Photorealist Figurative Paintings
PHOTOREALISM
A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.
Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.
The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.
“Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”
The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.
On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.
to
52
133
57
45
32
116
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
37
345
1
1
5
3
7
10
3
15,527
5,165
3,403
3,252
1,411
1,385
1,320
1,202
506
499
383
185
110
79
157
135
83
168
106
63
56
54
47
42
38
33
30
27
23
22
19
18
16
16
15
15
15
376
316
204
181
89
21
16
13
12
9
161
32
274
77
Style: Photorealist
"Vast" Oil Painting
By Mia Bergeron
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Vast" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts the faint glow of a candle cast in blue darkness.
Mia Bergeron's interest in art was cultivated ...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wax, Oil, Panel
"A Moment in Time", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "A Moment in Time" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts Times Square in New York City bustling wit...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Sticky Bun" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Sticky Bun" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a pastry topped with candied pecans and sticky glaze.
Gregor...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Powdered Sugar" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Powdered Sugar" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a powdered donut with a white background.
Gregory was b...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Tied Up", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Heather Neill's (US based) "Tied Up" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a wood paneled rustic fishing boat with all its gear and fittings...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Bicycles III", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Bicycles III" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts the layered view of red bicycles and gears, in profile, locked to a bike rack...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Superchip (large signed giclee on canvas)
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed lower right by Doug Bloodworth. Hand numbered 39/150 lower right. Canvas size 38 x 50 inches. Canvas is not stretched.
Artwork is in excellent co...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
$840 Sale Price
30% Off
"Ritual" Oil Painting
By Mia Bergeron
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Ritual" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts the glow of a lit candle glowing red against a dark background.
Mia Bergeron's interest in art...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wax, Oil, Panel
"Samsara" Oil Painting
By Mia Bergeron
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Samsara" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts the glow of a lit candle casting a halo on a blue background.
Mia Bergeron's interest in art ...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wax, Oil, Panel
"Chocolate Coconut" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Chocolate Coconut" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a chocolate donut covered with coconut shavings.
Gregory was born in Kansas City, ...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Old Dirty Bastard" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Old Dirty Bastard" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a donut topped with chocolate and peanut butter.
Gregory was born in Kansas City,...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Coconut Cream" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Coconut Cream" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a pastry dotted with a textured topping.
Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"Scraping", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Scraping" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a construction worker smoothing freshly poured cement in a developing urban landscape.
About the artist:
When Dianne Massey...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Eight Men Working", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Eight Men Working" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts construction workers laying fresh cement in th...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Rain on Windshield", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Rain on Windshield" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of rain drops on a windshield that partly obscures t...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Cement and Tree Shadows", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Cement and Tree Shadows" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts construction workers laying fresh cement in the shade of a tree wit...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
The Game of Life, Jacque
Located in West Hollywood, CA
In her painting entitled “The Game of life, Jaque”, Eva Carzul captures life’s complexities, portraying it as a chess game, all the while adorned in a top that ironically expresses g...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
The Glory of Real Estate
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Eva Carzul’s artwork, “The Glory of Real Estate,” ingeniously infuses humor as the artist shares her personal experiences with the viewer. With one hand clutching keys to an undisclo...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Sandía / Watermelon". Contemporary, Realism, food, figurative
Located in MADRID, ES
"Sandía / Watermelon". Contemporary, Realism, food, figurative, hyperrealism, photorealim
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Crushed
Located in Austin, TX
"Crushed" by Gaylon Dingler
Acrylic on board
24.75 x 18.5 inches
Framed: 30 x 25 inches
A larger-than-life, photorealistic composition that captures ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Board
$2,700
Tourists in Rome
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
Tourists in Rome is a large-scale painting capturing a contemporary scene aboard an open-top tour bus navigating the streets of the Eternal City. The viewer’s gaze is drawn toward th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"I Believe in Ghosts" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil painting
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"I Believe in Ghosts" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil painting of words scrambled with Casper the Friendly Ghost.
The ghost in this case is not just Casper the Friendly Ghost, howe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Up and Down
Located in Natchez, MS
This highly technical and evocative work by Pablo Santibanez Servat is another in a series of sensual works featuring a female subject. His use of light creates a "glossy" almost wet...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Pecan Pie (large signed giclee on canvas)
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed lower right by Doug Bloodworth. Hand numbered 17/150 lower right. Canvas size 44 x 55 inches. Canvas is not stretched.
Artwork is in excellent co...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
$840 Sale Price
30% Off
Where You Touched Me, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Where You Touched Me... Flowers Bloomed. The painting represents a woman and her feelings. It makes us think about our actions and how they affect others. :: Painting :: Photoreal...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Ciruelas / Plums". Contemporary, Realism, food, figurative
Located in MADRID, ES
"Ciruelas / Plums". Contemporary, Realism, food, figurative, hyperrealism, photorealim
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Contemporary figurative acrylic painting macabre female subjects dark signed
By Yonder Castillo
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Two sisters wrapped in webbings and covered in spiders. This artist has dove deep into the fear of arachnophobia. When looking at this piece people at first spot the dew on the webbi...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Board
Oceanic Pearls
By Ben Weiner
Located in Greenwich, CT
Oceanic Pearls is an oil painting on prepared paper, sheet size 15.75 x 22 inches, signed, titled and dated verso, 'Ben Weiner Oceanic Pearls 2019' and framed in a contemporary white frame.
Connecting two opposing styles—abstraction and photorealism—Ben Weiner creates hyper-detailed, lush paintings and videos of extremely magnified consumer products, including hair gel, chemical food additives, and deodorant. In his work, he presents such meticulously rendered, close-up views of his subjects that they read as pure abstractions. A through-line in Weiner’s various bodies of work is contemporary culture’s obsession with bodily enhancement through chemical products—whether by using hair products or taking illegal drugs.
"My paintings of pearls and hair gel merge varied notions of art as creation with biological and mythological concepts of creation. Visually, the pearls seem to emerge from the hair gel, suggesting biological processes such as cellular division, or the primordial soup that preceded life on earth. The all-over, abstract qualities of the hair gel recall the abstract expressionists’ concepts of the sublime art object and art as a transcendent act of creation. Additionally, the pearl itself is a naturally produced object of profound beauty. I use it to symbolize my understanding of creation as a feminine power, intrinsically linked to beauty (as in Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus). Finally, the pearls are an ode to Audrey Flack, one of my early artistic influences." - Ben Weiner
Ben Charles Weiner (b. 1980) is a New York based contemporary artist. His work bridges the seemingly opposite styles of hyperrealism, and process-based abstraction. Mr. Weiner has exhibited his work widely in the US and internationally, at institutions including The Carnegie Art Museum, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, The Boca Raton Museum of Art, and The Tarble Art Center. His work is in public collections including Microsoft, Sammlung/Collection, Progressive Insurance, and The Frederick R. Weisman Collection...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
Rajah of Sarawak - Mid-Century Mens Magazine - Pulp Adventure Magazine
Located in Miami, FL
Male illustration Illustration - Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB (29 April 1803[1] – 11 June 1868), was a British adventurer whose exploits in the Malay Archipelago...
Category
1950s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
"Owl/Búho". Contemporary, Realism, hyperrealims, figurative, bright, vivid, anim
Located in MADRID, ES
Contemporary, Realism, hyperrealims, figurative, bright, vivid, animal
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Study of Someone" Portrait Oil Painting 16" x 14" in by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Study of Someone" Portrait Oil Painting 16" x 14" in by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil and ash on linen panel
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Baugh's work can be described as narrative impressionisti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
Asia Major
Located in Natchez, MS
Santibañez Servat works his magic in creating this stunning example of photorealism, with his brand of the surreal. The artist works in thin layers of oil paint diluted with linseed oil to create an old world master portrait of a Japanese woman. The background inspired by his interpretation of Shunga, Japanese erotic woodblock prints.
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Se faire les ongles
Located in Paris, FR
Jerome Romain lives in Montpelier, France
Classic Painting for Contemporary History
He defines his painting as " The world as a representation " His oil on canvas paintings are born ...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
NYC Kid
Located in Paris, FR
Jerome Romain lives and works in Montpelier, France
He defines his painting as Classic Painting for Contemporary History
" The world as a representation " His oil on canvas painting...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Ranas / Frogs". Contemporary, Realism, animal, figurative, hyperrealist
Located in MADRID, ES
"Ranas / Frogs". Contemporary, Realism, animal, figurative, hyperrealism, photorealim
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Swamp Thing (large signed giclee on canvas)
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed lower right by Doug Bloodworth. Hand numbered 8/150 lower right. Canvas size 38 x 48 inches. Canvas is not stretched.
Artwork is in excellent con...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
$840 Sale Price
30% Off
In These Shoes
Located in London, GB
In These Shoes
A super sexy oil on linen provocative BDSM painting of a sexy woman wearing Louboutin heels.
Martin Allen is a London based artist. Marti...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
La Grande Parade
Located in Paris, FR
Jerome Romain lives and works in Montpelier, France
He defines his painting as Classic Painting for Contemporary History
" The world as a representation " His oil on canvas painting...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Flowers with Vessel 5" (2024), Original Oil Portrait by Megan Elizabeth Read
Located in Denver, CO
Megan Elizabeth Read's "Breath" is an original, handmade oil painting created in 2024 depicts a still-life of dark red carnations balanced in a small vase, cast in shadows.
Megan El...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Afternoon Light - Looking Through the Parking Lot, Oil Painting by Mickey Frome
By Mickey Frome
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Mickey Frome
Title: Afternoon Light - Looking Through The Parking Lot
Year: 2002
Medium: Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, Signed lr
Size: 34 x 44 inches
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Black Heart
Located in Natchez, MS
A technical masterpiece, Santibanez exhibits his prowess in creating amphoras of different sizes hanging in space in front of a striped background. The pottery, examples of indigenou...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mickey Frome, "Westbound Across the Early Morning Sky, " Oil on Canvas, 2003
By Mickey Frome
Located in Long Island City, NY
This photorealistic oil painting on canvas was created by self-taught American artist Mickey Frome. Frome is greatly interested in hyperrealistic representations of cars, trucks, mot...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Suitcase with teddy bears
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
This landscape-oriented painting is an intriguing work that stands out for its grisaille technique and its focus on tonal play. On the left, there is a painting within the painting: ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wood Panel, Oil
$1,089 Sale Price
20% Off
"Anyone, Someone, No one" Portrait Oil Painting 12" x 12" in by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Anyone, Someone, No one" Portrait Oil Painting 12" x 12" in by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil on wooden panel
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Baugh's work can be described as narrative impressionisti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wood Panel, Oil
Dj Princesse
Located in Paris, FR
Jerome Romain lives and works in Montpelier, France
He defines his painting as Classic Painting for Contemporary History
" The world as a representation " His oil on canvas painting...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
72
Located in Natchez, MS
Servat creates a juxtaposition between the modern world with the helmet numbered 72 and the timeless natural world with the red birds. The helmet floats in space above a pedestal whi...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Lost In Light" (FRAMED) Oil Painting 43" x 33" inch by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Lost In Light" (FRAMED) Oil Painting 43" x 33" inch by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil on panel
Painting size: 43" x 33" inch
Size framed: 52" x 42" inch
Signed by the Artist
ABOUT THE ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"Lineage Without Names" Oil Painting 47.5" x 47.5" inch by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Lineage Without Names" Oil Painting 47.5" x 47.5" inch by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil and ash on linen
ABOUT THE PAINTING:
I'm forever fascinated with the idea of what is passed to u...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Rain on Windshield: Rosie's Diner IV", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Rain on Windshield: Rosie's Dinver IV" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of rain d...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Paper
"Figure II" Oil Painting 72" x 48" inch by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Figure II" Oil Painting 72" x 48" inch by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil and ash on linen
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Baugh's work can be described as narrative impressionistic realism. Speciali...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Afternoon at the Tides
By Glenn Ness
Located in Fairfield, CT
Glenn Ness is recognized for his photorealistic oil paintings of vacant backyards, landscapes, urban streets, and interiors. Ness’s compositions are flooded with his signature warm l...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"Ring of Fire" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Ring of Fire" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a chocolate donut with a red topping in the center.
Gregory...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Guardian
By Glenn Ness
Located in Fairfield, CT
Glenn Ness is recognized for his photorealistic oil paintings of vacant backyards, landscapes, urban streets, and interiors. Ness’s compositions are flooded with his signature warm l...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
$3,500
Tuck
By Glenn Ness
Located in Fairfield, CT
Glenn Ness is recognized for his photorealistic oil paintings of vacant backyards, landscapes, urban streets, and interiors. Ness’s compositions are flooded with his signature warm l...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
$3,500
"A Long Day's Work", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "A Long Day's Work" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts construction workers gathering around a pit in the street lined with caut...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Whelk, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Whelk" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a broken pink and white hued Conch shell on a rustic canvas and teal background.
About the Art...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Driving in the Rain II", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Driving in the Rain II" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of rain drops on a car windshield which obscures...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Raindrops", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Raindrops" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of ripples in a puddle from a heavy rainfall.
About the art...
Category
2010s Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
'Tribal Indochine Woman II'
Located in Rye, NY
‘Tribal Indochine Woman 2’ is a large photorealist oil on canvas painting created by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Quang Huy in 2008. Featuring a captivating white, grey and black palette...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Umber" Oil Painting 80" x 50" inch by Casey Baugh
By Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Umber" Oil Painting 80" x 50" inch by Casey Baugh
Medium: oil on canvas
The artwork signed and dated by the artist.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Baugh's work can be described as narrative i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Photorealist figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist figurative 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 figurative 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, purple, orange, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Gregory Block, Bruce Adams, James Van Fossan, and Mia Bergeron. 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 Photorealist figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative 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 $228 and tops out at $100,000, while the average work sells for $3,000.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Nadal Carlos
Nude White Background
Oil Painting With Jewels
Oil Paintings By Anderson
Oil Paintings Cobbler
Oil Pixel
Old French Board Painting
Old Hollywood Art
Old Master Painting Nymph
Otto Aguiar On Sale
Outsider Art Angel
Painter Roche
Painting 1643
Painting By Webster
Pal Molnar
Palestine 1940
Party Time Painting
Paul Bond