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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
Cat forged crafted in black wrough iron. Unique. In and outdoor fine sculpture
Located in Milan, IT
An exquisite and highly tasteful sculpture, The Cat is one of the most recent artworks by the Italian master blacksmith Ivan Zanoni who has recently been put on display at MART, Museum of Modern Art in Rovereto (the most prominent in Italy), which has dedicated a significant exhibition to him. Ivan Zanoni has learned this rare activity from his father, Luciano, who, among other artworks, has sculpted a four-meter olive tree for Melinda and Bill Gates...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Horticulture, Garden Prize relief wall hanging
Located in Greenwich, CT
A unique wall piece that is a great gift for any avid gardener or lover of horticulture. Sit Hamo Thornycroft would become one of the youngest members of the Royal Academy, achieve the Medal of Honour at the Paris Exhibition in 1900, and be knighted in 1917. Working in a transitional style between that of the neo-classicists of his parent’s generation and the Modernist style of the 20th century, Thornycroft carved out a niche as a figurative sculptor and noted modeler of public monuments in and around London. Toogoods and Sons, Ltd, established in the early nineteenth century, had, by the turn of the century, grown to become the largest seed company...
Category

1920s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

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) ...
Category

1890s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Goldfinch Scherzo
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Inscribed by the Artist with a signature and edition number on bronze base. 9/100
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Ex Nihilo Fragment 3", Frederick Hart, Figurative Bronze Sculpture, 43x31x18 in
Located in Dallas, TX
"Ex Nihilo Fragment 3" by Frederick Hart is a figurative bronze with the edition of 56/65. I saw Ex Nihilo (Out of Nothingness) as a single expression of creation, as the metamorph...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bison Relief
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original sculpture signed/signed by the Artist lower left. 3/10
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

FLORAL OUD II
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Introducing a Series of Ceramic Memorials by Nicolaas Maathuis - an exclusive collection that represents a fusion of artistry and functionality, offering a unique variation of memori...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

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)....
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

0ctopus Bronze by Sophie Martin 3/8
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

Nehemiah 2
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Description Slatoff’s sculpture is a biblical reference to the central figure in the book of Nehemiah, which describes a ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Eternity
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Edition #17/75 - Original bronze sculpture by Dan Chen. Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Last Days of Napoleon in St-Helena
Located in Paris, FR
Vincenzo VELA (1820-1891) Last Days of Napoleon in St-Helena Created in 1866 Bronze with brown patina Signed ‘V. Vela F. 1867’ on the terrace. Signed ‘F. Barbedienne Fondeur’. Stamp ...
Category

1860s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Fertility Venus, Bronze Nude Sculpture by Telly Mia
By Telly Mia
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Telly Mia Title: Fertility Venus Medium: Bronze Sculpture, signature inscribed Size: 20 in. x 11 in. x 10 in. (50.8 cm x 27.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Category

20th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

THE LAST DAYS OF NAPOLÉON BY
Located in New Orleans, LA
This highly evocative bronze by Vincenzo Vela captures the deposed Emperor Napoléon on his deathbed, holding a map of Europe and lost in thought about what might have been. Remarkable among most portrayals of the exiled leader, this highly detailed sculpture depicts Napoléon at his most vulnerable. Nonetheless, Vela perfectly captures his still-heroic bearing, which imparts to this work a monumental quality and quiet dignity. The mate to this figure is the colossal marble at the Musée du Château de Malmaison, which was shown at the Paris Salon of 1867. The founder of the verismo movement in Italy, Vela was one of the great exponents of realism in sculpture. Born in Ligornetto, Switzerland in 1820, he studied under celebrated sculptor, Benedetto Cacciatori. He was also influenced both by the work of Tuscan sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini, who seamlessly combined neoclassicism with naturalism and the romantic painting of Francesco Hayez...
Category

19th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

"On the Wings of an Eagle", Chester Fields, Bronze and Steel Sculpture, 54x40x24
By Chester Fields
Located in Dallas, TX
"On the Wings of an Eagle by Chester Fields is one of his most popular sculptures. This is number 26 of 75 made. It is made with the following: Bronze Casting Deluxe Patina Gold Beak...
Category

1990s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Stainless Steel

Pole Dancer-original nude figurative bronze sculpture-artwork-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Andrzej Szymczyk's "Pole Dancer" stands as a mesmerizing testa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Lynx inside and outdoor sculpture unique black wrough iron feline cat natural
Located in Milan, IT
The sculpture is a unique, unrepeatable piece. Can be an outdoor sculpture. The Lynx belongs to the cycle dedicated to local animals that the sculptor has been working on. The artwork has just been exhibited in the prestigious museum in Rovereto, the Mart, Italy's leading museum of modern and contemporary art. It has been created with a technique that the artist has perfected over his long experience. Furthermore, he learnt a few technical skills from his father, a sculptor of wrought iron too. A few artworks made by father and son are in significant private and public collections, the best known of which is the Melinda and Bill Gates...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Bird of Peace
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/etched by Artist on bronze base of sculpture with an edition number. 1/35
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Manhattan Study
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original bronze sculpture by Lisa Gordon. Edition #8/12. Signed on base.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Joseph Wackerle Wood Sculpture "Flora", 1920
By Joseph Wackerle
Located in Berlin, DE
An impressiv sculpture by Joseph Wackerle ( 1880-1959 ). One of a kind from 1920, Germany. Wood, carved. Height: 59.06 in ( 150 cm ), Width: 12.6 in ( 32 cm ), Depth: 12.6 in ( 32 cm )
Category

1920s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Bolt from the Blue
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Inscribed/signed by Artist on base of sculpture with edition number. 7/18
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"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...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Flying High
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by Artist on bronze base of the piece with an edition number. 1/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Farm Pond Urn
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze signed/etched into base by Artist. 8/200
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Otter Urn
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze signed/etched into base by Artist. 14/200
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Eve"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The sculpture "Eve" embodies the image of a primitive woman, a symbol of the beginning of humanity, the harmony of nature and life. Made of bronze, it has classical proportions that ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Two meters pear tree wrough iron sculpture. Unique piece. In & outdoor sculpture
Located in Milan, IT
Pear Tree Sculpture. Elegant, fine and unique piece, not replicable. Forged on wrought iron. Made by six different branches, easy assembled. The sculptor is fresh from the success ...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

"Liberty & Sacrifice", Frederick Hart, Bronze Figurative Sculpture, 36x28x22 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
"Liberty and Sacrifice" by Frederick Hart is a figurative female figure bronze sculpture with the edition number 14/50. "The figures of Liberty and Sacrifice are used in an allego...
Category

1990s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sizin' Up The Bucket Shot
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Inscribed by the artist on the bronze base of the sculpture with a signature and edition number. 3/30
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Colt 6/8 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 and real life with a zest of fancy. Without humanizing the model, respecting the uniqueness of each one in its biodiversity. After studying three years of art history at the Ecole du Louvre, it was with her uncle and her aunt veterinarians, that her love for animals truly took shape in the clay; as with the first models animals on the examination table...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique Dog: Bulldog Playing with a Mouse- Henri Émile Adrien Trodoux ca. 1870s
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Bronze Dog Bulldog Playing with a Mouse on Sheaves of Wheat Henri Émile Adrien Trodoux (1815-1881) 6 1/8 x 3 7/5 inches Signed on the terrace Henri Émile Adrien Trodoux (Fre...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bollel Child and conch shell. Original multiple bronze sculpture
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
BOLLEL. Child and conch shell. Original multiple bronze sculpture
Category

1980s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Solitude
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by the Artist on the bronze base of the sculpture with an edition number. 9/39
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Hippopotame
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 a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Delft Frog 1" - Hand-Painted Resin Sculpture by Nana Williams, 2025
Located in Denver, CO
Nana Williams' "Delft Frog 1" is an exquisitely crafted small-scale sculpture blending contemporary artistry with classic Delftware aesthetics. This one-of-a-kind piece is made from ...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Acrylic, Gouache

Modular Movement III
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original bronze sculpture by Lisa Gordon. Edition #1/1. Signed on base.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Yellowstone Song
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze signed/etched into base by Artist. 7/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pony Express Saddle
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original bronze sculpture by George Walbye. Edition #7/100. Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Barnyard Game - Chess
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Edition #6/32 - Original bronze sculpture by Dan Chen. Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist 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 Sculptures

Materials

Acrylic Polymer, Resin

Galapagos
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by Artist on bronze base of the piece with an edition number. 67/100
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Porcelain Pattern Sphynx 2" - Hand-Painted Resin Cat Sculpture, 2024
Located in Denver, CO
Nana Williams’ "Porcelain Pattern Sphynx 2" is a captivating resin sculpture that merges delicate craftsmanship with intricate surface decoration. This 2024 original work is a resin cast, hand-painted with acrylic gouache, standing at 5.50 x 2 x 3.50 inches (13.97 x 5.08 x 8.89 cm). Inspired by the elegance of fine porcelain, the piece mimics the timeless beauty of blue-and-white ceramic motifs...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Acrylic, Gouache

Yesterday's Hope, Tomorrow's Dream
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by the Artist on the bronze base of the sculpture with an edition number. 8/35
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Summer Transits
Located in White Plains, NY
“Summer Transits” by David Kimball Anderson, 2017. Bronze, steel, and paint, 22½ x 14 x 6 inches. This sculpture features a square vase in a bright red patina. The flowers are painte...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Steel

"The Muses Suit" Bronze Collection of Dance, Music, Poetry, and Theater, 42/65
Located in Dallas, TX
Step into the world of artistic elegance with our exclusive offer on the Muses suite by master sculptor Frederick Hart. Each bronze head, representing Dance, Music, Poetry, and Theat...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sonoran Serenade
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by the Artist on the bronze base of the sculpture with an edition number. 13/30
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist 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 Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Study Buddies
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by the Artist on lower bronze base with an edition number. 4/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Luna Tunes
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by the Artist on lower bronze base with an edition number. 9/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

American Beauty
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by Artist on bronze base of the piece with an edition number. 4/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Wet Leather, Cold Mornin'
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/etched by Artist on bronze base of sculpture with edition number. A/C 2/3
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Apex IV
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original bronze sculpture by Lisa Gordon. Edition #5/12. Signed on base.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Globe Trotter
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze piece signed/etched by Artist on bronze base of sculpture with edition number. 10/35
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bison Tondo
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signed/inscribed by Artist on bronze base of piece with edition number. 3/35
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Medium Sail Boat
Located in Fairfield, CT
Pedro's sculpture's are whimsical and sophisticated. The sailboat series is affordable for the work involved in creating them. His use of mixed media gives the sculptures a unique ...
Category

2010s Realist Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Raven Song Bell
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze signed/etched into base by Artist. 7/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sleepy Head
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original sculpture signed/etched by the Artist on the base. 19/20
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Between Heaven and Earth
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze signed/etched into base by Artist. 5/50
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

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.

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