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Realist Paintings

REALIST STYLE

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.

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Style: Realist
(Untitled) A Woman of Consequence
Located in San Francisco, CA
The realist portrait is of a no-nonsense woman. A mystery woman, one accustomed to being respected. By her subdued costume, not selected to flatter her, as well as by her analytical ...
Category

1890s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Open Grazing, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Judd Mercer's (US based) "Open Grazing," is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a green grassy pasture where a herd of chickens and sheep graze peacefully as a stream cuts through their landscape. About the Artist: Judd Mercer is a watercolor painter based in Denver, Colorado. After attending art school for industrial design, Judd pursued a career in digital design and user experience and is co-owner of Elevated Third, a Denver-based digital agency. After committing to writing and illustrating a full-length fantasy novel in his spare time, Judd began watercolor painting around 2014, studying with teachers such as Alvaro Castagnet, Joseph Zbukvic...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Morning Drink, 12x16 oil on paper on panel , Southwest Art Magazine, Free Ship
Located in Houston, TX
Morning Drink, 12x16 oil on paper on panel . Also shown in images are two other available paintings. Julian Tejera is a contemporary realist from New ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil, Wood Panel

Mouse in a Box - original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. In Mouse in the Box, Lucinda Holland brings the viewer face-to-...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

Oil on canvas - Maternity
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un bello marco de la época de la obra en madera dorara (el marco presenta alguna leve falta) El estado de ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Cinnamon sticks - realistic painting
Located in New York, NY
This hyperrealistic painting by Roni Yoffe is from her latest body of works. It is oil on wood and comes not framed, but framing options are available. "My paintings in recent years ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

Vintage french art by Louis Cabat - cottage in Normandy - oil on canvas, signed.
Located in PARIS, FR
A certificate of authenticity from Mr. Michel Rodrigue accompanies the work. Conditions : Good overall Conditions. Older restauration in the upper part under UV light. Canvas relined...
Category

Early 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Wine Glass and Bottle Seen From The Top, Perspective View, Modern Still Life
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Wine Glass and Bottle Seen From The Top" is a contemporary still-life painting portraying a bottle of wine and a glass silhouette from a playful point of view that defies perspectiv...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor

Perennials - colorful, vivid, detail, realist, floral, landscape, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
In stunning detail, Ciba Karisik has captured the delicate and serene beauty of pink coneflower and white Queen Anne’s lace flowers lining the edge of a grassy field. For Karisik, na...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Dust & Scarlet" (2023) By Blair Atherholt, Original Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Dust & Scarlet" (2024) by Blair Atherholt is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a still-life featuring a white flower, a red rib...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Bavarian Gentleman Holding a Candle Fine German Oil Painting Portrait of Man
By Fritz Muller
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Fritz Muller (1913 - 1972) oil painting on board, framed signed framed: 17 x 14.5 inches board: 14 x 12 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very good and sound ...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"3/3" by Conrado López, Original Oil and Acrylic Painting, Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
"3/3" by Conrado López is a delicate yet expressive 2024 artwork, utilizing acrylic, gold leaf and oil on a canvas sized at 15.75 x 15.75 in (40 x 40cm). This piece is a prime exa...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

RMS Laconia, signed oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
RMS Laconia, 1921 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 14.25 x 22.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well ...
Category

1990s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Empty Bottle of Wine, Horizontal Modern Still Life in Earth Tones, Tuscany Views
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Empty Bottle of Wine" is a modern still life composition where an empty bottle of wine lays on a table, gracefully coexisting with a half-filled glass of...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Rag Paper

CONTEMPORARY Fine Art Landscape Forest Spanish Artist Carol Moreno
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

"Sailing on the Open Seas" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
Located in New York, NY
George Nemethy finds his inspiration in moments of quiet and solitude. Where he finds himself one with the sea and the sky and the tranquil world which he freely escapes to. Trained from an early age by his father Albert Nemethy, a world-renowned painter known best for his large scale steamer boats, George found...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of Emily Gertrude Muirhead - British Italian 1910 art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb Portrait oil painting is by noted Italian born artist Pilade Bertieri. Painted circa 1910, Bertieri had a London address in 1908 and exhibited five pictures at the Royal ...
Category

1910s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ships At Sunset
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, Ships at Sunset by Otis S. Weber captures a tranquil maritime scene where vessels drift across calm waters, their sails catching the fadin...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Contemporary peaches still life, painting delicate straw yellow and pink tones
Located in Milan, IT
The exquisite still life can be paired with another still life with apples (symbolizing spring and autumn) also published on 1stdibs. Gianluca Corona expresses the values of the mo...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

Antique Horse Painting
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Horse in front of the barn. 19th Century English by Edward John Hoy signed, dated 1899. Beautiful custom (Richard Tobey) gilt wood frame, canvas 18x24 ...
Category

1890s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Two Borzois by a lake in a landscape, with a country house beyond
Located in London, GB
Bernard Ward Turner (British, 20th Century) Two Borzois by a lake in a landscape, with a country house beyond signed ‘B. Ward Turner/ BRSA.’ (lower right) oil on canvasboard 20 x 24 ...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

"Elephant In The Pool" Lrg Orig. Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display
Located in Encino, CA
“Elephant In The Pool,” an original oil on canvas by Robert K. White, is a piece for the true collector. White’s careful attention to detail and vivid use of greens, browns, and blue...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour Silk applied Handmade Paper. La Roche Laffitte
Located in Cotignac, FR
One from a set of four watercolours of butterflies on silk, applied to handmade paper, with hand cut edges, by French artist La Roche Laffitte. Signed bottom left. (The other 3 items are available separately) A beautifully observed and detailed study of a butterfly painted...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Carbon Pencil, Handmade Paper, Watercolor, Silk

Golden Aspens, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Golden Aspens" by Jane Hunt (United States) is a handmade landscape oil painting that is framed and ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Barn Owl" (2024) By Brian Mashburn, Original Oil Painting on Wood
Located in Denver, CO
Brian Mashburn's painting "Barn Owl" crafted in 2023, is an original oil painting that depicts a close up portrait of a barn owl with a foggy landscape in the background. The artwork...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood

Woolworths, Sutton, London - British figurative shop interior art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This fantastic British 1940's figurative interior oil painting is by noted artist Leonard Fuller. Painted circa 1940, the colourful composition is looking into a busy Woolworths stor...
Category

1940s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Original Oil Painting on canvas, Still Life, Flowers, Signed, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a beautiful original oil painting on canvas. This painting is a classical and elegant floral still-life composition, featuring a lush bouquet of vibrant flowers arrang...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Little Girls and Their New Friends Genre Scene 19th century Oil Painting on Wood
Located in Stockholm, SE
Very touching scene with two little girls. Two sisters are thrilled to meet their new pets that their parents have bought. The sincerity and immediacy of children's feelings depicted...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"White Throated Sparrow" Original oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Brian Mashburn's painting "White Throated Sparrow" crafted in 2023, is an original oil painting that depicts the close up views of a white throated sparrow bird in profile, on a bran...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Field at Dusk
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A flowering field of pink, white and sapphire blue merges with an atmospheric horizon in this charming oil landscape by Ciba Karisik. This intimately sized painting is unframed. Cib...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hubert Henrard - 19th Century Belgian Still Life of wildflowers
Located in London, GB
HUBERT HENRARD (Belgium 1816-1898) Still Life with Cornflower and Harebells Signed l.r.: Hubert Henrard Oil on canvas Framed 25 by 20.5 cm., 10 by 8 in. (frame size 41.5 by 36.5 c...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

'A Black Cat Jumps to an Empty Tune, ' by Mark Gilmore, Oil Painting on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 42" x 34" landscape painting by Mark Gilmore features a rural scene of a hillside field and an emerging tornado hidden behind a moving rainsto...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Color Pencil

"York St." Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's (US based) "York St.'" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a red brick house peeking out from lush trees contrasted with blue sky. About the Artis...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Bird of Paradise Bouquet Flowers, Botanical Illustration Style Painting on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Bird of Paradise II" is an abstract expressionist painting by Romina Milano where a landscape of black gestures unfolds across colorful brushstrokes infused with raw emotion. Romi...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Ink, Watercolor

Wa Market
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance On consignment to the gallery from a private collector in Newport Beach, California. Artist Statement "The location is in a small town within the province of Yunnan in So...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Morning Tide, original 39X47 realistic marine landscape
Located in Spring Lake, NJ
The majesty of the morning tide at sunrise sends a warm glow along the seashore and into the hearts of all those lucky enough to behold ocean at that mome...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Dive into the sea" Mediterranean, swimming, Sea, Green, Oil cm. 40 x 40
Located in Torino, IT
Water,Swimmer,Yellow,Green,Summer,sea Birgitte LYKKE MADSEN (Odense, Denmark, 1960) 1981-86, Educated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Odense First solo exhibition in 1983 Artist statement: “I am a painter. I am fascinated by the difference in cold and warm colors and the different atmospheres that it creates in our mind. My hereby presented oil paintings are describing people in water...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wintertime, General Theological Seminary, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
One of my favorite buildings in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, as seen looking down from the High Line on a snowy blustery day! This building from 1817 takes up a full city b...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Armenian Contemporary Art by Kamsar Ohanyan - Night Pleasure
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Kamsar Ohanyan is an Armenian artist born in 1991 who lives and works in Yerevan, Armenia. He studied in Yerevan at State Pedagogical University with Kh. Abovyan at th...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Original English Delicate realist oil painting STILL LIFE OF WILDFLOWERS
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Audrey Johnson (1919-2010) British TITLE: 'Wildflowers" MEDIUM: oil on board SIZE: 30cm x 25cm incl frame CONDITION: very good NOTES: Audrey Johnson was the wife of fellow ...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Jewel that is London, 1930s art deco poster design by A. E. Halliwell
Located in London, GB
A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) The Jewel that is London Airbrush and gouache 26 x 33 cm c.1930 Signed to reverse Provenance: Family of the artist A.E. Halliwell (1905–1986) was a Brit...
Category

1930s Realist Paintings

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Homestead
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED:16" x 20" FRAMED:27" x 31" x 2.5" Artist Statement "Completed in the studio from plein air notes made in Tehachapi, CA. A...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

"European genre painting"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
No Signatured This evocative 19th-century oil painting presents a tranquil yet atmospheric riverside scene, capturing a group of figures engaged in daily life. The composition is mas...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Daenerys morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
Once upon a time, a wonderful girl posed for Evgeniy, outwardly very similar to the well-known blonde from Game of Thrones. Almost a doppelganger of her fairy-tale sister .. And then...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Tempera, Wood Panel

Robert K. White "The Sea Remembers the Sky" Oil on Canvas, Atmospheric Seascape
Located in Miami, FL
ROBERT KENNETH WHITE – "THE SEA REMEMBERS THE SKY" Oil on Canvas ⚜ Hand Signed Lower Right ⚜ Frameless Display A COASTAL STORMSCAPE OF LIGHT, WATER, AND MEMORY In "The Sea Remember...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Joshua Tree"
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork captures a solitary moment in a remote desert setting. The scene focuses on a vintage motel, "Desert Inn," with its bright yellow façade standing out against the dark, m...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Standing Proud, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A house proudly stands against a fiery sky, its weathered walls and darkened windows hinting at stories left untold. Artist Art Clark drew inspiration from his ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Dumbledore's Wand
Located in Greenwich, CT
Oil on canvas still-life realist painting of Dumbledore's wand.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fall, Johnson County
Located in Dallas, TX
The overall dimensions, including the artist-made frame, are 25 x 37 inches.
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bank of the Main in summer
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting, painted from life, depicts the banks of the Main in the city of Würzburg in southern Germany. We see the city itself on the far bank. The river reflects the silhouettes...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Elegant Still Life of Blue, White, Burgundy and Silver/Gold Art Nouveau Vase"
Located in Wellesley, MA
Olga Antonova "Elegant Still Life of Blue, White and Burgundy Patterned Art Nouveau Vase with Silver/Gold and Bird on Top" Oil on Canvas 26 x 26 Inches Olga Antonova’s subject is...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Seville Guadalquivir River Spain oil on canvas painting
By Carlota Rosales Martínez de Pedrosa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Carlota Rosales Martínez de Pedrosa was born in Madrid in 1872 and was the second daughter of the painter Eduardo Rosales, after the birth the Rosales...
Category

1940s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Cornish Family in an Interior - British 1912 Newlyn School art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb British figurative interior oil painting is by noted Newlyn school artist Harold Harvey. Painted circa 1912 the composition is a Cornish family, bathed in golden light, s...
Category

1910s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"O Precious Thought" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "O Precious Thought" is an original, handmade oil painting of a vast sky above the plains. This piece is framed in a natural float frame and is ready to ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Sunset, seascape oil painting, one of a kind, framed
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Seascape oil Painting Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2019 Style: Classic Art, Impressionism, Subject...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wish You Were Here - Modern Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Girl Portrait
Located in Salzburg, AT
KAMIL LISEK (born in 1980) Studied under the guidance of prof. Maciej Świeszewski at the faculty of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. He graduated with distinction obta...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Woman in Red Shawl - Nudes verso - British 1940's art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British portrait oil painting is by noted artist Lionel Ellis. Painted circa 1940, the picture is a half-length seated portrait of a smiling woman wrapped in a red shawl,...
Category

1940s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Young Woman at the Seashore - British Victorian art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This beautiful oil painting on canvas dates to circa 1840 and is by British Victorian artist William Edward Frost who was noted for his depiction of nudes and feminine beauty. The ov...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Musical Interlude" 19th century antique realism Large oil painting on Board
By Francesco Beda
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Provenance: Private Collection Atlanta, GA Estate sale Everard Gallery, Savannah, GA, Private Collection Callen Estate, Savannah GA 2018 Description: The painting is signed on the lower right side. Francesco Beda (1840-1900) was an Italian painter celebrated for his exquisite genre scenes and historical subjects. Born in Italy, Beda displayed a natural talent for art from a young age and received formal training in painting. He developed a distinctive style characterized by meticulous attention to detail, vibrant colors, and a keen eye for capturing the essence of his subjects. One of Beda’s notable oil paintings on canvas is titled “Musical Interlude.” This masterpiece measures 24×36″ and bears the artist’s signature. The painting showcases Beda’s exceptional skill in depicting textures, colors, and architectural details with stunning realism. In “Musical Interlude,” Beda transports the viewer to a scene of musical entertainment in the 19th century. The bold and vibrant colors of the dresses and period-style clothing evoke the richness and elegance of the time. Beda’s attention to fabric texture allows the viewer to almost feel the weight and flow of the garments through their eyes. The interior architecture depicted in the painting reveals Beda’s mastery in capturing delicate details. The beautifully painted marble column and intricately carved wood chair...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

Old Fishing Boats in Laoshan
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Artist Statement "I visited Qingdao City in northeast China in 2019 with a group of artists. Qingdao is also spelled Tsingtao. Located on China’s Yellow Sea coast, these old fishing boats are still performing their job." — Mian Situ Exhibited Mian Situ: Passion, History and Culture, American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasadena, California, May 6 – June 11, 2022 California Art Club...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Michael Budden, Su Yu, Olga Antonova, and Mark Hunter. 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 Realist paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available.

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