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Realist 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
Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze
Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Undoubtedly, Icarus has become a symbol of the longing for freedom, the desire to feel one’s wings – but also of danger and risk. This work is dedicated to teenagers, no longer child...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Gedimin. Llimited edition: 1/2. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze
Gedimin. Llimited edition: 1/2. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Gedimin. Llimited edition: 1/2. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

The work was created in 2019 as one of the competition entries for the city of Lida – a representation of the founding prince of Lida Castle. This equestrian composition is executed ...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Crusader. Llimited edition: 2/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze
Crusader. Llimited edition: 2/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Crusader. Llimited edition: 2/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

"I wanted to explore the paradox of a warrior – a figure driven by lofty ideals, yet capable of dark, blood-soaked deeds. The result is this frozen idol: a hollow shell clad in armor...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Metal

Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake

Mark MorrisonRattlesnake, ca. 1950

$3,000Sale Price|70% Off

Rattlesnake

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Rattlesnake , ca. 1950 Carved pink Texas granite 13.5" wide, 13" deep, height is 7" Repair and conservation to uppermost part of snake's body. Provena...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5
Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5

Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Set of 5 hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture installation by Dylan Martinez. Made of 100% hot-sculpted glass. Approx. Size: 3.5 × 3.5 × 4.5 inches (each balloon) Dylan Martine...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Hyperreal Light Blue Glass Balloon Sculpture
Hyperreal Light Blue Glass Balloon Sculpture

Hyperreal Light Blue Glass Balloon Sculpture

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Light blue hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. These hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted and acid-etched to resemble r...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Argonauts. Llimited edition: EA-II. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm
Argonauts. Llimited edition: EA-II. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm

Argonauts. Llimited edition: EA-II. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm

Located in Riga, LV

A little boy and his friend were woven into the classic, well-known myth of the Argonauts. Together with the heroes, they conquered the sea – which took the form of a mighty bull – a...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s

Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s

By Alex Radionov

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...

Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Dove
Dove

Mark MorrisonDove, ca. 1960

$2,000Sale Price|60% Off

Dove

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Dove, ca. 1960 Carved and polished stone 10" wide, 6.25" deep, height is 12" Tail exhibits a small area of loss. Our conservator can repair this at no ex...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Stone

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Statue of an Athlete
[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Statue of an Athlete

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Statue of an Athlete

By Mark Beard

Located in New York, NY

This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “Bruce Sargeant is a mythic figure in the modern art movement. He embodies a world that is in many ways lost to us; he...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Eagle with a Snake"
"Eagle with a Snake"

"Eagle with a Snake"

By Katib Mamedov

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This sculptural work depicts a dramatic scene of a struggle between a mighty eagle and a snake. The eagle, a symbol of strength, courage and victory, has spread its wings wide, demon...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Rare, Antique, Life-Size Dog Bronze of a Chihuahua "Lydie" Charles Valton. 1890s
Rare, Antique, Life-Size Dog Bronze of a Chihuahua "Lydie" Charles Valton. 1890s

Rare, Antique, Life-Size Dog Bronze of a Chihuahua "Lydie" Charles Valton. 1890s

By Charles Valton

Located in SANTA FE, NM

Antique Bronze Dog Sculpture Chihuahua "La Petite Belle Lydie" Charles Valton (French, 1851-1918) Circa 15 1/2 x 10 1/4 x 7 Lydie is a Chihuahua making her a very rare image from ...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Seahorse -original figurative bronze marine sculpture-artwork-contemporary Art
Seahorse -original figurative bronze marine sculpture-artwork-contemporary Art

Seahorse -original figurative bronze marine sculpture-artwork-contemporary Art

By Andrzej Szymczyk

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)
Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)

Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)

By Isidore Jules Bonheur

Located in SANTA FE, NM

Antique Horse Bronze Portrait of a Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901) Cast bronze mounted on a rectangular plinth with dark brown patina, Signed: I. BONHEUR 17 x 11 3/4 A brilliant exploration of a stallion in full trot. The patina is a deep, warm walnut brown with honey-colored tones. Isidore Bonheur was best known and the most distinguished of the 19th century French animalier sculptors. Isidore, the younger brother of Rosa Bonheur and older brother of Auguste, began his studies of painting initially with his father, who was friends with Francisco Goya. By 1848 he debuted at the Paris Salon having discontinued animal and landscape painting to concentrate on creating sculptures and in 1849, Bonheur enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He won medals at the Paris Salon in 1859 and did so again in 1865 and in 1869. After entering the Exposition Universelle 1855, he won the Gold Medal in 1889. In the 1870s exhibited in the London at the Royal Academy of Arts where he earned great prestige and won the coveted Medaille d’Or. After winning numerous other medals and prizes, Bonheur was awarded the Legion d' Honneur in 1895 and he was Knighted in Portugal, Spain and France. Bonheur continued exhibiting at the Paris Salon until 1899. Many of his bronzes were fabricated at the foundry owned by Hippolyte Peyrol, Bonheur's brother-in-law by marriage to Isidore’s youngest sister Juliette Bonheur. The Peyrol casts for both Rosa and Isidore are exceptionally well executed which suggests a strong working relationship between the founder and sculptor. There is little doubt that Isidore Bonheur was an acute observer of nature; his animals were not anthropomorphized but modelled to catch movement or posture characteristics of the particular species he was sculpting. He achieved this most successfully with his sculptures of horses which are usually depicted as relaxed rather than spirited. These figures are among his most renowned works and his equestrian models became very popular, particularly among the British aristocracy. An acute observer of nature, his sculptures reflect his commitment to the Realist school - with precise detailing of the movements of animals in their natural habitats. Ultimately, His naturalistic studies of animals are now some of the most highly sought after works by any of the animalier. He was possibly inspired by his many visits to the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show...

Category

1870s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Hyperreal Lemonade Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture
Hyperreal Lemonade Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture

Hyperreal Lemonade Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Hyperreal lemonade yellow glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted and acid-etc...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Contemporary Bronze Male Torso Sculpture
Contemporary Bronze Male Torso Sculpture

Contemporary Bronze Male Torso Sculpture

By Roger Reutimann

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...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Aida
Aida

Aida

By Gaston Leroux

Located in New York, NY

GASTON LEROUX "Aida" Modeled scantily clad in a robe and head garment seated on a sculpted head of an Egyptian Pharoah, with a tambourine in her hand, with a green and brown patina, ...

Category

19th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Ram
Ram

Mark MorrisonRam, ca. 1940

$2,000Sale Price|60% Off

Ram

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Ram, ca. 1940 Carved diorite 9" long, 6" wide, height is 7.5" Rusty band on hind quarter is a naturally occurring iron ore occlusion in stone, which bot...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Cheval Libre (Free Horse)
Cheval Libre (Free Horse)

Cheval Libre (Free Horse)

By Pierre Jules Mêne

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: After Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1879) Title: Cheval Libre (Free Horse) Year: 1868 Medium: Cast bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Edition: Unknown Size: Inclu...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Monkey
Monkey

Mark MorrisonMonkey, ca. 1940

$4,000Sale Price|50% Off

Monkey

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Monkey, ca. 1940 Carved New Hampshire granite 8.5" by 5", height is 16.5" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5
Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5

Hyperreal Colored Glass Balloon Sculptures - Set of 5

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Set of 5 hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture installation by Dylan Martinez. Made of 100% hot-sculpted glass. Balloon Size: 3.5 × 3.5 × 4.5 inches (each) Dylan Martinez’s hype...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Glove. Llimited edition: 3/8. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze
Glove. Llimited edition: 3/8. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Glove. Llimited edition: 3/8. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

"A knight’s iron glove lies discarded after battle – its fingers curled around a tiny icon of the Virgin Mary. This quiet collision of symbols: the divine feminine (life, hope, mothe...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Metal

Chickadee Box

Chickadee Box

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original bronze sculpture by artist Melissa Cooper. Edition 15/35.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Black Swan
Black Swan

Mark MorrisonBlack Swan, ca. 1950

$7,500Sale Price|70% Off

Black Swan

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Black Swan , ca. 1950 Carved and polished black pearl granite 7" wide, 11.5" deep, height is 29" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kin...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral

Located in Santa Monica, CA

A new work by the artist

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Young Penguin
Young Penguin

Mark MorrisonYoung Penguin, ca. 1950

$3,000Sale Price|50% Off

Young Penguin

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Young Penguin, ca. 1950 Carved Tennessee Marble 8.5" x 7" by 3.5", height is 13 inches. Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, O...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Vintage Italian Glazed Terra Cotta Wall Hanging Leopard Head
Vintage Italian Glazed Terra Cotta Wall Hanging Leopard Head

Vintage Italian Glazed Terra Cotta Wall Hanging Leopard Head

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Striking mid century Italian life size leopard head crafted in terra cotta, hand decorated and glazed, now and forever caught in mid growl.

Category

20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mark MorrisonMountain Goat, ca. 1950

$1,950Sale Price|35% Off

Mountain Goat

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Mountain Goat, ca. 1950. Carved granite. 6.25" long, 3.25" wide, height is 6.25" Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: University of Missouri John Flannag...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Baboon
Baboon

Mark MorrisonBaboon, ca. 1940

$2,500Sale Price|50% Off

Baboon

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Baboon, ca. 1940 Carved and weathered Walnut 12" wide, 12" deep, height is 26.5" Please note the bottom surface is not perfectly flat and the piece lean...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Walnut

Hyperreal Forest Green Glass Balloon Sculpture
Hyperreal Forest Green Glass Balloon Sculpture

Hyperreal Forest Green Glass Balloon Sculpture

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Dark forest green glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. 100% hot sculpted glass. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblas...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Pair of Hyperreal Purple Glass Balloon Sculptures
Pair of Hyperreal Purple Glass Balloon Sculptures

Pair of Hyperreal Purple Glass Balloon Sculptures

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

Pair of Hyperreal purple glass water balloon sculptures by Dylan Martinez. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted and acid-etched to resemble real water balloons. The sculptures are made in small batches, and each color is hand-mixed. Each piece is unique and is signed on the base by the artist. Material: Hot sculpted, sandblasted, acid-etched solid glass Approx. Size: 3 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 4 1/2 inches (each) hyperrealism, glass sculpture, glass balloon...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Realist sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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 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 Peter Brooke. 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 sculptures, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $7,200.