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Realist Figurative Sculptures

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
Altar boy
Located in Roma, RM
Alfio Castelli (Senigallia 1917 – Rome 1992), Altar boy Bronze sculpture of 58 x 40 x 20 cm signed lower left.
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Contemplation" by Frederick Hart, Acrylic Resin, Figurative Sculpture
Located in Dallas, TX
"Contemplation" by Frederick Hart is a figurative acrylic sculpture numbered 88/300. Hart’s emotional and intellectual response to the theme of Creation resulted in a vision for him–...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Acrylic Polymer, Resin

"Woman w/ Outstretched Arm", Frederick Hart, Bronze Figurative Sculpture, 20x7x4
Located in Dallas, TX
"Woman with Outstretched Arm" by Frederick Hart is a figurative female figure bronze sculpture with the edition number 69/175. The story of “Woman with Outstretched Arm” began ove...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Big Fish Story
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sculpture of two boys displaying a sizeable catch. Edition of 50
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Veil of Light", Frederick Hart, Acrylic Sculpture, 22x12x6 in., 310/350, white
Located in Dallas, TX
"Veil of Light" Dimensions: 22" x 12" x 6" Medium: Clear Acrylic Resin Edition of 350 Created in 1987, the work “Veil of Light” is characterized by an other-worldly appearance. Payi...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Acrylic Polymer

"Reclining Figure", Frederick Hart, Bronze Figurative Sculpture, 7x14x7 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
"Reclining Figure" by Frederick Hart is a figurative female and male figure bronze sculpture with the edition number 54/65. Frederick Hart was an American sculptor. His is best known for his Three Soldiers statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Ex Nihilo (1983) depicting Creation scenes above the doors of the Washington National Cathedral...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nap Time (Puppy on a Boot)
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original bronze sculpture by artist Andrea Wilkinson. Edition 11/30. Artist signature inscribed on sculpture.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Going Out
Located in Greenwich, CT
Bruno Lucchesi Biography Italian, b. 1926 Born in 1926 in the village of Fibbiano Montanino, Lucca, Italy, Bruno Lucchesi has been called “the last of the Renaissance sculptors.” A...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Light Whispers", Frederick Hart, Acrylic Sculpture, 17x12x5 in., 182/350, white
Located in Dallas, TX
"Light Whispers" Dimensions: 17" x 12" x 5" Medium: Clear Acrylic Resin Edition 182/300 Frederick Hart's "Light Whispers" is the perfect name for this lucite sculpture that studies translucency's impact on the interplay of shadow and light. The nude woman subject is repeated several times, with varying degrees of revelation. In some iterations, she is shrouded in mystery, while other representations show her on full display with remarkable detail. Thanks to his impeccable eye for detail and technical precision, Frederick Hart is considered one of the world's foremost figurative sculptors. His classical techniques make for timeless, traditional works, but the innovative and modern use of lucite as a material help modernize the work. Frederick Hart's "Light Whispers" is signed by the artist and includes a gallery certificate of authenticity. It is from an edition of 300 and the current gallery retail price for the piece is over $16,000. About Frederick Hart As one of America’s greatest representational artists, Frederick Hart left a lasting and unique mark in the world of modern sculpture. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1943, he studied at the University of South Carolina and after protesting alongside black students during the Civil rights movement, he moved to Washington D.C. to continue his studies at the Corcoran School of Art. Fascinated with the human figure and the classical approach, he started developing his career in 1966 as a stone carver apprentice at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Leaving the Cathedral in 1971, Hart started his own studio practice but had little success in the first years. In 1974, he was awarded the project by the Cathedral to create a contemporary interpretation of The Creation, an event that would change his life. Soon, Hart’s career took a turn for the better, and in the upcoming decades, he rose to national prominence, becoming a government art advisor in 1985 and receiving the prestigious Henry Hering...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Acrylic Polymer

David
Located in Greenwich, CT
Life-size sculpture of a young boy with sword and heraldic shield.
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Wille (Peekapoo)
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze sculpture by artists Bill and Renee Shisler. Edition 4/25.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

EDWARD BOHLIN 1940s 1950s SILVER MOUNTED PARADE SADDLE HOLLYWOOD WESTERN ARTIST
Located in San Antonio, TX
Edward Bohlin silver mounted parade saddle. Black Leather. Great Bohlin Stamp. Cowboy Saddle, Western Saddle. 1940s 50s one of his most desirable pe...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Silver

Orpheus Ascending
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Some works of art are exploratory; they ask questions, but offer no answers. Some are the distillation of a lifetime of experience, and the answers they give cannot easily be translated into words. Richard MacDonald’s latest mythological sculpture, “Orpheus Ascending...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Figurative Ballerina 'Dancer Seated Resting en Barre' Brown & Green
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Dancer Resting on Barre' is an elegant yet sensual sculpture. Landes' skill at conveying a sense of ease and confidence of the dancers is impeccable - this piece would be a fantastic addition to any collection. For Benson Landes, sculpture was most definitely a passion. His oeuvre of cast bronzes is populated with ‘off duty’ ballet dancers, rather wistful women, often caught in moments of solitary repose. Such an obvious appreciation of the grace and elegance of the female form was, no doubt, heightened by 25 years spent in the couture business, which Benson entered at the age of 14. The sculptor admitted that his time as an apprentice at his father’s clothing workroom and factory was given rather reluctantly, as he always harbored desires to become an artist. The young boy’s sense of responsibility was clearly equal to his creativity, though, as Benson knuckled down and learned the family trade. At the age of 18, however, a 2 year conscription to the RAF provided one of the few opportunities for Benson to experience artistic freedom. The possibilities of otherwise unobtainable materials such as pastels, paper, perspex and plaster of paris fuelled his ingenuity at the base’s well-stocked workshop. On completion of his RAF service, Benson briefly returned to the clothing factory now owned by his father. After his marriage to Ruth at 21, in an effort to provide for his new wife, Benson decided to set up his own business. Starting with a single sewing machine and tailoress, Benson and Ruth soon expanded the business. By the 1970s they employed over 50 staff and supplied to prestigious stores such as Dickens & Jones and Harrods. As the decade progressed, however, fashion turned towards less structured, more casual garments; a trend that prompted Benson to retire and spend time with his first love, sculpture. Buoyed by the liberty he enjoyed in his studio, Benson succeeded in selling some of his first pieces of sculpture, a collection of sporting trophies shown at the 1981 Open Golf Championship, to Garrards, the Crown Jewellers. This success quickly brought important contacts and new commissions. Benson always maintained that being able to work as a sculptor is a unique privilege. Usually in the company of a model, he often worked in the studio against the soothing background of classical music. Indeed, now eminently collectable, Benson’s work provided much comfort after the death of Ruth. Benson said that the things that mattered in life are those of beauty; he truly believed that romance and elegance are necessary shields to what he saw as the sometimes too hurried manner of life today. Benson sadly passed away in the autumn of 2013. Solid Bronze Figurative Ballet Sculpture...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Lion and Antelope (No. 23)
Located in Missouri, MO
Alfred Barye (1839-1882) "Lion and Antelope" Bronze Approx. 7.5H x 9W x 4D inches Signed "BARYE.ALF" and Inscribed under base "NO. 23 LION AND ANTELOPE" The son of a goldsmith, Parisian born Antoine-Louis Bayre was a sculptor of animal subjects and acclaimed, not only for his apparent skill, but as the founder of what became known as the French Animaliers School. Among his patrons were representatives of the state government and royalty including the Duke of Orleans and the Dukes of Luynes, Montpensier and Nemours. Well compensated financially, he was able to buy the best of materials and hire the country's most skilled foundry craftsmen. The foundry he hired was owned by Ferdinand Barbedienne, and casts from this period were stamped with the letters, FB. However, he did not make a lot of money from his work because he was such a perfectionist that often he would not sell his work because he thought it was not 'quite right'. In 1848, he declared bankruptcy, and his molds and plaster casts were sold along with the copyrights. Bayre's specialty was aroused, angry seeming wild game such as lions and tigers and elephants, but he also did equestrian groups and mythology figures. In order to do realistic depictions of animal anatomy, he spent much time at the Jardin de Plantes in Paris. His early training was as an apprentice to a metal engraver, but being drafted in the army in 1812, ended that education. In 1832, he had established his own studio, and unique at that time was his method of cold stamping his bronze casts, so that each one had a special number. He had his first entry, The Milo of Croton...
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Going into Battle
Located in Missouri, MO
Carl Kauba "Going into Battle" c. 1920s Bronze with Brown Patina Signed approx 10 x 10 x 4 (including wooden base) This Austrian sculptor was born in Vienna in 1865. His teachers were Karl Waschmann (1848-1905), known for his ivory sculptures and portrait plaquettes of contemporary celebrities, and Stefan Schwartz (1851-1924), who exhibited in Paris, including the Exposition Universelle of 1900 where he won a gold medal. Kauba's intricate bronzes, imported to the United States between 1895 and 1912, were cast at the Roman Bronze Works. Kauba was part of the nineteenth-century tradition of polychrome bronze sculpture. There were several types of patinas on a single statue: he could render the color of buckskin, variously tinted shirts, blankets, feathers, as well as beaded moccasins. Reportedly, Kauba came to America around 1886. Inspired by the Western tales of German author Karl May, he traveled to the West and made sketches and models. Critics, however, pointed out inaccuracies of costume and other details. For instance, the guns that his "mid-nineteenth-century" figures use are models produced after 1898. Apparently he did all of his works back in Vienna. Besides the variety of color, Kauba's bronzes show a great range of textures and his style is highly naturalistic. The sculptor loved ornament, some of which he rendered with coiled wire for reins, rope and feathers in headdresses. He successfully rendered figures in motion and often executed compositions with more than one figure. Berman (1974) illustrates non-Western subjects by Kaula, such as the pendants Where? and There (ca. 1910), a seated Scottish couple, impressive in the expressions and the details on patterned fabrics of both sitters. Another genre piece is Buster Brown...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Hunter and Hound
Located in Missouri, MO
Pierre-Jules Mene "The Hunter and Hound" (Le Valet de Limier) 1879 Bronze approx. 19 x 8 x 14 inches Signed PIERRE JULES MENE (1810-1879) Pierre...
Category

1870s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Native American in Canoe
Located in Missouri, MO
Carl Kauba (1865-1922) "Native American in Canoe" Polychrome Bronze Signed approx 5.5 x 10 x 2.75 inches This Austrian sculptor was born in Vienna in 1865. His teachers were Karl Waschmann (1848-1905), known for his ivory sculptures and portrait plaquettes of contemporary celebrities, and Stefan Schwartz (1851-1924), who exhibited in Paris, including the Exposition Universelle of 1900 where he won a gold medal. Kauba's intricate bronzes, imported to the United States between 1895 and 1912, were cast at the Roman Bronze Works. Kauba was part of the nineteenth-century tradition of polychrome bronze sculpture. There were several types of patinas on a single statue: he could render the color of buckskin, variously tinted shirts, blankets, feathers, as well as beaded moccasins. Reportedly, Kauba came to America around 1886. Inspired by the Western tales of German author Karl May, he traveled to the West and made sketches and models. Critics, however, pointed out inaccuracies of costume and other details. For instance, the guns that his "mid-nineteenth-century" figures use are models produced after 1898. Apparently he did all of his works back in Vienna. Besides the variety of color, Kauba's bronzes show a great range of textures and his style is highly naturalistic. The sculptor loved ornament, some of which he rendered with coiled wire for reins, rope and feathers in headdresses. He successfully rendered figures in motion and often executed compositions with more than one figure. Berman (1974) illustrates non-Western subjects by Kaula, such as the pendants Where? and There (ca. 1910), a seated Scottish couple, impressive in the expressions and the details on patterned fabrics of both sitters. Another genre piece is Buster Brown...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Jockey On Horseback
By Hans Guradze
Located in Missouri, MO
Hans Guradze (German, 1861-1922) "Jockey On Horseback" Bronze Approx. 19.5 x 17 x 6 inches Signed "H. Guradze Berlin" on Base
Category

1890s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Hippo Odalisque
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ed. 4/6. Bronze sculpture of a hippo by Bjorn Skaarup, inspired by Ingres's Grande Odalisque.
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Dino Paleontologist
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ed. 2/6. Bronze sculpture by Bjorn Skaarup. Sculpture: 44 x 23 x 23 in. Base: 20 x 27 1/2 x 27 1/2 in.
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Dancing Bear
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ed. 1/6. Bronze sculpture by Bjorn Skaarup of a bear dancing on a ball.
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Realist figurative sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist figurative sculptures 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 figurative sculptures created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Frederick Hart, Gary Alsum, SOPHIE MARTIN, and W Stanley Proctor. Frequently made by artists working with Metal, and Bronze 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 figurative sculptures, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative sculptures 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 $550 and tops out at $935,000, while the average work sells for $7,833.

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