Skip to main content

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.

to
1,146
1,900
1,431
1,340
1,168
1,118
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
61
560
1,274
5,062
65
41
49
69
44
62
85
131
144
141
39
43,057
37,737
22,698
8,582
4,553
3,600
3,364
2,524
1,204
1,198
1,021
1,008
434
298
3,531
2,502
854
2,569
1,450
1,264
1,077
717
717
643
570
486
482
425
366
344
340
312
303
302
260
260
255
6,688
5,591
2,795
2,541
784
90
67
59
53
41
3,021
609
3,690
2,461
Style: Realist
Cuauhtémoc, signed oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Cuauhtémoc, 1982 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 15 x 21.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well listed French marine artist Louis Letouche (1924-2015). The painting portrays the 20th Century ship titled: Cuauhtemoc, 1982. ARM Cuauhtémoc is a sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy, named for the last Mexica Hueyi Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc who was captured and executed in 1525. She is the last of four sister...
Category

1990s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Alanís" Original Oil and Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Conrado López's "Alanís" is a handmade original acrylic and oil on canvas artwork. Created in 2023, this piece measures 5 x 5 inches (12.70 x 12.70 cm) and is thoughtfully housed in ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

The Serenade - Italian 19th century art figurative oil painting musicians
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely Victorian 19th century figurative oil painting is by Italian artist Frederick Andreotti. Painted circa 1880 it is a lovely playful depiction of a pretty seated young woma...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

French Genre Scene in Parisian park 19th Century Oil painting
By Emile Tabary
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed by Émile Tabary. Lively scene in in a parisian park, pictured moment of city life of the late 19th century. In this painting, some irony and humor are very subtly felt. One of...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

"Denali" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's (US based) "Denali" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a foothill landscape as the morning light hits the mountain range. About the Artist: Ra...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"For This From That Will Be Filled" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ken Cunningham's "For This From That Will Be Filled" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts two women picking apples of green and red with the silhouette of a tree behind...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Irises. Floral still life acrylic painting, Classic, Realistic, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary figurative floral still life acrylic on board painting by Polish artist Janusz Szpyt. Artwork style is classic and realistic achieved with wide brush strokes. Janusz S...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Girl
Located in White Plains, NY
'Girl' 2003 by American artist, Kim McCarty. Watercolor on paper, 29.875 x 22 in. (framed). This work on paper expresses the fragile vulnerability of adolescence. By using a “wet into wet” watercolor medium the artist conveys the transitory and emergent state. The figures heads become too large for their small, narrow bodies, their hands too large for their arms. The translucent watercolor expresses both the flaws and perfection. Kim McCarty is known for her nubile and waif-like figurative watercolors in muted hues, which she likens to “blurry afterimages drifting past closed eyelids.” McCarty began working with the medium in 1993, after a fire destroyed her studio and she could no longer find a space with proper ventilation for working with oil paint and became quickly intrigued with watercolor’s transparency, immediacy, and “unforgiving qualities.” She works in a wet-on-wet technique, in which watercolor is applied to a moistened sheet of paper—a technique that allows for very little control over the final image because of the pigment’s tendency to spread. For McCarty, this style corresponds to the longing, loss, and vulnerability embodied in her subjects. A graduate of UCLA (MFA) and the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena (BFA), McCarty has had many solo exhibitions include Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York and David Klein Gallery...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Champagne Bottle with Grapes Still Life Oil Painting by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Champagne Bottle with Grapes & Pot Still Life Interior Original Oil Painting by 20th Century Artist Artist William Henry Burns (1924-1995). Framed in a high quality off-white shabby chic...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Newport Sailboat
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Calvin Liang" on lower left FRAMED: 21.375" x 17.375" x 1.25"; UNFRAMED: 12" x 16"
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Downtown Run" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's "Downtown Run" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a building in brilliant warm light contrasted by a blue sky. About the Artist: Raymond Bonilla ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Contemporary portrait "The End of the World"
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork combines vintage aesthetics with surreal elements, set against a thought-provoking backdrop. A woman in a black suit and bow tie, holding a cigarette, exudes timeless el...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Viking Village Scallop Boats, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Viking Village is a Commercial Fishing village in the town of Barnegat LIght on Long Beach Island NJ. I love boats of all type, and was attracted to the...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Flat Lands" Original Landscape Mixed Media on Paper by Tom Perkinson, Framed
Located in Encino, CA
"Flat Lands" is an original mixed media on paper by Tom Perkinson. His use of saturated violets, vivid yellows, and resplendent oranges pushes color to almost-otherworldly realms. Th...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Color Pencil

Coastal View of Penzance from Newlyn, Cornwall - British landscape oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely floral landscape oil painting is by artist Elsie Bye- Rawson. Painted circa 1960 the view is looking down from Newlyn and along the coast to Penzance in Cornwall. St Mary...
Category

1960s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Old McDonald's Farm" Aaron Bohrod, Pun Humor, Magic Realism, Midwestern Rural
Located in New York, NY
Aaron Bohrod Old McDonald's Farm, 1989 Signed lower right Oil on gesso board 14 x 18 inches Aaron Bohrod's work has not been limited to one style or medium. Initially recognized as ...
Category

1980s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

The Young Stowaways - original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Lucinda Holland’s The Young Stowaways is a masterfully playful...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

DERICKX Louis. Children fishing in a landscape. Oil on panel.
Located in Paris, FR
Children fishing in a landscape. Original ,title 'Le Vesdre à Chaudfontaine' Oil on mahogany panel. Signed and dated 1876 lower left.
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Landscape scene"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Robert Russ (1847–1922) Oil on Canvas Framed: 148 × 99 cm Flat: 94 × 64 cm Signed lower right A remarkable work by Robert Russ, a distinguished Austrian landscape painter of the 19th...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Blue Jay" Original Oil Painting by Susan McDonnell, Avian Art
Located in Denver, CO
Susan McDonnell's "Blue Jay," created in 2021, is a masterful oil on panel that captures the vibrant essence and lively demeanor of its avian subject. Measuri...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Portrait of a Lady in Pince Nez - British 1919 art portrait oil painting
By Alfred Kingsley Lawrence
Located in Hagley, England
This superb British portrait oil painting is by noted artist Alfred Kinglsey Lawrence. Painted in 1919 it is a seated portrait of a young woman with a lush burgundy velvet curtain be...
Category

1910s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Afternoon Cala Molto", Oil on canvas of underwater swimmers, cool tones
Located in Dallas, TX
"Afternoon Cala Molto" is a stunning oil on canvas by Patsy McArthur, showing a couple underwater swimmere surrounded by refreshing, cool turquoise green water and stunning reflectio...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Still life with lilacs
Located in Zofingen, AG
I painted this still life in the midst of quarantine due to the pandemic in May, the lilacs were just in bloom, and I have long wanted to paint a still life with lilacs. On the stree...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with Fruit and Vessels
Located in Stockholm, SE
Housed in an elaborate late nineteenth-century carved gilt frame lined with deep red velvet, the painting offers a harmonious composition of carefully arranged objects illuminated by...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Tranquil Irish Coastal Scene with Green Fields, Rocky Shore & Expansive Sky
Located in Preston, GB
Tranquil Irish Coastal Scene with Green Fields, Rocky Shore & Expansive Sky. Vintage Original Oil Painting by 20th Century Irish Artist, Louis Humphrey. Humphrey was born in 1955 in ...
Category

1980s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Still Life Painting of English Bone China Tea Cup & Biscuit by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life Painting of English Bone China Tea Cup, Saucer & Biscuit by Contemporary British Artist Art measures 11 x 11 inches Frame measures 16 x ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Paint, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Board

Contemporary portrait "Black ang Gold"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Crafted with acrylics in a symphony of black and gold, this painting captures the essence of strength and elegance. The striking contrast and precise realism convey a sense of intros...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Magic of Blooming
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captures the vibrant summer flowers blossoming in a garden at the heart of Tuscany, Italy. Every detail, from the delicate shades of pink and red petals to the lush gre...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Evolution. Oil on canvas, 100x100 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Incredible Trompe L'Oeil Artist Studio Butterfly Still Life Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very finely painted realist still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Image size, 20H by 23L.
Category

1940s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Strange summer" oil painting on wood, 100x100 cm
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
Coming from nowhere, this painting was born of a need to express something unmastered and a very strong impulse due to this troubled time that we all lived and where we lost our bear...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Fortification, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Che Leviathan (US based) "Fortification" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a brown horse in profile, with thick black mane and a black a...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

LARGE OIL PAINTING by SALVATORE COLACICCO (NAVY ADMIRALTY 20th CENTURY PIECE
Located in Ferndown, GB
OIL PAINTING LARGE SALVATORE COLACICCO (NAVY ADMIRALTY 20th CENTURY Very good condition for age , (see pictures) FINE RARE MARTINE PAINTING ORIG...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Albert Einstein Conjoined twins"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Albert Einstein. New Syria paintings .. Siamese Masons .. The apocalypse has come, humanity has lost all the resources on the planet. Humanity has plunged into the Middle Ages, in...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lake Loleta Morning
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "McVicker" on lower left Artist Statement "This pastoral scene was painted on site over several days at a locatio...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Resurrection
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Resurrection' features the head of a reclining young reddish blond haired women wearing a cloak of lady bugs. It is 6 x 8 inches, unframed, wired and ready to hang. Condition excell...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

White peonies
Located in Zofingen, AG
The contrast of the white against the dark background and subtle light on peonies attracted me together with the focus on color harmony. The style of the painting is inspired by the ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Marine Mist, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Marine Mist" by Leigh Ann Van Fossan (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is unframed, but ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

The motorcycle
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
The Motorcycle, an oil painting that captures the soul of an era, where history intertwines with nostalgia and the passage of time becomes palpable. At the center of the composition,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

"Hand 2, " Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Matthew Alfonso Durante's "Hand 2" is an original, handmade acrylic painting that depicts a pink hued hand in an unusual gesture with a dark background.
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

The Upper Pool River Thames 1880s Maritime London Docklands Framed Oil Painting
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Charles William Wyllie. English ( b.1853 - d.1923 ). The Upper Pool, River Thames, London. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 17.3 inches x 31.5 inches ( 44cm x 80cm ). Fra...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled Interieur et Exteriuer
Located in Preston, GB
Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled 'Interieur et Exteriuer' by the Award-Winning French Artist, Charles Perron (1893 – 1958). Presented in a beautiful ornate period gold frame...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Autumn Trees by River in County Tyrone by 20th Century Modern Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Oil Painting of Autumn Trees by a Riverside in County Tyrone by 20th Century Modern Irish Artist, John S Haggan (1946-2021) Art measures 10 x 12...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gota Lejon, signed oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Göta Lejon, 1746. by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 15 x 21.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well lis...
Category

1990s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Winter landscape. 2002, oil on cardboard, 59, 5x72 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Winter landscape. 2002, oil on cardboard, 59,5x72 cm Juris Germanis (1941) The artist has always had a tendency to catch the most significant features ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

"Oranges and China Frog" (2018) By Linda Tracey Brandon, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Linda Tracey Brandon's (US based) "Oranges and China Frog" is an oil painting that depicts seven Oranges sitting on a white tablecloth with a gree...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Croissant - 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

Oil Painting of Figures by a Tree Lined River in Irish Summer by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Figures by a Tree Lined River in Irish Summer by 20th Century British Artist, Edward Albert Hickling (1913-1998). Edward Albert Hickling was a British painter who wa...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

City Garden with Windmill Beyond - Scottish 19th century landscape oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb 19th century oil painting is by noted exhibited Scottish artist David Fulton. Painted circa 1890 the composition is a city garden, possibly Edinburgh, in the foreground w...
Category

19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Young Woman with Red Hair in a Red Dress with White Scarf, German
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Wilhelm Carl Rauber (German, 1849-1926) Signed: Wilh. Rauber, 1890 ?, (lower, left) " Portrait of Young Woman with Red Hair in a Red Dress with White Scarf " Oil on Cradled Wood P...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

A noble bulldog
Located in London, GB
Walter Herbert Wheeler (British, 1868-1960) A noble bulldog signed ‘WH Wheeler (lower right) oil on board 7 ¾ x 7 ¼ in. (19.7 x 18.3 cm.) with frame 10 x 9 ¾ in. (25.4 x 24.8 cm.) ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

‘Landscape with Cows' by Louis Thysebaert (1879 - Sint-Niklaas - 1962)
Located in Knokke, BE
Louis Thysebaert 1879 - Sint-Niklaas - 1962 Belgian Painter ‘Landscape with Cows’ Signature: signed lower right ‘L.Thysebaert’
 Medium: oil on canvas
 Dimensions: Image size 95,5 c...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sheep beside a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by 20th Century British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Sheep beside a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by 20th Century British Artist, Wendy Reeves. Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 29 x 25 inches (frame commensurate with age) Wendy Reeves garnered acclaim for her Scottish Highland and Lakeland paintings. Born in 1944 in Ewell, Surrey, she took to her father Gordon’s craft, deciding early on that she would be a painter. Prior to her famous paintings of the British Isles, artist Wendy Reeves painted scenes from a trip she made to Spain when she was 21. It was during this time that her dream of following in her father’s footsteps became a reality, and when she returned to England she cemented her name as an artist. Wendy Reeves' paintings showcase her talent with natural landscapes and the wildlife that inhabits them. Her work often features ochre and pink lights...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Paint

"Lowland Savior" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dana Hawk's (US based) "Lowland Savior" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a horse that seems to be stuck in a vat of copper, surrounded with...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Copper

LUNA DE CARNAVAL GOYO DOMINQUEZ SPANICH CONTEMORARY ARTIST
Located in Pollenca, Illes Baleares
I was born in the bosom of a modest family. My father had a natural talent for drawing and he made portraits of his brothers during a long convalescence due to a serious illness. Und...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Fantasy Landscape"
By Bartolomeo Pedon
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Bartolomeo Pedon (1665-1732) – Fantasy Landscape Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 84 x 121 cm (unframed), 98 x 132 cm (framed) Provenance: Private collection This captivating oil ...
Category

18th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Corridor, Montereggi" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "Corridor, Montereggi" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an interior setting adorned with fine wood fur...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Sunrise Pines, Original Mixed Media Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Sunrise Pines" by Tracy Wall (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is framed and ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

"Time of Day" (2018) By Sophy Brown, Original Mixed Media Horse Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Time of Day" (2019) by Sophy Brown is an original mixed media illustration depicting a white horse on the plains. Painting for me is a way of responding...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"RIDIN' HIGH" COWBOY HORSE WESTERN ACTION MOTION NICE!!!
Located in San Antonio, TX
E. Salazar Texas Artist Image Size: 15 x 13 Frame Size: 19 x 17 Medium: Oil on Canvas "Riding High"
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

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.

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed