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.
$4,118
Very Finely Detailed 19th Century Painting of English Woodland Landscape
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Thistledown’ by Benjamin Haughton (1865-1924). Signed by the artist and dated 1897, the painting is newly professionally conserved and presented i...
Watercolor
Pacific Sunset Waves, Contemporary Cyanotype on Paper, Navy Blue, Beach House
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Sunset Waves" is an original cyanotype that abstractly shows the sunset reflections on the sea. Details: + Titl...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Sunrise
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Morning Drama oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed signed LL Morning Drama is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showca...
Oil
Ocean Beach Seascape Oil Painting Children Playing Michael Budden Summer Play
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Summer Play, Sailboats and the Jetty 6 x 8 unframed, 9.75 x 11.75 framed Signed LR Summer Play is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden t...
Oil
Venetian painter - 19th century Venetian lagoon scene - Bathers on boat
Located in Varmo, IT
Venetian painter (19th century) - Bathers on the Lagoon. 65 x 83 cm (without frame) - 76 x 93.5 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas, in carved and gilded wooden frame (not signed). The...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting Sunrise Series by Michael Budden People Jetty
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Study Image is 6 x 8 unframed, and 11.75 x 13.75 framed. Signed LR Sunrise Study is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that s...
Oil
"Hindsight" - Original Still-Life and Landscape, Oil Painting on Panel
By Emma Kalff
Located in Denver, CO
"This painting was made based off of a photo I took from a bus window in Mexico, near Puerto Vallarta. The image stuck with me as the idea of an idyllic hillside. It felt to me like ...
Oil, Panel
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Winter Moonlight Nocturne Snow Scene Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Enchanted Evening oil/canvas 16 x 20 unframed, 22.5 x 26.5 framed signed LL Enchanted Evening is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that sh...
Oil
Antique 19th Century British Oil Painting by G. Wylle Rural Landscape Gilt Frame
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an antique British oil painting on canvas, signed “G. Wylle” in the lower area, depicting a picturesque riverside village scene with historic stone buildings, a tower ...
Oil
19th Century European Romantic Moonlit River Landscape Oil Canvas Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This enchanting night landscape in oil on canvas was painted by an Unidentified, presumably German, master "P. JHNEN" or "P. IHNEN", in the late 19th century, and is imbued with a ro...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
Ballerina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I captured the delicate introspection of a quiet moment. Using oil, I aimed to blend fine realism with an intimate, almost tangible stillness. The softness of her skin...
Canvas, Oil
Impressionistic Realistic Moonlight Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Moon Sliver oil/panel 8 x 10 unframed 13.50 x 15.50 x 2 framed. Signed LR Moon Sliver is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcase...
Oil
"Cloud Composition 7" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 7" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
"Amsterdam-Street" Realist Netherlands Cityscape Oil Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in New York, NY
A charming, realistic oil painting of a classic canal scene in Amsterdam, rendered in a traditional 19th-century academic style with a warm, inviting atmosphere. A tall, elegant ‘bef...
Canvas, Oil
$1,492Sale Price|25% Off
Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist, Terry Evans Terry Evans is a British Postwar & Contemporary Painter born in 1943, known for h...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Fragility of Strength -Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting of Breaking Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The moment before everything changes, where strength teeters on the edge of fragility. DETAILS ● 100% original hand-painted ● The painting is textured ● The picture is painted with ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,590
“Line of Stillness” — Contemporary Seascape Painting of Calm Ocean Horizon
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is about how formality dissolves when you’re surrounded by the right people. What is usually governed by rules, timing, and expectations quietly turns into something softer...
Canvas, Oil
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland
Located in Preston, GB
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland, by Contemporary Artist, Derek Quann Art measures 10 x 8 inches Frame measures 17.5 x 15.5 inches Th...
Canvas, Oil
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Original Oil Painting on canvas, Still Life, Flowers, Signed, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a beautiful original oil painting on canvas. This painting is a classical and elegant floral still-life composition, featuring a lush bouquet of vibrant flowers arrang...
Oil
Swans and Reflections, by Alise Medina. Oil on canvas, 40x30 cm. Signed
Located in Riga, LV
Very often in my painting process I use photographs, sketches and I paint direct from the nature(in plein air). There are lot of excitement and impulses around; they can cover each o...
Canvas, Oil
$2,007Sale Price|25% Off
Castlewellan Lake in Northern Ireland by 20th Century British Landscape Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Castlewellan Lake in Northern Ireland by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, Spencer Coleman. Unique Vintage Original, Oil on Canvas...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,590
«Under a Heavy Sky» — Realistic Oil Seascape of Turquoise Waters and Storms
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sky lowers itself, as if reaching for the sea. Dense and dark, it carries an unspoken weight. The turquoise water does not resist — it glows from within, breathing steadily, ac...
Canvas, Oil
"The Hendrick Hudson Steamboat on the Hudson River" Realist Oil Painting Canvas
Located in New York, NY
This vibrant painting depicts the historic sidewheel steamboat Hendrick Hudson majestically cruising across the Hudson River at sunset. The grand three-deck vessel, with its distinct...
Canvas, Oil
$1,029Sale Price|40% Off
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....
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$2,521Sale Price|25% Off
Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections
Located in Preston, GB
Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections by 20th Century British Artist. Unique Vintage Original, Oil on Canvas, Signed. Art measures 30...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Seascape - Sunlit Waves Crashing against the Rocks on the British Isles
Located in Preston, GB
Seascape - Sunlit Waves Crashing against the Rocks on the British Isles Art measures 32 x 24 inches Frame measures 36 x 28 inches A commanding seascape where light wrestles with wa...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Sailing at Sunset" Realist Oil Painting on Canvas Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
Located in New York, NY
George Nemethy finds his inspiration in moments of quiet and solitude. Where he finds himself one with the sea and the sky and the tranquil world which he freely escapes to. Trained from an early age by his father Albert Nemethy, a world-renowned painter known best for his large scale steamer boats, George found and nurtured his passion for miniature sailboats...
Oil, Board, Canvas
Antique Late 19th Century Romantic Seascape Sailboats in Storm Oil Panel Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
Presented here is a fine example of a late 19th-century seascape, executed in oil on a metal panel in the traditions of the European marine school. At the centre of the dynamic compo...
Metal
$1,286Sale Price|25% Off
Children Fishing by a River with Wild Flowers & Farmhouse in English Countryside
By Les Parson
Located in Preston, GB
Children Fishing by a Riverside with Wild Flowers & Farmhouse in the English Countryside by British Artist, Les Parson Art measures 20 x 16 inches Fram...
Canvas, Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Play V
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Play V oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 13 x 15 framed Beach Play V is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beach full...
Oil
Original Scottish Realist late 20thC oil painting of a wooded burn / stream
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Peter Barker RSMA (1954-) British TITLE: "Low Autumn Light On The Dall Burn, Rannoch, Perthshire Scotland" SIGNED: lower right MEDIUM: oil on board SIZE: 47cm x 36cm inclus...
Oil
View from Il Cellese - original realism landscape artwork - oil painting
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. In View from Il Cellese, Jeanette Meehan expands on her exploration of interior fra...
Canvas, Oil
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...
Canvas, Oil
Scenic Landscape Painting 'Eastern Sky' by John Beerman
By John Beerman
Located in White Plains, NY
John Beerman 'Eastern Sky' 2001. Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. / Frame: 35.5 x 45.5 in. Signed on lower right. John Beerman (b. 1958) has spent more than 35 years creating luminous lan...
Canvas, Oil
"Nature"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Nature is a source of energy and a feast for the eyes.
Canvas, Oil
"Last Light" - Oil on Canvas Winter Landscape with Sunset Mountains
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Harrison’s Last Light (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas that captures the fleeting beauty of twilight as it falls over a snow-covered plain and the rugged p...
Oil
$2,238
«Eternal Pulse» – Ocean Wave Oil Painting in Refined Vert Bosphore Palette
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sea knows no rest. It breathes, it lives, it calls — in every movement, in every shimmer of light. This wave is a moment between calm and storm, a breath that holds eternity with...
Oil, Wood Panel
Evening in Tuscany - original realism landscape artwork - oil painting
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
$1,980
"Phone Home" - Oil Landscape Painting With Desert, Power Lines, and Distant Hous
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Harrison’s "Phone Home" (2024) is a captivating original oil painting that immerses viewers in a solitary desert scene defined by expansive silence and subtle human presence. Se...
Canvas, Oil
«Explosion of Feelings» – Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Through the warm sunset sky, the ocean soars toward the light. A single wave, igniting, bursts into a thousand sparkling droplets, each seemingly holding the last glimmers of the dep...
Oil, Cardboard
Crowded Street Scene From Luntmakargatan, Stockholm
Located in Stockholm, SE
Olof Arborelius (1842–1915) From Luntmakargatan, Stockholm oil on paper mounted on board signed with monogram “OA” unframed 24 × 30 cm (9.4 × 11.8 in) frame 35 × 41 cm (13.8 × 16.1...
Oil, Board, Laid Paper
Sconset Bluff Walk
By Marla Korr
Located in Greenwich, CT
This painting depicts the iconic path among the Siasconset (Sconset) cottages on Nantucket Island.
Canvas, Oil
Lively square by François Kieserman - Watercolor
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Light brown wooden frame with glass pane 70 x 94 x 1,5 cm
Watercolor
Sunflowers in a Mediterranean Landscape, 20th Century Oil on Canvas
Located in Preston, GB
Sunflowers in a Mediterranean Landscape Art measures 24 x 20 inches Frame measures 26 x 22 inches Sunlit Reverie Among the Sunflowers Original oil painting by Vinny (inspired by ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,801Sale Price|25% Off
River Landscape with Highland Cows & Sheep in the Scottish Mountains
By Wendy Reeves
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...
Canvas, Oil
Nature's Bounty, Oil Painting
By Jo Galang
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The vibrant colors in this piece highlight a dynamic interplay of orange and green hues, evoking freshness and vitality. It captures the essence of abundance ...
Oil
Hidden Treasure, Oil Painting
By Jo Galang
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Jo Galang paints a tranquil river tucked in the middle of the woods. "One of the joys of life is finding unexpected treasure in the midst of nowhere," ...
Oil
"Astana. Expo Plaza"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Astana. Expo Plaza When architecture becomes a dream come true Before you is evidence of the meeting of classical painting with the futuristic genius of architecture. In 2018, Alex...
Oil
$1,389Sale Price|25% Off
Shire Horse & Man by Woodland River in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Shire Horse & Man by Woodland River in the English Countryside by British Artist, Peter J Greenhill Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 3...
Canvas, Oil
$1,413Sale Price|33% Off
Venetian painter – 19th c. Guardesque Venice lagoon – San Cristoforo
Located in Varmo, IT
Venetian painter (19th-20th century) — Venice, view of the Island of San Cristoforo della Pace. 35 x 45 cm (unframed) - 46 x 56 cm (framed). Oil on canvas, in a gilded and pain...
Canvas, Oil
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Jules Pages 1867 - 1946 American Impressionist, California, France Marine Scene
By Jules Pages
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Jules Pages, American Impressionist Marine, La Rochelle, France oil/canvas signed LL 13 x 16 unframed, 18 x 21 framed. An oil painting on canvas by Jules Pages showing a French scen...
Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Beach Jetty Boat
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening Jetty, Moon Rise Oil/ canvas 12 x 16 unframed and 18.50 x 22.50 framed. Signed LL An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases...
Oil
$2,265
Vintage Lakeland Landscape Painting with Sheep by 20th Century British Artist
By Peter McKay
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Lakeland Landscape Painting with Sheep by 20th Century British Artist, Peter McKay Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures ...
Canvas, Oil
"Calle Tipica, Aragon, Spain" Landscape Painting of Calm Mountain Village Scene
Located in Austin, TX
Oil on board Board Size: 16 x 20 in. Frame Size: 22 x 26.5 in. Signed, bottom right. In this oil painting Jose Vives-Atsara captures the rugged, sun-drenched essence of the Spanish ...
Oil, Board
"Sailing in the Afternoon" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
Located in New York, NY
George Nemethy finds his inspiration in moments of quiet and solitude. Where he finds himself one with the sea and the sky and the tranquil world which he freely escapes to. Trained from an early age by his father Albert Nemethy, a world-renowned painter known best for his large scale steamer boats, George found...
Oil, Canvas, Board
Contact problem.Welcome to NATO, canvas/oil, 80x150 cm, 1976
Located in Riga, LV
Contact problem.Welcome to NATO, canvas/oil, 80x150 cm, 1976
Canvas, Oil
$3,887
Reflected Female Surfer, Deep Blue Underwater Figurative SportPainting, Original
By Raúl Álvarez
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This deep blue hyperrealist painting depicts a surfer extending beneath the ocean surface, her body doubled and radically distorted by the moving water above. Created by Spanish pai...
Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$990
19th Century European Romantic Panoramic Alpine Lake Landscape Oil Canvas Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This impressive oil painting on canvas, created in the second half of the 19th century, represents a classic example of European romantic landscape painting. The artwork reveals to t...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
After American Painter Hugh Bolton Jones 1848-1927 New England Landscape
By Hugh Bolton Jones
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
In the style of Hugh Bolton Jones 1848-1927 New England Landscape oil/canvas board signed LR 16 x 24 unframed, 21 x 29 framed Painting looks and feels lined and in good condition in...
Oil
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
American Impressionist Oil Painting Gustave Cimioti 1875-1969 Marine Monhegan
By Gustave Cimiotti Jr.
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Gustave Cimioti Jr. Monhegan oil/canvas board signed LR 15.88 x 19.88 unframed, 21.19 x 25.07 framed Good original condition in period frame. Possibly original Biography: Gustave Ci...
Oil