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Photorealist Photography

PHOTOREALISM

A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.

Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.

The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.

Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”

The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.

On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.

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Style: Photorealist
The Beatles 1963 by Norman Parkinson

The Beatles 1963 by Norman Parkinson

By Norman Parkinson

Located in Austin, TX

The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr at the President Hotel, Russell Square, London, 12 September 1963 by Norman Parkinson NORMAN PARKINSON POST...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Willie Nelson at the 4th July Picnic 1979

Willie Nelson at the 4th July Picnic 1979

By Scott Newton

Located in Austin, TX

Willie Nelson, taken at the 4th July Picnic in 1979 in Austin Texas by photographer Scott Newton Signed limited edition print, printed on heavyweight cotton photo rag with a matte f...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph
Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph

Located in Soquel, CA

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph Original photograph of Marilyn Monroe posing in her dressing room on the film of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by photographer Milton Gold (American,...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Kate Bush

Kate Bush

By Gered Mankowitz

Located in Austin, TX

Portrait of singer and dancer, Kate Bush by acclaimed photographer, Gered Mankowitz, taken in his London studio in 1978. Kate Bush has seen a huge resurgence...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

The Cure, New York 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum

The Cure, New York 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum

By Allan Tannenbaum

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition print of Robert Smith and The Cure taken on Columbus Ave, NYC, April 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum 17" x 22" Paper - Edition 50 Printed to the highest quality on...

Category

1980s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph
Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph

Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph

Located in Soquel, CA

"Henry And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge" - 1954 Original Photograph 1954 original black and white silver gelatin photograph of Henry and Eve Miller at their house on Partington Ridge in Big Sur, California by California photographer Jim Healy (American, 20th C.). Eve Miller sits behind a desk while Henry Miller leans against a bookshelf in their home office in Big Sur. Eve holds a cigarette in her hand, with Henry next to her, leaning his elbow against the bookshelf. Titled, stamped and dated on verso. "Henry and Eve Miller on Partington Ridge 1954 photo by Jim Healy" Stamped "Henry Miller Memorial Library, Big Sur California" Presented in a white mat. Mat: 20"H x 16"W Photo: 14"H x 11"W Image: 13 1/8"H x 10 5/8"W Henry Miller was born December 26, 1891 in New York, New York. In 1920 Miller began working for Western Union Telegraph service where his interest in writing began. He soon left for Europe in 1928 where he resided in Paris in 1930. He continued full time with his long and lucrative career as a writer of more than 36 creative and analytical works. Miller's entrance into the writer's circle began with Tropic of Cancer, which still proves to be Miller's most famous work. Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn chronicle Miller's lives and loves as an expatriate in Paris. They were both originally published in France by Jack Kahane at Obelisk Press in the mid-thirties. Soon after the publishing of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Miller's other works to date were published in the United States. During this time it was said that "Miller became a legendary character, a kind of folk hero, the Paul Bunyan of literature, larger than life as exile, bohemian, and rebel, the great champion of freedom of expression and other lost causes...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Ink, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Kate Bush Lionheart album cover

Kate Bush Lionheart album cover

By Gered Mankowitz

Located in Austin, TX

Portrait of singer and dancer, Kate Bush by acclaimed photographer, Gered Mankowitz, taken in his London studio in 1978 for the cover of her album, Lionheart. Gered recalls, "The cover series of portraits that I shot for Lionheart in August 1978. I art directed the album cover and my assistant at the time, Richard Grey...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit
1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit

1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit

Located in San Francisco, CA

A 1920s Detroit-based company baseball team gathered for this photo. The Sewell Cushion Wheel Company’s players wear uniform shirts bearing the timeless term “All Cush,” (frankly, wo...

Category

1920s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo
Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo

Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Jack Mitchell, American Photographer (1925-2013). Joe Dallesandro, ca. 1973. 11 x 14 inches; 12 x 15 inches framed. Period print from artist's studio. The image was intended for ...

Category

1970s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag
Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag

Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive limited edition black and white giclée print, on 100% cotton Hahnemühle Photo Rag Fine Art matte paper. This series of black and white photographs captures the ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Emulsion, Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky
The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

By Jill Furmanovsky

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition fine art print of The Cure on the road in Holland and Belgium during their 1980 'Seventeen Seconds' tour. Signed and numbered by Jill Furmanovsky in pencil an...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

MAN RAY (1890-1976), MRS ROWELL, 1930 Photogravure, FIRST EDITION

MAN RAY (1890-1976), MRS ROWELL, 1930 Photogravure, FIRST EDITION

By Man Ray

Located in Pembroke Pines, FL

Artist: Man Ray (American born, 1890 - 1976) Title: MRS ROWELL Date Of Negative: 1930 Type Of Print: Authentic Vintage Sheet Fed Photogravure/Heliogravure. Date Of Print: 1934 1st Ed...

Category

1920s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photogravure

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

By Jill Furmanovsky

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition fine art print of The Cure on the road in Holland and Belgium during their 1980 'Seventeen Seconds' tour. Signed and numbered by Jill Furmanovsky in pencil an...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

On Broadway, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print
On Broadway, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print

On Broadway, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print

By Fabrizio La Torre

Located in Brussels, BE

Artwork # 1 on 5 sold in limited edition in perfect condition This photo was made in 1955, the negative was digitized during the artist's lifetime and the technical parameters (framing, contrast, light, etc.) was approved by him. This is a very high quality fine art prints on 310 gr/m² Fine Art paper with museum quality pigment inks. “ On Broadway, near Trinity Church”, New York December 1955. A rainy Sunday morning, a solitary pedestrian seems to be falling over on the slippery surface. As is always the case with Fabrizio La Torre’s photographs, quite apart from the artistic merit, this picture invites us to speculate what is the story behind it: why this deserted avenue at 11:10 on that particular morning, what was the man in the rain doing, why is that car defiantly parked right underneath a no parking sign...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs

By Fabrizio La Torre

Located in Brussels, BE

Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 2 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Pigment

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

By Art Kane

Located in Austin, TX

The Rolling Stones, taken in 1966 by Art Kane Originally photographed in London by Art Kane for McCall’s Magazine’s 1966 photo essay‘ Teen Idols’, Kane lay on his back and had the b...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Red Hot Chili Peppers by Ebet Roberts

Red Hot Chili Peppers by Ebet Roberts

By Ebet Roberts

Located in Austin, TX

A classic, stunning shot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 by celebrated photographer, Ebet Roberts. Signed limited edition, hand printed silver gelatin print. Ebet Roberts bega...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Muhammad Ali Taping Fists by Michael Brennan.

Muhammad Ali Taping Fists by Michael Brennan.

By Michael Brennan

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition print of American professional boxer and activist Muhammad Ali during a training session at his training camp on 58 Sculps Hill Road, Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, ...

Category

1970s Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

President Jimmy Carter, Detroit, 1976

President Jimmy Carter, Detroit, 1976

By Leni Sinclair

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Jimmy Carter photograph Detroit, 1976: This timeless, silhouette-like photograph of President Jimmy Carter was captured by the legendary Detroit photo-journalist & counter cultu...

Category

1970s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Inkjet

Steve Martin, “Let’s Get Small Sequence”, framed 24x48" print by Norman Seeff
Steve Martin, “Let’s Get Small Sequence”, framed 24x48" print by Norman Seeff

Steve Martin, “Let’s Get Small Sequence”, framed 24x48" print by Norman Seeff

By Norman Seeff

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition 24" x 48" print, Custom framed with 8 ply matte and non-glare museum glass Frame dimensions: approx 56” wide x 32” high x 1” deep As a renowned graphic desig...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Paeseggio Urbano, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print
Paeseggio Urbano, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print

Paeseggio Urbano, New York City (1955) - Large size Black & White Fine Art Print

By Fabrizio La Torre

Located in Brussels, BE

Artwork # 1 on 5 sold in limited edition in perfect condition This photo was made in 1956, the negative was digitized during the artist's lifetime and the technical parameters (fram...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Kate Bush

Kate Bush

By Gered Mankowitz

Located in Austin, TX

Absolutely stunning portrait of singer Kate Bush by acclaimed photographer, Gered Mankowitz, taken in his London studio in 1978. Kate Bush has seen a huge r...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

The Beatles In White "Yesterday and Today" album cover shot by Robert Whitaker

The Beatles In White "Yesterday and Today" album cover shot by Robert Whitaker

By Robert Whitaker

Located in Austin, TX

The Beatles In White by Robert Whitaker. On March 25, 1966, The Beatles visited 1 The Vale, Chelsea, London, a top-floor studio leased by Oluf Nilssen and frequently used by renowned photographer Robert Whitaker. Before the photo session with Robert Whitaker, The Beatles posed for a more conventional session at the studio with Nigel Dickson of The Beatles Book...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Yosemite Blue Mountain, Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper, Landscape in Indigo
Yosemite Blue Mountain, Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper, Landscape in Indigo

Yosemite Blue Mountain, Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper, Landscape in Indigo

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. This cyanotype shows one of the mountains in beautiful Yosemite National park in California. Details: + Title: Yosemite Blue Mountain + Year: 2021 + Edition Size: 100 + Stamped and Certificate of Authenticity provided + Measurements : 70x100 cm (28x 40 in.), a standard frame size + All cyanotype prints are made on high-quality Italian watercolor paper * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shipped carefully rolled and packaged in a tube. WHAT IS A CYANOTYPE? The cyanotype (a.k.a. sun-print) process is one of the oldest in the history of photography, dating back to the 1840's. Cyanotypes were then made famous by Anna Atkins, considered the first female photographer. Inspired by nature, we feel the need to look back at a craft that is handmade, analogue, and using an all-natural light source: the sun. Our cyanotypes are made by coating high-quality Italian watercolor paper with a light-sensitive emulsion. We then expose it in direct sunlight for several minutes using a photo negative to get the best image quality. Finally, the print is washed and fixed with water to stop the reaction and prevent fading. What you get is an amazing, royal blue image...

Category

2010s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Engraving, Etching, M...

The Beatles "Yesterday and Today" contact sheet print by Robert Whitaker

The Beatles "Yesterday and Today" contact sheet print by Robert Whitaker

By Robert Whitaker

Located in Austin, TX

The Beatles contact sheet by Robert Whitaker from the photo session that ended up being the controversial cover for the 1966 release "Yesterday and Today". On March 25, 1966, The Beatles visited 1 The Vale, Chelsea, London, a top-floor studio leased by Oluf Nilssen and frequently used by renowned photographer Robert Whitaker. Before the photo session with Robert Whitaker, The Beatles posed for a more conventional session at the studio with Nigel Dickson of The Beatles Book...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Mezzogiorno al Pantheon, Rome, 1958 - Limited Edition Black & White Photography
Mezzogiorno al Pantheon, Rome, 1958 - Limited Edition Black & White Photography

Mezzogiorno al Pantheon, Rome, 1958 - Limited Edition Black & White Photography

By Fabrizio La Torre

Located in Brussels, BE

Artwork sold in perfect condition Double frame under American box presenting the two sides of the obelisk fountain on the Place du Panthéon. This work by Giacomo della Porta, (and li...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dolly Parton "Heartbreaker"

Dolly Parton "Heartbreaker"

By Ed Caraeff

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition print by Ed Caraeff of Dolly Parton taken during the cover session for her album ‘Heartbreaker’ on February 15, 1978 in Los Angeles, California. Available in d...

Category

1970s Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Pete Townshend and Towser the dog by Barrie Wentzell

Pete Townshend and Towser the dog by Barrie Wentzell

By Barrie Wentzell

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition silver gelatin print of Pete Townshend and his dog, Towser, taken by Barrie Wentzell in Twickenham, London in 1971. Barrie recalls, "Pete Townshend was sendin...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

"3F" Original Photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Hand Signed
"3F" Original Photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Hand Signed

"3F" Original Photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Hand Signed

By George Barris

Located in Chatsworth, CA

GEORGE BARRIS 3F FROM "THE LAST PHOTOS" ORIGINAL PHOTO FROM ORIGINAL NEGATIVE 20 X 16 INCHES HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST PRINTED IN 1987 This piece is an original photograph of Marilyn M...

Category

1960s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Down on East River
Down on East River

Down on East River

By Karol Kallay

Located in Slovak Republic, SK

Black and White photograph, edition 50, part of book about NY, 1965.

Category

1960s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

John Lennon and Yoko Ono by Barrie Wentzell

John Lennon and Yoko Ono by Barrie Wentzell

By Barrie Wentzell

Located in Austin, TX

John Lennon & Yoko Ono taken outside the white room of their home in Tittenhurst, Ascot, UK in 1971. Barrie Wentzell recalls, "I visited John and Yoko one afternoon accompanying a f...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 1 - New York - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 1 - New York - 1956 - Vintage Photographs

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 1 - New York - 1956 - Vintage Photographs

By Fabrizio La Torre

Located in Brussels, BE

Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 1 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...

Category

1950s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

"5I" Original Photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Hand Signed

"5I" Original Photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Hand Signed

By George Barris

Located in Chatsworth, CA

GEORGE BARRIS 5I FROM "THE LAST PHOTOS" ORIGINAL PHOTO FROM ORIGINAL NEGATIVE 20 X 16 INCHES HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST PRINTED IN 1987 This piece is an original photograph of Marilyn Mo...

Category

1960s Photorealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Who with children by Art Kane

The Who with children by Art Kane

By Art Kane

Located in Austin, TX

The Who under a Union Jack flag, 1968 by Art Kane Shot in 1968 in NYC in Morningside Park near Columbia University, Art Kane had plenty of fun with The Who. Kane described them as “...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

East River Drive

East River Drive

By Norman Parkinson

Located in Austin, TX

East River Drive by Norman Parkinson. Robin Miller and Pippa Diggle photographed on the South Street Viaduct beneath Manhattan Bridge for Go Magazine, 1960 ...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Ann Richards and Dolly Parton in Austin Texas by Scott Newton

Ann Richards and Dolly Parton in Austin Texas by Scott Newton

By Scott Newton

Located in Austin, TX

Texan politician and former Texas governor, Ann Richards with Dolly Parton taken at the Driskill Hotel, Austin Texas in 1982 by photographer Scott Newton Photographers notes: We wer...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Kate Moss at 16

Kate Moss at 16

By Jake Chessum

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition print of Kate Moss by Jake Chessum, taken when she was an unknown 16 year old model, just starting her career. Jake recalls, "I had heard of Kate as she was...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

David Bowie "He'd Blow Our Minds" by Sukita

David Bowie "He'd Blow Our Minds" by Sukita

By Masayoshi Sukita

Located in Austin, TX

16" x 20", signed limited edition print of David Bowie, titled "He'd Blow Our Minds" by Masayoshi Sukita. This print is also available as a 30x40" signed limited edition print. “...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Photography

Materials

C Print

Photorealist photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist photography 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 photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, pink, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Alex Sher, Allan Tannenbaum, Lynn Goldsmith, and Jake Chessum. Frequently made by artists working with Pigment Print, and Archival Pigment Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Photorealist photography, so small editions measuring 5.5 inches across are also available. Prices for photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $200,247, while the average work sells for $1,930.