exall (1950-1996) British
Title: "Still Life Of Fruit Stand In The Window At Night"
Medium: oil on board
Size: 102cm x 74cm inc frame
Condition: very good
Notes: Pai...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse and Farmers Preparing The Hay Cart
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
"Mountain Ash" (2024) by Anna Wypych, Original Realist Floral Oil Painting
By Anna Wypych
Located in Denver, CO
"Currant" by Anna Wypych is an original handmade 8" x 10" realist oil painting. The piece depicts a black cat, tucked behind a branch of holly. This piece is framed in an intricate g...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
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
Catherine Wilke, Italy, Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1980 portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Catherine Wilke joining the topless sunbathers - along with Elisabetta Catalano, Charlotte Ticke...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Catherine Wilke, Capri, Italy, Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1980 portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Catherine Wilke joining the topless sunbathers - along with Elisabetta Catalano, Charlotte Ticke...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
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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