Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world.
Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history.
By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.
Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.
Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.
Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.
The Needles, Isle of Wight, 19th Century Signed Oil on Canvas
By Henry Moore
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
The pale chalk formations of The Needles rise in the distance off the western coast of the Isle of Wight. Powerful waves in the strait rolls across the foreground beneath a vast sky ...
Canvas, Oil
Still life: Allure of blue
Located in Zofingen, AG
”Still Life: Allure of Blue” presents a quiet, contemplative arrangement centered on a Chinese porcelain vase with soft blue landscape mo...
Canvas, Oil
Pacific Sunset Waves, Contemporary Cyanotype on Paper, Navy Blue, Beach House
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Sunset Waves" is an original cyanotype that abstractly shows the sunset reflections on the sea. Details: + Titl...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...
"Patient Martyr" - Realist Male Portrait, Oil Painting on Aluminum Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Patient Martyr" is a realist oil painting on aluminum panel by American painter Zack Zdrale, depicting a male model with his arms outstretched and intertwined above his head, leanin...
Oil, Panel
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Play V
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Play V oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 13 x 15 framed Beach Play V is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beach full...
Oil
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
"Aperitif and Grapes in Madeira" Still Life Realist Oil Painting on Linen Framed
By Bert Beirne
Located in New York, NY
A luminous still life that borrows themes from Dutch 17th Century Masters, we are drawn to the very details that Beirne captures effortlessly. The subdued, yet boldness of the colors...
Oil, Linen
"Roses and jasmine"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Painting is painted from real bush of roses in my garden. I was inspired by the freshness of the scarlet roses. Painting size 140x140cm/oil on canvas/ 2018 Signed on the front and ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,600
"Quimper Creamer and Strawberries" Still Life Oil Painting on Wood Panel
By Bert Beirne
Located in New York, NY
A luminous still life that borrows themes from Dutch 17th Century Masters, we are drawn to the very details that Beirne captures effortlessly. The subdued, yet boldness of the colors...
Oil, Wood Panel
$5,329
Lovers
Located in London, London
oil on canvas one-of-a-kind hand signed The canvas will be shipped STRETCHED, unframed All custom charges are included in the final price agreed
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Sunrise
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Morning Drama oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed signed LL Morning Drama is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showca...
Oil
Cat Awaits the Apocalypse, Realist Acrylic Painting on Cotton Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This refined interior scene captures a moment of psychological stillness, where presence and perception quietly intersect. The poised figure of a woman contrasts with the alert silho...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
"Hindsight" - Original Still-Life and Landscape, Oil Painting on Panel
By Emma Kalff
Located in Denver, CO
"This painting was made based off of a photo I took from a bus window in Mexico, near Puerto Vallarta. The image stuck with me as the idea of an idyllic hillside. It felt to me like ...
Oil, Panel
An Artist Working in the Studio 1930
Located in Stockholm, SE
This intimate studio interior from 1930 belongs to the more psychologically engaging side of Carlo Hornung Jensen’s oeuvre. A seated woman has paused beside her easel and turned towa...
Oil, Board
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Day People Boats Birds
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Day III oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed signed LL Beach Day III is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showca...
Oil
Portrait in Gold, Realist Oil on Canvas, Signed, 21st Century, 51x51cm
Located in London, London
one of a kind oil on canvas portrait painting 51x51x3cm hand signed An artist's certificate of authenticity is included The red chairs living room photos are part of the i...
Gold
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Ocean Beach Seascape Oil Painting Children Playing Michael Budden Summer Play
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Summer Play, Sailboats and the Jetty 6 x 8 unframed, 9.75 x 11.75 framed Signed LR Summer Play is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden t...
Oil
$1,290
Fresh and Peeled-realism Still Life Painting, Oil on board, Signed, 37x45 cm
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...
Oil, Board
Success
Located in London, London
All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. Abstract painting on canvas, blue, extra-large, XXL, large oil on canvas painting, expressionism. The item is located in ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting Sunrise Series by Michael Budden People Jetty
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Study Image is 6 x 8 unframed, and 11.75 x 13.75 framed. Signed LR Sunrise Study is a study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that s...
Oil
Bulldog with a Food Bowl-oil on board, early 20th century, French.
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Bulldog with a Food Bowl French, early 20th century Oil on board Illegibly signed, lower left 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 (15 x 18 frame) inches A tender and thoughtful portrayal of a seated bul...
Oil, Panel
19th Century Victorian Animalier Pastoral Landscape Cows Sheep Oil Canvas Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This pastoral landscape, created in 1883, presumably by the British master D.L. Couch, immerses the viewer in an atmosphere of a rural idyll. A herd of cows and sheep, having quenche...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
“Portrait of a North African Man, 1872” Orientalist Portrait Black Model 19th C.
Located in Yardley, PA
“Portrait of a North African Man, 1872” by August Holmberg (1851-1911) This striking oil painting by the German painter, August Holmberg, depicts a richly detailed and intimate port...
Canvas, Paper, Oil
$8,227
Moonlit night. By Georgy Skripnichenko. 1975. Oil on canvas. 50/40 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Georgy Skripnichenko, born on November 12, 1940, in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, and passing in Minsk on August 12, 2015, was a Belarusian surrealist painter who also created realist wor...
Canvas, Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Realistic Moonlight Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Moon Sliver oil/panel 8 x 10 unframed 13.50 x 15.50 x 2 framed. Signed LR Moon Sliver is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcase...
Oil
That's Saying Something, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A realistic animal painting depicts three great blue herons. Two of the herons are scanning their surroundings, seemingly in search of good fortune, trouble, or...
Acrylic
19th C Victorian Romantic Summer Landscape Old River Bridge Oil Canvas Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This charming oil painting on canvas, created in the second half of the 19th century and bearing a partially preserved signature 'W????ce', represents a fine example of a European ro...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
India Madras Painting on board Portrait of Serving Girl with Pot c 1910
Located in Norfolk, GB
Madras School C 1910 Acrylic on board 11.5" x 8" Address on verso This painting dating to the early 20th century, c 1910, shows a young woman, possibly from Madras (see info on reverse), The colours follow the conventions of a genre of art called Company School painting...
Mixed Media, Board
Antique 19th Century British Oil Painting by G. Wylle Rural Landscape Gilt Frame
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an antique British oil painting on canvas, signed “G. Wylle” in the lower area, depicting a picturesque riverside village scene with historic stone buildings, a tower ...
Oil
Antique European Old Master Style Flower Still Life Framed Interior Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique European still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring: 27 by 21 inches overall, and 22 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Oil, Canvas
Fragility of Strength -Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting of Breaking Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The moment before everything changes, where strength teeters on the edge of fragility. DETAILS ● 100% original hand-painted ● The painting is textured ● The picture is painted with ...
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century Oil Painting -- The White Persian Kitten, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Figurative -- White Persian Kitten by Mildred Kaucher Charming mid century portrait of a white Persian kitten with blue eyes and pink ears and nose by Los Gatos artist M...
Metal
Reading In the Gold Chair 2.0, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A figure study in natural light finds a woman settled in a comfortable chair, posed in a triangle of strength. As she reads on her phone, vibrant light bounces ...
Oil
Listed Artist Hewett Jackson Original Oil Painting Tall Ship Seascape Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a large original oil painting on canvas by listed maritime artist Hewett R. Jackson (1914–2007). This striking nautical scene depicts a majestic tall sailing ship brea...
Oil
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow With Horns Resting on The Grass
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Chalk, Graphite
Antique 1868 Oil Portrait Young Woman European Lady Gilt Frame 19th Century
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This authentic 19th-century oil portrait depicts a young European woman in traditional attire, painted with refined academic realism and quiet emotional restraint. The sitter is shown in three-quarter view, wearing a straw hat with a blue ribbon, a lace-trimmed blouse, and a dark bodice, delicately holding a small basket of flowers. The soft transitions of light across the face, gentle blush tones, and composed expression reflect mid-19th-century European portrait traditions, closely aligned with Biedermeier and early Realist aesthetics. The background is intentionally subdued, allowing full focus on the sitter’s character and presence. Brushwork is controlled and confident, with careful modeling of facial features and textiles. The composition suggests a formal studio portrait rather than a genre scene, typical of European academic painting of the period. 📏 Measurements: Painting approx. 19.5" × 24"; Framed approx. 30" × 26" 🎨 Medium: Oil on canvas 🖋️ Artist: Signed and dated 1868 in the lower right (signature partially legible) 🖼️ Frame: Original period gilt wood frame; minor wear, losses, and age-related surface imperfections ✔️ Condition: Stable age-related craquelure throughout. Frame shows minor historical damage consistent with age. This is a genuine antique European oil painting...
Oil
“Where Everything Begins” — Hyperrealistic Seascape at Dawn
Located in Zofingen, AG
A moment of silence between night and day. The sea still holds the coolness and depth of darkness, yet the first path of sunlight already appears on the water — a sign of beginning, ...
Canvas, Oil
$8,082
Dolomite Landscape - Huge Italian Austrian Mountain River Waterfall Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful and huge mid 19th century oil on canvas depicting a landscape in the Dolomites, by Karl Moser. Excellent quality work on exhibition scale by this important Austrian arti...
Canvas, Oil
$1,586
“Line of Stillness” — Contemporary Seascape Painting of Calm Ocean Horizon
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is about how formality dissolves when you’re surrounded by the right people. What is usually governed by rules, timing, and expectations quietly turns into something softer...
Canvas, Oil
"The Dark Waters" Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
This refined contemporary painting combines narrative elegance with a strong visual signature. The striking red boat immediately anchors the composition, floating against richly text...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
«A Second Before the Touch» — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Ocean Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
The wave rises and comes to stillness. Light passes through the water and remains within it. Movement slows, almost disappearing. This moment still holds its form. Nothing is broken ...
Canvas, Oil
"Cloud Composition 7" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 7" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
Pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
The serene ceramic jar anchors the composition, creating a quiet dialogue between matte surfaces and glossy fruit. The carefully draped striped tablecloth introduces rhythm and movem...
Canvas, Oil
Antique Late 19th Century Romantic Seascape Sailboats in Storm Oil Panel Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
Presented here is a fine example of a late 19th-century seascape, executed in oil on a metal panel in the traditions of the European marine school. At the centre of the dynamic compo...
Metal
Fireflies II - contemporary, figurative, portrait, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic oil portrait of a young man is by Daniel Hughes. In a field surrounded by the magical glow of dozens of fireflies, a young man stands alone, looking towards hills in ...
Canvas, Oil
$108Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Cow Munching Grass In The Meadow
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Chalk, Graphite
Oriental Figure Study in Red and White
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed to John Arsenius (1818–1903) Sweden Oriental Figure monogrammed lower left JA oil on panel unframed 26.5 × 15.5 cm (10.4 × 6.1 in) framed 34 × 23 cm (13.4 × 9.1 in) Pro...
Oil, Wood Panel
$108Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Horse Patiently Waiting at The Wooden Fence
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Chalk, Graphite
$107Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Bull Lying Down
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Chalk, Graphite
$528
«Botany 4» Original floral painting. Circular small canvas . Gift . Home decor
Located in Oslo, NO
This artwork, a circular painting, deftly captures a vibrant botanical ensemble on a textured backdrop. Set against a muted, earthy background, the piece features an array of intrica...
Canvas, Oil
"Round Portrait of a Black and White Terrier" French 19th Century
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Round Portrait of a Black and White Terrier," French, 19th Century, circa 1850s Oil on wood panel Unsigned. 9 x 9 inches frame One of a pair of charming portraits of Black White Te...
Oil, Wood Panel
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland
Located in Preston, GB
Small Oil of Cottages beside a Lake in Mountains on the Antrim Coast in Ireland, by Contemporary Artist, Derek Quann Art measures 10 x 8 inches Frame measures 17.5 x 15.5 inches Th...
Canvas, Oil
$480Sale Price|20% Off
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Off the Coast Seascape Study is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionist...
Oil
Quiet day
Located in Zofingen, AG
A poised still life rendered in luminous oil, where light glides across a draped table, revealing the tender gleam of porcelain and the play of silken folds. Two white jugs, a cup a...
Canvas, Oil
$1,586
«Under a Heavy Sky» — Realistic Oil Seascape of Turquoise Waters and Storms
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sky lowers itself, as if reaching for the sea. Dense and dark, it carries an unspoken weight. The turquoise water does not resist — it glows from within, breathing steadily, ac...
Canvas, Oil
"An Enchanted Star for Katie" - Whimsical Animal Portrait, Oil on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"There is a legend known among the wee ones of the forest, that near the southeast of the center of the forest, when a new moon sets with the sun, tiny wishing stars fall to the eart...
Oil, Paper
$1,697
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting
By J Bishop
Located in Preston, GB
The Coriolanus Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 32.5 x 26.5 inches Frame measures 36.5 x 30.5 inches This impressive oil p...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
View from Il Cellese - original realism landscape artwork - oil painting
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. In View from Il Cellese, Jeanette Meehan expands on her exploration of interior fra...
Canvas, Oil
$600Sale Price|20% Off
New York City Theater Painting Michael Budden Phantom of the Opera Study
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Phantom oil/panel 8x6 unframed, 13.38 x 11.25 framed signed LR Mystical Phantom is an oil painting study on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden...
Oil
$2,256
Cowboy: The Freedom Rider- Western painting, American Artist, Horse painting
Located in Oslo, NO
cowboy, horse, prairie, Western art, Western painting, American art, American artist, freedom, Wild West "This painting was inspired by American Westerns and the films of the Wild W...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
"On the Sands, Long Island Sound" William John Hennessy, New York, Irish Artist
Located in New York, NY
William John Hennessy On the Sands, Long Island Sound Signed and dated lower left; signed, dated, and titled on the reverse Oil on canvas 15 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches William John Hennes...
Canvas, Oil