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.
Fromage
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting captures a still life scene viewed from above, inviting you to explore its intimate details. At the center, a wooden board showcases a variety of cheeses, ...
Canvas, Oil
Pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
The serene ceramic jar anchors the composition, creating a quiet dialogue between matte surfaces and glossy fruit. The carefully draped striped tablecloth introduces rhythm and movem...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Peach - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Double Strawberries- original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Quiet day
Located in Zofingen, AG
A poised still life rendered in luminous oil, where light glides across a draped table, revealing the tender gleam of porcelain and the play of silken folds. Two white jugs, a cup a...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Banana - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Red Apple - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Raspberry - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Train to Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Set on a winter evening at the 4th Avenue/9th Street station in Brooklyn, this painting captures a vivid sunset framed by the converging diagonals of the train ...
Oil
Lemons. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Lemons” is an ode to the simple pleasures of life, inviting viewers to appreciate the inherent beauty in everyday objects. The central place is occupied by a plate of lemons with le...
Canvas, Oil
$8,595Sale Price|26% Off
Still Life with Fruit & Bread Rustic French Farmhouse Interior by French Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life with Fruit & Bread Rustic French Farmhouse Interior by 20th Century French Artist, Robert Chailloux (1913-2006). Art measures 29 x 23....
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
In a hotel room. Venice
Located in Oslo, NO
The idea for this work arose on the author's birthday, when he specially came to Venice to celebrate it there. In the painting we see the interior of a hotel room with evening Venice...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Realist Interior Portrait Signed Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract landscape oil painting by Charles Courtney Curran (1861 - 1942) . Oil on canvas, lain to board. Framed. Measuring: 23 by 27 inches overall, and 18...
Oil, Board
Pocket Mauve Plum - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. A luscious plum, its dusky mauve skin infused with hints of de...
Acrylic, Board
Signed Italian Oil Painting Realist Flowers in Pewter Vase, Peonies
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Italian School, signed lower left, 20th century Title: Flowers in a Pewter Vase Medium: oil painting on board , framed Size: framed: 15.5 x 13.5 inches painting: ...
Oil
Cup of coffee and tangerine
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Cup of coffee and tangerine” is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. The style of the painting is inspired by the Holland masters of the 17th cen...
Canvas, Oil
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Fluffy Pomeranian Dog Portrait Wide Gold Frame Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredible signed early American dog portrait painting. Oil on board. Signed. Housed in a period gold giltwood frame.
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Super Realist Trompe L'Oeil Framed Signed Still Life Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early American super realist trompe l'oeil still life oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Signed. Image size, 14H by 10L.
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Fruit and Vessels
Located in Stockholm, SE
Housed in an elaborate late nineteenth-century carved gilt frame lined with deep red velvet, the painting offers a harmonious composition of carefully arranged objects illuminated by...
Oil, Wood Panel
Lilac
Located in Zofingen, AG
This oil painting presents an opulent bouquet of lilacs in full bloom, arranged in a softly rounded ceramic vase. Cascading clusters of white, lavender, and deep violet blossoms fill...
Canvas, Oil
$239
Pocket Fluffy Quince - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Daffodils in a milk jug
Located in Zofingen, AG
These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...
Canvas, Oil
$1,020Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Trompe L'Oeil Artist Studio Interior Scene Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderfully painted American modernist still life oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 24H by 20L. Finely executed realist school.
Canvas, Oil
$904Sale Price|50% Off
Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Liliya Volskaya
Located in Zofingen, AG
Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Lilia Volskaya. Flowers are the ultimate delight in beauty, which is flawless. The slight curves of lines, tones and semitones, ...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
Lost to Time, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A weathered yellow cottage with a red roof stands alone on the prairie, surrounded by wildflowers and a rustic fence. Dark clouds gather overhead, adding a se...
Acrylic
Lovely Farm House Scene by Russian Master Bershadsky Genre Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed lower left and dated: 15/IX, 1895, Y. Bershadsky - Yuliy (Ioil-Ruvin) Rafailovich Bershadsky (1869 - 1956), Russian - USSR painter and teacher, professor, honored artist of th...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
Fruit Bowl and Candle - original realism still life acrylic painting art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. Laura Critchlow’s "Fruit Bowl and Candle" is a poetic still life that marries clas...
Acrylic, Board
"The Pincio Fountain in Rome"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Jozefina Kirchner (1890–1931) "The Pincio Fountain in Rome" (1923)** This atmospheric oil painting on canvas by Jozefina Kirchner, completed in 1923, captures a captivating view of t...
Canvas, Oil
Old Times House Interior Scene with Naughty Boy 19th century Genre Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
The painting captures a wonderfully amusing family moment set in the 16th century. In the center of the painting we see the father, exhausted by worries and dozing in his chair in fr...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
A Meal, Charles Van Den Eycken, Brussels 1859 – 1923, Belgian Painter
Located in Knokke, BE
A Meal Van Den Eycken Charles Brussels 1859 – 1923 Belgian Painter Signature: Attributed to Charles Van Den Eycken Medium: Oil on panel Dimens...
Oil, Wood Panel
Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life
By Alzora Zaremba
Located in Soquel, CA
Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life Vibrant still life of juicy, ripe fruit on a ceramic tile by Alzora Zaremba (American, b. 1943). Signed by the artist "Alzora 1991" in the...
Porcelain, Glaze, Oil
Antique Oil on Canvas Orientalist Painting Moorish Spain Gate of The Sun Toledo
Located in Portland, OR
A large & important Orientalist oil on canvas painting, Moorish Spain, by Pollok Sinclair Nesbit (1848-1922) ASRA, "The Gate of the Sun" Toledo, 1872. A member of The Royal Scottish ...
Canvas, Oil
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam (Belgian? 19th century) Signed lower left Oil on wood panel 8 1/4 x 5 /12 (10 1/4 x 13 1/4 frame) Though little is known about E. ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,400Sale Price|20% Off
Signed Antique American Realist Nude Woman Portrait Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 26 by 34 inches overall and 20 by 28 painting alone. In excellent condition. Handsomely framed in a period ar...
Canvas, Oil
Saint Mark's Basilica Interior Oil Painting
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Saint Mark's Basilica Venice Oil Painting Signed, lower left dated, titled verso. Romanesque Bizantine Basilica. canvas 35"x45" framed 46.5 x56.5. Frank LeB...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
A Young Woman With Her Dog by Victor Ravet
Located in Stockholm, SE
In this exquisite painting by Victor Ravet, we are transported to an elegant interior setting reminiscent of the grandeur of high-class homes. The focal point is a woman adorned in a shimmering pink gown, radiating grace and sophistication. Bathed in gentle light, her dress catches the glimmer, accentuating her beauty. She holds a treat for a dog in her hand, enticing the furry companion who stands on its hind legs in eager anticipation. The canine's eyes fixated on the delicious morsel, capturing a moment of playful interaction between the woman and her loyal companion. The scene takes on a narrative quality as the young woman's other hand delicately lifts a curtain, hinting at another room beyond. This subtle gesture adds depth to the composition, suggesting a world of hidden secrets and intriguing possibilities within the opulent surroundings. Victor Ravet took inspiration from the Dutch Golden Age painters of the 17th century, such as Vermeer, Jacob Ochtervelt, and Gerrit Dou. This homage to their style and subject matter pays tribute to the timeless allure of domestic scenes, capturing a slice of life in a bygone era. With meticulous attention to detail, Ravet masterfully recreates the textures and fabrics, immersing the viewer in the sumptuousness of the period. The soft play...
Oil, Panel
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Museum Quality Fruit Still Life Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school realist fruit still life oil painting. Oil on board. Unsigned. Framed. Image size, 16L x 16H.
Oil, Board
Signed Antique American 19th Century Realist Still Life Nicely Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 21 by 25 inches overall and 14.5 by 18.5 painting alone.
Canvas, Oil
Assassination of Clarence in the Tower; Scene from Richard III, Act I, Sc. 4
Located in Stockholm, SE
Egron Sellif Lundgren (Stockholm 1815–1875 Stockholm) The assassination of George, Duke of Clarence in the Tower of London; A Scene from Shakespeare’s Richard III (Act I, scene 4) ...
Canvas, Oil
Still life with peppers Oil Painting by Igor Sventitski
Located in Zofingen, AG
Original oil painting on canvas, still life painting made under natural light. This artwork is painted using high-quality fine linen canvas and sold unframed, stretched, and ready to...
Oil
$925Sale Price|20% Off
French Mid Century Still Life, Tablescape, Nature Morte. Oil on Board.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Large scale mid 20th Century French, oil on board, still life, tablescape, interior view, by Claude Barthélémy. Signed bottom left, presented in fine carved wood and gilt frame, with...
Oil, Board
Woman Feeding Goldfish in a Dutch Interior, c. 1870
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Frans Moormans (Dutch, 1831-1893) The Goldfish Bowl, c. 1870 Oil on panel, 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches FRAMED: 19 1/2 x 14 1/4 inches (approx.) Signed at lower right: “Frans. Moormans” B...
Oil, Wood Panel
Pruned, 12 x 12, Still Life, Oil Painting
By Robin Cole
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Pruned," a 2024 original, is an intimate oil on mounted linen painting that measures 12 x 12 inches, encased in a frame that extends the dimensions to 17 x 17 inches. T...
Oil
Oysters and lemon
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view, strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate texture, and the play of light on the subject matter. The iridescent oysters contrast on a black plate focusing the viewer's eye towards the center of the composition. Color palette in “Oysters and lemon...
Canvas, Oil
Winter Window. Interior scene, winter landscape, window light, quiet mood
Located in Oslo, NO
winter painting, Christmas, New Year, holiday gift, window, interior, historic house, winter day, plein air, small painting, American art A small interior painting created from life...
Canvas, Oil
'Une Consultation de Sigmund Freud' by Hubert - Denis Etcheverry (1867 – 1950)
Located in Knokke, BE
Hubert-Denis Etcheverry Bayonne 1867 – 1950 Paris French Painter 'Une Consultation de Sigmund Freud' Signature: signed lower right and dated ‘D. Etcheverry / Paris 1900’ Medium: oi...
Canvas, Oil
Floral
Located in Zofingen, AG
This exquisite painting showcases a vibrant bouquet of bearded carnations, bursting with rich pink-red colors and intricate details. Each flower is depicted with delicate, fringed p...
Canvas, Oil
Vintage Realist Landscape with Horse and Sheep Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American school realist landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 23 by 28 inches overall. Handsomely framed in ...
Canvas, Oil
Three Pears
By Thomas Prentiss
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting an outstanding original oil painting by American artist Thomas Prentiss b.1920. Three Pears, is painted in the hyper realistic trompe l'oeil style, viewing this painting ...
Oil
An auction at Drouot's in Paris.
By René Francois Xavier Prinet
Located in Paris, FR
An auction at Drouot's in Paris. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Around 1900-1910. René François Xavier Prinet (31 December 1861, Vitry-le-François – 26 January 1946, Bourbonne-les-Bains) was a French painter and illustrator who drew his subjects from middle-class society. He was born to Henri Prinet, an Imperial Prosecutor in Vitry-le-François. A promotion led to him being posted in Paris, where they lived in a home not far from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His father painted as a hobby and was supportive of his desire to study art, having him seek the advice of Louis Charles Timbal [fr], a well-known church painter and friend of the family. Around 1880, he began his studies in earnest, in the studios of Jean-Léon Gérôme; remaining with him until 1885. That year, his painting "The Infant Jesus" was accepted for display at the Salon. This was followed by studies at the Académie Julian. At this time, he also became associated with a group of young artists known as the Bande Noire (Black Stripe), which included Lucien Simon, André Dauchez...
Oil
Hydrangea Flowers Bouquet
Located in Zofingen, AG
Hydrangea Flowers - Floral Harmony – Original Oil Painting on Canvas by Olga Nikitina Hydrangea Painting is an original oil painting by Olga Nikitina, created with a palette knife i...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Jeannie Netter, wearing a Burgundy dress
By Fedor Encke
Located in West Sussex, GB
Fedor Encke (1851-1926) – German Full length Portrait of Jeannie Netter, standing in an interior, wearing a Burgundy Velvet Dress holding a Pink Rose Oil on canvas :85 ¾ x 50 ¼ in. Frame :103 x 67 ¼ in. Signed & inscribed ‘New York’. Circa 1910 Jeannie Netter was an American born musician and song-writer but was mostly merited for her sculpture having been taught by the Russian artist Bernstamm. Fedor Encke was born in Berlin, Germany in 1851. Younger brother of Erdmann Encke who was a sculptor, Encke was the illegitimate grandson of King Frederick Wilhelm II of Prussia and Mistress Wilhelmine Encke, Countess of Lichtenau. Fedor studied under Karl Gussow in Berlin and then went on to study in Rome and Paris. Although he set up a studio in Berlin during the 1880’s, he seems to have travelled regularly between Paris and New York painting many American Society sitters, including President Theodore Roosevelt. Encke’s portrait of Roosevelt dressed in Rough Rider uniform, originally hung in the dining room of the White House and is now at the Presidents place of birth, Segamore Hill, New York. This portrait was also published as the frontispiece of ‘The Rough Riders’ by C. Scribners&Sons, 1899. Encke was in Paris in 1902 and painted the two banking giants, John H. Harjes and J.P. Morgan both having their portraits painted at the same time. To try and finish Morgan’s painting Encke hired a young photographer named Edward Steichen to take Morgan’s picture as a kind of aid memoir to minimize the sitting time. This photograph and the painting that resulted from it caused a considerable stir because of the uncompromising pose of Morgan. The portrait became synonymous with the new capitalism. Encke seems to have been very well connected socially and painted for many members of the European nobility as a result. Encke died in 1926. Works in Museums: Segamore Hill, New York (Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt) National Portrait Gallery America; Smithsonian; Brooklyn Museum of Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art. Bibl: Book on Moses Ezekiel...
Oil
“Sunflowers in Glass Vase” Signed Still Life Oil Painting by J. M. Dilekis
Located in Buffalo, NY
A richly painted still life of sunflowers by J. M. Dilekis, signed and dated 1994 in the lower right. Executed in oil on canvas, this classic composition features a lush bouquet of g...
Oil, Board
Pocket Blue Damson - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Berries in a golden bowl
Located in Zofingen, AG
The scene is set with a quiet reverence—a simple golden bowl, brimming with the last treasures of the season. These are not just fruits; they are memories of sunlight, gathered and p...
Canvas, Oil
$746Sale Price|25% Off
American School Signed Trompe L'Oeil Nude Woman Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very nicely painted American school modernist painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Nicely framed. Image size, 16L x 20H.
Canvas, Oil
"Purple Brass and Citrus" Realist Still-Life Oil Painting on Canvas
By Jeff Legg
Located in Denver, CO
Jeff Legg's (US based) "Purple Brass and Citrus" is an oil painting created in 2022 depicting a golden brass jar with purple leaves, grapes and orange citrus. About the artist: Jeff...
Oil, Canvas
Madison Square Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Viewed across Madison Square Park at sunset, the Metropolitan Life Tower glows orange against a dramatic sky, with Eleven Madison echoing its warm light. Clouds...
Oil
19th Century Italian Orientalist Antique Oil Painting Young Woman Well Sunset
Located in Stockholm, SE
Exquisite 19th century Italian orientalist oil painting depicting a romantic sunset scene with a young Middle Eastern woman at an ancient well. The composition features a beautifully...
Canvas, Oil, Wood
Two Worlds - British Edwardian figurative interior oil painting religious art
Located in Hagley, England
This intriguing British Edwardian figurative interior oil painting is by noted artist Arthur Croft Mitchell. It is entitled Two Worlds verso and dated as c1910. The composition of th...
Oil