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Photorealist Art

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
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

"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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cure, New York 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum

The Cure, New York 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum

By Allan Tannenbaum

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition print of Robert Smith and The Cure taken on Columbus Ave, NYC, April 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum 17" x 22" Paper - Edition 50 Printed to the highest quality on...

Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original
Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original

Female Surfer Underwater, Blue Summer Ocean Sport Surf Painting, Signed Original

By Raúl Álvarez

Located in FISTERRA, ES

This underwater surfer painting captures a woman suspended beneath the ocean surface, combining luminous blue water, summer imagery and figurative realism. Created by Spanish painte...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Spray Paint, Acrylic

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

"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

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

Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph
Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph

Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph

Located in Soquel, CA

"Henry And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge" - 1954 Original Photograph 1954 original black and white silver gelatin photograph of Henry and Eve Miller at their house on Partington Ridge in Big Sur, California by California photographer Jim Healy (American, 20th C.). Eve Miller sits behind a desk while Henry Miller leans against a bookshelf in their home office in Big Sur. Eve holds a cigarette in her hand, with Henry next to her, leaning his elbow against the bookshelf. Titled, stamped and dated on verso. "Henry and Eve Miller on Partington Ridge 1954 photo by Jim Healy" Stamped "Henry Miller Memorial Library, Big Sur California" Presented in a white mat. Mat: 20"H x 16"W Photo: 14"H x 11"W Image: 13 1/8"H x 10 5/8"W Henry Miller was born December 26, 1891 in New York, New York. In 1920 Miller began working for Western Union Telegraph service where his interest in writing began. He soon left for Europe in 1928 where he resided in Paris in 1930. He continued full time with his long and lucrative career as a writer of more than 36 creative and analytical works. Miller's entrance into the writer's circle began with Tropic of Cancer, which still proves to be Miller's most famous work. Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn chronicle Miller's lives and loves as an expatriate in Paris. They were both originally published in France by Jack Kahane at Obelisk Press in the mid-thirties. Soon after the publishing of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Miller's other works to date were published in the United States. During this time it was said that "Miller became a legendary character, a kind of folk hero, the Paul Bunyan of literature, larger than life as exile, bohemian, and rebel, the great champion of freedom of expression and other lost causes...

Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Ink, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

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

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph
Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph

Located in Soquel, CA

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph Original photograph of Marilyn Monroe posing in her dressing room on the film of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by photographer Milton Gold (American,...

Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

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

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

Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm
Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm

Vase of Spring Light: Original Contemporary Oil on Canvas Still Life, 76x76 cm

Located in London, Chelsea

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Vase of Spring Light by Ann Goldberg captures the vibrant cont...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism
Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism

Lime Juice Still-Life Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 40x40cm, original realism

By Irina Trushkova

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 Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wild Child - photorealist painting
Wild Child - photorealist painting

Wild Child - photorealist painting

By Lynette Cook

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Wild Child' depicts a San Francisco home, painted brightly to reflect the free spirited city that is bathed in warm west coast sunlight with shadows cascad...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag
Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag

Black and White Seascape of Pacific Beach Horizon, Limited Edition Photo Rag

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive limited edition black and white giclée print, on 100% cotton Hahnemühle Photo Rag Fine Art matte paper. This series of black and white photographs captures the ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Emulsion, Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée

Attributes of Art
Attributes of Art

Attributes of Art

By Dana Loomis

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Dana Loomis Title: Attributes of Art Year: 1984 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and titled in marker Size: 40 in. x 46 in. (101.6 cm x 116.84 cm) Frame Size: 41 x 47 inches

Category

1980s 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

Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables
Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables

Photorealistic Baroque Inspired Still-Life Painting With Watermelon & Vegetables

Located in Frederiksberg C, DK

This photorealistic still life painting presents a carefully orchestrated arrangement of vegetables with a strong dramatic and sculptural presence. Familiar organic subjects—cabbag...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky
The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

The Cure 1980 by Jill Furmanovsky

By Jill Furmanovsky

Located in Austin, TX

Signed limited edition fine art print of The Cure on the road in Holland and Belgium during their 1980 'Seventeen Seconds' tour. Signed and numbered by Jill Furmanovsky in pencil an...

Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Stephanie Serpick, A New Fall 16, 2018, Oil On Panel, 18 x 24 inches, Realism

Stephanie Serpick, A New Fall 16, 2018, Oil On Panel, 18 x 24 inches, Realism

By Stephanie Serpick

Located in Darien, CT

Intimate paintings represented by unmade beds and tossed sheets, absent of any human evidence, on intentionally blank, somewhat rough backgrounds. The empty bed in these paintings represents a place for grief, isolation or healing. As such, the work speaks to our shared feeling of grief, with the understanding that while we all suffer in our individual ways, suffering is universal. Source material for this work are photographs the artist has both taken and found, and the intimate size of the paintings references the intimate nature of the subject matter. The backgrounds of the paintings are repeatedly painted and sanded, to create a frame and backdrop for the bedding that is flat, yet rough with work and time. The bedding itself is seen from different perspectives, but still indicates a scene of desolation and despair. While the series began in the fall of 2016, recent events—including the pandemic—have provided a new dimension to the work and have compelled Serpick to consider the themes in light of these events. Our forced isolation and the challenges it has brought to our physical and mental health provides an additional shared experience from which to consider grief and eventual healing. Biography Stephanie Serpick is a painter whose work explores themes of isolation, grief, and healing. Her work has been shown in various exhibitions in the U.S. and internationally, and she is a fellow at several residencies, most notably at the Florence Trust Studios in London, MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, and the Vermont Studio Center, where she was awarded a full fellowship and stipend to attend. Recent exhibitions include solo shows at Sweet Lorraine Gallery in Brooklyn, the College of Southern Nevada, and a two-person exhibition at The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute at the Museum of Art at Pratt in Utica NY...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Red Stripes Still Life: Photorealist Oil Painting
Red Stripes Still Life: Photorealist Oil Painting

Red Stripes Still Life: 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

David Morrison, Sycamore Series No. 3, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing, 2003
David Morrison, Sycamore Series No. 3, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing, 2003

David Morrison, Sycamore Series No. 3, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing, 2003

By David Morrison

Located in New York, NY

Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...

Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

Jill I, Photorealist Lithography by John Kacere

Jill I, Photorealist Lithography by John Kacere

By John Kacere

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: John Kacere, American (1920 - 1999) Title: Jill I Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300, 10 HC, 45 AP Image Size: 25.5 x 19 inches Size: 2...

Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

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.