Realist Paintings
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.
Early 2000s Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
20th Century Realist Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
19th Century Realist Paintings
Oil, Panel
Late 19th Century Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Linen, Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
Mid-19th Century Realist Paintings
Wood Panel, Oil
20th Century Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
20th Century Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
A weathered yellow cottage with a red roof stands alone on the prairie, surrounded by wildflowers and a rustic fence. Dark clouds gather overhead, adding a sens...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
19th Century Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1870s Realist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Realist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
A rare storm cloud looms over the rolling hills near California’s Central Coast, building tension in the sky. The painting delicately captures the power and b...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Linen, Oil
Early 2000s Realist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Towering clouds drift lazily over an island, creating a sense of awe and tranquility. Inspired by artist Kat Bergman's time spent on the North Shore of Oahu, this piece captures the quiet isolation and beauty of the landscape. The composition invites the viewer to imagine themselves on a secluded beach immersed in the peaceful rhythm of nature.The artwork comes with a natural wood frame.
About the Artist
Artist Kat Bergman paints landscapes and natural scenes in a realistic style, often infused with serenity and tranquility. "With each piece, there is always some extent of self-discovery and healing that occurs," says Kat. She channels deep human emotion in her work, capturing beauty, sorrow, and resilience through her art. After raising two sons as a single mother and building a career as a Quality Director in the electronics industry, she retired in 2015 to pursue painting full-time. She works in her home studio, a dedicated space within her large garage, which she keeps mostly tidy. When not creating, Kat enjoys reading, baking, and working on a cookbook.
Words that describe this painting: cloud, island, cloudscape, ocean, sea, tranquil, sky, water, Hawaii...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Oil
2010s Realist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
19th Century Realist Paintings
Oil, Canvas