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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
Showtime diptych I
Located in MADRID, ES
Photography, printed on Fine Art cotton smooth paper 310 g/m2, glued to Dibond Aluminium. 100 x 100 x 0,5 cm + 100 x 100 x 0,5 cm. Unique piece with these dimensions. Showtime, by F...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Trompe l'oeil, Les Falaises du Trocadéro, 2021 -JR, Set 2, Print, Art, Edition
Located in Zug, CH
JR Trompe l'oeil, Les Falaises du Trocadéro (Set of 2) 2021 Giclée Print Laminated with G-gloss, Mounted on 3mm Dibond 64 × 96 cm (25.2 × 37.8 in) In matching edition numbers In mint...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sail Boats
Located in Miami, FL
A precise and exact rendering and meticulous spacial arrangement are on full display in Lewandowski's this later work. The work looks better in person. The artwork is in pristine co...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

Orange Under Wraps
Located in Greenwich, CT
American, b. 1948 What is “sharp focus” drawing? Put very simply, it is a rendering with refined, precise line and tone to create a lifelike representation of the subject matter. It...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Chroma sky (Blue key) 10 - Contemporary, Blue, Minimalist, Figurative, Landscape
Located in Berlin, DE
Chroma sky (Blue key) 10, 2007 Acrylic and oil on canvas (Signed on reverse) 23.62 H x 31.49 W in 60 H x 80 W cm The artist wrote about how he conceives this work: "The transformat...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

"California Bug" Original Oil Painting 16 in x 20 in
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"California Bug" 2021 Oil on Panel 16 in x 20 in "California Bug" is all about the unbounded cheerfulness of the vintage Volkswagen Bug. A residential street in Southern Californi...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Empire, by Robert Cottingham (photorealistic image of neon sign )
Located in New York, NY
Robert Cottingham is known for imagery that celebrates the history of communications in America, specifically neon signage on urban storefronts and signs on railroad cars. In 2008, ...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Bowl with Spices-original modern realism still life painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Heidi von Faber's original painting showcases a hyper-realistic interpretation of a contemporary still life, reminiscent of the precision and style seen in the works of early Dutch m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sant'Alessandro
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the Sant'Alessandro church - Milan (Italy). Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works b...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Three Arrows
Located in Denver, CO
Three Arrows is a stunning floral still life from American painter Marc Dennis. Known for his lush and often humorous works rendered in his signature hyperrealistic style, Dennis here has created a work that coyly plays with viewers' perception. The painstakingly realistic floral blossoms that dominate this picture are contrasted by the inclusion of overtly cartoonish botanical masses in the center left of the composition. Dennis is based in New York, New York, but his life has taken him numerous places. Personal mythologies emerge in his works, alongside references to 19th-century traditional American Western painting...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Shunka Wakan (Shoon-kah Whah-kahn)
Located in Denver, CO
Marc Dennis is a Brooklyn-based artist known for his hyper-realistic paintings that spotlight the subversive potential of beauty and the gaze. His work marries styles and techniques ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Linen

"Violet" Oil painting 55" x 32" inch by Yousra Hafad
Located in Culver City, CA
"Violet" Oil painting 55" x 32" inch by Yousra Hafad Yousra Hafad is an Egyptian artist, born in March 1980. She graduated from Faculty of Art Education in 2001. Her sumptuous pain...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Broken Hearts" Original Painting, Lush Pomegranate Still Life
Located in Denver, CO
Victoria Novak's "Broken Hearts" is a striking example of contemporary still life painting, brought to life through her masterful use of oil on canvas. ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

REFLECTIONS - Photography in Black and White , Bjorn Wennerwald
Located in Napoli, IT
Bjorn Wennerwald was born in 1964 and lives in Scandinavia. He graduated as a photographer from Copenhagen Photo College in 1987. During his long career his talents have benefited a ...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Marilyn Monroe nude in Somethings Got To Give by Lawrence Schiller
Located in Austin, US
Museum quality print of Marilyn Monroe by Lawrence Schiller, taken on the set of Somethings Got To Give in 1962 during the famous naked swimming pool scene Signed limited edition 16...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Woodland Farm in Winter with Horse & Cart and Farmer in the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Woodland Farm in the Winter with Horse & Cart and Farmer in the English Countryside with Warm Brown Colours, Small Lake in the foreground, by 20th Century British Artist, Christopher...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La Vie Est Belle. 2023, oil on canvas, 80x70 cm
Located in Riga, LV
La Vie Est Belle. 2023, oil on canvas, 80x70 cm Works of Liene Liepina are full of life and joy because of photography-like, realistic details on the one hand, and intense and slight...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Apriel - underwater black & white nude photograph - archival pigment 35 x 43"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white photograph of a beautiful topless young woman, Apriel swimming in the pool. Original gallery quality archival pigment print - signed by the artist. Limited edition of 24 Paper size: 36x44...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment, Archival Paper

Bob Dylan portrait by Guido Harari
Located in Austin, US
Signed limited edition print of Bob Dylan by Guido Harari, taken in Sirmione, Italy, 1984. Available in the following sizes: A. 11” x 16” - Edition 50 B. 16” x 20” - Edition 50 C. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Red Hot Chili Peppers by Ebet Roberts
Located in Austin, US
A classic, stunning shot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 by celebrated photographer, Ebet Roberts. Signed limited edition, hand printed sil...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jimi Hendrix by Baron Wolman rare signed platinum print
Located in Austin, US
JIMI HENDRIX ON STAGE AT THE WINTERLAND BALLROOM IN SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY 1968. One copy available Signed limited edition #7/150 Rare signed platinum print with deckled bottom edge
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Platinum

Contemporary Photography Batman Wild Spirits by Sebastian Magnani
Located in BARCELONA, ES
FRAME INCLUDED WITH THE PICTURE. Edition of 7 Hand-signed by artist Includes certificate of authenticity All Artworks are Signed & Numbered in Front with COA included Sebastian Magnani...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor by Terry O'Neill - signed print
Located in Austin, US
Signed open edition, 8” x 10” archival print of David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor by Terry O'Neill, featuring Terry O’Neill’s official embossed studio stamp. David Bowie and actress ...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

John Lennon and Paul McCartney The Beatles by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles pictured during the recording of their annual Christmas message to the groups’ fan club at the Marquee Studios in central London, 19th O...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

The Beatles Dolls 1966 contact sheet print by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
The Beatles "Dolls" contact sheet by Robert Whitaker from the photo session that ended up giving the band the controversial cover for the 1966 release "Yesterday and Today". On Mar...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

The Beatles "Yesterday and Today" contact sheet print by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
The Beatles contact sheet by Robert Whitaker from the photo session that ended up being the controversial cover for the 1966 release "Yesterday and Today". On March 25, 1966, The ...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

The Beatles In White "Yesterday and Today" album cover shot by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
The Beatles In White by Robert Whitaker. On March 25, 1966, The Beatles visited 1 The Vale, Chelsea, London, a top-floor studio leased by Oluf Nilssen and frequently used by renow...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

The Beatles Guitars backstage Tokyo 1966 by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
The Beatles Guitars, backstage in Tokyo Japan in 1966 by Robert Whitaker. All limited edition prints in this collection are hand numbered and authenticated with the official Rober...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

John Lennon Portrait by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, US
John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles at the Westwood Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, 27th-28th June 1966. En route for the Japanese leg of their final world tour, the group made...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

"Reels" acrylic on canvas Dark Academia retro tech reel to reel grey black white
Located in Hamburg, HH
A painting by Amanda Andersen from a larger body of work created in the early 2010s which explored vintage technologies and materials including VHS cassette tape, reel-to-reel tape machines...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Graphite

David Bowie and William Burroughs by Terry O'Neill signed print
Located in Austin, US
Signed open edition, 8” x 10” archival print of David Bowie and William Burroughs by Terry O'Neill, featuring Terry O’Neill’s embossed studio stamp On 28 February 1974, Rolling Ston...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

"A City Upon a Hill" trompe l'oeil oil painting of comic clip taped on grey wall
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"A City Upon a Hill" is a trompe l'oeil oil painting of comic clipping taped on a grey wall. Framed Dimensions: 19 x 25 inches The arts have been an integral part of Anthony Mas...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Patti Smith portrait by Lynn Goldsmith signed limited edition 16x20" print
Located in Austin, US
Signed limited edition 16x20"" print of Patti Smith taken in 1978 by Lynn Goldsmith. Limited edition number 3/20 Modern C-type print. Available for immediate shipping. Lynn Goldsm...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Dove of peace. Limited edition no. I/V
Located in KRAKÓW, PL
"Peace Dove" is a limited edition of a black and white photograph by the contemporary artist Tadeusz Zych from the Black and White States series. The photo was taken during a trip to...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Comfort in Chaos by Josephine Cardin Contemporary Fashion photography
Located in DE
Artist: Josephine Cardin Medium: Photography Limited edition of 30 "Another conversation with no destination, another battle never won. Each side is a loser, so who cares who fired...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Pigment, Photographic Paper

Ann Richards and Dolly Parton in Austin Texas by Scott Newton
Located in Austin, US
Texan politician and former Texas governor, Ann Richards with Dolly Parton taken at the Driskill Hotel, Austin Texas in 1982 by photographer Scott Newton Photographers notes: We wer...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Comfort in Chaos by Josephine Cardin Contemporary Fashion photography
Located in DE
Artist: Josephine Cardin Medium: Photography Limited edition of 30 "Another conversation with no destination, another battle never won. Each side is a loser, so who cares who fired...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Pigment

David Bowie The Archer - New special edition
Located in Austin, US
NEW - Special limited edition series produced for the 2023 David Bowie Worldwide Fan Convention in June 2023. This iconic image of David Bowie as The Thin White Duke was taken by re...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Nebulous
Located in Buffalo, NY
Through drawings rendered in charcoal and ink, my recent work examines issues related to memory by exploring its limitations and aestheticizing the instability inherent in portraitur...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor, framed signed print by Terry O'Neill
Located in Austin, US
David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor at director George Cukor’s home in Los Angeles, 1975, signed Terry O'Neill, 8x10" print, custom framed with non-glare museum glass, 8ply matting and ...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Giclée

David Bowie Smoking Clown contact sheet by Duffy, with silver frame
Located in Austin, US
Museum quality contact sheet print of David Bowie smoking a cigarette in the Scary Monsters Clown costume from the official Duffy Archive. Taken from the original negatives, these o...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Infinity - underwater black and white nude photograph - archival paper 28"x35"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white photograph of a topless female dancer in the pool. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival pap...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

David Bowie and William Burroughs, framed signed print by Terry O'Neill
Located in Austin, US
Ready to ship immediately. Free domestic US shipping. David Bowie and William Burroughs in Los Angeles, February 1974, signed Terry O'Neill, 8x10" print, custom framed with non-glar...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Giclée

George Barris, "Warm Up", hand signed, photolithograph
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Taken just two and a half weeks before her untimely death "Warm Up" is considered to be the last photo taken of the last photo shoot of Marilyn Monroe by George Barris at Santa Monic...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Portrait of Nikita Khrushchev in Profile, Mid Century Black & White Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Exquisite black and white photograph of Nikita Khrushchev, a portrait in profile of the former Premier of the Soviet Union, by Yousuf Karsh from his ...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

The Vanity Ballroom- photo by Ted Fines
Located in Clinton Township, MI
Detroit's Art Deco Vanity Ballroom was once a popular venue for music beginning in the 1920's with Ellington, Goodman, the Dorsey Bros, and Cab Calloway. Later in the 70's, it beca...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Signed Fabulous 19th Century Male Mustache Portrait Dutch Ripple Frame Drawing
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredibly well executed and superb subject. A 19th century portrait of a handsome young man with a mustache. Framed in a Dutch ripple wood molding...
Category

1890s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SPIDER WEB, Vija Celmins (screen print of spiderweb)
Located in New York, NY
This screen print depicts one of Celmins' signature subjects, the spider web, which she has represented in various media, including charcoal, oil paint, and multiple printmaking tech...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Bubble Dance- underwater photograph - print on paper 26” x 35”
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a dancer in short red dress dancing in air bubbles. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival pap...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Muddy Waters in NY
Located in KRAKÓW, PL
"Muddy Waters in NY" is a limited-edition black & white photograph by contemporary artist Tadeusz Zych from the series entitled Black and white States. The photo was taken during a t...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Fluid Cadi
Located in West Hollywood, CA
The painting “Fluid Cadi” draws inspiration from a fusion of the artist’s travel recollections and dreamscapes. Captured during a trip to California, the artist encountered this Cadi...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Mermaid Angel - underwater photograph - print on paper 26" x 35"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a beautiful young woman in transparent dress on dark background. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Sketch - underwater b&w photograph - archival pigment print 35x23"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white photograph of perfect female legs in the pool. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on paper with metallic finish signed by the artist. . L...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Winter Fishing - underwater nude photograph - print on paper 25" x 35"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater nude photograph of a young woman caught in fishing net. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper with met...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Sommer’s Glow -original realism modern seascape oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Sommer's Glow" captures the essence of a tranquil seaside moment, rendered in the vibrant strokes of impressionism by the talented Lia Madsen. This diptych masterpiece consists of t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

12 Photos (Magenta and Yellow) - Large Scale Textural Photographs
Located in Soquel, CA
12 Photos (Magenta and Yellow) - Large Scale Textural Photographs Series of detailed macro photos by Bill Clark (American, 20th Century). This set of photos shows several textured a...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Sant'Eufemia
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the Santa Eufemia church - Milan (Italy). Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works bet...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Gold sparks on the water., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Gold sparks on the water. Warm water, waves, serene views, ocean shine, evening sun glare on the water create an atmosphere of relaxation and romance. Made in the style of realism, a...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

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.

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