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Photorealist Art

2,976 Results
PHOTOREALISM

A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.

Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.

The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.

Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”

The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.

On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.

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Style: Photorealist
Moonshadows Still Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, 21st Century Art
Moonshadows Still Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, 21st Century Art

Moonshadows Still Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, 21st Century Art

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Mimi Jensen uses bold colors to depict theatrically lit objects. Her paintings invite speculation into possible metaphors – California Home+Design magazine Ms. Jensen is a Still Lif...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bowl of Lemons: Original Contemporary realism Still Life painting 40x40cm
Bowl of Lemons: Original Contemporary realism Still Life painting 40x40cm

Bowl of Lemons: Original Contemporary realism Still Life painting 40x40cm

By Christopher Witchall

Located in London, Chelsea

Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ian Hornak, Marcia’s Meadow, Vermont, Variation #2, 1984
Ian Hornak, Marcia’s Meadow, Vermont, Variation #2, 1984

Ian Hornak, Marcia’s Meadow, Vermont, Variation #2, 1984

By Ian Hornak

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944–2002) Title: Marcia’s Meadow, Vermont, Variation #2 Year: 1984 Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 50 x 72 inches (127 x 182.88 cm) Condition: Well preserved, c...

Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas
"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas

"Dusk" - Abstract Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Denver, CO

"Dusk, what a lovely time to see the emergence of the city lights, the shift of warm to cool hues. The speckled sky. The sleeping behemoths of concrete and glass." - Dominic Harman ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Gesso, Oil

Royal Diner 1980 Signed Limited Edition Silkscreen
Royal Diner 1980 Signed Limited Edition Silkscreen

Royal Diner 1980 Signed Limited Edition Silkscreen

By John Baeder

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Artist: John Baeder Title: Royal Diner  Year: 1980 Print - Screen print on Somerset paper    Size: 22'' x 30'' inches Edition: Signed in pencil and marked 133/250 John Baeder's calc...

Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng
Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng

Palace, Signed Photorealistic Oil Portrait by Di Li Feng

By Di Li Feng

Located in Long Island City, NY

Di Li Feng, born 1958, is a Chinese contemporary artist, now working as Professor in the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, in China. Born in a small Chinese town, he graduated from the Ch...

Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blue Rolling Waves off Sidney, Seascape Diptych Cyanotype, Australian Coast Surf
Blue Rolling Waves off Sidney, Seascape Diptych Cyanotype, Australian Coast Surf

Blue Rolling Waves off Sidney, Seascape Diptych Cyanotype, Australian Coast Surf

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Rolling Waves off Sidney" is a gorgeous original cyanotype diptych showing energetic waves embracing the Australian coas...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Emulsion, Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype, Rag Paper

Glass and Lemons, Realism Still Life Oil Painting, Signed, 40x40cm
Glass and Lemons, Realism Still Life Oil Painting, Signed, 40x40cm

Glass and Lemons, Realism Still Life Oil Painting, Signed, 40x40cm

By Irina Trushkova

Located in London, Chelsea

Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simple and hassle-free. Glass and Lemons by Irina Trushkova is a luminous original oil on canvas, showcasing exquisite realism and still-life painting through a sophisticated study of light, texture and everyday objects. A graceful glass carafe filled with water and delicate lemon slices becomes the centrepiece, beautifully reflecting the surrounding light. Nearby, whole lemons sit in a small bowl, while a lemon wedge and antique knife rest...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style
Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style

Anticipation: Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Photorealist Style

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Mimi Jensen uses bold colors to depict theatrically lit objects. Her paintings invite speculation into possible metaphors – California Home+Design magazine Ms. Jensen is a Still Li...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Beatles 1963 by Norman Parkinson

The Beatles 1963 by Norman Parkinson

By Norman Parkinson

Located in Austin, TX

The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr at the President Hotel, Russell Square, London, 12 September 1963 by Norman Parkinson NORMAN PARKINSON POST...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting
FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting

FADED - contemporary photorealistic acrylic painting

By Lynette Cook

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Faded' depicts Chinese immigrant woman looking out from the window of her Chinatown home. The building is covered with cascading shadows that are created from the building's metal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Locked, " Oil Painting
"Locked, " Oil Painting

"Locked, " Oil Painting

By Karen Offutt

Located in Denver, CO

Karen Offutt's "Locked" is an original, handmade painting that depicts a close up view of a feminine face at three quarters view, her brown hair frames her porcelain face. About th...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Glow, " Oil Painting
"Glow, " Oil Painting

"Glow, " Oil Painting

By Karen Offutt

Located in Denver, CO

Karen Offutt's "Glow" is an original, handmade painting that depicts a close up view of a feminine face with her eyes closed as her necklace and alabaster skin reflect brightly again...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Willie Nelson at the 4th July Picnic 1979

Willie Nelson at the 4th July Picnic 1979

By Scott Newton

Located in Austin, TX

Willie Nelson, taken at the 4th July Picnic in 1979 in Austin Texas by photographer Scott Newton Signed limited edition print, printed on heavyweight cotton photo rag with a matte f...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor signed Lifetime Edition

David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor signed Lifetime Edition

By Terry O'Neill

Located in Austin, TX

Lifetime prints are the last remaining prints available, signed by Terry O’Neill and obtained from the Terry O’Neill Archive in London. Signed limited edition, silver gelatin print ...

Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo
Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo

Joe Dallesandro Andy Warhol Trash promo photo

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Jack Mitchell, American Photographer (1925-2013). Joe Dallesandro, ca. 1973. 11 x 14 inches; 12 x 15 inches framed. Period print from artist's studio. The image was intended for ...

Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Kate Bush

Kate Bush

By Gered Mankowitz

Located in Austin, TX

Portrait of singer and dancer, Kate Bush by acclaimed photographer, Gered Mankowitz, taken in his London studio in 1978. Kate Bush has seen a huge resurgence...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool
Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool

Weightless, Timeless: Oil Painting of Two Women Swimming in Pool

By Samantha French

Located in Hudson, NY

Horizontal figurative photo-realist painting of women swimming in an aqua blue pool "Weightless, Timeless," painted by Hudson Valley artist, Samantha French, is 2019 oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches Sides are cleanly painted white so additional framing is optional Excellent condition and ready to hang as is This photorealist figurative painting captures a peaceful water scene of a women leisurely floating in a crisp, aqua blue pool. The sunlight reflecting off their sun kissed skin complements the cool color palette, making for a serene visual experience. The brush work is highly detailed with little texture (impasto) on the surface. The horizontal painting on canvas is currently unframed and has clean, white painted sides, so additional framing is optional. About the Artist: Born and raised in north central Minnesota, Samantha French graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2005. French’s current body of work explores the idea of escape, the tranquility and nostalgia for the lazy summer days of her childhood. The series is inspired by Samantha’s own reflections and memories of her childhood summers spent in the lakes of Northern Minnesota. French actively exhibits her paintings and is included in many private and public collections throughout the country while her work has garnered extensive international and national press. She is a full-time painter and keeps a studio in New York’s Hudson Valley. "My current body of work is focused on swimmers underwater and above. Using vague yet consuming memories from my childhood summers spent immersed in the tepid lakes of northern Minnesota, I attempt to recreate the quiet tranquility of water and nature; of days spent sinking and floating, still and peaceful. These paintings are a link to my home and continual search for the feeling of the sun on my face and warm summer days at the lake. They are my escape, a subtle reprieve from the day-to-day. At the same time, I am drawn to an idealistic time before my own, where swim caps and wool swimsuits were commonplace. This combination of memory, observation and photography has allowed me to preserve the transitory qualities of water and remembrance." Artist Resume: 2019 Winter Swim, Rubine Red...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Who with children by Art Kane

The Who with children by Art Kane

By Art Kane

Located in Austin, TX

The Who under a Union Jack flag, 1968 by Art Kane Shot in 1968 in NYC in Morningside Park near Columbia University, Art Kane had plenty of fun with The Who. Kane described them as “...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Ian Hornak, Lilies and Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka, 1986
Ian Hornak, Lilies and Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka, 1986

Ian Hornak, Lilies and Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka, 1986

By Ian Hornak

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944–2002) Title: Lilies and Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka Year: 1986 Medium: Acrylic on panel, with artist painted frame Size: 65.5 x 52.5 inches (166.37 x 133....

Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Kate Bush Lionheart album cover

Kate Bush Lionheart album cover

By Gered Mankowitz

Located in Austin, TX

Portrait of singer and dancer, Kate Bush by acclaimed photographer, Gered Mankowitz, taken in his London studio in 1978 for the cover of her album, Lionheart. Gered recalls, "The cover series of portraits that I shot for Lionheart in August 1978. I art directed the album cover and my assistant at the time, Richard Grey...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit
1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit

1920s Photo of the Seawell Cushion Wheel Co. Baseball Team of Detroit

Located in San Francisco, CA

A 1920s Detroit-based company baseball team gathered for this photo. The Sewell Cushion Wheel Company’s players wear uniform shirts bearing the timeless term “All Cush,” (frankly, wo...

Category

1920s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Dolly Parton 1977 portrait by Allan Tannenbaum
Dolly Parton 1977 portrait by Allan Tannenbaum

Dolly Parton 1977 portrait by Allan Tannenbaum

By Allan Tannenbaum

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition 20x24" print of Dolly Parton taken in New York City in 1977 by Allan Tannenbaum. Edition number 5/25 Allan Tannenbaum prints are available in the following ...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Harmony  / oil on canvas
Harmony  / oil on canvas

Harmony / oil on canvas

By Mimi Jensen

Located in Burlingame, CA

Sophisticated shades of grey and white still life with vases, shell, box and marble. Wonderful complex patterns throughout the oil painting on canvas. In excellent condition. Signed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunshine Yellow
Sunshine Yellow

Jose BorrellSunshine Yellow, 2020

$2,500Sale Price|64% Off

Sunshine Yellow

By Jose Borrell

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. While having attended renowned art schools in Spain, including the Fine Arts School of Alcoy ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Ian Hornak, Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise, 1985
Ian Hornak, Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise, 1985

Ian Hornak, Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise, 1985

By Ian Hornak

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944–2002) Title: Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Inscription: Signed, dated, and titled by the artist, verso Provenance: Armstrong Gallery, New York, New York Notes: This exquisite acrylic painting by Ian Hornak (1944–2002), titled Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise, was executed in 1985. The masterfully conceived composition exemplifies Hornak’s celebrated series of multiple-exposure landscape paintings, a body of work that transformed conventional landscape imagery into complex meditations on memory, perception, and the passage of time. Through the seamless fusion of distinct moments within a single visual field, Hornak creates a dreamlike yet convincing reality in which sunrise and moonrise coexist simultaneously, dissolving traditional boundaries between day and night, observation and recollection. The silhouetted tree forms, luminous celestial light, and brilliantly layered sky are rendered with extraordinary precision, producing an image that is at once visually breathtaking and intellectually engaging. By combining photographic realism with poetic invention, Hornak invites viewers to contemplate the fluid nature of time and experience, presenting multiple realities within a unified composition. Executed during a pivotal period in the artist’s career, the painting demonstrates Hornak’s remarkable ability to synthesize technical mastery, environmental observation, and metaphysical inquiry into a singular and unforgettable vision of the natural world. IAN HORNAK (1944–2002) was an American painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and pioneering force in Photorealism and Hyperrealism whose extraordinary technical mastery, visionary imagination, and innovative approach to realism established him as one of the most distinctive and original artists of the late twentieth century. Widely recognized as a founding member of both the Photorealist and Hyperrealist movements, Hornak helped redefine the possibilities of contemporary realism by combining photographic precision with symbolism, romanticism, mythology, environmental awareness, art historical references, and metaphysical inquiry, creating a body of work that stands apart within postwar American art for both its visual brilliance and intellectual ambition. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Michigan before establishing his career in New York and East Hampton, Hornak emerged during one of the most transformative periods in modern art and developed a highly individual visual language that transcended conventional artistic categories. While many of his contemporaries focused on strict photographic transcription, urban imagery, or detached observation, Hornak utilized realism as a foundation for exploring profound themes of memory, beauty, mortality, spirituality, environmental fragility, and humanity’s relationship with nature, producing works that operate simultaneously as visual spectacles and philosophical meditations. His artistic vision reflects an awareness of the revolutionary innovations introduced by Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, while simultaneously drawing inspiration from the Hudson River School, particularly Frederic Edwin Church, Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas Cole, and Albert Bierstadt, as well as the spiritual landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich and the botanical precision of Dutch Golden Age masters. Through this extraordinary synthesis of influences, Hornak created a visual language that united scientific observation, photographic realism, romantic grandeur, allegorical symbolism, and philosophical reflection into a form entirely his own. His highest recorded sale was achieved in 2017, when Large Orchid Bouquet (1988) was sold in a private transaction conducted in association with the heir of the Ian Hornak estate to the Van Andel family, co-owners of Amway, for US$165,000 ($219,168.11 USD, calculated for inflation in 2025). Ian Hornak Transparent Barricades: Sunrise and Moonrise, Ian Hornak multiple exposure landscape, Ian Hornak acrylic on canvas, Ian Hornak 1985 painting, Ian Hornak sunrise landscape, Ian Hornak moonrise painting...

Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Waves of Freedom
Waves of Freedom

Waves of Freedom

By DARIA DUDOCHNYKOVA

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Waves of Freedom" captures the moment when water washes away all constraints and expectations, allowing the soul to breathe freely. Each brushstroke symbolizes the journey toward in...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting
Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting

Paris de Noche (Paris at Night): Photorealist Oil Painting

By Jesus Navarro

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. Size listed does not include the frame. Frame adds around 3 inches to each side to the posted ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

DIVE
DIVE

DIVE

By DARIA DUDOCHNYKOVA

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Be like water, my friend" by Bruce Lee. When Lee said "be like water," he called upon people to embrace flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. He asserted ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Photorealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist art 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 art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, purple, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Alex Sher, Gregory Block, Lowell Nesbitt, and Ian Hornak. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Photorealist art, so small editions measuring 0.79 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $11 and tops out at $585,000, while the average work sells for $2,404.