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.
Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the author turned to classical mythology and created the image of the goddess Venus. Goddesses of youth, beauty and love. He created the classical female torso on a marble basement. Кeferring to the classical works of antiquity, the sculptor created his own version of the Venus statue...
Bronze
Cistern Fragment
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Artist Statement “Ray Bradbury never ceases to inspire me. While working with him, I saw his ...
Cast Stone
The Victorious David / - The melancholy of the radiant hero -
Located in Berlin, DE
Henri Honoré Plé (1853 Paris - 1922 Paris), The Victorious David, around1890. Red-brown and brown patinated bronze with terrain plinth mounted on a round base. 42 cm (total height) x...
Bronze
Contemporary Bronze Male Torso Sculpture
Located in Boulder, CO
This contemporary bronze sculpture by Swiss-American artist Roger Reutimann combines the refinement of classical figurative sculpture with a clean modern aesthetic. Featuring a power...
Bronze
Nude model. vintage collectible sculpture, cast bronze, 1987
Located in Zofingen, AG
realism, academism manner, vintage collectible sculpture, cast bronze, "I create this sculpture at the very beginning of my career. I sculpted it from a real model. The girl was ver...
Bronze
Model Girl Bronze and Stone Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Located in Zofingen, AG
Classic female torso inspired by examples of high Greek sculpture. Sculptor explores the lines and shapes of the female body, embodied the diversity, slightly changed the poses. Thi...
Stone, Bronze
Pregnant woman. vintage bronse sculpture
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the author create a pregnant woman. He created the classical female torso on a marble basement. Posture, movement, body lines - everything praises the beauty of the f...
Stone, Bronze
Pearfect in Pink
By Bela Bacsi
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Exhibitions Exhibited at the Los Angeles Art Show 2014, January 15-19, 2014
Marble
1980s Dreaming Girl Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, 36x8 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
realism, academism manner, vintage collectible sculpture, cast bronze, "I create this sculpture at the very beginning of my career. I sculpted it from a real model. The girl was ver...
Bronze
"Dreams of Ecstasy", Martin Eichinger, Figurative, Bronze, Romance, 70x12x17 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
Immerse yourself in a world where emotions run high and desires are laid bare with our stunning Dreams of Ecstasy sculpture. Crafted with exquisite detail, this towering masterpiece ...
Bronze
20th Century Solid Bronze Nude Ballet Dancer 'Preparation' by Benson Landes
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Preparation' is a 20th Century Solid Bronze ballet Dancer by Benson Landes. For Benson Landes, sculpture was most definitely a passion. His oeuvre of cast bronzes is populated wit...
Bronze
"The Seeker, " Sculpture
By Bill Starke
Located in Denver, CO
Bill Starke's "The Seeker" is a limited edition (#3/50), bronze sculpture created by Bill Starke depicting a male figure peering down through a small opening beneath him. About th...
Bronze, Metal
"In My Dreams I Can Fly, " Sculpture
By Bill Starke
Located in Denver, CO
Bill Starke's "In My Dreams I Can Fly" is a limited edition, cast and patinated aluminum sculpture created by Bill Starke depicting a male figure free falling through the air. ( 3/99 ) Note: Images 4 and 5 depict additional available patinas. About the artist: Human beings interacting, colliding, cooperating, striving, & achieving are the themes I wish to portray in my sculptures. My observations on the human condition are meant to be both humorous and thought provoking. Bill Starke's "Free Man" is everything that good art should be: technically superb, brilliantly composed, emotionally powerful and visually arresting... like George Stubbs, the 18th century English...
Other Medium
Girl at Waterfall Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Located in Zofingen, AG
"This is one of my earliest sculptures. I depicted a naked girl at the waterfall. She bathes under jets of water. The fabric of clothing hugs her body and lies down to her feet. The ...
Bronze
$10,501
Morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
The author admires the beauty of the female body. Her movement - smooth, graceful and beautiful. The moment of awakening is very sensual. The girl stretches, revealing the beauty of her young body. Realistic manner shows her original beauty. Sculpture shapes create a play of light and shadow, curves, polished and brushed metal. The work is made of bronze- polish and patina. This sculpture was created in the early period of Alex Radionov...
Bronze
$2,707Sale Price|32% Off
Mother and child
Located in Täby, SE
Teuvo Kotilainen was born in 1925 in Rääkylä and died 2010 in Tampere. He was a finnish sculptor inspired by Jussi Mäntynen and his lynxs and he performed se...
Bronze
$40,700
"From the Heart", Martin Eichinger, Figurative, Bronze, Romantic, 62x38x33 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
The male figure lies atop a cresting wavelike column, seemingly elevated by the experience. One hand is nearly touching his heart while the other hand is held open in a gesture of re...
Bronze
$74,000
"Whirlwind", Martin Eichinger, Figurative, Bronze, Romantic, 54x84x72 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
The dynamic nature of this ecstatic pirouette must be experienced from all sides. Whirlwind examines the forces of attraction and separation in a relationship. The couple’s solid bon...
Bronze
$14,000
Goddess
By Peter Brooke
Located in Pasadena, CA
Signed Edition #1 of 6 Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Description Feeling the sun’s warmth enveloping her body, Peter Brooke’s bronze “Goddess” express...
Bronze
"Awake" by Bronze sculptor "Renzo", Larry Renzo Lewis, 58x26x16 in, 2009, Figure
Located in Dallas, TX
This masterpiece, "Awake" by Renzo was created in 2009, and intricately weaves together the essence of Symbols, Stones, Bindings, Nudity, and Masks to offer a profound reflection on ...
Bronze
Piccadilly Bronze and Marble Sculpture, Realist Style, Signed, 2/5
Located in Zofingen, AG
This is the story of a woman who is always in the spotlight. Refined, light, beautiful, self-sufficient. She knows her worth and is confident in herself. And everyone around her feel...
Marble, Metal, Bronze
Seated Figure
By Peter Brooke
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Exhibitions Beauty and the Power of Sculpture, American Legacy Fine Arts, Octobe...
Plaster
Debora Lima-original figurative female dancers bronze sculpture-contemporary 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...
Bronze
$1,400Sale Price|33% Off
Italian Academic Sculptor - Early 20th Century Female Nude Marble Relief
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian sculptor (20th century) - Female nude. 31.5 x 7.5 x h 17 cm. Low-relief in carved white marble, on wooden base. The relief depicts a reclining female nude, rendered with s...
Marble
The Victorious David / - The melancholy of the radiant hero -
Located in Berlin, DE
Henri Honoré Plé (1853 Paris - 1922 Paris), The Victorious David, around 1890. Red-brown and brown patinated bronze with terrain plinth mounted on a round base. 62 cm (total height) ...
Bronze
Judgment of Wotan; Die Walküre II
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Description Christopher Slatoff’s Judgment of Wotan; Die Walkure II depicts the music drama, Walkure, Die (The Valkyrie)....
Bronze
$8,230
H 14 in W 9 in D 7 in
Cold Cast Bronze Bust Sculpture of Vincent Van Gogh by British Sculptor Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Cold Cast Bronze Bust Sculpture of Vincent Van Gogh by British Artist & Sculptor Anthony D Padgett BA MA PGDip, Born in 1969. Everyone has an idea o...
Cast Stone, Bronze, Metal
$9,858
H 16.54 in W 7.88 in
Gallulus Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Green Patina Marble Stone
Located in Utrecht, NL
Gallulus Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Green Patina Marble Stone Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profess...
Marble, Bronze
$5,950
H 11 in W 6 in
20th Century Solid Bronze Nude Ballet Dancer 'Preparation' by Benson Landes
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Preparation' is a 20th Century Solid Bronze ballet Dancer by Benson Landes. For Benson Landes, sculpture was most definitely a passion. His oeuvre of cast bronzes is populated wit...
Bronze
$1,800
H 20 in W 12 in D 7 in
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite) Bust /// Jack Graves Greek Myth Painting Sculpture Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Venus de Milo (Aphrodite) Bust" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Graves on bottom Year: 2026 Medium: Original Acrylic...
Cast Stone, Marble, Enamel
$32,205
H 79.53 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Breach by Tom Price - Large-scale sculpture, mixed technique, vertical
By Tom Price
Located in Paris, FR
Breach is a unique resin sculpture by contemporary artist Tom Price, dimensions are 202 × 45 × 45 cm (79.5 × 17.7 × 17.7 in). The sculpture is signed and comes with a certificate of...
Concrete
$800
H 15.75 in W 4.38 in D 4.38 in
Venus de Milo Sculpture (Alexandros of Antioch) /// Contemporary Classics Nude
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Venus de Milo Sculpture (Alexandros of Antioch)" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Graves on bottom Year: 2022 Medium...
Cast Stone, Marble, Enamel
$9,448
H 16.15 in W 15.75 in
Ausum Bronze Contemporary Sculpture Marble Stone Nude Boy Male Figure
Located in Utrecht, NL
Ausum Bronze Contemporary Sculpture Marble Stone Nude Boy Male Figure Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profession as a teacher at a high scho...
Marble, Bronze
$32,000
H 29 in W 22 in D 17 in
Bronze Female Statue "Le Crépuscule" by Emile Andre Boisseau
Located in New York, NY
Emile-Andre Boisseau (French, 1842-1923) Le Crépuscule signed 'E. Boisseau' (on the base) Bronze height: 29 in. (74 cm.) Emile-André Boisseau was a...
Bronze
$233,374
H 98.43 in W 19.69 in
Last Heroic Season Bronze Sculpture Classic Contemporary Mythology
By Margot Homan
Located in Utrecht, NL
Last Heroic Season Bronze Sculpture Classic Contemporary Mythology The sculptures of Margot Homan (1956, Oss, the Netherlands) show a perfect command of the old craft of modelling a...
Bronze
$17,665
H 14.97 in W 14.57 in
Fratres Bronze Sculpture Boys Brothers Male Nude Figure Marble Stone
Located in Utrecht, NL
Fratres Bronze Sculpture Boys Brothers Male Nude Figure Marble Stone Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profess...
Marble, Bronze
$9,333
H 14.57 in W 3.94 in
Ira Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Nude Boy Marble Stone Sitting
Located in Utrecht, NL
Ira Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Nude Boy Marble Stone Sitting Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profession a...
Marble, Bronze
$9,909
H 14.57 in W 7.88 in
Sorbe Small Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Drinking Male Figure Marble Stone
Located in Utrecht, NL
Sorbe Small Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Drinking Male Figure Marble Stone Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profession as a teacher at a high sc...
Marble, Bronze
Hutschenreuther / Good Friends / - Soulmate -
By Karl Werner
Located in Berlin, DE
Hutschenreuther figurine by Carl Werner, Good Friends, produced between 1955 and 1969. Girl in painted bisque porcelain, fawn and terrain pli...
Porcelain
Sold
H 16.93 in W 5.91 in D 7.09 in
The Gallic warlord Vercingetorix / - The will to freedom -
Located in Berlin, DE
Edouard Drouot (1859 Sommevoire - 1945 Paris), The Gallic warlord Vercingetorix, 1915. Green and brown patinated bronze on a cast naturalistic plinth, 43 cm (height) x 15 cm (width) x 18 cm (depth), weight 5.1 kg. Signed “E.[douard] Drouot” and dated “[19)15” (?) on the plinth. - Slightly rubbed in places, overall in excellent condition for its age - The will to freedom- After antiquity had been regarded as exemplary from the Renaissance until the 18th century, the Enlightenment uncovered the roots of Europe's own history, which in the 19th century led to the veneration of the rediscovered heroes of early history. In Germany, this was above all Hermann the Cheruscan. He had defeated the Roman legions...
Bronze
Sold
H 42.5 in W 5 in D 4.5 in
"Catch of the Day (3/6)" (2023), Bronze Sculpture by Bill Starke
By Bill Starke
Located in Denver, CO
Bill Starke's "Catch of the Day" is a limited edition (AP 3/6), bronze sculpture created by Bill Starke depicting a contemplative male figure holding a rope with 3 climbers ascending...
Metal, Bronze
"At Last, " Sculpture
By Bill Starke
Located in Denver, CO
Bill Starke's "At Last" is a limited edition, bronze sculpture created by Bill Starke depicting a male figure with out-stretched arms. ( 3/85 ) About the artist: Human beings int...
Marble, Bronze
Venus de Milo
Located in Milford, NH
A fine patinated bronze of the iconic classic Greek statue of Venus de Milo, incised by artist on base side (possibly 19th century French sculptor Ron Li...
Bronze
Sold
H 8.47 in W 3.94 in D 5.91 in
Fritz Klimsch (1870-1960) - Sitting woman figure. Biscuit, h 21, 5 cm
By Fritz Klimsch
Located in Riga, LV
Fritz Klimsch (1870-1960) - Sitting woman figure Germany Rosenthal Classic Rose collection, biscuit, h 21,5 cm
Porcelain
Eve
Located in Zofingen, AG
The author portrayed Eve - the first woman on Earth. She is nude and holds an apple in her hand. In her image, you can see a simple earthly woman, without a touch of divinity. She is...
Marble, Metal, Bronze
At the training room
Located in Zofingen, AG
Sculpture from the Ballet series. The series is dedicated to classical Russian ballet and includes over 30 sculptures. This sculpture depicts a dancer prepared for training. Thin lin...
Metal, Bronze
"Young Woman Playing an Instrument" Antique Terracotta Statue Early 1900s
Located in Carmel, CA
'Young Woman Playing an Instrument' antique statue by Mexican unknown artist Material: Terracotta 1900-1910 The statue comes with a certificate of aut...
Terracotta
Classical Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture of Narcissus 19th Century
Located in Rochester, NY
Grand Tour 19th century bronze sculpture of Narcissus after the original found in 1862 at Pompeii. When first found in Pompeii it was identified as Narcissus. Years later it was iden...
Bronze
Classical Bronze Bust of Athena Lemnia by Phidias Life Size
Located in Rochester, NY
Classical bronze bust of Athena Lemnia by Greek sculptor Phidias . Grand tour style. Circa mid 20th century.
Bronze
Sold
H 91 in W 10 in D 16 in
Large Fine Bronze Sculpture of Mercury and Original Marble Pedestal
Located in Rochester, NY
Fine Grand Tour bronze sculpture of mercury flying on the wind after Giambologna. Polished rouge marble and bronze attached base. Green marble pedestal. Inscribed Jean de Bologne...
Marble, Bronze