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Photorealist Paintings

PHOTOREALISM

A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.

Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.

The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.

Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”

The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.

On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.

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Style: Photorealist
Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng
Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng

Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng

By Di Li Feng

Located in Long Island City, NY

Di Li Feng, born 1958, is a Chinese contemporary artist, now working as Professor in the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, in China. Born in a small Chinese town, he graduated from the Ch...

Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunshine Yellow
Sunshine Yellow

Jose BorrellSunshine Yellow, 2020

$2,500Sale Price|64% Off

Sunshine Yellow

By Jose Borrell

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. While having attended renowned art schools in Spain, including the Fine Arts School of Alcoy ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting
FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting

FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting

By Lynette Cook

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Faded' depicts Chinese immigrant woman looking out from the window of her Chinatown home. The building is covered with cascading shadows that are created from the building's metal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas
"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas

"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Denver, CO

"Dusk, what a lovely time to see the emergence of the city lights, the shift of warm to cool hues. The speckled sky. The sleeping behemoths of concrete and glass." - Dominic Harman ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Oil

DIVE
DIVE

DIVE

By DARIA DUDOCHNYKOVA

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Be like water, my friend" by Bruce Lee. When Lee said "be like water," he called upon people to embrace flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. He asserted ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Waves of Freedom
Waves of Freedom

Waves of Freedom

By DARIA DUDOCHNYKOVA

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Waves of Freedom" captures the moment when water washes away all constraints and expectations, allowing the soul to breathe freely. Each brushstroke symbolizes the journey toward in...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Glass and Lemons, ORIGINAL Realism Still Life Oil Painting 40X40cm, Signed
Glass and Lemons, ORIGINAL Realism Still Life Oil Painting 40X40cm, Signed

Glass and Lemons, ORIGINAL Realism Still Life Oil Painting 40X40cm, Signed

By Irina Trushkova

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting
Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting

Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting

By Jesus Navarro

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. Size listed does not include the frame. Frame adds around 3 inches to each side to the posted ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Locked, " Oil Painting
"Locked, " Oil Painting

"Locked, " Oil Painting

By Karen Offutt

Located in Denver, CO

Karen Offutt's "Locked" is an original, handmade painting that depicts a close up view of a feminine face at three quarters view, her brown hair frames her porcelain face. About th...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Heirloom  / oil on linen
The Heirloom  / oil on linen

The Heirloom / oil on linen

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Persimmons, cobalt blue table linens and silver are the focus of this elegant and dramatic still life. Colors include silver, orange and blue. Photorealist oil painting on canvas. T...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Linen, Oil

Lullaby Original Realism Oil on Canvas Seascape, Contemporary Realism, Signed
Lullaby Original Realism Oil on Canvas Seascape, Contemporary Realism, Signed

Lullaby Original Realism Oil on Canvas Seascape, Contemporary Realism, Signed

By Christopher Witchall

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original
Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original

Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original

By Raúl Álvarez

Located in FISTERRA, ES

This underwater surfer painting captures a woman suspended beneath the ocean surface, combining luminous blue water, summer imagery and figurative realism. Created by Spanish painte...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Spray Paint, Acrylic

"Sky 54" Oil Painting

"Sky 54" Oil Painting

By James Van Fossan

Located in Denver, CO

James Van Fossan's "Sky 54" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a skyscape of grey and white clouds arching through a blue sky.

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Pear II" Original Artwork, 24kt Gold on Museum Glass
"Pear II" Original Artwork, 24kt Gold on Museum Glass

"Pear II" Original Artwork, 24kt Gold on Museum Glass

By Kate Breakey

Located in Denver, CO

About the artist: Kate Breakey is internationally known for her large-scale, richly hand-colored photographs including her acclaimed series of luminous portraits of birds, flowers a...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Lotus No. 35 (Photorealist Still Life Painting of Green & Brown Lotus Plant)
Lotus No. 35 (Photorealist Still Life Painting of Green & Brown Lotus Plant)

Lotus No. 35 (Photorealist Still Life Painting of Green & Brown Lotus Plant)

By Frank DePietro

Located in Hudson, NY

Photorealist still life painting of green lotus flower petals and a brown lotus pod against a light blue background oil on canvas, 16 x 16 inches, 17 x 17 inches in dark wood moulding Signed lower left Painted with the exactness of a still life photograph, this hard edge realist painting by artist Frank DiPetiro features a brown lotus pod with lush green leaves on a pale grey-blue background. Inspired by close observations of the natural world and encounters with still moments that give us pause. Lines, shapes and colors encountered in nature, reveal the cycles of decay and regeneration that are life’s constant state of change. The work has a quiet, meditative quality. The subject is portrayed in a manner true to their existence in a specific time and place and selected based on considerations of visual relationships to formal elements of painting. Aspects of photo realism, hard edge and color field techniques are utilized to isolate the uniqueness of the subject’s detail, as well as emphasize flatness and illusion of depth within the two-dimensional space of the painting. About the artist: Frank DiPietro was born and raised in Scranton PA. He received a Bachelor of Art from Bloomsburg University in 1997, majoring in both Painting and Ceramics with a minor in Art History. In 2000 he earned a degree in Art Education from Moore College of Art and Design while continuing his studies in painting. Frank lived in Philadelphia for twelve years painting and teaching at several museums, art centers and schools in the region. In 2010 he and his family moved to Chester County PA, where he currently resides. Frank currently teaches painting classes and workshops at the Delaware Art Museum and Longwood Gardens...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wild Child - photorealist painting
Wild Child - photorealist painting

Wild Child - photorealist painting

By Lynette Cook

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Wild Child' depicts a San Francisco home, painted brightly to reflect the free spirited city that is bathed in warm west coast sunlight with shadows cascad...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Attributes of Art
Attributes of Art

Attributes of Art

By Dana Loomis

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Dana Loomis Title: Attributes of Art Year: 1984 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and titled in marker Size: 40 in. x 46 in. (101.6 cm x 116.84 cm) Frame Size: 41 x 47 inches

Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm
Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm

Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm

Located in London, Chelsea

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Vase of Spring Light by Ann Goldberg captures the vibrant cont...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables
Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables

Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables

Located in Frederiksberg C, DK

This photorealistic still life painting presents a carefully orchestrated arrangement of vegetables with a strong dramatic and sculptural presence. Familiar organic subjects—cabbag...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism
Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism

Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism

By Irina Trushkova

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Glow, " Oil Painting
"Glow, " Oil Painting

"Glow, " Oil Painting

By Karen Offutt

Located in Denver, CO

Karen Offutt's "Glow" is an original, handmade painting that depicts a close up view of a feminine face with her eyes closed as her necklace and alabaster skin reflect brightly again...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Strawberry Glaze" Oil Painting

"Strawberry Glaze" Oil Painting

By Gregory Block

Located in Denver, CO

Gregory Block's (US based) "Strawberry Glaze" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a pink glazed donut. Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1986 and moved t...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Pink Package" - Oil Painting on Cradled Panel
"Pink Package" - Oil Painting on Cradled Panel

"Pink Package" - Oil Painting on Cradled Panel

By Sarah van der Helm

Located in Denver, CO

"Pink Package" by Sarah van der Helm is an original, handmade oil painting on cradled panel. This piece measures 8 x 8 x 2 inches unframed and is ready to hang. Born in 1970, Sarah ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Lotus Elan" Original Oil Painting 12 in x 24 in
"Lotus Elan" Original Oil Painting 12 in x 24 in

"Lotus Elan" Original Oil Painting 12 in x 24 in

By Megan Eisenberg

Located in Boca Raton, FL

A photorealist painting of a vintage Lotus Elan S2. This classic British sports car was released in 1964 and has a mid century style and shape that I love! Set in Savannah, Georgia t...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Peonies, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Peonies, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Peonies, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Elena Podmarkova

Located in Yardley, PA

Peonies, 2023 year :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes :: Signatur...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Caravan, Surrealism, Contemporary art Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Caravan, Surrealism, Contemporary art Original oil Painting, One of a Kind

Caravan, Surrealism, Contemporary art Original oil Painting, One of a Kind

By Anatoly Varvarov Viktorovich

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Surrealism, Contemporary art Original oil Painting, One of a Kind Artist: Varvarov Anatoly Viktorovich Title: Caravan, Sise: 39.5x55 inches, (100x140 cm) Medium: Oil on Canvas Hand p...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Red Stripes Still Life: Photorealist Oil Painting
Red Stripes Still Life: Photorealist Oil Painting

Red Stripes Still Life: Photorealist Oil Painting

By Jesus Navarro

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. Size listed does not include the frame. Frame adds around 3 inches to each side to the posted ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Harmony  / oil on canvas
Harmony  / oil on canvas

Harmony / oil on canvas

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Sophisticated shades of grey and white still life with vases, shell, box and marble. Wonderful complex patterns throughout the oil painting on canvas. In excellent condition. Signed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Complementary II -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art
Complementary II -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

Complementary II -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

By Alina Huberenko

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stephanie Serpick, A New Fall 16, 2018, Oil On Panel, 18 x 24 inches, Realism

Stephanie Serpick, A New Fall 16, 2018, Oil On Panel, 18 x 24 inches, Realism

By Stephanie Serpick

Located in Darien, CT

Intimate paintings represented by unmade beds and tossed sheets, absent of any human evidence, on intentionally blank, somewhat rough backgrounds. The empty bed in these paintings represents a place for grief, isolation or healing. As such, the work speaks to our shared feeling of grief, with the understanding that while we all suffer in our individual ways, suffering is universal. Source material for this work are photographs the artist has both taken and found, and the intimate size of the paintings references the intimate nature of the subject matter. The backgrounds of the paintings are repeatedly painted and sanded, to create a frame and backdrop for the bedding that is flat, yet rough with work and time. The bedding itself is seen from different perspectives, but still indicates a scene of desolation and despair. While the series began in the fall of 2016, recent events—including the pandemic—have provided a new dimension to the work and have compelled Serpick to consider the themes in light of these events. Our forced isolation and the challenges it has brought to our physical and mental health provides an additional shared experience from which to consider grief and eventual healing. Biography Stephanie Serpick is a painter whose work explores themes of isolation, grief, and healing. Her work has been shown in various exhibitions in the U.S. and internationally, and she is a fellow at several residencies, most notably at the Florence Trust Studios in London, MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, and the Vermont Studio Center, where she was awarded a full fellowship and stipend to attend. Recent exhibitions include solo shows at Sweet Lorraine Gallery in Brooklyn, the College of Southern Nevada, and a two-person exhibition at The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute at the Museum of Art at Pratt in Utica NY...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Plums - Framed Still Life Original Oil Painting
Plums - Framed Still Life Original Oil Painting

Plums - Framed Still Life Original Oil Painting

By Stuart Dunkel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Stuart Dunkel has spent decades refining his hyper-realistic style. He paints realistic imagery based on real world inspirations. His paintings show that the everyday object can be f...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Lucent ocean waters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Lucent ocean waters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Lucent ocean waters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Ana Hefco

Located in Yardley, PA

Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxiety, painting is a form of therapy for me. In this painting I create a peaceful and safe space for the child and adult in me both, a place to ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Tiffany Stained Glass - Original Book Art on Canvas
Tiffany Stained Glass - Original Book Art on Canvas

Tiffany Stained Glass - Original Book Art on Canvas

By Carl Smith

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Carl Smith is an American artist who has been living in Berlin, Germany, since 2001. He works with a combination of silkscreen printing, collage, and painting to create his urban ins...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Linen, Acrylic, Screen

Anticipation
Anticipation

Anticipation

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Mimi Jensen uses bold colors to depict theatrically lit objects. Her paintings invite speculation into possible metaphors – California Home+Design magazine Ms. Jensen is a Still Li...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Photorealist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist 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 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, green, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Gregory Block, James Zamora, Ian Hornak, and Kathleen Keifer. 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 Photorealist paintings, so small editions measuring 3.5 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $125 and tops out at $585,000, while the average work sells for $3,772.