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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
Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas Still Life, Framed, Signed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a vintage original oil painting on canvas depicting Still Life Composition with fruits, yellow bottle and kettle. Overall and impressive-looking medium size paintin...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

December Rose Opening (2025), Realist Close-Up Floral Still-Life Pastel Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement I've been working in pastel full-time for the last twenty-nine years and have been teaching workshops for the past fifteen. My artistic influences range from Paleol...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Homeward Bound - Nocturne Oil Seascape Painting with Moonlight and Fishing Boat
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Harrison’s "Homeward Bound" (2024) is a masterful oil on canvas seascape capturing the haunting beauty of the ocean beneath a moonlit sky. Painted in a panoramic format, the wor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Do You Know?.."
Located in Zofingen, AG
The artwork presents a vivid scene in a nighttime desert. A classic light blue Cadillac, parked under a neon “Roy’s Motel Café” sign, captures mid-20th-century Americana. The glowing...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Boat Couture: Home Edition
Located in Zofingen, AG
A surreal and contemplative composition, this painting captures a poised woman standing in a delicate pale pink rowboat that gently floats atop still water—remarkably, within the con...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

European Port At Sunrise
Located in Jacksonville, FL
"European Port at Sunrise" by Charles Kuwasseg is a painting that immediately draws you into its serene and enchanting world. As the first light of dawn breaks over a tranquil Europe...
Category

1860s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Century Seascape"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Seascape with Ships and Figures Oil on canvas Framed: 58 x 65 cm Canvas: 42 x 30 cm No signatured This elegant 18th-century seascape captures a tranquil yet dynamic maritime scene, ...
Category

18th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Paris. Banks of the Seine
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting was painted from life in Paris on the Seine embankment on a sunny summer day. In the foreground we see the embankment pavement in the lacy shadow of the trees growing on...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Carousel Central Park Contemporary NYC Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the carousel in Central Park, NYC. The image measures 11 x14 unframed and 18.75 x 2...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

In the realm of the forest king. 2017, Oil on canvas, 120x160 cm
Located in Riga, LV
"I like to observe nature, animals, birds, landscapes. I depict my observations in paintings. Painting helps me to see, feel and understand the world, to be part of the world." -Jānis Ziņgītis...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

JAN WYSOCKI Reclining Nude Woman Mirror & Roses LARGE Oil 19th century POLISH
By Jan Wysocki
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
JAN WYSOCKI (Polish 1873-1960) Reclining Nude Woman with Mirror and Roses Oil on canvas 39 x 48 inches Signed lower right In a period gold leaf frame Jan Wysocki was born on Februar...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hyperrealist Countryside Landscape Gouache Painting by Harry Bennett
By Harry Bennett
Located in Atlanta, GA
American artist Harry Bennett designed this stunning gouache painting on cardboard. This early hyperrealist design features a church or school in the middle of nowhere in the country...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Cardboard

Western Lands, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Sunset reveals the vast grandeur of the Grand Canyon. The rugged cliffs glow with deep amber and violet hues beneath a sky brushed with luminous pastel clouds. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Faro Barra do Douro I
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
At the mouth of the Duero River stands the Farolim da Barra do Douro in Portugal. In this perspective, the painter presents the lighthouse on the Portuguese coast under the warm ligh...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen

Anticipation, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A vast grain field stretches beneath towering cloud formations, capturing the anticipation of an approaching storm. Clashing elements heighten the tension as re...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Woodstock: Field with Trees in Hilly Landscape
Located in Philadelphia, PA
William S. Butz (American, active Woodstock, N.Y., 1911-39) Field with Trees in Hilly Landscape Oil on canvasboard, 8 3/4 x 11 inches Framed: 15 x 17 inches (approx.) Signed on verso...
Category

1920s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Daugava river. 1950, oil on cardboard, 46x37 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Daugava river. 1950, oil on cardboard, 46x37 cm Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National University at studies to R.Suta, J. Bine an...
Category

1950s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Boat on the river bank. 1980. Oil on cardboard, 54x41 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Boat on the river bank. 1980. Oil on cardboard, 54x41 cm Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National University at studies to R.Suta, J...
Category

1980s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

"Stained Glass" A Cathedral of Color
Located in San Francisco, CA
There was a time when pausing in a subdued environment dappled with the sunlit jeweled tones of stained glass helped to bring one closer to God. It may still work. Certainly, the Bri...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cottages by the Sea in Ireland Vintage Oil Painting by 20th Century Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Cottages by the Sea in Ireland Vintage Oil Painting by 20th Century Irish Artist, Louis Humphrey. Humphrey was born in 1955 in Belfast, Nort...
Category

1980s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Rural life. 1970s, cardboard, oil, 23.5x36.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Rural life. 1970s, cardboard, oil, 23.5x36.5 cm Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National University at studies to R.Suta, J. Bine an...
Category

1970s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Sea View from Menton, Côte d'Azur, France. By Johan Peter von Wildenradt
Located in Stockholm, SE
Born in Helsingør, Denmark, in 1861, Johan Peter von Wildenradt studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under the renowned Laurits Tuxen. In the late 1880s, he...
Category

1890s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Stadium Party - Golden Age of Illustration
Located in Miami, FL
Stadium Party depicts at wholesome all-american tail gate party from the 1950's. Stadium Party Circa 1950's 16 x 22 Oil on Canvas Signed lower left , Condition is excellent, Work i...
Category

1950s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Harmony. A tender, sweet and gentle etching with mother, daughter and a goat:)
Located in Oslo, NO
This tender and serene etching captures a simple, beautiful moment — a girl lovingly brushing a goat, while her mother braids her hair. It’s a quiet, peaceful scene that brings to mi...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Etching

Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Michael Budden Resting Boats
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
A plein air oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a study of boats resting at the end of the season. Painted near Hancock Harbor i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ballerina, Figurative art, Original Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism, Title: Ballerina, Size: 27.5 x 35.5...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Early spring on the banks of the Main
Located in Oslo, NO
It is an early April morning on the Main embankment in Würzburg. The alley along the embankment is depicted, in the ornament of shadows from the branches of still bare trees. Fresh g...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

New Year's Day, Y2K : artwork in the genre of narrative realism
Located in New York, NY
Painting by a contemporary artist Audrey Ushenko. Audrey Ushenko works in the genre of narrative realism. Her works are rich, complex figurative and still life paintings. They are stories of recurring human issues often prompted by a twisted reality. Ushenko’s earlier works where primarily mythological and allegorical. Her later works are focused on depicting human situations and interactions of people who are both living and dead. These paintings represent social situations, timeless stories and enduring issues that are rendered with a contemporary twist. Always a significant element in Ms. Ushenko’s work is her integration of Venetian Renaissance methods of paint application with Impressionist color and light theory. The combination of the old masters’ technique of glazing the canvas and carefully layered surfaces of paint enhance the luminosity of Ushenko’s work. Audrey Ushenko has exhibited her work extensively throughout the United States including several shows at Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC; the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IN; The National Academy of Design, NYC; University Museum, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Packet Sunbeam Of Boston Picking Up The Liverpool Pilot In Heavy Gale"
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Duncan McFarlane’s The Packet Sunbeam of Boston Picking Up the Liverpool in Heavy Gale is a striking maritime composition that captures the power and ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Old snowed factory
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
In this oil painting, the viewer encounters a serene and nostalgic scene: old barns or granaries in ruins, covered by a blanket of snow. The snow, omnipresent, transforms the landsca...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil, Wood

Home Alone This Saturday Morning -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About the Artist Joy Eyitayo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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

DEEP INSIDE #36, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
God has no faces. It has colours and forms. And God is love. Colourful love. Series of bright artworks DEEP INSIDE are ready. Feel him in every artwork. DEEP INSIDE - it’s a s...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Oval Oil Painting on Gilt Wood Frame, Still Life of Flowers in a Vase with Grape
Located in Jacksonville, FL
A lush bouquet of pastel-hued flowers bursts from its vase, cascading gracefully over the edges in a stunning display of natural beauty. Delicate petals in soft pinks, blues, and cre...
Category

20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Main Embankment in Autumn
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting was painted from life. It depicts the Main embankment on the outskirts of the Bavarian city of Würzburg. We see an autumn motif, trees standing in a row along the parape...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Ready to Roll" (2022) By Timothy J. Standring, Original Still-Life Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Though small in scale, Timothy James Standring’s oils and watercolors pierce the assumed poetics both media aspire to express. Over the past decade, Standring has brought a gimlet-ey...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Oil

"Forest Whisper" (2024) By Andrada Trapnell, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Andrada Trapnell's "Forest Whisper" is a captivating original artwork created in 2024. This piece measures 8 x 10 inches framed and features a masterful blend of oil paint on board. ...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Contemporary portrait "Stop!"
Located in Zofingen, AG
I capture a mesmerizing blend of solitude and defiance, set against a sprawling, desolate backdrop that poses the timeless question of direction in life’s journey. The stark contra...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Realist french painting Fishermen wifes BILLET portrait costumes 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Pierre BILLET Cantin (North), 1837 – Cantin, 1922 Oil on canvas 38.5 x 28.5 cm (48 x 36.5 cm with frame) Signed lower left “Pierre Billet” Stamp of the c...
Category

1880s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Feria de Sevilla
Located in Madrid, ES
JOSÉ CAÑAVERAL Spanish, 1833 - 1894 FERIA DE SEVILLA signed "JCañaveral / Sevilla 1881." (lower right) oil on canvas 29-1/3 x 19-1/2 inches (74.5 x 49.5 cm.) framed: 38-1/2 x 29-1/2 inches (98 x 75 cm.) PROVENANCE Privated Collection, Lille, France José Cañaveral y Pérez (Seville, 1833-Madrid, 1894) was a Spanish painter, brother of the artist Alfonso Cañaveral y Pérez. Born in Seville, he trained artistically at the School of Fine Arts in his city, later he moved to Madrid where he was a disciple of Federico...
Category

1880s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Winter Landscape with Stream - Scottish Edwardian art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This gorgeous Edwardian Scottish oil painting is by noted Scottish artist George Houston. Painted circa 1910 and in portrait orientation, the composition is a winter's snowy landscap...
Category

1910s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Elegance in Contemplation
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting depicts an elegant horse with a focus on its head and neck. The horse has a smooth, glossy brown coat that contrasts beautifully with the warm golden background. Its po...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Apprenticeship
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original oil painting on canvas by artist Dustin Van Wechel. Framed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Chital in a Landscape
Located in Mc Lean, VA
The artist is renowned for his depiction of animals, including exotic species such as polar bears, lions, leopards, and tigers. A chital is a deer native to the Indian subcontinent.
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Carriage Ride by The River", 19th Century Oil on Canvas by Francisco Miralles
Located in Madrid, ES
FRANCISCO MIRALLES Y GALUP Spanish, 1848- 1901 CARRIAGE RIDE BY THE RIVER signed and dated "F. Miralles, 1881" (lower left) oil on canvas 12-3/4 X 1...
Category

1880s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

''Tomatoes” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Red Tomatoes
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 gr...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Saint Marks Square", 19th Century oil on canvas of Venice by Antonio Reyna
Located in Madrid, ES
ANTONIO REYNA MANESCAU Spanish, 1859 - 1937 SAINT MARKS SQUARE signed & located "A. Reyna, Venezia" (lower right) oil on canvas 15-1/2 x 21-3/8 ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

St Ives Harbor At Low Tide Cornwall Circa 1900 Cornish Coastal Oil Painting
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Edward Matthew Elliott. English ( b.1869 - d.1955 ). St Ives Harbor At Low Tide. Cornwall. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 11.4 inches x 17.3 inches ( 29cm x 44cm ). Fra...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Pewter
Located in Fairfield, CT
Much of Bennett Vadnais’ subject matter comes from his surroundings in Manhattan and Brooklyn. With a strong background in plein air landscape painting, Vadnais finds an interesting ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Egg Tempera, Panel

Barcas al atardecer en la costa - Óleo sobre tabla
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior La obra se presenta enmarcada con un marco de la época de la obra Medidas obra: 15 cm. altura x 29 cm. ancho Medidas obra: 3...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gentle Giant, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Walk, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Palm trees stretch upwards, their tall, slender trunks reaching upwards. Overhead, a yellow pedestrian crossing sign with a curved arrow injects a hint of urb...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Asian Elephant Standing Before Hazy Blue Mountains" Original oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Brian Mashburn's painting "Asian Elephant Standing Before Hazy Blue Mountains," crafted in 2023, is an evocative exploration of the delicate balance between nature and vestiges of ci...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Rough Sea in California Coast
By Lydia Vercinsky
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Rough Sea" c.1980, is an oil painting on canvas by noted Chinese/American artist Lydia Vercinsky, 1918-2001. It is signed at the lower left corner by the artist. The ar...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Dancing 2, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A roseate spoonbill stands by a clear, sparkling river, gazing at its own reflection. The soft, dreamlike tones evoke a quiet, reflective mood. The scene captur...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Robert Kenneth White "Taking Flight" Signed 2019 Oil Painting of Woman in Wind
Located in Miami, FL
ROBERT KENNETH WHITE – "TAKING FLIGHT" ⚜ Oil on canvas ⚜ Hand signed lower right ⚜ Frameless display FREEDOM AND POISE IN A MOMENT OF LIFT In “Taking Flight,” Robert Kenneth White c...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Horse Pulling the Heavy Loaded Wooden Kart British Chalk Sketch
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...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Paintings

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

Autumn gold
Located in Oslo, NO
The bank of the Main is depicted on a sunny autumn day. The foliage on the trees, illuminated by the sun, glows with a golden fire against the background of the azure sky. The wind t...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

On a summer morning in our yard
Located in Oslo, NO
Summer etude painted from life in the morning, standing on the balcony. The view from the balcony to the yard is depicted. Most of the work is taken up by the birch foliage, partly i...
Category

2010s Realist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Paper Whites
Located in Fairfield, CT
There is a sense of freedom that I experience when painting landscape. The quality of these kinds of images allows for expression and interpretation, yet they can still be viewed as...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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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