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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
"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

Sound Of Wave, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
I believe that each seashell has its own story(history). When we find them on the beach, they are just there as an object. :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an off...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Pink and Black, colorful, super realism
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil on canvas, color superrealism Doug Newton’s hyper-real oil paintings observe reality, explore translucency, reflections and luminosity, and dazzle the viewer with all the ways li...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Window 2
Located in Buffalo, NY
A contemporary realist oil painting by American artist A.J. Fries. Artist’s Statement: My paintings are less about the images or scenes that they depict and more about my state o...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Madonna bustier - Acrylic, 119x119 cm., limited edition
Located in Nice, FR
Limited edition of this licensed image of madonna en bustier. Numbered 33/950 and certificated by Z gallery and Celebrity gallery, signed by Ryan Gall and Da...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Contemporary oil painting photorealism closeup lily pad water reflection signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Giverny Series 10 April 1995" is an original oil painting on paper by Leslie Parke. The artist signed and titled the work lower right. This piece depicts a lily pad with blooming fl...
Category

1990s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Coral reef Australia #1, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Coral reef painting - inspired by the amazing aerial views of The great Barrier Reef in Australia Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxiety, painting is a form of therapy for me. In ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Waiting Room Monitor, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This is the person who was assigned to watch the waiting room for people who had just received a vaccine and had to wait fifteen minutes before they left. The tools of the trade are ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Contemporary Hyperrealist Large Portrait Film Noir Strip Film Still Black White
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original painting by American contemporary conceptual painter Bruce Adams from the artist's new Untitled series. The “Untitled,” series draws from a variety of visual and histori...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

"Cement and Tree Shadows", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Cement and Tree Shadows" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts construction workers laying fresh cement in the shade of a tree wit...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Chocolates from Andy", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Chocolates from Andy" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a still life of eight untouched chocolate candies nestled in their con...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Raindrops", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Raindrops" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cascading pattern of ripples in a puddle from a heavy rainfall. About the art...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Through a Rainy Window II", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Through a Rainy Window II" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a window dotted with rain that obscures and abstracts the gray ov...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Sea and Sky in Hazy Sun" Highly Realist Large Beach Landscape Purple/Pink/Blue
Located in Wellesley, MA
"Sea and Sky in Hazy Sun," Oil on Canvas, 60 x 46 Inches, is a large beach painting of the shoreline at sunset dominated by a dramatic sky of bl...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled 22 (Lipstick Diptych)
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original diptych painting by American contemporary conceptual painter Bruce Adams from the artist's Untitled series. The “Untitled,” series draws from a variety of visual and his...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jaguar E Type S1 dhc, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
My painting of a US-spec 1967 Jaguar E Type (XKE) S1 convertible (dhc), painted using acrylic paint onto stretched canvas measuring approx 26" x 22". :: Paint...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Chevrolet Nomad, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Acrylic paint on stretched canvas, I present my painting of a Chevrolet Nomad. :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Chevrolet Impala Convertible, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted onto 3mm thick MDF-backed canvas, a 1961 Chevrolet Impala convertible, completed using acrylic paints. The painting shows the car on Paris licence plates which can be over-pa...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"I Believe in Ghosts" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil painting
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"I Believe in Ghosts" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil painting of words scrambled with Casper the Friendly Ghost. The ghost in this case is not just Casper the Friendly Ghost, howe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Jaguar D Type, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
I spotted the car at the LeMans race circuit. This 1955 Jaguar D Type is exactly the model which won the LeMans 24-hour race in 1955 driven by Mike Hawthorn, I cannot be certain that...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

'Still Life with Grapes' Contemporary painting of Silverware, Coffee pot & Fruit
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Contemporary Still Life painting 'Still life with Red Grapes' is a beautiful composed work that would sit in any interior setting. Higueras has added such fine detail to every inch of the canvas. At the age of 21, in 1994, when the dexterity in his hands reached...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Shining horizon., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Shining horizon. Blue water, clear skies, waves, serene views, sun glare on the water create an atmosphere of relaxation and romance. The blue and white palette, made in the style of...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"California Field at Sunset" Medium Sized Landscape with Setting Sun
Located in Wellesley, MA
"California Field at Sunset," Oil on Canvas, 36 x 36 Inches is a highly realistic landscape which depicts a deep green field and dusky sky punctuated...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Hello, My Name Is: Paintbrush - miniature pictograph painting on paper
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Anthony Mastromatteo re-introduced himself to the Grenning Gallery with his 2023 exhibition "Hello, My Name Is: Anthony Mastromatteo." The works included in the show were incredibly intricate trompe l'oeil oil paintings ranging in size from 7 x 5 inches to 48 x 36 inches. In supplement to the exhibition, Mastromatteo painted 10 pictographs on "Hello My Name Is" nametags and put them in plastic sleeves one would clip on their person for any kind of large function. There is always a bit of tongue and cheek...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Plastic, Paper, Found Objects, Oil

A Tribute to Adeline
Located in Burlingame, CA
'A Tribute to Adeline' depicts a historic San Francisco building with warm sunlight and shadows cascading across the facade of the building with inset window panes. The subtle and br...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Cle Series: Lift w/Ladders.
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the geometric landscape of his hometown Thomas Roese has created a photorealist series using acrylic, graphite, and colored pencil. Since graduating from the Cleveland...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite

"Transcendence" Figurative Narrative "Being Human" vs "Human Being"
Located in San Antonio, TX
Samuel Wilson (Born 1986) San Antonio, TX Image Size: 24 x 48 Medium: Oil on Canvas "Transcendence" When you see them in person you will say UNBELIEVEAB...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Anne Wolff, "California Chrome", Equine Racing Portrait Oil on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equine racing portrait "California Chrome" by artist Anne Wolff is a 24x24 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted is a profile view of the famous thoroughbred race horse California Chrome in a green and purple silk mask...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

"Vertigo" trompe l'oeil comic clipping of Daredevil on tightrope taped on wall
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Vertigo" is a trompe l'oeil painting of a comic clipping of Daredevil on tightrope taped on wall. The arts have been an integral part of Anthony Mastromatteo’s life for over 25 yea...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

January Light
Located in Burlingame, CA
'January Light' depicts an historic San Francisco home with warm sunlight and shadows cascading across the window pane. The subtle and brilliant work of art is meticulously hand pain...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Ribes Rubrum - Photorealist Pastel Still Life Painting
Located in Boston, MA
Ribes Rubrum 19.70 x 15.75 x 0.4, 0.6 lbs Pastel on Pastelmat Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "The red currant is widespread in almost all of Europe. It occurs wild o...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Pastel

"Good Morning" Longhorn Painting
Located in Austin, TX
This photorealistic painting by Gaylon Dingler is part of his western series and depicts a longhorn with a butterfly. The background is painted black, c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Vuelo Nocturno (Night Flight)
By Gabriel Berlusconi
Located in Kensington, MD
Exhibited 2003: Salon Nacional, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires) Gabriel Berlusconi was born in La Plata, Argentina in 1954. He graduated with a degree in visual ar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

725 CLE Series: Tank, Hopper w/Yellow Ladder.
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the geometric landscape of his hometown Thomas Roese has created a photorealist series using acrylic, graphite, and colored pencil. Since graduating from the Cleveland...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite

Mourning Quinces - Photorealist Pastel Still Life Painting
Located in Boston, MA
Mourning Quinces 15.75 x 11.8 x 0.4, 0.6 lbs Pastel on Pastelmat Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "When this pastel painting was finished, I suddenly realised that it ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Pastel

Anne Wolff, "Down to the Wire" Colorful Horse Racing Triptych Oil Painting
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equine racing triptych, "Down to the Wire" by artist Anne Wolff is a 24x36 original oil painting on canvas. Depicted on three separate 24x12 canvases are frontal views of thoro...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Up and Down
Located in Natchez, MS
This highly technical and evocative work by Pablo Santibanez Servat is another in a series of sensual works featuring a female subject. His use of light creates a "glossy" almost wet...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary oil painting photorealism tire tracks mud dirt textured signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Tracks" is an original oil painting on linen by Leslie Parke. The artist signed the piece in the lower right. This hyper-realist painting depicts tire tracks in wet grey mud. 31" ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Peonies II, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
"Peonies II", Original realist painting by Carlos Bruscianelli, Venezuelan realist Painter based in Miami Beach, FL. My work is part of a new series of paintings inspired by diffe...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Guardian
Located in Fairfield, CT
Glenn Ness is recognized for his photorealistic oil paintings of vacant backyards, landscapes, urban streets, and interiors. Ness’s compositions are flooded with his signature warm l...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Gold sparks on the water., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Gold sparks on the water. Warm water, waves, serene views, ocean shine, evening sun glare on the water create an atmosphere of relaxation and romance. Made in the style of realism, a...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Bliss, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original, one-of-a-kind, hand painted, inspired by the aerial view of The Bahamas and Turks And Caicos Islands from in my last vacation there Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxie...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Eupholus Shoenherri, Contemporary Art Photorealist Oil Painting by Matthew Bober
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Eupholus Shoenherri 2019 Oil and metal leaf. on panel 5" x 7"unframed 8.25" x 8.25" framed Eupholus Shoenherri is a species of beetles from New Guinea. Many of the artist's works a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Metal

Spools of Ribbon, bright red, turquoise super realism
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil on Canvas, bright color Doug Newton’s hyper-real oil paintings observe reality, explore translucency, reflections and luminosity, and dazzle the viewer with all the ways light ca...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peaceful ocean, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
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

Fish, colorful, oil painting, super realistic
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil paint on canvas Doug Newton’s hyper-real paintings observe reality, explore translucency, reflections and luminosity, and dazzle the viewer with all the ways light can transform...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Being and Nothingness" trompe l'oeil & modernist oil painting, red butterflies
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Being and Nothingness" is a 2023 trompe l'oeil modernist oil painting. Mastromatteo pays homage to Malevich’s black square, and even positions it at the top left quarter of the canvas. The modernist symbol is austere, and formidable, yet it lays flat on the two-dimensional plane. Outside the square, amidst a wall of white, are little butterflies. Their angled wings...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

725 CLE Series: Edge.
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the geometric landscape of his hometown Thomas Roese has created a photorealist series using acrylic, graphite and colored pencil. Since graduating from the Cleveland ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite

Revel Restaurant, Acrylic on Panel
Located in Southampton, NY
Charles Ford's work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York. His "City Paintings" have a very realistic color palette, very true to life. His colors are...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Ancestors Heritage - Cusco, Peru, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The Cusco vase is symbolic of the Peruvian heritage. Included in this still life is a metal stand in the background that is rusted and has a nice corroded patina which gives an Old W...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Eleuthera Bahamas, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Aerial ocean painting inspired by satellite and aerial imagery of The Bahamas - Eleuthera Layered tinted resin on cradled wood panels Different shades of blue, turquoise, teal,...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

A moment of peace, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original, one-of-a-kind, hand painted, inspired by the aerial view of The Bahamas Harbour Island pink sand beach Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxiety, painting is a form of th...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Roanheads Scotland 1, oil on birch panel, rural architecture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This original oil on birch-wood panel is a signature work of Roanheads, Scotland by painter and master printmaker Agnes Murray. Ms. Murray is notable for capturing the crystalline q...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Roanheads Chimneys #3, 2018
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This original oil on birch-wood panel is a signature painting of Roanheads, Scotland by Agnes Murray. Ms. Murray is notable for capturing the crystalline quality of northern light. ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Ocean Reef" by Cees Penning, Original Oil on Board painting, 42 in. x 66 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
Step into a world where the ocean's vibrant life is captured with breathtaking precision in Cees Penning's photo-realistic painting. This oversized masterpiece immerses viewers in a ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

It's A Case -- Original Oil Painting -- Please watch attached video
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Do you love Coke? 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 the 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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Al Pasino, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Al Pacino is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. The portrait is painted in oil on linen canvas. Realism. It is varnished, the sides are painted in the color of the painti...
Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

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.

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