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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
When the World Was New, Original Gouache Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"When the World Was New" by Thane Gorek (United States) is a handmade landscape oil painting that is framed and ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Original Painting of English Village Street by 20th Century British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Original Painting of English Village Street by 20th Century British Artist, Leon Pettersson Oil on Canvas, Signed. Good Condition. Art measures 16 x 12 inches Frame measures 21 x ...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Letter
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "TheLetter" c.1970 is an oil painting on canvas by Spanish artist Miguel Montaner, 1917-2006. It is signed at the lower right corner by t...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Spanish school XX century Saint Pancras oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Oil measures 55x46 cm. Frameless.
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Forest Whisper" (2024) By Andrada Trapnell, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Andrada Trapnell's "Forest Whisper" is a captivating original artwork created in 2024. This piece measures 8 x 10 inches framed and features a masterful blend of oil paint on board. ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Oil Painting Called "The Young Artist" by Swedish Johan Christoffer Boklund
Located in Stockholm, SE
Introducing a captivating oil painting by Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817-1880). The artwork depicts a young boy practicing his painting skills. Seated beside him is a wooden horse t...
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Yachts in the bay of Bali, Original Seascape Mountainscape Oil Painting, Large
Located in Zofingen, AG
Catalogue raisonné reference: Publisher: Tvorchestvo (2015) Language: English Russian ISBN-10: 5000280512 ISBN-13: 978-5000280515. Artwork description Original oil painting on canva...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

''Blue Plums” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Blue Plums
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Distant Rains" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Distant Rains" is an original, handmade oil painting of a rain cloud above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a natu...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Wood Panel

Winter Sunset with Sheep & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Winter Sunset with Sheep & Farmer in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist, Noel Ripley (b.1944). Original, Signed, Oil on Board Art mea...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Milan Street" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, Italian Cityscape
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Milan Street" is an original, hand made oil and acrylic painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape in Italy. 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

"A Fragile Beauty, " Southwestern Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"A Fragile Beauty" by Lorenzo Chavez (US based) is a handmadeoil painting that depicts a country road leading to an adobe house bathed in warm afternoon light. “A Fragile Beauty”. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Locket II" (2024) By Mary Carroll, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Presenting Mary Carroll's "Locket II" a 2024 original that showcases a masterful use of acrylic on a 10 x 8 x 1.5 inch panel that depicts a photo of a woman leaning against an old tr...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

“Bruyères en fleurs” 1949, 20th Century oil on canvas by William Didier-Pouget
Located in Madrid, ES
WILLIAM DIDIER - POUGET French, 1864 - 1959 BRUYÈRES EN FLEURS signed and dated “Didier-Pouget / 1949” (lower right) inscribed, located and signed ““Le Malin dans la vallée du Lot.”...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Mediterranean girl III
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this artwork, I envisioned a serene moment captured under the Mediterranean sun. The young woman, clothed in traditional attire, symbolizes timeless grace and the profoun...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Jimstox'
Located in Paris, FR
Ray Richardson is a contemporary British artist known for his cinematic paintings. The artist employs icons of working-class London, including bull terriers, soccer pitches, and grit...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Contemporary portrait "In the Center of the Metropolis"
Located in Zofingen, AG
I love walking the streets of the private sector when the weather is nice. It feels like being in a small town rather than in the center of a metropolis. I've aimed to capture the co...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

The moment of the harmony
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I was driven by the enchanting interplay between nature and human emotion. The fluidity of water and gentle caress of the lotus flowers are mirrored in her pe...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1940s Philippino Masterpiece
Located in San Francisco, CA
I believe this powerful painting is by the very talented Philippines artist Virgilio Daclan. He was born in 1920 in Cebu city. He studied art in 1951 a...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fulfillment of Motherhood
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Mother and Child" is an artwork that captures the profound and timeless bond between a mother and her child. The title itself suggests a sense of tenderness, love, and nurturing tha...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Pencil

Broadway Costume Design Illustration
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Fabulous illustration depicts a costume for Broadway production. Gouache on illustration board, image measures 10.5 x 16.5 inches; 15 x 22 inches framed. Excellent condition in ori...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board

Fishing Village, Puttaya, Thailand
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Fishing Village, Puttaya, Thailand" c.1980 is an oil painting with gold addition on canvas by renown Thai artist Kid Kosolawat, 1917...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Morning coffee with Julia
Located in Zofingen, AG
At one time Evgeniy Monahov made a whole series of morning portraits-etudes, catching this wonderful slightly sleepy mood, cold morning light, tousled hair and extremely natural look...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Self Portrait - cool, expressive, male, figurative, oil and collage on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
In a closely cropped self-portrait, with snowy beard and hair awry, Dan Hughes explores the theme of observational realism. A moment of emotional tension is amplified by blurred feat...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Poolside Party"
Located in Zofingen, AG
It's strange to paint frills and ruffles when all I have in my head are post-apocalyptic images. But I've never swum in a pool, nor have I been to a real party, even when I was in sc...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Bluffs West" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Bluffs West" is an original, handmade oil painting of a brilliant blue sky contrasted with a vast expanse of clouds. This ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Contemporary portrait "New Look for an Old Jacket"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Sometimes you dig into the closet, find a long-forgotten item, and start trying it on in different ways. You try it on, and it seems pretty cool, but then you think: Where am I going...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Bay of Naples Italy - British 19th century art oil painting Italian marinescape
By Thomas Leeson Scrase Rowbotham
Located in London, GB
A large busy and vibrant watercolour by Thomas Leeson Rowbothom. A lovely Bay of Naples coastal scene which was painted circa 1886. The painting is also signed by J G Ogle who painte...
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - No Heroes in Troubled Times
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fumador
Located in Barcelona, BARCELONA
Figurative work of a man smoking
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Road to Castle Valley, " Original Southwestern Landscape Pastel Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Road to Castle Valley" by Lorenzo Chavez (US based) is a handmade, landscape, pastel painting that depicts a meandering dirt road flanked by majestic sandstone cliffs. “Road to Ca...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

"Encroaching on the Fishing Spot" by Nathan Durfee, Acrylic on Vintage Postcard
Located in Denver, CO
Nathan Durfee's (USA) "Encroaching on the Fishing Spot" is an original, mixed media painting with acrylic and vintage postcard that depicts a snow covered landscape with a white bea...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Postcard

Moment of Serenity
Located in Zofingen, AG
From the series «Summer Memories “ This painting captures the serene setting of a pool at a villa in the Tuscan region of Italy. The tranquil blue water reflects the surrounding lan...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

State of Mind 14 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authent...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - Uncle Pushing the Door to See Me
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas - diptych x 2 Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Everything Else Is Nothing"
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork depicts a solitary figure leaning against a large green sign with the bold text, "THE ONLY OTHER THING IS NOTHING." Set in a stark, desolate landscape, the scene exudes ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Presque Isle (Day 97) June 24, 2023" by Primary Hughes, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Presque Isle (Day 97) June 7, 2023" by Primary Hughes (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is framed, and ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Belem´s Tower, Lisbon", 19th Century Oil on Wood Panel by Enrique Atalaya
By Enrique Atalaya
Located in Madrid, ES
ENRIQUE ATALAYA Spanish, 1851 - 1913 BELEM´S TOWER, LISBON signed "ATALAYA" (lower right) oil on wood panel 6-1/4 x 8-1/8 inches (15.8 x 20.5 cm.) fram...
Category

1890s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Curves" figuratif nude oil on linen canvas 92x65cm 2009
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
"Curves" figuratif nude oil on linen canvas 92x65cm 2009 The flesh full of pleasure…
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bay Area Figurative Movement Seated Nude
Located in Soquel, CA
Tranquil figurative portrait of a seated nude woman with brown hair and brown eyes by an unknown San Francisco bay area artist (American, 20th Century). Unsigned. Unframed.
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Note to self - 21st Century Realistic Figurative Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Jeanine Donkers Note to self 30 x 40 cm ( framed included in price) Measurement with included frame: 34 x 44 cm Oil on wood panel Jeanine Donkers' paintings offer a world filled wi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Venus the divine feminine - 21st Century Realistic Painting of a person
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Jeanine Donkers Venus the divine feminine 40 x 30 cm ( framed included in price) Measurement with included frame: 44 x 34 cm Oil on wood panel Jeanine Donkers' paintings offer a wo...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Okey - 21st Century Realistic Painting of a person
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Jeanine Donkers Okey 50 x 40 cm ( framed included in price) Measurement with included frame: 54 x 44 cm Oil on wood panel Jeanine Donkers' paintings offer a world filled with famil...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Alignment - 21st Century Realistic Painting of a person
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Jeanine Donkers Alignment 50 x 40 cm ( framed included in price) Measurement with included frame: 54 x 44 cm Oil on wood panel Jeanine Donkers' paintings offer a world filled with ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

'Portrait of a Gentleman Reading', Regency Dandy, William Blake, Royal Academy
By George Richmond
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'Richmond' for George Richmond, RA (British, 1809 – 1896) and painted circa 1845. Displayed in a period, carved and giltwood frame. (Framed dimensions: 22.75 x 21.5 x 1.0) This English painter and portraitist was a founding member of The Ancients, a group of followers of William Blake. Later in life, he established himself as a successful society portrait painter of the British gentry, nobility and royalty. George Richmond was the son of Thomas Richmond the miniature-painter and, also, the father of the painter William Blake Richmond. For a short time, he attended a day school in Soho, before became a student at London's Royal Academy. Here he was much impressed by Henry Fuseli, his professor of painting, and formed a lifelong friendship with Samuel Palmer, and had as fellow-students and companions Edward Calvert...
Category

1840s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

March 9, 1998 (98-99 Series), Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A woman glances sharply to her right, her expression poised between curiosity and caution. Rendered in stark black and white, the piece gives a timeless and cin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Monkeys and Stones" (2023) By Destiny Bowman, Original Oil Still-Life Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Monkeys and Stones" (2023) by Destiny Bowman is an original, handmade oil painting on wood panel that depicts a still-life featuring a monkey skull, an orange, and various stones al...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Saint Marks Square", 19th Century oil on canvas of Venice by Antonio Reyna
Located in Madrid, ES
ANTONIO REYNA MANESCAU Spanish, 1859 - 1937 SAINT MARKS SQUARE signed & located "A. Reyna, Venezia" (lower right) oil on canvas 15-1/2 x 21-3/8 ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - $1
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing at Oil Pain...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Crossing the Water. Mid 19th Century Realist Painting. Ecouen school.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid 19th century Realist ink, watercolour and gouache portrait on paper of a young man in a field by John George Todd. The painting is signed G Todd bottom left as was his usual mann...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache, Watercolor

"Study for 'Closer Than We Thought'" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's (US based) "Study for 'Closer Than We Thought'" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a quiet scene of a lush green plant growing in a garden with warm...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Game with waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
From the series «Summer Memories» This painting depicts a little girl playing on the beach on a summer day. Her small figure is touchingly integrated into the vast blue of the water...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Evening landscape on the river. Wood, oil, 29x39 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Evening landscape on the river. wood, oil, 29x39 cm The artwork depicts a landscape scene of Netherlands, showcasing the unique characteristics and natural beauty of the region. William Raymond Dommersen (1850-1927) also Dommersheusen and Dommersheuzen, (London, Stratford West Ham, 1859 – London, 1927) was an English painter of Land- and Seascapes, Villages and Towns. He signed his work as W or WR Dommersen. Dommersen painted between 1875 and 1927 genre pieces, landscapes, marine scenes, village- and town-scenes of quality. His best known works are the European villages and towns along rivers and...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood

A composition - Figurative Oil Painting, Still life, Realism, Polish art
Located in Warsaw, PL
ZBIGNIEW WOZNIAK (b. 1952) Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, at the Department of Glass and Ceramics. He is involved in painting, graphics and artistic glass design. He...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Above Clear Creek" by Tracy Wall, Original Mixed Media Painting of CO forest
Located in Denver, CO
Tracy Wall's (Colorado, US based) "Above Clear Creek" is an original, handmade, mixed media painting that depicts a small Colorado country road, lined with trees. As an artist, Tracy Wall sheds new light on everyday life, inviting the viewer to see the familiar as if for the very first time. Working with a variety of subjects, Tracy paints interesting viewpoints with compelling value, color, and shapes. Appealing compositions are everywhere, and they make strong impressions from afar even before the subject matter is recognized. She loves to balance representational impressions with more abstracted compositions. Tracy has studied at the Art Students League of Denver under such influential artists as Michelle Torrez, Ken Velastro, Kevin Weckbach, John Lencicki, and Rob Gratiot while also participated in additional workshops from Sally Strand, Carol Marine...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Old Riga. 1960. Oil on canvas, 82x63 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Old Riga. 1960. Oil on canvas, 82x63 cm Laimdonis Grasmanis (1916-1970) 1933 – 1937 – Art school of Applied art in Liepaja 1937 – 1942 – Art Academy of Latvia Artist took part at...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunset Dream-original figurative seascape oil painting- sunset modern Art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "In the enchanting masterpiece 'Sunset Dreaming' by Nikki Baxe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

At the sunny sea
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I captured the serene yet dynamic essence of nature juxtaposed with a figure embodying grace and freedom. I was inspired by the powerful tranquility of the sea ...
Category

2010s 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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