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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

"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

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

"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

Untamed - Photorealistic Mixed Media Painting of Ocean Waves
Untamed - Photorealistic Mixed Media Painting of Ocean Waves

Untamed - Photorealistic Mixed Media Painting of Ocean Waves

By Steven Nederveen

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Steven Nederveen's art is a testament to the complex and ever-evolving relationship between humans and nature. His vivid nature scenes, often seemingly uplifting and idyllic, also reveal the darker aspects of our connection with the natural world. Through his work, Nederveen explores the dualities of our relationship with nature - the love and destruction that can coexist within us. His masterful use of color and light illuminates the beauty and mystery of natural environments such as oceans and...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel

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

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

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

"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

Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool
Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool

Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool

By Samantha French

Located in Hudson, NY

Horizontal figurative photo-realist painting of women swimming in an aqua blue pool "Weightless, Timeless," painted by Hudson Valley artist, Samantha French, is 2019 oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches Sides are cleanly painted white so additional framing is optional Excellent condition and ready to hang as is This photorealist figurative painting captures a peaceful water scene of a women leisurely floating in a crisp, aqua blue pool. The sunlight reflecting off their sun kissed skin complements the cool color palette, making for a serene visual experience. The brush work is highly detailed with little texture (impasto) on the surface. The horizontal painting on canvas is currently unframed and has clean, white painted sides, so additional framing is optional. About the Artist: Born and raised in north central Minnesota, Samantha French graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2005. French’s current body of work explores the idea of escape, the tranquility and nostalgia for the lazy summer days of her childhood. The series is inspired by Samantha’s own reflections and memories of her childhood summers spent in the lakes of Northern Minnesota. French actively exhibits her paintings and is included in many private and public collections throughout the country while her work has garnered extensive international and national press. She is a full-time painter and keeps a studio in New York’s Hudson Valley. "My current body of work is focused on swimmers underwater and above. Using vague yet consuming memories from my childhood summers spent immersed in the tepid lakes of northern Minnesota, I attempt to recreate the quiet tranquility of water and nature; of days spent sinking and floating, still and peaceful. These paintings are a link to my home and continual search for the feeling of the sun on my face and warm summer days at the lake. They are my escape, a subtle reprieve from the day-to-day. At the same time, I am drawn to an idealistic time before my own, where swim caps and wool swimsuits were commonplace. This combination of memory, observation and photography has allowed me to preserve the transitory qualities of water and remembrance." Artist Resume: 2019 Winter Swim, Rubine Red...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

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

On a Foggy Morning
On a Foggy Morning

On a Foggy Morning

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Sophisticated shades of grey and white with a single red rose still life with morning coffee / tea. Wonderful complex patterns throughout the tablecloth and shadows in the meticulous...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Autumn Gift - Seasonal Harvest Still Life with Flowers
Autumn Gift - Seasonal Harvest Still Life with Flowers

Autumn Gift - Seasonal Harvest Still Life with Flowers

Located in Soquel, CA

Autumn Gift - Seasonal Harvest Still Life with Flowers by Albin Kern. This still life by Austrian-American painter Albin Kern (b. 1884, d. 1975) depicts a seasonal spread of gourds...

Category

1950s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

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

Immersed, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Immersed, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Immersed, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Abi Whitlock

Located in Yardley, PA

Light is shattered into thousands of twinkling points by the swirling currents. It seems to illuminate the drifting form of the swimmer from both above and below. This work is pai...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

French Vintage Landscape, Small Oil Painting, Countryside Farmhouse, Stormy Sky
French Vintage Landscape, Small Oil Painting, Countryside Farmhouse, Stormy Sky

French Vintage Landscape, Small Oil Painting, Countryside Farmhouse, Stormy Sky

Located in AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FR

Subject : Small oil painting of a landscape in the French countryside, in excellent condition. An original work, rich in texture. This handmade oil painting reflects the raw beauty...

Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Traditional English Farm with Horses, Figures, Trees & Lake by British Artist
Traditional English Farm with Horses, Figures, Trees & Lake by British Artist

Traditional English Farm with Horses, Figures, Trees & Lake by British Artist

By Christopher Osborne

Located in Preston, GB

English Farmhouse with Horses, Figures, Fields, Trees & Lake entitled 'Winters Morn' by 20th Century British Artist. Art measures 36 x 24 inches Frame measures 41 x 30 inches ...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"California" (2025) Oil Cityscape Painting on Canvas
"California" (2025) Oil Cityscape Painting on Canvas

"California" (2025) Oil Cityscape Painting on Canvas

Located in Denver, CO

"California" by Greg Gandy is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas that measures 33.5 x 49.5 inches framed and is ready to hang. Greg Gandy is a realist painter from central...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"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

Heaven on Earth, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Heaven on Earth, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Heaven on Earth, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Ana Hefco

Located in Yardley, PA

Original, one-of-a-kind, hand painted, inspired by the aerial view of The Turks And Caicos Islands Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxiety, painting is a form of therapy for me. ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Breathe Easy

Thomas ArvidBreathe Easy, 2014

$49,000Sale Price|20% Off

Breathe Easy

By Thomas Arvid

Located in Santa Monica, CA

Thomas Arvid original oil

Category

21st Century and Contemporary 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

Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style
Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style

Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style

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

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

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.