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.
French Contemporary Art by Claudine Picard - Nature Morte 4
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Claudine Picard is a French artist born in 1949 who lives & works in Sainte Marie, France. She is graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in 1973 (E...
Canvas, Oil
Smoke Filled Sunset
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Oil Painting signed by the Artist in the lower left corner.
Oil
$585
SUMMER TIME BLISS Plainair oil painting Nature landscape countryside Sunny day
Located in Zofingen, AG
This art piece was creating in wonderfull summer day on plain air. Will be sent with decorative frame. The artwork are treated with a lightly glossy top coat that seals and prote...
Canvas, Oil
$108Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch Sheep Roaming in and Munching In The Field
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 Dou...
Chalk, Graphite
Ferdinand Heilbuth Lady and her Dog
By Ferdinand Heilbuth
Located in San Francisco, CA
Ferdinand Heilbuth: 1826-1889. Well listed very important 19th century French painter. He was born in Germany but lived and painted mostly in France becoming a French citizen in 1876...
Oil
LARGE OIL PAINTING OLD MASTER ARTHUR MEADOWS (1843 - 1907) FINE 19th CENTURY
Located in Ferndown, GB
OIL PAINTING OLD MASTER ARTHUR MEADOWS (1843 - 1907) FINE 19th CENTURY BRITISH Original Antique Large late 19th/early 20th Century British OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING Romantic Sea Scene...
Oil
$1,485Sale Price|25% Off
Church & Cottage by a River in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Church & Cottage by a River in the English Countryside by British Artist, Peter J Greenhill Art measures 30 x 20 inches Frame measures 35 x 25 inches Peter J. Greenhill (b.1939...
Canvas, Oil
$1,668Sale Price|40% Off
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam (Belgian? 19th century) Signed lower left Oil on wood panel 8 1/4 x 5 /12 (10 1/4 x 13 1/4 frame) Though little is known about E. ...
Oil, Wood Panel
Evening Sun by Ivan Fedorovich Choultsé
Located in New Orleans, LA
Ivan Fedorovich Choultsé Russian 1874–1939 Evening Sun Signed and dated "Iw. F. Choultsé 21" (lower left) Oil on wooden panel In Evening S...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Beth Parcell, "Peaceful Evening", 16x20 Equine Horse Farm Landscape Oil Painting
By Beth Parcell
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This vibrant piece, "Peaceful Evening", is a 16x20 equine oil painting on canvas featuring three brown horses and one white horse grazing together in a lush green pasture. The distan...
Canvas, Oil
Winter in California 1927
Located in Pasadena, CA
Consigned to the gallery by H&N Fine Art as part of the Katherine A. Norris Legacy Collection, Newport Beach, California; 2006 Katherine A Norris, Newport Beach, CA; 2006 James D...
Oil, Panel
$2,700
“Young Lady and Governess” by Constantino Sereno - Oil on Board - 89x67cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Signed by the artist. Artwork sold with frame (101.5 x 79 x 5 cm) Costantino Sereno (1829–1893) was an Italian painter renowned for his historical scenes, religious frescoes, and d...
Oil, Board
$3,412
Camellia - original realism still life oil painting modern floral study artwork
By Martha Nairn
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
After a successful hunt 1858 Kitchen Genre Scene Swedish Animalist J. Arsenius
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed lower right: Johan Arsenius and dated 1858 or 1853, attributed Johan Georg Arsenius (1818 - 1903), was a Swedish military man, painter and draftsman. Up for sale is important ...
Wood, Oil, Wood Panel
$19,656Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Scottish Girl - Scottish 1940's art oil painting Glengarry Hat
Located in Hagley, England
This impressive British 1940's portrait oil painting is by noted artist Arthur Royce Bradbury. Painted in 1949 it is a half-length portrait of a young Scottish girl in a mountainous ...
Oil
Swans and Reflections, by Alise Medina. Oil on canvas, 40x30 cm. Signed
Located in Riga, LV
Very often in my painting process I use photographs, sketches and I paint direct from the nature(in plein air). There are lot of excitement and impulses around; they can cover each o...
Canvas, Oil
"On the Horizon" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "On the Horizon" is an original, handmade oil painting of a sunset above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a "barn wood" frame and is ready to han...
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
$168Sale Price|20% Off
Sea 1989. Paper, watercolor, 15x20 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Sea 1989. Paper, watercolor, 15x20 cm Landscape with sea and clouds The watercolor painting depicts a serene seascape, showcasing the artist's interpretation of the sea and clouds. The artist skillfully uses watercolor...
Paper, Watercolor
$6,333Sale Price|20% Off
A Stream in the Forest - British Victorian 1859 art landscape oil painting
By George Cole
Located in Hagley, England
A fine and very detailed large Victorian British landscape painting. Painted in oil on canvas it is by listed and exhibited Victorian artist George Cole, dated 1859. A wonderful larg...
Oil
The harbor
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "The Harbor" c.1990, is an acrylic painting on canvas by noted American artist Robert (Bob) Logrippo, 1947-2021. It is signed at the lower left corner by the artist. The canvas size is 24 x 36 inches, framed size is 31 x 43 inches. Framed in a wooden gold frame, with fabric liner and gold color bevel. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Bob LoGrippo's paintings have appeared on magazine, book and album covers, as well as calendars, greeting cards and puzzles. The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Readers Digest, Six Flags...
Acrylic
Jacob Binder Signed 1937 Signed American Realist Handsome Male Portrait Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American realist portrait oil painting by Jacob Binder (1887 - 1984). Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 47 by 41 inches overall, and 42 by...
Oil
$802Sale Price|30% Off
Landscape. 2002, oil on cardboard, 60x70 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Landscape. 2002, oil on cardboard, 60x70 cm
Oil, Cardboard
Ballerina, Figurative, Original Figurative 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: 2023 Style: Impressionism, Title: Woman in Hat, Size: 29.5 x 3...
Canvas, Oil
$1,217Sale Price|20% Off
Victorian Tranquility Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, Early 20th Century
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior y fechado del año 1946 En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado Medidas obra: 81 x 65 cm. Medidas obra: 95 x 80 cm. Se presenta enma...
Oil
Train Engine, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Train Engine" is an oil painting created in 2020 by Dianne L. Massey Dunbar depicting a lego train. About the artist: When Dianne Massey Dunbar was ver...
Oil
Antique American Super Realist Trompe L'Oeil Framed Signed Still Life Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early American super realist trompe l'oeil still life oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Signed. Image size, 14H by 10L.
Canvas, Oil
Listed French Artist Georges de Marco 1906-1990 Oil canvas painting Still Life
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This striking still life painting exudes warmth and richness, set against a deep red background that enhances the vibrancy of the carefully arranged objects. A dark glass bottle, a d...
Oil
$1,580
“Line of Stillness” — Contemporary Seascape Painting of Calm Ocean Horizon
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is about how formality dissolves when you’re surrounded by the right people. What is usually governed by rules, timing, and expectations quietly turns into something softer...
Canvas, Oil
Peek - original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Wood, Oil
Burning Iceberg at Sea, Hyperrealist Surrealist Climate Change Oil Painting
By Raúl Álvarez
Located in FISTERRA, ES
A monumental iceberg burns beneath a stormy grey sky in this hyperrealist oil painting addressing global warming and planetary destruction. Created by Spanish artist Raúl Álvarez in...
Oil, Canvas
Around the Bend; Laguna Canyon
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by American Legacy Fine Arts directly from the artist. Signed "Obermeyer" on lower right Artist Statement "This is a view that is very familiar to me. I see this as I drive home from my studio in the late afternoons and evenings, the fading light on the walls of Laguna Canyon...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
$1,404Sale Price|20% Off
Evening mood. Square landscape painting, summer, impressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting was painted from life. It depicts an evening motif, a view from the artist's window. We see a warm summer evening. In the sky, the last pinkish and bright orange rays of...
Canvas, Oil
Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Landscape, Framed Art
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This atmospheric vintage oil painting depicts a young girl seated quietly on a grassy hillside, gazing across a calm lake surrounded by softly lit trees and distant foliage. The comp...
Oil
$6,360Sale Price|20% Off
Beth Parcell, "Mid Morning Sun", 24x36 Fox Hound Hunt Landscape Oil Painting
By Beth Parcell
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This early morning piece, "Mid Morning Sun" is a 24x36 features three huntsmen atop their brown and grey horses in a green field during a fox hunt. A group of hounds eagerly run alon...
Canvas, Oil
Quadtych of Pocket Upstar Tulip, Veronique Tulip, Snowdrop 2, Bluebells 2024 art
Located in Deddington, GB
This quadtych includes 4 pocket paintings from Dani Humberstone's spring collection: Pocket Upstar Tulip, Pocket Veronique Tulip, Spring Collection: Pocket Bluebells and Pocket Snowd...
Canvas, Oil
Perched 3 - original realism wildlife- still life oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
White Menina (2 pieces)
Located in Barcelona, CT
This artwork presents a striking figure, merging abstraction with formality. Dominated by a central character, it features a starkly contrasting black face framed by a sleek, white b...
Acrylic, Wood
$706
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...
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor
"Holy Communion of the apostles"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Unidentified Austrian Artist (18th Century) "Holy Communion of the Apostles" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 133 x 193 cm Dimensions (Canvas): 120 x 179 cm No signatured Provenance: [If available, insert details] This grand 18th-century Austrian religious painting, titled "Holy Communion of the Apostles", presents a dramatic and deeply spiritual interpretation of one of the most sacred moments in Christian tradition. The composition is filled with expressive figures, capturing Christ as He offers communion to His apostles, enveloped in a warm and divine glow. The scene is set in an elaborate architectural background with classical columns, reliefs, and statuary, reinforcing the solemnity and grandeur of the occasion. Executed in the Baroque tradition, the painting showcases rich contrasts of light and shadow, dynamic movement, and intricate detailing. The use of chiaroscuro heightens the emotional depth, while the finely rendered garments, architectural elements, and the presence of cherubs add a theatrical yet reverential atmosphere. The inclusion of background figures engaged in various activities contributes to the narrative complexity, a hallmark of 18th-century Austrian religious art influenced by Italian and Flemish masters. Encased in an elegant gilded frame, this museum-quality work is an exceptional acquisition for collectors of Old Master religious paintings...
Canvas, Oil
$6,011Sale Price|20% Off
The Port of Newcastle Upon Tyne - British 1914 marine art oil painting
By Joseph Henry Kirsop
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely historically interesting British marine oil painting is by Newcastle artist Joseph Henry Kirsop. Painted in 1914, the location of the painting is the port of Newcastle up...
Oil
Stormy Day - original seascape contemporary coastal realism oil painting nature
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. In this shoreline seascape painting, contemporary realist Alex...
Canvas, Oil
"The Rose"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The tea rose has a lovely scent and delights us with its beauty; it also makes delicious tea and jam.
Oil, Fiberboard
"Beginnings" Oil Painting
By Robin Cole
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's (Us based) "Beginnings" is an oil painting that depicts a window partially blocked with a white curtain, with the contending light and shadows making patterns on its for...
Oil, Panel, Linen
Pulp Fiction Cover Illustration for Lady Chatterley's Daughter
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Raymond Johnson (1915-1997). Cover Illustration for Lady Chatterley's Daughter by Patricia Robins, 1962. Gouache on illustration board, image measures 15 x 18 inches. Beautiful an...
Gouache, Illustration Board
Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Michael Budden Resting Boats
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Resting Boats oil/canvas 18 x 24 unframed, 24 .25 x 30.25 framed signed LR Resting Boats is a plein air oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden tha...
Oil
Japanese cherry. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. My intention was to keep tenderness and fragility of flowers, a ...
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art by Claudine Picard - Nature Morte 1
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Claudine Picard is a French artist born in 1949 who lives & works in Sainte Marie, France. She is graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in 1973 (E...
Canvas, Oil
"Timeless Dreamer" Whimsical Oil Painting of Mouse
Located in Denver, CO
Claudia Griesbach- Martucci's "Timeless Dreamer" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a mouse perched atop a clock with a crescent moon in the background. About the A...
Oil, Panel
"Under the Boughs, " Oil painting
By Judd Mercer
Located in Denver, CO
Judd Mercer's (US based) "Under the Boughs," is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a vast meadow of yellow grass spreading into the distant bl...
Oil, Canvas
Hand Painted Vintage Photograph Young Black Woman
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful vintage hand-painted oil over photographic image portrait. ca. 1950, measuring 16 x 20 inches, 17 x 21 inches framed. Studio hand-painted images over black and white pho...
Oil, Photographic Paper
Fruits hidden from autumn
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting was created after a September trip to Alsace. During a walk, I noticed beautiful green fruits — not yet ripe, framed by dark leaves. They seemed to have been taken from ...
Canvas, Oil
"Adoration of the Magi"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Attributed to Frans Francken II (1581-1642) – "Adoration of the Magi" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 136 x 162 cm (unframed), 141 x 166 cm (framed) Provenance: Private collectio...
Canvas, Oil
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
Realistic Wildlife Landscape Painting of Wood Ducks Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Wood Ducks acrylic/panel 21 x w5 unframed, 31 x 36 framed signed LL Wood Ducks is an "AWARD WINNING" acrylic painting on panel by contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a ...
Acrylic
$2,800
Self Portrait - cool, expressive, male, figurative, oil and collage on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
In a closely cropped self-portrait, with snowy beard and hair awry, Dan Hughes explores the theme of observational realism. A moment of emotional tension is amplified by blurred feat...
Canvas, Oil
The Mexican Hat
By Tim Solliday
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Tim Solliday" on lower right. Description Solliday creates an homage to Old California ranchero life, the Hacienda, and its Mexican roots. The fiesta colors of red, yellow, turquoise and orange bring to mind a celebration of western heritage and culture. The subject focuses on the traditions of farming, weaving, pottery, and craftsmanship—skillfully portrayed in the handling of textures ranging from smooth peppers to a woven wool blanket...
Canvas, Oil
Bodegón con marisco y cobres - Óleo sobre tela - Sin enmarcar
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior y fechado del año 1946 En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado Medidas obra: 55 x 46 cm. Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Buen esta...
Oil
19th Century Portrait of a Girl with Dog and Flowers, Signed J. Escacena
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
19th Century Portrait of a Girl with Dog and Flowers, Signed J. Escacena - Oil on Canvas - 123 x 72 cm Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower area “J. Escacena”; the identity of the art...
Canvas, Oil
$168Sale Price|20% Off
Original Still Life oil painting on canvas, Fruits, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an original oil painting on canvas depicting a Still Life composition. Unsigned. Nicely framed. Good condition. Please see the photos, they are part of the descript...
Oil
Preoccupation, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Beth Sistrunk's "Preoccupation" is an oil on two translucent acrylic panels featuring a model in a blue dress. About the artist: Beth's interests in painting the figure, women’s fa...
Oil
Feria del caballo en Espinavell - Óleo sobre tela
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Va firmado por el artista en la parte inferior En la parte trasera va nuevamente firmado y titulado Se presenta muy bien enmarcada la obra Buen estado de conservación Medidas obr...
Oil
A hyperrealist canvas by Heinz Schönhammer transforms a café classic into an unforgettable still life.
With a solo show at the Denver Art Museum and a commission from the Met, the Cree Canadian painter has become an international sensation.