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.
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
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...
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
"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
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Day People Boats Birds
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Day III oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed signed LL Beach Day III 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
"Roses and jasmine"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Painting is painted from real bush of roses in my garden. I was inspired by the freshness of the scarlet roses. Painting size 140x140cm/oil on canvas/ 2018 Signed on the front and ...
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
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
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
Listed Artist Hewett Jackson Original Oil Painting Tall Ship Seascape Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a large original oil painting on canvas by listed maritime artist Hewett R. Jackson (1914–2007). This striking nautical scene depicts a majestic tall sailing ship brea...
Oil
“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
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
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
«A Second Before the Touch» — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The wave rises and comes to stillness. Light passes through the water and remains within it. Movement slows, almost disappearing. This moment still holds its form. Nothing is broken ...
Canvas, Oil
Dolomite Landscape - Huge Italian Austrian Mountain River Waterfall Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful and huge mid 19th century oil on canvas depicting a landscape in the Dolomites, by Karl Moser. Excellent quality work on exhibition scale by this important Austrian arti...
Canvas, 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
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
«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...
Oil, Canvas
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Off the Coast Seascape Study is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionist...
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
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
New York City Theater Painting Michael Budden Phantom of the Opera Study
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Phantom oil/panel 8x6 unframed, 13.38 x 11.25 framed signed LR Mystical Phantom is an oil painting study on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden...
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
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting
By J Bishop
Located in Preston, GB
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 32.5 x 26.5 inches Frame measures 36.5 x 30.5 inches This impressive oil p...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
“Where Everything Begins” — Hyperrealistic Seascape at Dawn
Located in Zofingen, AG
A moment of silence between night and day. The sea still holds the coolness and depth of darkness, yet the first path of sunlight already appears on the water — a sign of beginning, ...
Canvas, Oil
Antique Italian Impressionist Venice Cityscape Framed Signed Watercolor Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage Italian painting. Watercolor on paper. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 18 by 25 inches overall, and 14.5 by 21 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Watercolor
"Kenosha Skies" - Western Landscape and Skyscape, Oil Painting on Linen
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: This painting captures the luminous midday atmosphere above Colorados Kenosha Pass, where expansive skies stretch endlessly above the Continental Divide. Using a co...
Linen, Oil
Anatolio Sokoloff (1891–1971) — Russian Troika in Winter — Oil on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
A dynamic and atmospheric winter scene depicting a troika — the quintessential Russian three-horse carriage — racing at full gallop across a snow-covered steppe. At the center, a coa...
Canvas, Oil
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
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
"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
Rowboat, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A lone rowboat rests on a lake, securely tied to a post and anchored underwater. Ripples gently disturb the reflection of the vessel, adding movement to the sce...
Oil
Blood Moon, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A blood moon glows softly against a brilliant night sky. A row of palm trees in the foreground reaches upward. Pale clouds drift and billow, adding a sense of c...
Oil
Antique American Modernist Framed Dog Portrait Signed Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American dog portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Handsomely framed in a wood molding. Excellent condition, rea...
Oil, Board
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
«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
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
River Landscape Scene with Horses in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
River Landscape Scene with Horses in the English Countryside by British Contemporary Artist, David Morgan (Born 1964). Art measures 24 x 16 inches Frame measures 30 x 20 inches Sig...
Oil, Canvas
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
"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
Le Bistro, Passage Verdeau - 21st Century Hyper Realistic oil painting of a City
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Roos van der Meijden Le Bistro, Passage Verdeau 26 x 26 cm ( framed 32 x 32 cm, frame is included in price ) Oil paint on panel Dutch artist Roos van der Meijden is famous because o...
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
«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
Early 20th Century Maritime Oil Painting of RMS Aquitania in New York Harbor
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Maritime Oil Painting of RMS Aquitania in New York Harbor by Frederick Hoertz. Original painting of Cunard Line’s Aquitania by Frederick Hoertz (American, 1889-1978) that w...
Oil, Linen, Stretcher Bars
"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
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
"London in Shades of Blue" by Lindsey Kustusch, Realist Cityscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Lindsey Kustusch's "London in Shades of Blue" is a compelling handmade original oil on wood panel artwork, measuring 12 x 12 inches. This 2025 piece is a primary market item, arrivin...
Oil, Wood Panel
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
La Tuile a Loup rue Daubenton Paris
By André Renoux
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Andre Renoux la Tuile a Loup rue Daubenton - 1989 Painting Canvas Size 23.75'' x 15'' inches His art has been the subject of three monographs, numero...
Acrylic
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
"QUAIL IN THE BUSH" Arturo Mercado (1938-2016) Western Scene
Located in San Antonio, TX
Arturo Mercado (1938 -2016) Austin Artist Image Size: 6 x 7 Frame Size: 8.5 x 9.5 Medium: Acrylic "Quail in the Bush" signed Biography Arturo Mercado (1938 -2016) Arturo Mercado w...
Oil
Photorealistic Ocean Painting, Surf and Sand by Todd Kenyon
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Todd Kenyon "Surf and Sand" Giclee Print on Canvas 40 x 67 inches 42 x 69 inches framed size __________________________ JoAnne Artman Gallery is pleased to present Endless Blue, a c...
Canvas, Archival Pigment
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
Mountain Lake Forest Landscape Scene - Vintage Art 20th Century Oil Painting
By J Bishop
Located in Preston, GB
Mountain Lake Forest Landscape Scene - Vintage Art 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 17 x 14 inches Frame measures 21 x 18 inches Vintage painting, ornate gold f...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
Oil Painting of a Woodland Scene in the English Countryside by British Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of a Woodland Scene in the English Countryside by 20th Century Modern British Artist, James Wright Art measures 30 x 16 inches Frame measures 36 x 22 inches This 198...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
Impressionistic Realistic Moonlight Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Nightfall II, Moonlight Series oil/panel 8 x 10 unframed 13.50 x 15.50 x 1.5 framed. Signed LL Nightfall II is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michae...
Oil
Brilliance-original modern Ocean-seascape oil painting-Contemporary 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 dynamic and compelling masterpiece "Brilliance" by Nikk...
Canvas, Oil
New York City Nocturne Oil Painting Michael Budden Times Square
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
The Evening Show, Times Square oil/panel 16 x 12 image unframed, 22.5 x 18.5 framed, is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases t...
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
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