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Realist Figurative 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
"Impressionistic Floral Still Life" Mid Century Oil Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in New York, NY
A stunning depictions of a European view of the beach with a floral still life at the center. The rich color tones of French yellow, luscious pink, rouge, veredian green and pops of ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees) 1928
Located in Stockholm, SE
Fritz Lindström (1874–1962) Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees), 1928 oil on panel unframed 15.5 × 24 cm (6.1 × 9.4 in) framed: 26 × 34 cm (10.2 × 13.4 in) signed on the reverse Frame by...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Cyprus - Landscape Painting of Sun Drenched Eastern Mediterranean Country Scene
By David Mitchell
Located in Preston, GB
Cyprus - Landscape Painting of Sun Drenched Eastern Mediterranean Country Scene by 20th Century Artist, David Mitchell (1936-2020) Art measures 28 x 24 inches Frame measures 34 x 3...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Let Them Eat Cake" (2014) by Suzy Smith, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Suzy Smith's "Let Them Eat Cake" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a female nude with a crown set against a backdrop inspired by a Wayne Thiebaud cake...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

"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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Cat Therapy
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, we see a minimalist room with a huge window, beyond which stretches a sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Muted colors dominate—the blue of the sky contrasts beaut...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Conrado Lopez "Bolonia III" – 2024 Acrylic and Gold Leaf Beach Figurative Painti
Located in Denver, CO
Conrado Lopez presents “Bolonia III,” a 2024 original, handmade piece created with acrylic, gold leaf, and oil on canvas. Measuring 39.37 x 25.59 x 1.18 inches (100 x 65 x 3 cm), thi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Flemish genre tavern scene"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Unidentified Artist 17th-Century Tavern Scene Oil on canvas Framed: 113 x 103 cm Canvas: 96 x 91 cm This 17th-century oil painting captures a lively tavern scene, a popular subject in Dutch and Flemish genre painting of the Golden Age. The composition is rich in character and storytelling, depicting a group of men engaged in a card game, with coins, letters, and drinks scattered across the table. A standing woman, possibly a barmaid or concerned onlooker, leans in, while a man enters from the left, holding his hat and appearing amused by the game. In the foreground, a small child tends to a jug and tankard, adding a touch of humor and domestic realism. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting showcases earthy, warm tones and rich chiaroscuro, emphasizing the candlelit glow of the scene. The artist masterfully captures the textures of fabrics, wood, and metal, giving depth and dimension to the environment. The expressive faces and animated gestures highlight the social interactions typical of Dutch and Flemish tavern paintings...
Category

17th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, 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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Horses in the Lush Green English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Horses in the Lush Green English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 25 x 21 inches John Haskins is a ...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

English Landscape of Church, Farmhouse & Lake District Mountains in Background
Located in Preston, GB
English Landscape of Church & Farmhouse with the Lake District Mountains in the Background, by 20th Century British Artist, Michael Dent Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 2...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Young Boy Fishing by a Beautiful Riverside in Lush Green English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Young Boy Fishing by a Beautiful Riverside in Lush Green English Countryside, by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 41 x 20 inches Frame measures 48.25 x 27 inches Barry West...
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Plywood, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Board

The Wool Winder (1877) by Swedish Female Artist Emma Ekwall
Located in Stockholm, SE
In The Wool Winder, Emma Ekwall captures a moment of quiet domestic intimacy between a young woman and a man as they wind wool together—she with focused care, he with gentle attentiv...
Category

1870s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sleeping Girls - contemporary, figurative, portrait, acrylic, oil on board
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic painting, a portrait of children, is by internationally recognized artist Daniel Hughes. Daniel Hughes is known best perhaps for his true-to-life figurative paintings. Early in his life, Hughes was strongly influenced by the work of his artist mother and her friends, many of whom were renowned British artists. He grew up drawing…never in color books but on six-foot lengths of computer paper. Hughes was especially drawn to the figurative paintings of British artists of the 1950s. His aesthetic focuses on a realistic interpretation, composition, light, harmony, and emotion. Hughes' work, like this acrylic and charcoal painting of two little girls sleeping...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Semi nude figurative portrait painting of a woman with arrows "Marks"
By Aaron Nagel
Located in East Quogue, NY
Striking realistic portrait painting of a semi-nude woman with arrows titled "Marks" by Aaron Nagel. Oil on canvas. Size 46 x 30 inches. Unframed. Aaron Nagel is inspired by the co...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 25 x 21 inches John Haskins...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Betises 22" by Marina Dieul, Oil Painting, Cat and Mouse
Located in Denver, CO
This whimsical oil painting by Marina Dieul, titled "Betises 22," created in 2024, features a dual portrait of a cat and a mouse. The artwork is rendered on a panel measuring 10.5 x ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

shellfish harvesters women on the beach Spain spanish seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
**Title**: Fisherwomen on the Beach **Author**: Rafael Mumpao Hinojosa **Technique**: Oil on canvas **Canvas dimensions**: 25.6 x 31.9 in **Framed dimensions**: 37.8 x 44.1 in This artwork captures a beautiful costumbrist scene, focusing on traditions and everyday life. **Rafael Mumpao Hinojosa**, with his detailed and realistic style, draws inspiration from renowned painters such as **Joaquín Sorolla**, a master of light and movement, and **Julio Romero de Torres...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Marine Melody
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I depicted a young woman wading through shallow waters, her movements smooth and graceful. I focused on capturing the interaction of light with water and fabric, hi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

"Southern Colorado Skies" by Michael Magrin, Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Southern Colorado Skies" is an original, handmade oil painting of a vast sky above the Colorado plains. This piece is fram...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen, Wood Panel

"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh– Painting, Serene Pondscape
Located in Denver, CO
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 24 x 36 x 2.50 inches, presented in an elegant frame sized at 25.50 x 37.50 x 3 inches. Ready to hang, this...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Melancholy in Red" Oil Painting by Joseph Lorusso, Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Joseph Lorusso's (US based) "Seeing Shadows" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a female figure at a table with a wine glass in the foreground. The painting is framed and ready to hang. Joseph Lorusso was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966 and received his formal training at the American Academy of Art. He went on to receive his B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. Born of Italian descent, Lorusso was exposed to art at an early age. Through several early trips to Italy, his parents introduced him to the works of the Italian Masters. Lorusso would look to these influences throughout his early artistic development and they are still evident in his work today. While in school, Lorusso majored in watercolor and considers himself self-taught as an oil painter. He learned to paint by studying the works of master painters, often losing himself in the halls of the Chicago Art Institute during lunch hours...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Orange Wrapped in Plastic" Oil Painting by Kelly Birkenruth
Located in Denver, CO
Kelly Birkenruth's "Orange Wrapped in Plastic" (2023) is an original oil painting on panel, measuring 5 x 5 x 1 inches. This captivating still life features an orange wrapped in a tr...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Meringues" (2015) by Suzy Smith, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Suzy Smith's "Meringues" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a female nude set against a backdrop inspired by a Wayne Thiebaud pie painting...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

"The Bather" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Female Portrait, Nude
Located in Denver, CO
Karen Offutt's (US based) "The Bather" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude female in a landscape, bathed in light, with a towel draped around her. The painting ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Paris Rainy Cafe" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, French Cityscape
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Paris Rainy Cafe" is an original, hand made oil and acrylic painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape in France. Christopher has been an artist since early childhood, when he would watch Bob Ross on PBS and mimic the famed oil painter’s art with crayons. He considers himself a self-educated artist, with his studies ranging from personal training with contemporary masters, to classical academic art technique, with much inspiration from 19th Century art and the Impressionist Movement. Christopher lived in Italy for a time, immersing himself in Italian culture and art, which continues to influence his painting. His fan base has grown considerably since his return to the US, gaining the attention of Lucasfilm and Marvel Fine Art, which both signed him as an officially licensed artist in 2016. Other clients include George Lucas, Major League Baseball, Louisville Slugger, and Fender Guitars. Christopher’s painting skills are not his only talent in the arts. He has won several national swing dance championship competitions, and also studies tango and blues dancing. He has played guitar since the age of 12, and during his time as lead guitarist for a rock band, he opened for Blue Oyster Cult and Eddie Money...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Alpine Mountain Hut Vintage Landscape Painting by 20th Century German Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Alpine Mountain Hut - Vintage Landscape Painting by 20th Century German Artist, Fritz Haupt Art measures 11 x 9 inches Frame measures 15 x 13 inches This exquisite painting by F....
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Woman in Hat, Original Figurative Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism, Title: Woman in Hat, Size: 31.5 x 3...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fancy Department Store Satirical Cartoon
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). Fancy Department Store Satirical Cartoon, ca. 1930's. Ink, watercolor and gouache on heavy illustration paper, panel measures 19 x 15 inches. Signed lower right. Very good condition. Unframed. Provenance: Ethel Maud Mott Herman, artist (1883-1984), West Orange NJ. For two decades, she drew almost 600 cartoons for The New Yorker with female characters that commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony. In the mid-1920s, Harold Ross, the founder of a new magazine called The New Yorker, was looking for cartoonists who could create sardonic, highbrow illustrations accompanied by witty captions that would function as social critiques. He found that talent in Barbara Shermund. For about two decades, until the 1940s, Shermund helped Ross and his first art editor, Rea Irvin, realize their vision by contributing almost 600 cartoons and sassy captions with a fresh, feminist voice. Her cartoons commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony, using female characters who critiqued the patriarchy and celebrated speakeasies, cafes, spunky women and leisure. They spoke directly to flapper women of the era who defied convention with a new sense of political, social and economic independence. “Shermund’s women spoke their minds about sex, marriage and society; smoked cigarettes and drank; and poked fun at everything in an era when it was not common to see young women doing so,” Caitlin A. McGurk wrote in 2020 for the Art Students League. In one Shermund cartoon, published in The New Yorker in 1928, two forlorn women sit and chat on couches. “Yeah,” one says, “I guess the best thing to do is to just get married and forget about love.” “While for many, the idea of a New Yorker cartoon conjures a highbrow, dry non sequitur — often more alienating than familiar — Shermund’s cartoons are the antithesis,” wrote McGurk, who is an associate curator and assistant professor at Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. “They are about human nature, relationships, youth and age.” (McGurk is writing a book about Shermund. And yet by the 1940s and ’50s, as America’s postwar focus shifted to domestic life, Shermund’s feminist voice and cool critique of society fell out of vogue. Her last cartoon appeared in The New Yorker in 1944, and much of her life and career after that remains unclear. No major newspaper wrote about her death in 1978 — The New York Times was on strike then, along with The Daily News and The New York Post — and her ashes sat in a New Jersey funeral home...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Ink

Bathers - Nude Figures in Landscape Oil by Paul Gustav Fischer
By Paul Gustave Fischer
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed and dated oil on canvas nudes in seascape by Danish realist painter Paul Gustav Fischer. The work depicts two young women bathing on a rocky shoreline looking our towards the ...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Glimmer" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Nude Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Karen Offutt's (US based) "Glimmer" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude female wearing a translucent robe, posing with her arms above her head. The painting is ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Realist Portrait, Mid-Century Oil On Card, The Babushka. Oil.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid-Century realist oil on card of a peasant woman, dated 1963 to the reverse. Artist unknown. Presented in gilt and painted wood frame under glass. A charming, grounded painting of...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cardboard, Oil

"Remember When" (2024) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "Remember When" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a seated brunette in deep contemplation. Artist bio/statement: Matt ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Hallucination
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting conveys the idea that what we perceive as life may be an illusion, while the true reality remains hidden. At the center of the scene, a man and a woman stand by a pool, ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Matthew (male portrait)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Randall Exon (b.1956). Matthew, 1990. Oil on wood panel. Measures 24 x 36 inches. Unframed. Excellent condition with no damage or conservation. Signed and dated lower right. Gallery stamp on verso. Plastic wall mount taped down on verso. Provenance: The More Gallery INC, Philadelphia; Aramark Corporate Collection. Randall Exon (b. 1956) was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Exon earned his B.F.A. in painting from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and an M.F.A. at the University of Iowa. In 2003, the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, staged a solo exhibition of his work. He was awarded the Thomas Benedict Clarke Prize in the 2004 179th Annual Invitation Exhibition of Contemporary American Art at the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, New York. More recently, Exon’s work was featured in Visions of the Susquehanna, a traveling exhibition organized by the Lancaster Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, in 2008, and Haunting Narratives, a major exhibition at the Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, in 2012. BORN 1956 Vermillion, SD EDUCATION 1982 M.F.A. in Painting, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 1981 Skowhegan School of Painting, Skowhegan, ME 1981 M.A. in Painting, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 1978 B.F.A. in Painting, Washburn University, Topeka, KS SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2013 Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2009 Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2007 Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2004 Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2003 Randall Exon: A Quiet Light, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA 2001 Mulvane Museum of Art, Topeka, KS 2000 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1998 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1996 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1994 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1993 Tasis England American School, Main Gallery, Thorpe, Surrey, England 1992 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Theatre Gallery, Washburn University, Topeka, KS Widener University Art Museum, Chester, PA 1990 Charles More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1988 West Chester University, McKinney Gallery, Mitchell Hall, West Chester, PA Charles More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Carleton College, Northfield, MN 1987 University of Maine at Machias, University Gallery, ME Topeka Public Library, Central Gallery, KS 1986 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1984 More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Stoneybrook School, Suffolk, Long Island, NY 1981-82 Florence Wilcox Gallery, Swarthmore College, PA Beauchamp Gallery, Topeka, KS SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 Unforeseeable Thereness, Stanek Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2018 Vis-à-Vis, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY 2017 The New Baroque, Booth Gallery, New York, NY, curated by Robert Zeller Painted Landscapes: Contemporary Views, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Sandwich, MA 2016 Mixed Environs: Contemporary Painters, Lore Degenstein Gallery, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 2015 Home is Where the Art Is, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY 2014 Our American Life, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY 2014 Edge of the Seat, The Rye Arts Center Gallery, Rye, NY 2013 Duets: Art in Conversation, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY 2012 Haunting Narratives: Detours from Philadelphia Realism, 1935-Present, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA Structuring Nature, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, AR Summer Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2011 Masterworks: The Best of Hirschl & Adler, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY 2010 Summer Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2009 Holiday Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2008-2009 American Green – Art and Stewardship, Somerville-Manning Gallery, Greenville, DE 2008 Holiday Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY Summer Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2007 Finding a Form: Influences in Figurative Painting, Tower Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Holiday Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY Summer Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2006-2008 Visions of the Susquehanna, Susquehanna Art Museum, PA; Governor’s Residence, Harrisburgh, PA; Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD; Roberson Center for Art and Science, Binghamton, NY. 2006 Summer Selections, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY 2004 179th Annual: An Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, National Academy of Design, New York, NY Selected Works from the Ballinglen Collection, United States Embassy to Ireland, Ambassadors Residence, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Part of the Art in the Embassies Program, Washington D.C. 2001 Personal Affinities, Contemporary Artists Influenced by the works of Edwin Dickinson, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia, PA 2000 December Show, Fenton Gallery, Cork City, Ireland Works from the Archives, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland 1999 New Realism for a New Millennium, Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, NY Indomitable Spirits, The Figure At The End Of The Century, The Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna Beach, CA 1998 Visual Poetry, A Selection of Work by Artists Inspired by the Words and Sentiments of Walt Whitman, Stedman Gallery, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ The Artist's Window, Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC Embodied Fictions, Twelve Contemporary Figure Painters, The Boyden Gallery, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD 1997 Abstract and Image, Four Painters, Hopkin's Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH An Extended View: Landscapes by Philadelphia Artists, Levy and Paley Galleries, Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA 1996 Figure Drawings, Hillyer Hall, Smith College, Northampton, MA Figurative Paintings, Edith Caldwell Gallery, San Francisco, CA A Show of Hands (Exhibit and auction to assist AIDS research), Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA 1994 Figures in the Landscape, More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1992 Landscapes by Randall Exon & Joseph Byrne, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 1991 A Show of Hands, Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA 1991 Ten Contemporary Philadelphia Painters, Westmoreland Museum, Greensburg, PA 1991 Sport in Art, Woodmere Museum, Chestnut Hill, PA 1990 Myth and Monument, More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1990 Evidence of the Senses, 7 Painters, Woodmere Museum, Chestnut Hill, PA Pollack Award Winners, Mulvane Gallery, Washburn University, Topeka, KS 1989 Works on Paper, More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Nocturnes, More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1986 Nature Morte, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, St. Francis College, Loretto, PA 1984 The Spirit of the Coast: Paintings, Monmouth Museum, NJ Drawings: Personal and Intimate, More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Night Paintings, Florence Wilcox Gallery, Swarthmore, PA 1983 Realist Direction, Penn State University Museum, University Park, PA 1981 Graduate Student Traveling Exhibit, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 1980 Selected Painters, Mulvane Gallery, Washburn University, Topeka, KS 1979 Artists Choose Artists Exhibit, University of Missouri at Kansas City Art Gallery, MO JURIED SHOWS 1990 Philadelphia Art Now, Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA 1989 State of Pennsylvania Juried Exhibition, William Penn Museum, Harrisburg, PA 1987 State of Pennsylvania Juried Exhibition, William Penn Museum, Harrisburg, PA 1984 Butler Institute of American Art Annual Exhibit, Youngstown, OH National Academy of Design Biannual Competition, New York, NY 1981 32nd Iowa Artists Exhibition, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA 1980 Iowa Artists Solon, Burnnier Gallery, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1979 Kansas Bankers Association Exhibition, Topeka, KS AWARDS/GRANTS/RESIDENCIES 2004 The Thomas Benedict Clarke Prize, 179th Annual Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, New York, NY 2001 2nd Fellowship, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland Eugene M. Lang Faculty Fellowship, Swarthmore College, PA 1997 Fellow, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland 1992 Washburn Fellow, Washburn University, Topeka, KS 1989 Eugene M. Lang Faculty Fellowship, Swarthmore College, PA 1988 Andrew Carnegie Prize, 163rd Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, New York, NY 1987 1985-86 1984 1981 1981 1980 1976, 78 TEACHING 1982-present 1994-00 1980-82 Best of Show prize, juried museum exhibition, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA Henry Luce Scholar, Bali, Indonesia Julius Halgarten Prize for Best Painting by an Artist under 35 years of age Academy of Design Annual Exhibition, New York, NY Iowa Artists Salon, Second Prize Skowhegan Scholarship Award, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA Student Award, 32nd Iowa Artists Exhibition, Des Moines Art Center, IA Charles Pollack purchase prize for the best painting from annual student exhibition, Washburn University, Topeka, KS Professor in Studio Arts, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA Chair, Department of Art, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA Teaching Assistant to Ben Frank Moss, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA VISITING ARTIST/LECTURES 2002 2001 1998 1995 1994 1993 1994, 1992 1992 1989 1987 1986 1985 1982 Pennsylvania State University, Abington, PA Hollins College, Roanoke, VA Maryland Arts Institute, Baltimore, MD Beaver College, Glenside, PA Union College, Department of Art, Schenectady, NY Allentown Art Museum, PA Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA Tasis England American School, Thorpe, Surrey, England Boston Art Institute, MA Boston University, M.F.A. program, MA Beaver College, Department of Art, Philadelphia, PA Dartmouth College, Department of Visual Studies, Hanover, NH Dartmouth College, Department of Visual Studies, Hanover, NH Carleton College, Northfield, MN University of Maine at Machias, ME Horsham College of Art, Horsham, England Stoneybrook School, Suffolk, Long Island, NY Moore College of Art, Basic Drawing, Philadelphia, PA Vassar College, Department of Art, Poughkeepsie, NY PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Allentown Art Museum, PA ARA Corporation, Philadelphia, PA Security Pacific National Bank, Sanger Branch, Los Angeles, CA University of Iowa, Permanent Collection, Iowa City, IA Mulvane Gallery Permanent Collection, Washburn University, Topeka, KS Woodmere Museum, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, PA Henry Luce Foundation, New York, NY Henry Wendt Collection, Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Sozanski, Edward J. “Simple Situations, in almost holy light,” Philadelphia Inquirer , February 7, 2003 Francis, Naila,“Studies in Light, Space,” The Intelligencer, January 9, 2003 Thompson, Jodi, “Fabulous Realism, seeing the light,” Out & About, January 9, 2003 Hopkin, Alannah, The Irish Examiner, July 1, 2002 Hopkin, Alannah, The Irish Examiner, January 2002 Sosanski, Edward, Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2001 Carr, Jeffrey, “Landscapes of the Imagination,” American Artist, January 1999 “On The Town,” New York Times Art Review, November 1998 Adelson, Fred B...
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

The Soda Fountain (New Yorker Magazine cover proposal)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). The Soda Fountain, ca. 1950s. Watercolor and ink on paper, 9 x 12 inches; 13 x 16 inches framed. Signed lower right. Exc...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Painting of Mountain Cottages by River in Ireland by 20th Century Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Mountain Cottages by River in Ireland by 20th Century Irish Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 24 x 20 inches This captivating oil painting portrays a ...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"New York City, Jazz" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "New York City, Jazz" is an original, hand made oil painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape.
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

"Afternoon Light" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Linda Adair's (Germany based) "Afternoon Light" is an oil painting that depicts a reclining male figure, wearing rings. Linda Adair is a contemporary fig...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

"Vintage Catch" by Irene Georgopoulou, Pastel, Baseball Glove Still Life
Located in Denver, CO
Irene Georgopoulou's "Vintage Catch" (2024) is an original soft pastels on paper artwork, measuring 8.50 x 11.50 inches. Part of her solo exhibition "Nostalgic Treasures: A Journey Through Time," this intricate still life features a lovingly detailed vintage baseball glove...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

"Still-life of Fruits" by Maria Meriggi - Oil on Copper - 30x24 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Maria Meriggi, born in 1935, is an Italian painter known for her evocative depictions of urban landscapes and everyday scenes, particularly those of Venice. Her notable works include...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Metal, Copper

Three Children and Dog in a Rowing Boat at a Farmhouse Flower Garden in England
Located in Preston, GB
Three Children and Dog in a Rowing Boat at a Farmhouse Flower Garden in England by British Artist, Les Parson entitled "Going Home". Art measures 30 x 20 ...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Yin Yang (2022) By Hadley Rampton, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Yin Yang" by Hadley Rampton (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is unframed, but ready to hang. Hadley Rampton’s paintings are an amalgamation of her love of comp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Vintage Oil Painting of River Sunset in the Woods of the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Oil Painting of River Sunset in the Woods of the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist. Painted using warm orange and green colours creating a unique atmosphere....
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wish You Were Here - Modern Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Girl Portrait
Located in Salzburg, AT
KAMIL LISEK (born in 1980) Studied under the guidance of prof. Maciej Świeszewski at the faculty of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. He graduated with distinction obta...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands Realist Landscape Vintage Oil Painting
Located in Preston, GB
Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands Landscape Vintage Painting. A beautiful realist oil painting of the Scottish Highlands from a highly respected British Artist. Art measures 36...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cotton Canvas, Canvas

River Landscape with Highland Cows & Sheep in the Scottish Mountains
Located in Preston, GB
River Landscape with Highland Cows & Sheep in the Scottish Mountains by 20th Century British Artist, Wendy Reeves. Original, Oil on canvas, Signed Art measures 24 x 14 inches Frame measures 30 x 20 inches This painting depicts a serene landscape featuring a river flowing through a valley surrounded by majestic mountains. The scene is bathed in soft, natural light, with clouds partially covering the peaks, creating a misty atmosphere. In the foreground, three cows are grazing near the riverbank, adding a pastoral element to the tranquil setting. The lush greenery and rocky outcrops contribute to the overall idyllic and peaceful ambiance. The painting is framed in a vintage gold-colored frame, enhancing its classic and timeless appeal. Wendy Reeves garnered acclaim for her Scottish Highland and Lakeland paintings. Born in 1944 in Ewell, Surrey, she took to her father Gordon’s craft, deciding early on that she would be a painter. Prior to her famous paintings of the British Isles, artist Wendy Reeves painted scenes from a trip she made to Spain when she was 21. It was during this time that her dream of following in her father’s footsteps became a reality, and when she returned to England she cemented her name as an artist. Wendy Reeves' paintings showcase her talent with natural landscapes and the wildlife that inhabits them. Her work often features ochre and pink lights...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Anthesis
Located in Denver, CO
"Anthesis," is an original oil painting by Tenaya Sims. It is framed and ready-to-hang. "Anthesis" has nested mini-figures within the little droplets, comi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen

"Reign" (2024) By Michele Kortbawi Wilk, Oil Painting with Silver Leaf
Located in Denver, CO
Michele Kortbawi Wilk's "Reign" is a 2024 oil on linen with silver leaf, measuring 12 x 12 inches, that depicts a white horse mid jump with a crown dangling from a string in its mout...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Silver

Moody Dawn Mist with Winter Trees in a Rural Village in the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Moody Dawn Mist with Winter Trees in a Rural Village in the English Countryside by British Artist, Kevin Curtis (1958-2009) Art measures 24 x 18 inches F...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Swedish Hamlet in a Snowy Winter Landscape with Birch Trees by Danish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Swedish Hamlet in a Snowy Winter Landscape with Birch Trees by Danish Artist, Jens Christian Bennedsen (1893-1967). Art measures 38 x 26 inches Frame measures 44 x 32 inches An oi...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

"Across Hope" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Healing Promise" is an original, handmade oil painting of a tranquil sunrise. This piece is framed in a natural float fram...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Young Boy Fishing in River with Cottage in Wild Meadow in English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Young Boy Fishing in River with Cottage in a Wild Meadow in the English Countryside by British Artist, Les Parson Art measures 16 x 12 inches Frame measu...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Peach and Brass Vase" (2024) By Blair Atherholt, Original Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Peach and Brass Vase" (2024) by Blair Atherholt is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a still-life featuring fruit spread around...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

My Sister, The Moon
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"My Sister, The Moon" by Adeniyi Joshua Adetayo is a captivating artwork that delicately captures a young lady standing at the back of a house, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Pen

Toby Rosenthal (German painter) - 19th century figure painting - Male portrait
Located in Varmo, IT
Tobias Edward Rosenthal, known as Toby (Strasbourg 1848 - Munich 1917) - Portrait of a San Francisco gentleman. 123 x 92 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame. - Work ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Exercising En Plein Air
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas Signed in red, u.r. $3250.00 + $200.00 framing This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “Bruce Sargeant is a mythic figure in the modern art mo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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, red, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Su Yu, Janusz Szpyt, JC Spock, and Matt Talbert. 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 figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available.

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