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Realist Animal Paintings

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
Color:  Blue
Easter John - original contemporary realist bird and skyscape oil painting art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Easter John" by Lilia Mazurkevich welcomes viewers into a serene yet vibrant blue sky, where a singular bird steals the spotlight with its exuberant presence. Perched gracefully on ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Claudio D'Angelo, "Sunrise Over the Marsh", Winter Fox Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Sunrise Over the Marsh", is a 20x20 winter oil painting on canvas by artist Claudio D'Angelo. Featured is an early sunrise over a snow covered marshland, the sun and moo...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Otter Cove" Original Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display
Located in Encino, CA
“Otter Cove,” an original oil on canvas by Robert K. White, is a piece for the true collector. White’s careful attention to detail and vivid use of blues, whites, browns, and greens project from the painting, immediately capturing the viewer's attention and highlighting the artist's keen ability to capture emotion, nature, and life - all in a brushstroke. White's talent for depicting light and shadow provides the foundation for him to deliver subjects and scenes to the viewer's eye. This masterful and playful work would make a great addition to an art collection and enhance most any home, perfect for those who have an affinity for seascapes, waves, animal scenes, otters, and nature. In the artist’s own words, “I don’t paint what is inside of me; I paint what I see outside of me. I’m an observer. If I see something and I feel an affinity for it, something just clicks in my head. I’ll make the decision right then and there to paint that particular subject during that particular moment. It’s a perfect moment. Once something has caught my eye and I’ve heard the “perfect” click, it’s like a photograph has been taken in my mind’s eye. I only have a few days of clarity with that image. I have to start the painting quickly or else it will be gone and I will lose that image forever.” Artist: ROBERT KENNETH WHITE...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Beach Bunnies II" Large Orig. Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display
Located in Encino, CA
Beach Bunnies II,” an original oil on canvas by Robert K. White, is a piece for the true collector. White’s careful attention to detail and vivid use of g...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

Aqua Bailer Shell - Single Bailer Sea Shell on Brown Table w/ Watered Backdrop
Located in Chicago, IL
The simplicity of "Aqua Bailer Shell" is deceptive. The upturned pale yellow shell has a beautiful light emanating from its center revealing the delicacy of the shell. It sits upon a deep, rich brown table with its reflection seen in the highly polished surface. The background is delicate aqua colored moiré pattern to give an even more opulent feel while adding to the meditative quality of the painting. The bailer shell can be found in Southeast Asia, from Burma, Thailand and Malaysia, to the South China Sea and the Philippines. This large, prehistoric sea snail shell could traditionally be used by native fishermen to bail out their leaking fishing vessels. This artwork is framed in a simple walnut frame measuring 25 x 25 inches. Helen Oh...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

A Boat and a Bird
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: The pelican couldn't figure out how to start the motor so time to leave... Keywords: Caribbean, water, boat, pelican Artist Biography: Robert Crooker was born in Massachusetts in 1951. A life long Red Sox fan, he saw the likes of Frank Malzone, Yaz, George Scott, Rico, Jim Lonborg all play in years gone by. He has been married for over 27 years with 4 children, and 2 grandchildren. In the Mid-1970’s, Robert started collecting Vintage Disney Collectibles...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Reflection and Shadow
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: A reflection just below and a dim shadow to the right. Keywords: Abstract, minimalist, gold, red, orange, green, plant, flower, still-life Artist Biography: Robert Crooker was born in Massachusetts in 1951. A life long Red Sox fan, he saw the likes of Frank Malzone, Yaz, George Scott, Rico, Jim Lonborg all play in years gone by. He has been married for over 27 years with 4 children, and 2 grandchildren. In the Mid-1970’s, Robert started collecting Vintage Disney Collectibles...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Mallard Ducks in Pond with Lily Pads, Horizontal Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Brightly colored and crisply detailed painting of a group of mallard ducks resting on stones on a calm lake, their dappled reflections beautifully rendered on the electric blue water...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Marimekko Ducks, Oil Canvas, American Art, Realism, Tchotskes Quirky Objects
Located in Houston, TX
Marimekko Ducks is 20 x 20 inches oil on canvas. .Maureen likes to use Marimekko fabrics in many of her paintings. Randi Hopkins, former assistant curator at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, has called O’Connor “a masterful painter of some of our favorite things.” A pair of ceramic ducks...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Magic Pika I" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sarah Becktel's "Magic Pika I" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a small wild rodent opening its mouth so that a rainbow can arch from it.
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Lysander
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
Leigh Murphy This original work of art by the award-winning watercolour and oil painter Leigh Murphy wonderfully illustrates her super realist technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Desert Landscape Painting of Two Pronghorn Antelopes
Located in Houston, TX
Realist desert landscape oil painting of pronghorn antelopes with a mountain range in the distance by Houston artist Cal Dean Hill Jr. in 1977. Sign...
Category

1970s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

Desert Landscape Painting of Three Pronghorn Antelopes
Located in Houston, TX
Realist desert landscape oil painting of pronghorn antelopes with a mountain range in the distance by Houston artist Cal Dean Hill Jr. in 1975. Sign...
Category

1970s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Good Dog" Animal Portrati Contemporary Moden American Folk Oil Painting
Located in Wellesley, MA
Good Dog Oil on Panel 9 3/4 x 16 Inches Charlotte Gibbs recently had the distinct honor of being awarded First Prize in The Roddy Compeition held at th...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Red Bird on Fence" American Folk Domestic Oil Paint Contemporary Bright Blue
Located in Wellesley, MA
Red Bird on Fence Acrylic and Oil on Linen, 16 x 12 Inches "Cat and Mouse" Oil on Linen 18 x 14 Inches Charlotte Gibbs recently had the distinct honor of being awarded Firs...
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sparrow
Located in Houston, TX
Beth Secor Sparrow, 2016 gouache, pencil and ink on paper 24-3/4 x 24-3/4 inches
Category

2010s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Pencil, Gouache

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"DUCK HUNT" MERGANSERS, DUCK CALL, SHOTGUNN DATED 1889 FRAME 43 X 35 NEWCOMB
Located in San Antonio, TX
Edward Chalmers Leavitt (1842 - 1904) Rhode Island Artist Image Size: 36 x 28 Frame Size: 42.5 x 34.5 Newcomb Macklin Frame. Medium: Oil Dated 1889 "Duck Hunt" Mergansers Edward Chalmers Leavitt (1842 - 1904) Edward Chalmers Leavitt, artist, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, March 9, 1842, the son of Rev. Jonathan and Charlotte Esther (Stearns) Leavitt. His paternal ancestor was John Leavitt, who came to Massachusetts Bay in the first ship and settled in Hingham. On the maternal side, he is descended from John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, who came to Plymouth in the Mayflower. Leavitt was educated in private schools in Providence, and at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire. During the Civil War in 1862 and 1863, he served in the navy on the U.S.S. Galena. In his profession of artist, Mr. Leavitt is especially noted as a painter of fruit, flowers and still life. He exhibited in the National Academy for several years and has made many successful exhibitions in Providence and Boston. He was a member of the Boston and Providence art clubs, and the Providence Press Club. He was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics his proclivities are mainly Republican. He has been twice married: first, May 19, 1877, to Ellen M. Fuller; and second, April 22, 1880, to Elizabeth S. Chace. Submitted November 2004 by Edward Bentley, Art Collector and Researcher from Lansing, Michigan. Source is the publication "Men of Progress: Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life from the State of Rhode Island." New England magazine. 1896. Edward C. Leavitt, born in 1842, has been described as "Providence, Rhode Island's leading still-life painter" in the late 19th Century. (Zellman 324) His teacher, James Morgan Lewin, was a prominent still-life painter in Fall River, Massachusetts, a neighboring town. Leavitt, a detailed, sharp-focused, realistic painter, was in love with texture and light, and was prolific and successful, painting a variety of still life subjects including flowers, fruit and even fish and dead game animals. His objects, including costly antiques and household decorative items, were often placed on ornamental, gleaming surfaces. He was a frequent exhibitor at the National Academy of Design in the 1870s and 1890s. The artist, who died in 1904, moved from a position of success and popularity to being ignored for many years until the publication of William H. Gerdts and Russell Burke's American Still-Life Painting in 1971. It is uncertain whether this disastrous loss of respect took place because Leavitt's work declined in quality during the last decade of his life, or because he was a victim of the periodic shifts in taste and fashion that afflict the arts. Sources: Michael David Zellman, 300 Years of American Art Peter Hastings Falk, Editor, Who Was Who in American Art Biography from Roger King Fine Art Edward Leavitt was one of the leading still life artists of nineteenth century New England. He lived and worked in Providence, and studied with James Morgan Lewin, a leading painter of the Fall River School, which, in the late 19th Century, was one of the most important centers of still life painting. While Lewin branched out into other types of painting, Leavitt remained devoted to the art of the still life. His paintings are sharply focused, realistic, and carefully finished. Ornate objects such as urns, ewers, platters, cut glassware...
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Mountain Lake Oil Painting by 19th Century British Artist Active Circa 1873–1902
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Portrait of an English Setter Stud- Glaisnock Jim - 1920's oil painting dog art
Located in London, GB
A fine large full-length portrait of an English Setter stud in a landscape. Painted by J C Wilson in 1921, this oil gouache oil on canvas is a beautiful depiction of the breed. The...
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Previously Available Items
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"El Santo" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
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"Green Cheeked Parrot" Modern Colorful Realistic Tropical Bird Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Modern colorful realistic painting of a tropical bird by Texas artist Gerald Syler. The work features a brightly colored green cheeked parrot set against ...
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Early 2000s Realist Animal Paintings

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Shawn Faust, "Holstein III", 36x36 Cow Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This cattle piece, "Holstein III", is a 36x36 oil painting on canvas by artist Shawn Faust featuring a portrait of a large, fuzzy, Holstein cow. Adoring l...
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"Hood and Thorn, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Morgan Cameron’s (US based) “Hood and Thorn” is an oil painting on panel that depicts a bird (Hooded Crow) with twigs in it's mouth. This painting is un...
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"Momentary Breath" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Austin Howlett's "Momentary Breath" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a landscape of snow capped pine trees in the background behind a ...
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Jessica Leonard, "A Day at the Spa", 24x24 Equine Oil Painting on Aluminum
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This uniquely round equestrian piece, "A Day at the Spa", by artist Jessica Leonard is a 24x24 diameter oil painting on a metal circle featuring a jockey riding his #3 horse with the grandstands of the Saratoga race track...
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Sophie Harden, Fire Birds, Contemporary Bright Bird Art, Flamingo Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
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Marlins and Tarpin
By Al Barnes
Located in Wiscasett, ME
Oil on board, signed lower right. Unframed 21 1/2" H x 29 1/2" W and with frame 27.5" x 35.5". Al Barnes, American (b.1937-2015) Rockport, Texas artist Al Barnes is not only inspired by the coastal marshes of South Texas he is also incredibly drawn to Caribbean as well. He finds continued inspiration in the majesty of ocean waters and the life that is intertwined to it. These themes can be found in a majority of his paintings. He had numerous one man and group exhibitions and is widely collected. His works can be found in many private corporate collections around the world, including the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson Hole and The American Museum of Fly Fishing. Al had the honor of being named twice the “Waterfowl Artist of the Year” by National Ducks Unlimited...
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Marlins and Tarpin
H 27.5 in W 35.5 in D 2 in
Twist - Blue
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Located in London, GB
Exquisitely executed in watercolour and gouache, Tim Hayward’s paintings of birds in flight and at rest combine technical brilliance with the emotional intensity of pure colour. Demo...
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Twist - Blue
H 20.67 in W 16.61 in
'Bees 1-10' Oil on Board Bee Painting
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Located in Atlanta, GA
American artist Angie Renfro paints bees beautifully and simply. With a soft blue background and each bee popping with yellow, orange, grey and black. The beauty of her work is the...
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Waiting
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- My watercolor paintings depict narrative dilemmas, light-hearted vignettes, or staged existential dramas on a microcosmic scale, as...
Category

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Materials

Oil, Canvas

Waiting
H 37.5 in W 25.5 in D 1 in

Realist animal paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist animal paintings 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 animal paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, orange, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Beth Carlson, Marie Channer, Shelli Langdale, and Beth de Loiselle. 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 animal paintings, so small editions measuring 1.38 inches across are also available. Prices for animal paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $257,060, while the average work sells for $3,213.

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