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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
Nomad. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2014. Bronze
Nomad. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2014. Bronze

Nomad. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2014. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Sergey Oganov was born in 1974 in the family of the famous Belarusian sculptor Lev Oganov. Sergey began his first steps in the world of art while still being a schoolboy, helping hi...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Glove. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2012. Bronze
Glove. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2012. Bronze

Glove. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2012. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Sergey Oganov was born in 1974 in the family of the famous Belarusian sculptor Lev Oganov. Sergey began his first steps in the world of art while still being a schoolboy, helping hi...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Golden Fleece, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2015. Bronze
Golden Fleece, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2015. Bronze

Golden Fleece, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2015. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Sergey Oganov was born in 1974 in the family of the famous Belarusian sculptor Lev Oganov. Sergey began his first steps in the world of art while still being a schoolboy, helping hi...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Argonauts, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2013. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm
Argonauts, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2013. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm

Argonauts, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2013. Bronze. 59x38x10 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Sergey Oganov was born in 1974 in the family of the famous Belarusian sculptor Lev Oganov. Sergey began his first steps in the world of art while still being a schoolboy, helping hi...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Rook of Heroes, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2021. Bronze
Rook of Heroes, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2021. Bronze

Rook of Heroes, sculpture by Sergey Oganov. 2021. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Sergey Oganov was born in 1974 in the family of the famous Belarusian sculptor Lev Oganov. Sergey began his first steps in the world of art while still being a schoolboy, helping hi...

Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake

Rattlesnake

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 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

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

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

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...

Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pearfect in Pink
Pearfect in Pink

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

Category

Early 2000s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Marble

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

[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

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

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mountain Goat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Mountain Goat, ca. 1940 Carved diorite 3 7/8" wide, 2.5" deep, height is 3" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Educatio...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Monkey
Monkey

Monkey

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

Dove
Dove

Dove

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

Sleeping Cat
Sleeping Cat

Sleeping Cat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Sleeping Cat, ca. 1940 Carved Vermont granite 7.5" wide, 5" deep, height is 7" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Educat...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Morning
Morning

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...

Category

1990s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Girl at Waterfall Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Girl at Waterfall Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s

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 ...

Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nude model. vintage collectible sculpture, cast bronze, 1987
Nude model. vintage collectible sculpture, cast bronze, 1987

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...

Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

You Lookin' At Me?
You Lookin' At Me?

You Lookin' At Me?

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Bronze sculpture inscribed with the Artist's name and edition number. 16/50

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Golf Bug
Golf Bug

Golf Bug

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original bronze sculpture by Andrea Wilkinson. Edition #6/30. Signed on bronze sculpture

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

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

0ctopus Bronze by Sophie Martin 3/8
0ctopus Bronze by Sophie Martin 3/8

0ctopus Bronze by Sophie Martin 3/8

By Sophie Martin

Located in Pasadena, CA

Animal sculptor Sophie MARTIN creates from inert clay a whole living animal kingdom. She freely observes the animal and captures and interprets a movement; and places it in nature an...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pregnant woman. vintage bronse sculpture
Pregnant woman. vintage bronse sculpture

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...

Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Stone, 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

Young Penguin
Young Penguin

Young Penguin

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

"SAM HOUSTON" HORN CARVING 1936 TEXAS CENTENNIAL AMAZING WORK
"SAM HOUSTON" HORN CARVING 1936 TEXAS CENTENNIAL AMAZING WORK

"SAM HOUSTON" HORN CARVING 1936 TEXAS CENTENNIAL AMAZING WORK

Located in San Antonio, TX

Dan Super "SAM HOUSTON" (1873-1953) Houston Artist Image Size: 3 3/4 inches tall Medium: Carved Horn of Sam Houston to celebrate the Texas Centennial. Texas Centennial 1936 "Sam Houston Pin Cushion Holder" Biography Dan Super (1873-1953) Dan E. Super, Jr. (1873 – 1953) Dan Super had the eye of a sculptor, envisioning and then creating hundreds of objects from the elongated form of a Texas Longhorn’s tusk. At the age of six, Dan Super carved his first drawing into a piece of the horn of a Texas Longhorn. Over the next 56 years, he made utilitarian pieces like pencil cups, pin cushions, and backscratchers, realistic replicas of animals and birds, and imaginative carvings of elegant nudes. While these carvings resemble the traditional art of scrimshaw, carvings from whale bone, we’ve not been able to identify another carver who used the Texas Longhorn as his material. “My work is done with an ordinary pocketknife, hacksaw file and rasp,” Super wrote in 1937. He used the horn in every way conceivable; whole, allowing the shape to define the object he was making, flattened to make mosaic or inlay work. He incised and pierced it and carved in the round. His own hands polished the horn to a sheen. Daniel Super, Jr. was born in Houston on August 22, 1873. His father owned stock years, D. Super and Brothers Co., providing the young Super with ready access to his raw material. Throughout his life, he worked in the businesses key to the identity and success of young, booming Houston, cattle, oil, real estate and rail. In 1896 he married Lula, and took over the family business, expanding it to include a grocery. He closed the company in 1912 and got into the oil business...

Category

1930s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Other Medium

Black Swan
Black Swan

Black Swan

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

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mountain Goat

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

Ram
Ram

Ram

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

Sleeping Bobcat
Sleeping Bobcat

Sleeping Bobcat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Sleeping Bobcat, 1943. Carved stone 9.5" by 8", height is 4.25" Signed and dated 1943. Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher,...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Horse
Horse

Horse

By Aga Ousseinov

Located in Long Island City, NY

This bronze sculpture, from 1996, is a powerful rendering of a horse rearing. It is not uncommon to see stallions rearing; it is a tactic that can be used to dislodge a predator, to...

Category

1990s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Hyperreal Bright Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture
Hyperreal Bright Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture

Hyperreal Bright Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture

By Dylan Martinez

Located in East Quogue, NY

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

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.