Skip to main content

Realist Portrait 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.

to
231
239
157
171
184
185
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
117
208
607
21
20
13
16
13
14
4
12
7
29
4
4,359
1,243
886
597
585
504
444
357
324
134
130
100
28
22
610
212
102
711
474
362
274
218
177
82
66
56
39
38
38
34
34
29
28
28
27
27
26
890
696
436
393
187
13
13
12
12
11
463
57
481
282
Style: Realist
Eugène Lepoittevin. A drawing lesson by the Sea, oil on canvas, signed 1853
Located in PARIS, FR
Conditions : Very good overall Conditions with minor retouching under UV light (as seen on pictures). Slight invisible crack in the canvas. Original Victorian frame in excellent con...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Of Dr. Frederick A. Cook By Albert Operti
Located in New Orleans, LA
Albert Ludwig Operti 1852-1927 Italian-American Portrait of Dr. Frederick Albert Cook Oil on canvas This highly rare portrait of the important Polar explorer, Dr. Frederick Albert Cook, is the work of American artist Albert Ludwig Operti. Renowned in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for his paintings of exploration, namely Arctic scenes, Operti was the only artist to accompany Robert Peary...
Category

20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cecily Byrne as Mary Stewart - British art 30's actress portrait oil painting
By George Carr Drinkwater
Located in London, GB
Painted by George Carr Drinkwater, this vibrant oil on canvas depicts the actress of stage and screen Cecily Byrne as Mary Stuart. Painted circa 1930 it is a stunning evocative portrait of an actress who was famous throughout the 1930’s. A fine portrait of a long forgotten film star. Cecily Byrne (1889-1975) was an actress, known for Loyalties, Henry IV and Brown Sugar...
Category

1930s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Virtue of Knowledge, oil painting, Texas artist, Realistic painting
Located in Houston, TX
Virtue of Knowledge reexamines portraits of individuals throughout history to illustrate the premise that history flows into the present in an ever-changing state. And, with each new context, we view people and events through a contemporary lens specific to that moment. Virtue of Knowledge appropriates and contextualizes original portrait elements to create reinvented portraits using technique and patterning that brings a contemporary context and perspective to these historically inspired portraits STATEMENT History flows into the present in an ever-changing state. And, with each new context, we view people and events through a contemporary lens specific to that moment. My current body of work, Contemporary Histories, explores this phenomena by re-interpreting historical portraiture using a contemporary visual language. It is my intent to create a modern visual lens through which to view these individuals and their legacies, as they continue to flow into the present in ever-changing states. As a keen example of how history changes and morphs over time, I have selected portraits of women who chose an alternate path from the traditional ones prescribed in their times. Some of these individuals overtly stepped outside the traditional roles prescribed for women to realize their goals. Others astutely maneuvered within the social system they lived in to obtain their aspirations. Whether altruistic or nefarious, these women and their actions altered the future cultural landscape. Through a 21st century lens, we view them as women with minds of their own, who made choices to control their own lives and futures. Often, in stark contrast to how they were viewed and how their actions were recorded in their own times. For a modern visual language, a combination of fine and decorative arts has inspired my approach to this subject. Employing several formal contemporary tenets, most notably, rather than place the figure in a 3-dimensional space, as in the originals, the figures reside in flat graphic picture planes of damask designs, repetitive patterns or botanical grounds as modern settings for their modern legacies. These graphic backgrounds symbolize what was historically considered a woman’s proper domain, in particular, gardening and needle crafts, such as; quilting, embroidery and sewing. Formally, unlike the originals, I am working alla prima, rather than with a base grisaille and delicate layers of glazing. While, the patterned and botanical environments, along with gold leaf applications, contemporary compositions and color palettes are formally influenced by a spectrum of 19th - 21st century artists and artisans; from Gustav Klimt and the Wiener Werkstatte to Henri Rousseau, Tamara de Lempicka and Will Cotton. BIO Honora Jacob...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Adhesive, Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman - British 30's art Slade School artist oil painting
By Reginald Grenville Eves
Located in London, GB
This superb stately male portrait oil painting is by noted British Slade School artist Reginald Grenville Eves. Painted circa 1939 the portrait is a fine example of Modern British in...
Category

1930s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Edifice" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Judith Peck's (US based) "Edifice" is an oil painting that depicts a feminine figure resting her face on her closed fist while her eyes look away.
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"The Turk" oil painting, realist portrait of a bearded man with pipe and red fez
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"The Turk" is an oil on linen painting. A portrait of a Turkish man, wearing a red "fez" hat with tassel, and holding an old fashioned wooden smoking-pipe. Well-dressed with a white ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Tempest, Oil, ARC Salon Finalist, Portrait Society of America, Florence, Italy
Located in Houston, TX
Tempest was painted over several days in the artist studio in Florence, Italy. The painting measures 25 x 21 with a handmade frame from Italy. This is oil on a linen panel which mo...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman - Scottish oil painting mid 20th century art
By William Oliphant Hutchinson
Located in London, GB
An original large Scottish portrait oil by noted Scottish artist William Oliphant Hutchinson. The work is a portrait of a gentleman, in a suit, with a rose in his lapel. This painting is a fine realist portrait. It dates to 1960 when he was at the height of his portrait career. This is a fine example of a mid 20th century Scottish portrait. Signed and dated upper left. Provenance. Scottish collection. Condition. Oil on canvas, image size 36 inches by 28 inches and in good gallery condition. Housed in a gallery frame, 43 inches by 35 inches framed and in good condition. William Oliphant Hutchinson (1889-1970), was born at Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, fifth child in the family of four sons and two daughters, of Henry William Hutchison of Kinloch, a Kirkcaldy businessman, and his wife, Sarah Hannah née Key. Educated at Kirkcaldy High School, Cargilfield School, Edinburgh, and later at Rugby School. As a boy he showed considerable promise as an artist and wanted to become a painter but his family were set on him entering business. In 1911, he spent a period in Paris, primarily to perfect his French where he also took this opportunity to study at the Atelier Delecluse, striking up a lifelong friendship with Scottish artist, [Sir] James Gunn (1893-1964). On his return to Scotland he entered the family timber business but, with his father's permission, entered Edinburgh College of Art, having a portrait of his younger sister Nancy exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1911. Whilst studying in Edinburgh he came under the influence of watercolourist Edward Arthur Walton...
Category

20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Boy in Army Coat
Located in New York, NY
Gouache on paper Signed and dated, l.r. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City Born in California, John Button (1929-1982) was educated at University of Cali...
Category

1970s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Companionship
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original oil painting on canvas by artist Mian Situ. Framed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Russian Traveler Genre Portrait 19th Century Oil Painting Signed Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
The short signature lower left a monogram of joined Cyrillic letters "V" and "P" with date 77, leads to the Russian painter Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844 - 1927). Here we have pl...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Portrait John Gilbert - Australian 20's exhibited art male portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
A stunning portrait of Mr John Gilbert. This original oil on canvas was painted by James Peter Quinn in 1929 and was exhibited at The Paris Salon of that year. A fine portrait, it is in excellent condition and framed in the original period frame. This is a fine painting by a noted Australian listed artist. Signed right. Provenance. Exhibited at the Paris salon 1929. Condition. Oil on canvas in very good condition, image size 40 inches by 30 inches. Housed in its original gallery frame, 47 by 37 inches framed. Excellent condition. James Peter Quinn (1869-1951) was born on 4 December 1869 at 60 Bourke Street, Melbourne. He was the third son of John Quinn, restaurant-keeper born in Antigua, West Indies, and his English wife Ann, née Long. Little is known of Quinn's childhood and early education; both parents died when he was young. His guardians apprenticed him to an engraver, but he undertook part-time studies at the school of design, National Gallery of Victoria, under Frederick McCubbin in 1887-89, and at the school of painting under George Folingsby and Bernard Hall in 1890-93. Awarded several student prizes, he won the gallery's travelling scholarship in 1893. Quinn went to London in 1894 but quickly left for Paris where he studied at the Académie Julian, at the Académie des Beaux-Arts under Jean Paul Laurens, and with Colarossi and Delécluse. He returned to London about 1902 and married fellow art-student Blanche Louise Guernier there on 29 September. By 1904 he had exhibited with the Royal Academy of Arts and went on to establish a reputation as a highly successful portrait painter. His finest and most sensitive work was produced before 1910. His family were the subjects of many paintings, including 'Mère et Fils', awarded an honourable mention at the Old Salon, Paris, in 1912. He also painted many self-portraits. His many commissioned works included portraits of Joseph Chamberlain, the Duchess of York and, later, the Duke of Windsor. In 1918-19 he was an official war artist with the Australian Imperial Force in France, and exhibited war paintings at the Grafton Galleries, London. In 1919, with George Coates he was an official artist to the Canadian War Records. He was a council-member of the London Portrait Society, and a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, exhibiting regularly with them and the Royal Academy, and in Paris with the Old and New salons. Quinn's sudden return to Australia in December 1935, alone, followed the death of his gifted artist-son René. He held exhibitions at the Fine Art Society's Gallery, Melbourne, in 1936 and the Royal South Australian Society of Arts Gallery next year. Quinn ostensibly returned as an acclaimed artist, was invited to rejoin the Victorian Artists' Society he had joined first in 1888, and was its president (but for one year) in 1937-50. Yet a coolness existed. Though he had little in common with the modernist painters of the period, his commitment to a tolerant brotherhood of artists found no allies among the aggressively conservative old guard. In 1937 he clashed publicly with (Sir) Robert Menzies who in opening a V.A.S. exhibition denigrated modern art. In spite of the affection felt for him by many artists and students, Quinn was somewhat isolated. He continued to exhibit, winning the Crouch prize, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, in 1941. In the mid-1940s he taught briefly at the National Gallery school. A lover of good food, wine and conversation, Quinn delighted in mixing with all classes. Frequenting the haunts of journalists, writers and the more Bohemian fringe, he was easily recognizable with his bow tie, grey curly hair and cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. Survived by one son, he died of cancer on 18 February 1951 at Prahran and was buried in St Kilda cemetery. His war portraits are held by the Australian War...
Category

1920s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Marie Channer, "Moonlit", 40x60 Equine Horse Silhouette Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Moonlit", is a 40x60 equine oil painting on canvas by artist Marie Channer. Featured is a horse caught mid run, silhouetted by the moonlight above. This minimalist appro...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century Portrait Of A Young Man, Oil, Circle Of Thomas Jones Barker
Located in York, GB
Portrait of a young man, half length wearing a yellow waistcoat and holding a cane , Circle of Thomas Jones Barker (1815-1882), Oil on canvas, housed in a...
Category

19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman or Architect
Located in Milford, NH
A finely detailed portrait of a gentleman or architect with building plans or maps in his hand. Oil on canvas, inscribed on verso stretcher "G. Hedley Artist 1852 April," (possibly ...
Category

1850s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist Italian painter - 19th century figure painting - Male Portrait
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (19th century) - Portrait of a gentleman with a book. 92 x 71 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame. Condition report: Lined canvas. Good condition of ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Susan Isabel Dacre - British exh oil painting of feminist artist
Located in London, GB
A beautiful, colourful British 1920's exhibited oil on canvas portrait painting by Francis Dodd RA and with extensive provenance. The work depicts the Feminist and famous artist Susa...
Category

1920s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Mrs. Johnstone
Located in Miami, FL
This is one of Raeburns best works from his best period that is not in a museum or private collection. Three-quarter length portrait, seated in a white dress with a black scarf over...
Category

Early 1800s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Janet Crawford, "#3", 16x20 Equestrian Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equestrian piece, "#3", is a 16x20 oil painted portrait of a dark brown horse dressed in a saddle and blinkers. About the artist: The artwork of Janet Crawford depicts the equestrian lifestyle. Working from her studio in the Berkshires, Janet focuses on classic portraiture of horses, dogs and people. Her original artwork captures the candid moments of the horse world. A trademark of the artist's work is the portrayal of the true nature of the horse. Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Cum Laude Concentration: Painting Rhode Island College, 1991 Press: 2000 - Featured artist in Equine Image article, Aug/Sept issue, 2000. Selected Awards: 2012 - National Distinguished Service Award, American Hackney Horse Society 1995 - Horse World Magazine Morgan Artist of the Year 1993 - Harness Tracks of America Art Competition, 2nd Place 1991 - AMHA Art Contest 1st Prize, Morgan Art 1990 - Special Talent Award, Rhode Island College Special Projects: Present - Designer and Painter, Berkshire Carousel Project Present - Program Cover and Horse Show Poster Artist for the Fleet Jumper Classic, Sept. 2000. Present - Poster Artist for the Hampton Classic, Aug. 27-Sept. 3rd. Present - Program Cover Artist since 1996 for UPHA Spring Premiere Present - Illustrator, Horse World Magazine 2012 - Artist for the American Hackney Horse Society Logo 2011 - Cover Artist for the Pfizer Million Dollar Grand Prix Horse Show Program 1999 - Cover Artist, The Chronicle of the Horse 1999 - Cover Artist, Horse America (Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar) 1999 - Exhibition "The Horse in Art" Hartford Fine Art & Frame 1997 - Opening of the Equestrian Collection Gallery 1996 - New England Morgan Horse...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"A World Away" (2024) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "A World Away" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a woman looking up on an abstracted and colorful background. Artist bi...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

The Ficus, Cat, and She...
Located in Zofingen, AG
The woman sits as if she’s just signed a decree to cancel all problems. Her sunglasses have slid down her nose, revealing a gaze that radiates calm while subtly asking, "What now?" T...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Red Wind on the Border of Worlds
Located in Zofingen, AG
This composition is both concise and profound, capturing the resilience of Ukrainian women in war—their endurance through loss, pain, and hardship. The black dress symbolizes mournin...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait of Charles Francis Montresor 1825-98 British Victorian art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British Victorian portrait oil painting is by noted and well exhibited artist Alfred Fitzwalter Grace. Painted circa 1875 it is a seated profile portrait of Charles Franc...
Category

19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Lady in Mantillia" Unsigned Tobin Collection. Exibited in recent Museum shows
Located in San Antonio, TX
Jose Arpa (1858-1952) San Antonio Artist Image Size: 25 x 20 Frame Size: 29 x 24 Medium: Oil "Lady in Mantilla" From the Robert Tobin Collection. Robert Tobin (deceased) San Antonio, Texas Developer and Philanthropist. Details This painting was exhibited in 2016-2017 at Several Texas Museums including the Panhandle Plains Museum.  Exhibition tag on verso. Biography Jose Arpa (1858-1952) Born in Carmona, Spain, José Arpa y Perea was known as "The Colorist Painter" of figures and landscapes, especially in Texas where he brought a fresh approach to San Antonio painting in his bright, sunlit local scenes.  He was also an etcher, illustrator, and muralist as well as an art teacher, and he started and ended his career in Spain.  His subjects include the Grand Canyon of Arizona. He began his art study as the pupil of Eduardo Cano de la Pena at the Academy of Fine Arts in Seville and then spent six years in Rome followed by extensive travel through Africa and Europe.  His reputation was solid enough that the Spanish government sent four of his paintings as part of the exhibition to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 1894, as an illustrator, he accompanied a Spanish army expedition to Morocco where the Spanish had been defeated by Rifi tribesmen.  In the mid-1890s, he was brought to Mexico City, reportedly by a special Mexican naval vessel, to head the Academy of Fine Arts, but declined the position once he understood the responsibilities.  Instead he joined one of his Spanish schoolmates and went to his home in Puebla, Mexico, where his use of bright colors earned him the name of "Sunshine Man."  He became close to the children of this man, and in 1903, accompanied them as a guardian to school in San Antonio.  After twenty years of traveling in Spain, Mexico, the Southwest, and South America, Arpa settled in 1923 in San Antonio, Texas, where he became Director of the San Antonio Art School and painted bright, sun-filled landscapes.  He taught landscape and portrait painting and was exceedingly prolific, and several San Antonio collectors accumulated large numbers of his works.  Among his close artist friends were Robert and Julian Onderdonk, Tom and Joe Brown, and Charles Simmang.  They were members of a San Antonio group who painted together and called themselves the "Brass Mug...
Category

1880s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Marie Channer, "Leap of Faith", 24x16 Ballet Dancer Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Leap of Faith", is a 24x16 oil painting on canvas by artist Marie Channer. Featured is a ballet dancer in the spotlight of the stage, caught in pose. Overall cool tones ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of A Man Wearing A Top Hat , attributed to Tom Roberts 1888
By Tom Roberts
Located in Gavere, BE
Portrait of A Man Wearing A Top Hat , attributed to Tom Roberts 1888 Thomas William Roberts ( 1856 – 1931) was an English-born Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg S...
Category

1880s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Itzhak Holtz (Judaica Master) Oil Painting Portrait John Sloan Ashcan Artist WPA
By Itshak Holtz
Located in Surfside, FL
Oil Painting Portrait of Ashcan Artist John Sloan. Signed I. Holtz. The youngest of four children, Holtz was born and spent his early childhood in Skierniewice, Poland, a small town near Warsaw. His father was a hat maker and a furrier. In 1935, prior to World War II, when Holtz was ten years old, his family moved to Jerusalem, Israel, where they settled in the Geula neighborhood near Meah Shearim. Itzhak Holtz's passion for art began early. When he was five years old, in Poland, his father first drew a picture of a horse and sled in the snow for him. The young Holtz looked at the drawing and studied it in wonderment. From that moment on, Holtz remembers, he constantly begged his father to draw for him. His enthusiasm for art grew and Holtz longed to study art. In 1945, he enrolled at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, where he primarily studied lettering and poster work in a program geared toward commercial art Holtz became interested in painting, prompting him to move to New York City in 1950 to study at the Art Students League of New York under Robert Brackman and Harry Sternberg, and then at the National Academy of Design under Robert Philipp. Holtz has stated that his artwork, which primarily but not exclusively, depict scenes of Jewish spirituality and tradition, is driven by his Orthodox Jewish beliefs: "You have to live that religious life to fully capture it on canvas." He has been classified in the school of genre painting, often depicting street scenes of ordinary people in everyday Jewish life in the back alleys and markets of Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Me'ah Shearim and Geula; and in New York neighborhoods and hamlets such as Monsey, Boro Park and Williamsburg. Along with street scenes, his work includes portraits of scribes, tailors, cobblers and fishmongers, and images such as shtetls, lighthouses, and wedding scenes. He started out painting mostly portraits in order to support his family, before expanding to include street scenes. His beloved subject matter is painting scenes of Jewish life, his childhood memories when his mother took him along shopping for the Sabbath to the markets of Meah Shearim, has left a deep impression on him and influenced many of his works. Holtz has experimented in the abstract, but then reverted to representational and figurative art to which he devoted himself exclusively. His Israeli street scenes are said to combine “an affectionate recollection of the past with the brilliance of the color of modern Israel.” Holtz has stated that he struggled at first when he arrived to the USA because of financial reasons and because he only knew Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew, but then made good ties with his instructor who greatly influenced him Robert Philipp who helped him make friends and referred him to paint portraits. Examples of Holtz's work throughout the years include: Yerusalem Wedding (2010), depicting a Chuppa in Jerusalem on early evening, oil on canvas; The Funeral(1966), depicting five stoic Hasidim carrying a body on a bier over to a gravesite, with the people behind them crying, in charcoal on paper and oil on canvas; Rejoicing (1974), an image of religious men dancing, in felt pen and marker on paper; and the oil painting Shamash Learning in Shul (2003), a portrait of a pious Jew studying the Talmud inside a claustrophobic synagogue scene. Throughout the years Holtz has created hundreds of works in many art mediums, including, genre scenes, portraits, still lifes and landscape scenery, his works are sought after by art collectors worldwide, and he has been called the greatest living Jewish artist. It is said that no artist ever explored the Jewish subject like Holtz. Today some of his oil paintings have been commanding over $100,000. Holtz creates his scenes after researching locations, and often uses locals as models. He paints slowly and with great care, but with a swift Impressionistic style. The people in his portraits and scenes are generally more cheerful and optimistic than standard portraits of Hassidic individuals. He paints oils and watercolors, and also does felt pen, pastel, marker, ink and charcoal drawings, as well as woodcuts. His oil paintings typically have a brown hue, while his work with felt pen is often in sepia tones, and on some of his works he used very bright colors, with a strong emphasis on the interplay of light and shadow. He is heavily influenced by the ancient staircases and alleyways of Jerusalem, with its modest religious population, which has made a strong impression on him in his youth, the streets of Tzfat, and the works of Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer and Peter Bruegel, as well as Jewish artists Moritz Daniel Oppenheim...
Category

1940s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Anne Wolff, "Moondance Joy", Realistic Horse Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equine racing portrait "Moondance Joy" by artist Anne Wolff is a 20x16 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted is a frontal close up view of the famous thoroughbred mare Moon...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Italian genre portrait Middle Eastern beauty at a well 19th century oil painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Bedouin girl posing for the painter in late sunlight (sunset). Was painted by Cavaliero Antonio Scognamiglio ca. 1870-1880, most likely in Cairo as similar work of smaller size was i...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

At work. 1950, oil on cardboard, 49x69 cm
Located in Riga, LV
At work. 1950, oil on cardboard, 49x69 cm Socrealist artworks, women are sorting sprats Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National Uni...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Rabbi with a Fur Hat, Oil Painting by Jeno Gussich
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jeno Gussich, Hungarian (1905 - ??) Title: Rabbi with a Fur Hat Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed lower right Size: 24 x 20 inches Frame Size: 30.5 x...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour, Boulogne 1838 – 1910 Paris, Battle Scene
Located in Knokke, BE
Berne-Bellecour Étienne-Prosper Boulogne 1838 – 1910 Paris French Painter Battle Scene Signature: Signed middel lower left Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: Image size 22 x 27 cm Biography: Berne-Bellecour Étienne-Prosper was born in Boulogne, France on June 29, 1838. He was a French painter illustrator and printmaker. He also practiced as a sculptor and an etcher. He studied under master teachers and artists Picot François-Édouard and Barrias Félix- Joseph. He also studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and competed in 1859 for the Prix de Rome. He also worked in photography to support himself while he studied. In 1867 he won a prize for photography at the Universal Exposition. French painter Vibert Jehan Georges...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Olaf Schneider, "Tiny Dancer", 16x10 Ballet Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
"Tiny Dancer" by Olaf Schneider is a 16"x10" oil painting on canvas. This life-like painting depicts a brunette ballerina dancer in pose, dressed in blue with a white hair piece tyi...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of William Shakespeare, Nineteenth Century oil painting
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Unknown Artist (English or American, nineteenth century) William Shakespeare Oil on canvas, mounted on board; 9 x 7 1/4 inches FRAMED: 14 1/2 x 13 inches (approx.) This work depicts...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Stardust" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Stardust" is an oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a feminine form in profile wearing blue in a blue interior ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Anna Fisher" (2016) Unlimited Edition Poster Print, Portrait of Astronaut, 2016
Located in Denver, CO
"Anna Fisher" is an unlimited edition poster print by the acclaimed UK artist Ed Fairburn. This captivating piece, released in 2016, is printed with archiv...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper

Snuggery
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captivates with its contrast of eras and styles, harmonizing classical elegance with modern expression. Two women recline by the pool, immersed in the hush of twilight....
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"The Light on Jupiter" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's (Us based) "The Light on Jupiter" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a man in foliage in dappled sun. Nature and those that ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Woman in Blue Hat
Located in Boston, MA
Signed lower right: "S. Simkhovitch". Estate stamp on backing board verso.
Category

1930s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Once Upon a Time" by Suzy Smith, Original Oil Painting, Portrait with Tea
Located in Denver, CO
Suzy Smith's "Dessert" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a feminine figure, in a red velvet gown, wearing a crown and h...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

"The Necklace" Oil on board by Telopa
Located in Carmel, CA
Telopa, the father and son of artists, paints women in an elegant Mannerist style that combines classic beauty and mythological, symbolic allegory. A...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Yearning, oil painting, Classical Realism, Norweigan Artist, Florence Academy
Located in Houston, TX
Yearning is painted in the style of Classical Realism in Florence Italy. Yearning was mastered in the Realist style while studying at The Florence A...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Resist" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Resist" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman, with straight across bangs, in profile where the bright light from a window casts her s...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Antique Oval Realistic Portrait of a Young Lady
Located in Houston, TX
Realist oval portrait of a young lady wearing a thin headband and a white garment. Unsigned. Prepared by Theodore Kelley (comes with another similar piece signed "Theo Kelley" at the...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Akari. Holiday. Girl, Japan, Kimono
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting “Akari. Holiday” continues the series of paintings “Children of the World”. "Akari is the most popular girl's name in Japan today." said Anna about this portait. "The g...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

The Champ, oil, ARC Salon Finalist, Portrait Society of America, Florence
Located in Houston, TX
The Champ was painted over several days in the artist studio in Florence, Italy. The painting measures 16 x 12 with a handmade frame from Italy. This is oil on a linen panel which ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

"Calm Before the Storm, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Suzy Smith's "Calm Before the Storm" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a feminine figure, in a white and black striped swimsuit, holding a ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen

Kunz Meyer-Waldeck, 1859 –1953, Fishermen Boats in Harbour of Cascais, Portugal
Located in Knokke, BE
Meyer-Waldeck Kunz Mitau 1859 –1953 Neuburg Fishermen Boats in Harbour of Cascais, Portugal German Painter Signature: Signed bottom right Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image s...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"After, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "After" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a dark haired woman in a dark interior with a yellow lamp lit behind her. Mia Bergeron's intere...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Weaving Your Way, Gouache, Color Pencil & Ink on Toned Paper
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Bergt's "Weaving Your Way" is gouache, ink and color pencil on toned paper created in 2019 depicting a male model with a patterned background. ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Ink, Gouache, Color Pencil

Girl with wild flowers. 2002, canvas, oil, 64x64 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Girl with wild flowers. 2002, canvas, oil, 64x64 cm
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Teofimo, oil, ARC Salon Finalist, Portrait Society of America, Florence, Italy
Located in Houston, TX
Teofimo was painted over several days in the artist studio in Florence, Italy. The painting measures 16 x 12 with a handmade frame from Italy. This is oil on a linen panel which mos...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

Circa 1870s Dog Painting of a Terrier, by Jules Chardigny (1849-1892)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Dog Painting of a Terrier Jules Chardigny (1849-1892) Circa 1870 Oil on wood panel. 8 1/8 x 5 5/8 (13 1/4 x 10 3/4 frame) inches This is one of several examples of dogs bein...
Category

1880s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Portrait of a Lady, 1895 - oil on canvas, 73x60 cm., framed
Located in Nice, FR
1895 portrait by the french painter Arthur Rion. The oil on canvas is finely framed.
Category

1890s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Youth" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Youth" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, femini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pioneer Leader. Oil on cardboard, 25x24, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Pioneer Leader. Oil on cardboard, 25x24,5 cm Arnolds Pankoks (born 1914.21.IX - 2008.) Graduated Art Academy of Latvia (1937 – 43, 1945 – 47) with dip...
Category

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Portrait Of Violin Player By Neville Stephen Lytton, Of Claude Tryon
Located in York, GB
A Portrait of Claude Tryon (d.1949),holding a violin .This is a painting of the artists son in law Oil on canvas in gilt frame . Early 20th century size of painting...
Category

1920s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Realist portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist portrait 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 portrait 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Matt Talbert, Chikako Okada, Mark Beard, and Bruce Adams. 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 portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $180 and tops out at $885,000, while the average work sells for $3,600.

Recently Viewed

View All