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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
"Not True: Good Accounts Make Good Friends" Satirical French Illustration
Located in Soquel, CA
"Not True, Good Accounts Make Good Friends" Satirical French Illustration Comical illustration by Gaston Hoffmann (French, 1883-1977) titled "Ce n'est pas vrai, les bons comptes fon...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

"Volpaia with Trees" realist expansive Tuscan landscape painted en plein air
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Volpaia with Trees" is a contemporary realist landscape of expansive Tuscan countryside painted en plein air. The medieval village of Volpaia can bee seen in the distance at the end...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Linen, Oil

Oil on Canvas Titled "Hopeless Romantic IV”
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
"The arrows in the back of the figure symbolizes the amount of times the individual has fallen in love" -Artist Statement Carlos Antonio Rancaño...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"West Hartford Canna" (2022) By Fred Wessel, Egg Tempera Painting on Gold Leaf
Located in Denver, CO
Fred Wessel's "West Hartford Canna" is a stunning egg tempera painting on gold leaf. Created in 2022, this piece features a beautiful single stem of an orange Canna Hybrida lily, among its large leaves and stem. Painted underneath is a Victorian stone...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Christian Haug, 1862 – 1953, Norwegian Painter, Oil on Canvas, Signed and Placed
Located in Knokke, BE
Haug Christian Soleur, Norway 1862 – 1953 Munich, Germany Norwegian Painter Deer in a Winter Landscape Signature: Signed bottom right and placed Mu...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Kolkhoz in winter. 1950, oil on cardboard, 28.5x35.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
skiers by Kolkhoz at winter A. Zviedris was a member of the Latvian Artists’ Union since 1945 and had more than 50 solo exhibitions in Latvia. He travelled extensively by yacht aroun...
Category

1950s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Portrait of a Lady with Pendant - British Art Deco 30's portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
This gorgeous Art Deco portrait oil painting is by British female artist Elsie March. Elsie was one of 9 siblings, eight of whom became artists. Although Elsie later went on to focus...
Category

1930s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Rug With Ring” Abstract Realist Blue and Orange Patterned Textile Still Life
Located in Houston, TX
The painting depicts an orange/red toned rug centered on a bright blue background with a small image peaking out from underneath the rug. The small photograph has a gold ring set on top of it and includes a date written on the bottom (December 20th, 1979). Signed and dated by the artist in the bottom left corner and currently displayed in a wood frame with gold accents. Dimensions Without Frame: H 38 in. x W 32 in. Artist Biography: John Fincher...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Still Life with Sparrow and Grapes, Artist 19th century, European School
Located in Knokke, BE
A Still Life with Sparrow and Grapes Artist 19th century European School Signature: Verso signed and dated 1883 Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: Image size 23 x 18 cm, frame size 3...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Pocket Dragon Fruit, Original Painting, Still Life, Fruit Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Dragonfruit is an original small scale oil painting by Dani Humberstone. Featuring her signature & beautifully considered realist style alongside a bold dark frame which gives...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Still life with Cantaloupe”
Located in Southampton, NY
Beautiful still life painting of a slice of cantaloupe melon by an unknown artist. Signed lower right, d’0lajos. Circa 1980. Oil on board. Condition good. Overall in art nouveau st...
Category

1980s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Composition with Blueberries" Stacked Cups Still Life White, Gold, Gray, Blue
Located in Wellesley, MA
Olga Antonova’s subject is compositions of extraordinarily elegant and beautiful cups, plates, teapots, and dishes, but there is something humorous and provocative about these painti...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Female Figure Shopping in New York City Sunshine by Contemporary British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Female Figure Shopping in New York City Sunshine USA by Contemporary British Artist, Angela Wakefield Art measures 31.5 x 31.5 inches Frame...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Interior - XXI Century, contemporary oil painting, Light & shadow contrasts
By Ilona Sapka
Located in Warsaw, PL
ILONA SAPKA studied at the School of Applied Arts, "Schola Posnaniensis" in Poznan. She received her diploma from the Faculty of Painting in the studio of stained glass led by prof. ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Richard Bankes Harraden: St John's College, Oxford oil painting
Located in London, GB
To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the view you want. Richard Bankes Harraden...
Category

1830s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Edifice" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Judith Peck's (US based) "Edifice" is an oil painting that depicts a feminine figure resting her face on her closed fist while her eyes look away.
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Vintage California Gold Country Landscape with Barn
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful iconic vintage gold country landscape of wood barn with golden grasslands surrounded by blue mountains by N. McCarroll (American, 20th Century),...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"False Faces" Sonia Gechtoff, circa 1950 Social Commentary Realist Painting
Located in New York, NY
Sonia Gechtoff False Faces, circa 1950-52 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 30 x 22 1/4 inches Sonia Gechtoff was born in Philadelphia to Ethel "Etya" and ...
Category

1950s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Falling
Located in East Quogue, NY
Hyperreal oil painting of plywood board by Anthony Adcock - Oil on ACM (aluminum composite material) **No wood was used in this piece. It is an oil painting - painted by hand on ACM...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Oil, Panel

Stupendous Beauty 2 Oil/ Canvas Nigerian Artist 2023 Portrait Art Realism
Located in Houston, TX
Description: This painting "Stupendous Beauty 2 " conveys the confidence and the very impressive beauty of a black woman that is painted in bold colors in the style of Realism. It is oil on canvas. Stupendous Beauty 2 is a unique work of art, not a print or other type of copy. Joshua Salami...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Oltrarno" Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "Oltrarno" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a European city street lined with old brick and stone buildings. Artist Biography: T...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Docked in the Evening Light" Realist oil painting, boats reflecting on water
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Docked in the Evening Light" is a realist oil on linen painting. It depicts the evening light reflecting on water that has several small boats floating. Blue boats are tied with rop...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

The Lake Anna, 1990. Oil on cardboard, 40 x 50 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV – 1991.11.I) Alfej Bromults received his first professional education at Tautas University under R. Suta, J. Bīne and G. Šķilters. From 1938 he studied in...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Twilight #2 - contemporary, figurative, portrait, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic oil painting is a portrait of a young Kenyan girl by Daniel Hughes. Internationally recognized as a fine artist, Daniel Hughes has painted a haunting image with this ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Mac', a favourite terrier
Located in London, GB
Signed and inscribed ‘Mac/WH Wheeler’ (lower right) This striking portrait by Walter Herbert Wheeler presents a dignified black terrier in crisp profile, its wiry coat and alert ears...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Silver, Gold and Rust, original 24x30 realistic Hudson River autumn landscape
Located in Spring Lake, NJ
The buck stands proud at river's edge as he surveys his domain, assessing nature's shades of blue, rust and gold staring back at him. Autumn has arrived and the running water will soon be frozen over as the reds, oranges and yellows gently blanket his turf. The stillness in the air is beginning to stir as the glistening seemingly silver river rocks bare witness. The peace of the season is lovingly presented with every visual detail by multiple award winning Hudson River realist painter Barry DeBaun...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Evening city"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
I started working on the painting “Evening city” in 2014, finished in 2025. This is the view from my window on the street of one of the oldest districts of Kharkiv, wich name is Mosk...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bumble On Bramble, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Pollinators are magicians. Flowers draw them in with scent, nectar, and pollen, and they return the favor by helping the plant procreate. Perfect relationship: win-win. And they also...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Hello Dolly" by Tracy Wall, Original Mixed Media Painting, Horse Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Tracy Wall's (Colorado, US based) "Hello Dolly" is an original, handmade, mixed media painting that portrays a white horse in beautiful light with contrasting green foliage. The piece is unframed yet ready to hang with gallery-wrapped canvas. As an artist, Tracy Wall sheds new light on everyday life, inviting the viewer to see the familiar as if for the very first time. Working with a variety of subjects, Tracy paints interesting viewpoints with compelling value, color, and shapes. Appealing compositions are everywhere, and they make strong impressions from afar even before the subject matter is recognized. She loves to balance representational impressions with more abstracted compositions. Tracy has studied at the Art Students League of Denver under such influential artists as Michelle Torrez, Ken Velastro, Kevin Weckbach, John Lencicki, and Rob Gratiot while also participated in additional workshops from Sally Strand, Carol Marine...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Southwest Zuni Pottery Still Life by Amaranta
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautifully executed realistic Southwestern still life of traditional Native American pottery, with a patterned textile, feather, and ear of red corn, by an unknown artist (20th cent...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Cold Walk" by Clyde Steadman, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Cold Walk" by Clyde Steadman (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is unframed, but ready to hang. Clyde Steadman got his start as an artist drawing people in coffe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Detailed Fantasy Landscape by Mystery Artist
Located in New York, NY
Untitled (Fantasy Landscape), c. 1890 Oil on canvas Sight: 5 1/4 x 3 14 in. Framed: 12 3/4 x 10 5/8 x 1 in.
Category

1890s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rowboats in Maine, Painting, Oil on MDF Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Idyllic, peaceful painting of three rowboats moored on the water in a cove in Maine. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Herd of Horses in a Marshy Landscape” Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877-1963)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
“Herd of Horses in a Marshy Landscape” Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877-1963) Oil on canvas on board 14 x 20 (24 x 30 frame) inches Signed “FM Hollams Private Collection Durham, E...
Category

1920s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Fennel and Paula Reds, colorful, photo realistic, still life
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 Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Timeless Tranquility
Located in Deddington, GB
Timeless Tranquility By Amanda Horvath [2020] Signed by the artist Acrylics on canvas Image size: H:90 cm x W:90 cm x D:3.5cm Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Timeless Tranquility takes you walking through a peaceful wood where sun rays filter down to a clearing in the trees from a distant summer...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sunset in the forest oil paint on canvas seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Born in Valencia but with German and Mediterranean roots, his artistic work has been focused on exhibitions around the idea of ​​"landscape", within a formal pictorial and drawing po...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Elephant Butte - Monument Valley" Landscape Painting
By David Caton
Located in Houston, TX
Painting of the Elephant Butte rock formation in the Monument Valley of Arizona by David Caton circa 1970s. Artist Biography: David began the study of painting during his high schoo...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

'Portrait of a Boy' by Arthur Bésengez, 1867 - 1947, Belgian Painter
Located in Knokke, BE
Arthur Bésengez 1867 – 1947 Belgian Painter 'Portrait of a Boy' Signature: Signed lower right and dated 1913 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 168 x 103, frame size 186 ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sitting Gracefully While the World Falls Apart
Located in Zofingen, AG
Two platinum blonde women dressed in elegant black sit closely together in a dimly lit room, their contrasting attire symbolizing purity, vulnerability, and unity — like two halves o...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Forest Bathing" oil painting of ornate woman and pattern drawn from Koi pond
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Forest Bathing" is a contemprary oil painting on canvas. Orsolic is known for her melodic landscapes and precise attention to detail, however, in this painting, she branches away fr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

''Pink Dress” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of a Pink Dress
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Green Landscape" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Andrzej Skorut's (US based) "Green Landscape" is an oil painting that depicts grassy plains with soft blue mountains reaching into the distance speckled...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Generation B, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
As a child, the artist was awestruck by the specimen drawers at the Natural History Museum. There, neatly arranged according to some grown up rules (why weren't the red ones all toge...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Roberto Bompiani "The Confirmation" Museum Quality Large Scale Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Roberto Bompiani (Italy, 1821-1908) "The Confirmation" Museum Quality Oil Painting circa 1871 Extraordinary oil painting by listed Italian artist. T...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dylan Lloyd, Island Path VIII, Bright Contemporary Painting, Original Landscape
Located in Deddington, GB
Dylan Lloyd Island Path VIII Original Oil Painting on Canvas Oil Paint on Canvas Framed in a White Box Frame Image size: H 30cm x W 24cm x D 0.5cm Framed S...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

LARGE CLASSICAL 1920's COUNTRY HOUSE ENGLISH STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS OIL PAINTING
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: William Bruce Ellis Ranken (1881-1941) Scottish TITLE: "Classical Still Life In A Vase" MEDIUM: oil on canvas SIZE: 143cm x 70cm incl. frame SIGNED: lower right CONDITION: ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Apples, Onions, Blue Bowl, realism, colorful contemporary still life
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Doug Newton says of this work, "Inspired by some red and yellow apples and onions from our local market. The blue bowl was borrowed from my daughter, Rachel. I hope the colors can br...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"A Wet Windy Day", Joe Rader Roberts, 30x40, Original Oil on Canvas, Western Art
By Joe Rader Roberts
Located in Dallas, TX
Cowboys trying to run out of the storm on this cold rainy day of cattle herding on the ranch. A cowboy in a wagon being pulled by four brown and black horses is herding the longhorns...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

English Village Countryside Scene - Original Pastel on Paper by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
English Village Countryside Scene - Original Pastel on Paper by British Artist Art measures 12 x 8 inches Frame measures 17 x 13 inches (approx.) British School – “Country Lane, No...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Pastel

Sunrise at Camp Big Horn; Lake Arrowhead
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 18" x 24" FRAMED: 25.5" x 31.75" x 1.75" Artist Statement “I love sunrises. I love the life-affirming sensation of the inevitable coming of light despite the temporary rule of darkness. I try to catch it every time I can. Sunrises are particularly spectacular in the mountains. Camping with our twin boys sets opportunities to witness those awesome moments, such as with this magical sunrise at Lake Arrowhead...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

"Presque Isle (Day 121), June 23, 2024" by Primary Hughes, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Presque Isle (Day 121), June 23, 2024" by Primary Hughes (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is created on location or en plein air. The piece is framed, and ready...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Pair of Pheasants in a Sussex Landscape, Oil Painting by Alfred Oliver
By Alfred Oliver
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfred Oliver, British (1886 - 1921) Title: A Pair of Pheasants in Sussex Landscape Year: circa 1910 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: ...
Category

1910s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Double Cross
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original painting signed by the Artist in lower right.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Four Lilies" (2024) By Fred Wessel, Egg Tempera on Gold Leaf Floral Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Fred Wessel's "Four Lilies" is a stunning egg tempera painting on gold leaf with coral cabochons. Created in 2024, this piece features the aforementioned lilies in full bloom, sprout...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Floral of Fuchsias in a Blue Vase - British fifties still Life art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This charming floral oil painting is by Cornish born artist Marion Grace Hocken. Painted circa 1950 it is a floral arrangement of pink and purple fuchsia with sprays of blue flowers ...
Category

1950s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Jessica Leonard, "Alpha" 40x30 White Horse Equine Oil Painting on Belgian Linen
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This stately piece, "Alpha" by artist Jessica Leonard is a 40x30" oil painting on raw Belgian linen depicting a horse rearing. Delicately drawn in charcoal, the artist layers on thi...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Raw Linen, Oil

Opened Eyes - Oil Acrylic Figurative Painting Ivory Blue White Brown Green
Located in Sofia, BG
" Opened eyes " is a modern art line painting by Maestro Dimitar Voynov -Junior, About the artwork: TECHNIQUE: Acrylic, oil on canvas painting STYLE...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pruned, 12 x 12, Still Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's "Pruned," a 2024 original, is an intimate oil on mounted linen painting that measures 12 x 12 inches, encased in a frame that extends the dimensions to 17 x 17 inches. T...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique Figurative Oil Painting of Children Playing
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique figurative oil painting of children playing. Oil on board. Framed.
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

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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