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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
Georgica Pond at Sunset (East Hampton, New York)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Georgica Pond at Sunset (East Hampton, NY) Year: February 1973 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 72 x 48 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed, dated, and titled by the artist, verso. Provenance: Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York, NY; Bernice Fox Weinstein, Washington D.C.; Estate of Dr. Charles Cabaniss via his Lorena Smith Cabaniss, Washington D.C.; property of a family trust, Southeastern, MI. Notes: A seminal example of Hornak’s Photorealist multiple exposure landscape...
Category

1970s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Gardenia, Realist Flower Painting by Lowell Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
This painting was created by American artist Lowell Blair Nesbitt. His most well known series, and perhaps his most beautiful and poetic, are the more than four hundred works he crea...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hampshire Garden I, Dylan Lloyd, Original Floral Oil Painting, Realist Artwork
Located in Deddington, GB
Hampshire Garden I by Dylan Lloyd [2021] original Oil paint on board Image size: H:30 cm x W:24 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:30 cm x W:24 cm x D:2.5cm Framed Size: H:40.5 cm...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Ora Sorensen, "White Rose", Photorealistic Flower Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This hyperrealist floral "White Rose" by artist Ora Sorensen is a 36x36 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted is a portrait of a blooming white rose ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nocturne I: White Peacock, Black Cockatoo
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Nocturne I: White Peacock, Black Cockatoo Year: 1990 Medium: Acrylic on Panel, with Artist Painted Frame Size: 58 x...
Category

1990s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Dylan Lloyd, Island Path Diptych, Bright Contemporary Art, Landscape Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Dylan Lloyd Island Path Diptych Original Oil Paintings on Canvas Oil Paint on Canvas Board Framed in a White Box Frames Image size: H 30cm x W 20cm x D 0.5...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Camera Obscura", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Heather Neill's (US based) "Camera Obscura" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an old fashion camera with an open bird cage as steam from...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Woman by Stream in Traditional Robe and Hat
Located in Atlanta, GA
Oil on Canvas, signs by artist Asian Art Photorealism
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Teal Waves #27 - Ocean Painting, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Original Mixed Media beachscape ocean waves painting Different shades of blue, green, turquoise, teal, aqua, gold and white This painting doe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Bright Side: Photorealist Figurative Painting of Young Man in Aqua Blue Pool
Located in Hudson, NY
Square figurative photo-realist painting of an underwater view of a young man swimming in an aqua blue pool "Bright Side", painted by Hudson Valley artist, Samantha French, is 2020 oil on canvas, 30 x 30 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 underwater scene of a young man leisurely swimming in a crisp, aqua blue pool. The sunlit water and pops of light pink reflecting off his pale skin complement the vibrant color palette, making for a serene visual experience. The brush work is highly detailed with little texture (impasto) on the surface. The square 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

Ken Otsuka "Edge of Silence", Realistic Rocky Shore Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This photorealistic nature scene "Autumn Pond" by artist Ken Otsuka is a 38x28 original oil painting on canvas. It depicts a pond on a bright sunny day, su...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"One for Solitude", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Heather Neill's (US based) "One for Solitude" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a wood paneled rustic interior complete with a checkered...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ken Orton "Camwal", Bottle Still Life Photorealistic Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Ken Orton's "Camwal" is a 54x36 original oil painting on canvas. This painting depicts a still life setting featuring multiple antique bottles. The bottles range in size, color and shape, the most prominent of is the middle Camwal bottle. The window in the background adds depth and interest to the composition, and the rusty orange bottle color compliments the subtle soft blues and greens within the clear glass. The artist chooses to paint larger than life still lives, cropping in closely for more impact. Every detail from the reflections on the table, to the illusion of the raised letters on the bottles, is painted masterfully. About the artist: Ken Orton has dedicated his life to painting. His childhood was spent drawing the urban, industrial surroundings of Birmingham, England. At the Birmingham and then Manchester Colleges of Art he studied Art Education and after six years teaching in England accepted an offer to head the arts program at the Joan Miro Centro de Arte of the Baleares International School in Mallorca, Spain. For the next twenty years he would introduce the concepts of pictorial composition, color theory and draftsmanship to his students. Many of these students would go on to achieve great success in the many branches of the arts, architecture and music and remain close friends with their teacher to this day. An integral part of Orton’s perspective training for his students was the study of the ellipse. He often used glass cylinders to demonstrate how the perceived ellipses generated by variations in the circle's relationship to the eye-line could be used as a powerful tool in creating the appearance of a third dimension on a two dimensional surface. Later, after he had moved to America in 1999, he discovered a treasure trove of antique mason jars...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Teal Waves #28, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Ocean inspired painting, painted in several layers with tinted resin, tridimensional effects, absolutely unique and impossible to recreate. Painting Details Mixed Media on wood panel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Still Life with Lobster, Helicona, & Silver Pitcher
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Still Life with Lobster, Helicona, and Silver Pitcher Year: 1998 Medium: Oil on Panel, with Artist Paint...
Category

1990s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Mucca", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ali Ghassan's "Mucca" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a black and white cow with a red ear tag and a yellow background. About the Arti...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Mind's Eye
Located in Greenwich, CT
American, b. 1948 What is “sharp focus” drawing? Put very simply, it is a rendering with refined, precise line and tone to create a lifelike representation of the subject matter. It...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Glow, " Oil Painting
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

Panel, Oil

Albert Benaroya (Israeli), Red an Purple Orchids, oil on canvas, 81x56 cm
Located in Jerusalem, IL
Albert Benaroya (Israeli) Red an Purple Orchids oil on canvas 81x56 cm Born in Istanbul, Benaroya is an Israeli artist, a master of depiction in hype...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peach Tart
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 everyday objects can be fasc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Last Song: Im Abendrot—In Evening‘s Glow (homage to Richard Strauss)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Last Song: Im Abendrot (In Evening’s Glow) Year: 1985-2001 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas, with Artist Painted Frame Size: 47 x 59 inches Condition: ...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Figure, Volcano
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Figure, Volcano (John Huszar) Year: June 1971 Medium: Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Canvas Size: 72 x 48 inches Condition: Ex...
Category

1970s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Bouches (Mouths), Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Mouth-shaped candies in a black try on a white background Several layers of paint hanging hardware is provided :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official cert...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"1970 Stingray" Modern Photorealistic Classic Red and Blue Muscle Car Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Photorealistic painting of a 1970 Stingray, a classic muscle car. Includes both a red and a blue version of this well known vehicle. Kelley is able to capture even the smallest details of the cars, all the way down to the writing on the tires. Signed, titled, and dated on the back. Currently not framed, but options are available. Artist Biography: Cheryl Kelley...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Banyan Tree: Variation VI (Jamaica)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: The Banyan Tree: Variation VI (Jamaica) Year: 1981 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 42 x 60 inches Condition: Excellen...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"This Morning She Was Still Flying, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Please note: This painting will ship from the artists' studio in the Netherlands. Yvonne Melchers' "This Morning She Was Still Flying" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a common pigeon or dove laying face down on a concrete sidewalk. Artist Yvonne Melchers showcases her mastery of light and form in her sumptuously detailed paintings of subjects both intimate and universal. Whether painting a scene from her beloved North Sea Shore, the portrait of a strong but vulnerable young man dressed for the historical Siena Palio...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Tied Up", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Heather Neill's (US based) "Tied Up" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a wood paneled rustic fishing boat with all its gear and fittings...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Over The Beach
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Mickey Pin" Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Nick Leibee's (US based) "Mickey Pin" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an enamel pin of Mickey Mouse, the beloved Disney character,...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Ken Otsuka, "Autumn Pond", Realistic Fall Rocky Shore Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This photorealistic nature scene "Autumn Pond" by artist Ken Otsuka is a 20x24 original oil painting on canvas. It depicts a pond in autumn, reflecting the...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Yellow Ferrari", Oleg Turchin, Oil on Canvas, 36" x 54", Photorealism Painting
Located in Dallas, TX
Oleg Turchin's "Yellow Ferrari" is an oil on canvas that measures 36" x 54". The painting is a beautiful photorealistic depiction of Ferrari 599 GTO outsi...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Whelk, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Whelk" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a broken pink and white hued Conch shell on a rustic canvas and teal background. About the Art...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Acrylic Photorealist Painting Nature Scene Water & Light David Kessler
Located in Surfside, FL
DAVID KESSLER (American born 1950 - ) Greyed Magic #2 (Water and Light Series) Acrylic on canvas Hand signed and titled with artist's studio stamp on verso 60 inches x 84 inches David T. Kessler was born in Park Ridge, New Jersey in 1950. He attended Arizona State University, where he received the award for Outstanding Graduate in Studio Art in 1972. In 1973, David was one of 12 painters accepted into the graduate program at The San Francisco Art Institute, where he received his M.F.A. in 1975. He is well known for his holographic airbrush paintings on aluminum. His paintings have been exhibited internationally since 1977, with shows in Tokyo, Strasbourg, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Scottsdale, and New York. Kessler's paintings are in the permanent collections of The Strasbourg Contemporary Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, The Minnesota Museum of Art, The Museum of the Rhode Island School of Design, The Santa Barbara Museum, The Barrington Art Center, and others. Within Arizona, his work is in the collections of The Phoenix Art Museum, The Scottsdale Center for the Arts, The Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona State University Art Museum, and Northern Arizona University Art Museum. Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media. An American art movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Photorealism evolved from Pop Art as a counter to Abstract Expressionism as well as Minimalist art movements. Though Photorealists share some aspects of American realists, such as Edward Hopper, they tried to set themselves as much apart from traditional realists as they did Abstract Expressionists. Photorealists were much more influenced by the work of Pop artists and were reacting against Abstract Expressionism. The word Photorealism was coined by Louis K. Meisel in 1969 and appeared in print for the first time in 1970 in a Whitney Museum catalogue for the show "Twenty-two Realists." It is also sometimes labeled as Super-Realism, New Realism, Sharp Focus Realism, or Hyper-Realism. The first generation of American Photorealists includes the painters Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Charles Bell, Audrey Flack, Don Eddy, Robert Bechtle, Ron Kleemann, Richard McLean, John Salt, John Kacere, and Robert Cottingham. Photorealism's influence and popularity continues to grow, with new books such as Juxtapoz's 2014 book entitled Hyperreal detailing current trends within the artistic genre. Selected Museum and Public Collections: Achenbach Foundation (San Francisco, CA) Arizona State University Art Museum (Tempe, AZ) Barrington Arts Center (Barrington, IL) Brooklyn Museum of Art (Brooklyn, NY) Davidson College (Davidson, NC) De Anza College (Cupertino, CA) Minnesota Museum of Art (St. Paul, MN) Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art (Monterey, CA) Northern Arizona University Art Museum (Flagstaff, AZ) Phoenix Art Museum (Phoenix, AZ) Portsmouth Community Arts Center (Portsmouth, OR) Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara, CA) Scottsdale Center for the Arts (Scottsdale, AZ) Strasbourg Museum of Contemporary Art (Strasbourg, France) Tucson Museum of Art (Tucson, AZ) University of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN) Select Exhibitions Stricoff Fine Art, New York, NY Dean Day Gallery, Houston, TX Phoenix Airport Museum, Phoenix, AZ Susan Street Gallery...
Category

20th Century Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Keeping Floating", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Pegah Samaie's (CA based) "Keeping Floating" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts two pink and fuchsia colored origami boats floating in a b...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Yin Yang
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Yin Yang' depicts a historic San Francisco brick building with warm sunlight and shadows cascading across the fire escape and facade of the building with ins...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Ora Sorensen "Bird and Grapes" Photorealistic Floral Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This hyperrealist floral "Birds and Grapes" by artist Ora Sorensen is a 40x30 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted is a pink protea flower and white...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Albert Benaroya (Israeli), Red Tulipss, oil on canvas, 81x56 cm
Located in Jerusalem, IL
Albert Benaroya (Israeli) Red Tulips oil on canvas 81x56 cm Born in Istanbul, Benaroya is an Israeli artist, a master of depiction in hyper - realism...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Magnitude" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Magnitude" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a masculine face with shadows and white thinning hair. Mia Bergeron's interest in art was c...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

China - 21st Century, Flag, Red, Pink, White, Great Wall of China, Pagoda
Located in Berlin, DE
China, 2010 Oil on canvas (Signed, front right middle) 14.96 H x 18.11 W in. 38 H x 46 W cm. The contemporary society is seen as an "extra-wrapped" society by the artist Mihai Flore...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Crawler 2., Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
All universal life is GOD’s masterpiece. The intricate details that highlight living qualities - pedals, veins, feathers, scales, skin, and fur are all in alignment with GOD’s e...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Scarlet Blue Macaw, Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Scarlet Blue Macaw Year: 1992 Medium: Acrylic on Panel with artist painted frame Size: 58.5 x 42.2 inches Condition: E...
Category

1990s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Acrylic

McCormick Mustard - Original Oil Painting by Renowned Photorealist Mark Schiff
Located in Boca Raton, FL
What are your thoughts on this spice rack? One cannot appreciate this painting on a computer screen; in real life, it is absolutely amazing. Because you cannot appreciate it on a computer screen, our gallery has a unique policy. When purchasing from us, the buyer has sixty days to determine if they want to keep the artwork. If not, the buyer returns to piece to us for full refund, and we pay the shipping both ways! A collector should consider several factors when deciding from whom to purchase artwork online. Check the location of the seller. When one buys from a foreign seller, one also has to consider the problems of getting the piece through Customs. There are often delays and considerable fees to pay in order to import the item. When purchasing from us, we ship the same day and you receive it via FedEx the next day, no problems or hassles. When one purchases from an auction house, one pays a buyer’s premium of anywhere from 23% to 28% over the “hammer price”. So when one “wins” an auction for $20,000, the actual price paid is more like $25,000. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price agreed to is the price paid by the buyer, no hidden fees. Secondly, when one purchases from an auction house, the buyer pays the packing and shipping fee, which are usually exorbitant. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price includes packing and shipping. Thirdly, when one purchases from an auction house, the sale is final. If one receives the piece and is not 100% satisfied with it, there is nothing the buyer can do about it. They are stuck with it. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the buyer has sixty days to determine if they want to keep it. If not, the buyer returns to piece to us for full refund, and we pay the shipping both ways. About Mark Schiff -- Animated by photographs that reflect his personal life, Mark Schiff’s paintings are fueled by what makes him happy. Through his open touch and signature blending method, he lends his artistic perception to the original photographic compositions captured on his Leica. Mark’s creative vision has been alive since he was a boy. As a child he spent his summers observing life as he rode the trolley back and forth to art classes at the Pratt Institute. During his future travels to Europe, Mark’s eye for light and photography merged with his passion for painting at the Jeu de Paume in Paris; which triggered his career in photorealism. Mark is well known for painting objects that people can identify and emotionally connect with. His work is distinctly marked by a rich palette and the luminous range of light he paints into his compositions. Each painting is a true extension of his vision and can take up to 200 hours to complete. Mark Schiff’s work has been commissioned by the well-known brands The Hershey Company and Tropicana. His private collectors include A-list celebrities and also corporate collectors in the US and abroad. Possessing a strong philanthropic nature, Mark donates both his time and works to charitable organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Humane Society and the Special Olympics. Photorealism is widely viewed as one of this century’s most exciting genres of art. When a photorealistic painting is viewed from afar, it looks like a photograph. Only when getting very close to the art does the viewer realize that it is in fact not a photo, but rather an oil painting. Photorealism can also refer to sculptures. Duane Hanson is known as the greatest photorealistic sculptor of all time. Some of the greatest photorealistic painters include Mark Schiff, Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Charles Bell and Audrey Flack. Photorealist Mark Schiff was born in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in a neighborhood known as a kuchalane, a Yiddish word which Schiff defines as a place where everyone (from the Old Country) ended up living on the same street, and most likely knowing each other’s business. His Russian grandfather came to the US before the revolution and both his parents were first generation American. Even at five years of age, Mark showed exceptional talent. In the summer, his mother permitted him to travel by himself on the trolley for art classes at the Pratt institute. He continued studying there until he was eleven and the family moved to Great Neck. Except for a few art classes in high school and playing baritone horn in the band, Mark focused on other things besides art, especially when his mother worried for his financial future, kept insisting “that Jewish boys don’t starve to death.” His father made a good living as a production man in textiles so Mark, who had spent years doing the rounds of knitting mills with his father, decided to major in textile chemistry at North Carolina State. ROTC was mandatory on his campus and he did two years in order to be eligible for officer status. He won the Armed Forces Chemical Association award and thought for sure that he would be assigned chemical work, but instead was made a tank commander and stationed at Fort Knox. Not exactly what his heart yearned for, but a good job awaited him at Sandoz, a Swiss company that made dyestuff. What perfect training for someone who would soon be working in wonderful rich colors on canvas. He went on to receive his MBA degree from Hofstra University, left Sandoz and was hired to sell at a spinning mill. He liked it. In 1976 he joined Bennett Berman Associates and had an opportunity to buy the spinning mill Spun Fibers. But what of art? In the early days, Elsie, his wife of fifty-two years, had a problem with the large amount of space his canvases occupied in their one bedroom apartment. Mark took up photography instead, which only required a small darkroom. Photography was a natural ally for his eventual return to painting in the photorealistic style. It was on his second trip to Europe that Mark fell in love with painting all over again. The impressionistic museum, Jeu de Paume in Paris, renewed his passion and it’s been non-stop since then. Out came the brushes, but this time, he used his love and skill of photography, and built a style based on the photographs he had taken, bringing them to life with paint. Mark was still not painting to sell until in 1990 when someone discovered and desperately wanted his candy bar (Sweet Series) painting. Mark didn’t want to let go of that particular piece, but was finally convinced to sell it and a second candy painting to this ardent art and candy lover. Two years later, Mark was commissioned to make three paintings of this man’s new Ferrari. Some of the artists who have inspired his work are Richard Estes, Sandy Scott, Chuck Close, and Charles Bell. He appreciates the work of Ken Keeley, but unlike Keeley’s hard-lined/tape and ruler style, Mark prefers an open touch, using the blending method. Mark’s subject matters range from candy bars to spice racks to soda cans and soda bottles. He photographs with a Leica M-7 and each painting can take up to 200 or more hours to complete. His palette is rich; his subjects, be it a fire engine or a pretzel cart, take on a luminous quality, always photoreal, but even more beautiful. Mark developed his own technique for working with bottles by painting a canvas all black, so that the transparency of the bottles allows a wonderful range of light to filter through. The same light and reflection can be seen in the black rotary phone...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lion’s Head Rock (East Hampton, New York)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Lion’s Head Rock (East Hampton, NY) Year: January 1971 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 42 x 66 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed, ...
Category

1970s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

The Creations 2., Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
All universal life is GOD’s masterpiece. The intricate details that highlight living qualities - pedals, veins, feathers, scales, skin, and fur are all in alignment with GOD’s e...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ancient Flowers Beneath a Black Sun
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Ancient Flowers Beneath A Black Sun Year: 1987 Medium: Acrylic on Panel Size: 52 x 42 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed recto; sig...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Acrylic

(Connecticut Landscape) Untitled, Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Untitled (Connecticut Landscape) Year: 1983 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 60 x 43 inches Condition: Excel...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

"Driving in the Rain II", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Driving in the Rain II" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of rain drops on a car windshield which obscures...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Primeval Landscape
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Primeval Landscape Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 59 1/2 x 43 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by the artist Provenan...
Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"King's Highway Deep", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Heather Neill's (US based) "King's Highway Deep" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a dirt trail leading into the forest where fall has s...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Legendary Blue / Cassowary, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Photorealistic colorful tropical bird painting/portrait of the cassowary, also known as dinosaur bird, or one of the most dangerous birds in the world. I channel my enthusiasm for the amazing characteristics of animals by rendering them with academic oil painting...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Strawberry Tartlet
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 everyday objects can be fasc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Self Portrait With Between Clock And Bed, Painting, Acrylic on MDF Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
On this painting you see the artist himself enjoying a self portrait by Edvard Munch :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity sign...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Foggy Morning / oil on canvas
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

Anne Wolff, "Morning Exercise", Photorealist Equine Portrait Oil on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equine racing portrait "Morning Exercise" by artist Anne Wolff is a 24x24 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted is a profile view of a thoroughbred race horse against a blac...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Clam Shells and Their Shadows" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Emma Hirst (US based) "Clam Shells and Their Shadows" is an oil painting that depicts an interior still life with six clam shells laid out on a white surfac...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Vaca", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ali Ghassan's "Vaca" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a black and white cow with yellow and blue graffiti in the background. About the ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Karla, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Karen Offutt's "Karla" is an original, handmade painting that depicts a Black feminine figure wearing a bright blue hoodie, with the hood up, highlighting her form against the dark b...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Red Spirals, colorful ribbon and candy, super realism neutral toned background
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil paint on canvas colorful whimsical
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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.

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