Realist More Art
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.
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2010s Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
At an intersection in Santa Monica, silence holds sway beneath a rapturous composition of clouds at sunset.
About the Artist
Jesse’s scenes of Los ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Resin, Ink, Panel, Graphite, Mylar, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
Morning mist shrouds a serene woodland scene. Dark, bare trees stretch their branches into the fog, creating a sense of quiet mystery. The undergrowth in the fo...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Realist More Art
Color, Offset
2010s Realist More Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1980s Realist More Art
Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Linen, Oil
1970s Realist More Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Realist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Paper, Color
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Giclée
Late 19th Century Realist More Art
Wood, Oil
1830s Realist More Art
Porcelain
1780s Realist More Art
Engraving
1960s Realist More Art
Silver Gelatin
Early 20th Century Realist More Art
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
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 More Art
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 More Art
Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Realist More Art
Glass
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Realist More Art
Gouache
Artist Comments
When you focus on classic automobiles, their designs often resemble human features. This yellow vehicle, for example, seems to radiate a cheerful, almost huma...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
In this still-life watercolor, a cup of coffee sits perfectly centered on a rustic table. The morning brew evokes a sense of routine and comfort. The rich, da...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Realist More Art
Oil, Cardboard
1970s Realist More Art
Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Early 20th Century Realist More Art
Gouache
2010s Realist More Art
Oil, Panel





