Realist Art
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.
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21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Canvas
1970s Realist Art
Lithograph, Offset
2010s Realist Art
Silver, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Graphite
2010s Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
2010s Realist Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Emulsion, Monotype, Paper
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
1880s Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Oil
17th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A field of red poppies bursts with vibrant color, illuminated by the golden hues of a setting sun. Bold strokes capture the depth and vitality of the scene. Pai...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A woman sits on a bench, sipping her drink, outside of St. Mark’s Coffee & Tea in the East Village. The cafe’s red facade contrasts with the subdued urban e...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Art
Gold Leaf
1940s Realist Art
Oil
1840s Realist Art
Lithograph
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Panel
1970s Realist Art
Metal, Copper
2010s Realist Art
Glass, Blown Glass
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Cotton Canvas, Wood, Linen, Canvas
19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Paper, Emulsion, Watercolor, Engraving, Etching, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
1990s Realist Art
Screen
1990s Realist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic, Board
1930s Realist Art
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic, Board
2010s Realist Art
Resin, Acrylic, Gouache
1840s Realist Art
Lithograph
2010s Realist Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Handmade Paper, Drypoint
1840s Realist Art
Lithograph
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Art
Oil
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Realist Art
Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1860s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
20th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
20th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
20th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
This oil painting captures the warmth of an evening sunset, casting a golden glow over a serene pond. The rich hues of the trees contrast with the vibrant ref...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Oil
1970s Realist Art
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Laid Paper, Permanent Marker, Digital Pigment
2010s Realist Art
Glass, Blown Glass
1730s Realist Art
Engraving
17th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil