Skip to main content

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.

42
to
147
1,303
446
479
252
893
621
267
335
335
206
388
531
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
100,380
54,889
12,491
8,022
6,691
2,816
2,536
2,500
2,143
1,079
477
94
32
548
318
301
276
198
191
166
160
140
139
130
119
110
105
87
86
78
76
75
70
1
5
984
2
5
16
10
108
105
147
167
78
129
47
28
25
24
1,049
784
483
427
359
Style: Photorealist
Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
The Glory of Real Estate
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Eva Carzul’s artwork, “The Glory of Real Estate,” ingeniously infuses humor as the artist shares her personal experiences with the viewer. With one hand clutching keys to an undisclo...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

San Satiro Bramante
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the Santa Maria church - San Satiro. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Ancestors Heritage - Cusco, Peru, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The Cusco vase is symbolic of the Peruvian heritage. Included in this still life is a metal stand in the background that is rusted and has a nice corroded patina which gives an Old W...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 1
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 5
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 7
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 8
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 5
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 1
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 3
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 2
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 2
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

"Glass Giants"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Jungle Cadi
Located in West Hollywood, CA
The artwork “Jungle Cadi” beckons the viewer to submerge into an atmosphere of sophistication and mystery, skillfully blending the sleek Cadillac against a verdant backdrop that grad...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 6
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

"The Treasure Key, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ruddy Taveras' "The Treasure Key" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts two clear spheres, coins and a skeleton key perched atop a marble ledge. About the artist: Rudd...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 8
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 3
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 4
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 7
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 6
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 4
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

San Carlo
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the San Carlo Church of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He l...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Sweet Dream - underwater nude photograph - print on paper 25" x 35"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white (sepia) photograph of a naked young woman covered with tulle. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on archival paper signed by the artist. L...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

San Maurizio
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the San Maurizio Church of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. H...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Milano Palazzo Reale
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the Royal Palace of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Family
Located in San Francisco, CA
An excellent example of Molinari's photorealistic technique, the level of detail in rendering the subtle fluctuations of the crumpled surfaces, as well as the play of light and shado...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Ogni Giorno, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Brand new painting entitled Ogni Giorno, Italian for Every Day. Inspired by a trip to Agrigento, Sicily. It shows a man working in a supermarket. :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

72A
Located in San Francisco, CA
An excellent example of Molinari's photorealistic technique, the level of detail in rendering the subtle fluctuations of the crumpled surfaces, as well as the play of light and shado...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

"Spiral Martini"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Still life with Pears- original realism still life painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Pears" is a captivating masterpiece that pays homage to the intrinsic beauty and timeless allure of this delectable fruit. Executed with meticulous precision and infused with the sp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Star Confetti"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Cold Song III - underwater photograph - archival pigment print
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a man diving in the pool with bouquet of flowers Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper w...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Stbo097-Contemporary, Abstract, Minimalism, Modern, Pop art, Geometric, Acrylic
Located in London, London
Stq097, 1997 His work has been shown in Reina Sofía Museum of Madrid, Royal Academy of London, Arco Madrid, Pinta Art Fair, London, London Art Fair, The Other Art Fair, London, and...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Pencil

The Black Keys "Red Vision 2" Phoenix AZ 2022 by Larry Niehues
Located in Austin, US
The Black Keys “Red Vision 2” Phoenix AZ 2022, signed limited edition prints by The Black Keys official photographer Larry Niehues. The Black Keys relatio...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Pantheon
Located in Milano, MI
Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works between Milan and Barcelona. He bega...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Lemon water- original modern realism oil painting- impressionist art
Located in London, Chelsea
Immerse yourself in a moment of tranquility with "Lemon Water," an original still life painting by the talented artist Irina Trushkova. Executed on canvas in the style of contemporar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Master of the city, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
a gargoyle on the top of the Notre dame Cathedral in Paris looking over the city of light :: Digital :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Superhero
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Cesar Santander Superhero Original Oil Painting -- Please watch video in listing 16" x 20" original painting on board. This is a unique, original painting of which no copies have bee...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

San Pietro
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken at San Pietro - Rome Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works be...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Sailor fisherman in his boat Spain oil on canvas painting seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domingo Alvarez (Spain 1942) - sailor fisherman in his boat - oil on canvas Canvas size 46x61 cm. Unframed.
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Duomo
Located in Milano, MI
Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works between Milan and Barcelona. He bega...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Flight over Dolores
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Lightness of Being' - depicts a white brick building with warm sunlight and shadows cascading across the facade of the warm bricks with white inset window. Birds flying are reflecte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The landing, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Multiple shots of a blue heron landing on a tree top. The photo is in black and white, emphasizing the grace of those fantastic birds in their flight :: Digital :: Photorealism :: Th...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Solar power, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
A beautiful sunflower on a black background :: Digital :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: S...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Contemporary oil on canvas painting of woman lying on a bed (2016) - Vertenten
Located in Oostende, BE
'Room without a view' (2016) by Patrick Vertenten Born in 1964 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium—Patrick Vertenten is a contemporary artist who paints from ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas

Coming home, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
A great white egret landing on a tree and one of his (her) chicks is waiting. It is easy to imagine that they are having a conversation together. The photo was featured in the Daily...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Dragon Mouth Trip - underwater black&white nude photograph - archival print
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Underwater black and white nude photograph of a model diving in a swimming pool Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival pa...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Nude Studies 2
Located in Dallas, TX
From Dallas,Texas, Francisco has always had an innate interest in the arts. He began sketching at an early age. A self-taught artist, his influences include many of the early 20th ce...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Charcoal

Blue Mirror - underwater nude photograph - archival pigment print 17.5 x 23"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater nude photograph of a beautiful young woman diving in the pool. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper w...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Deep Anesthesia - underwater nude photograph - archival print 17 x 23.5"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a nude model diving in blue light on a black background. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archiva...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Awakening The Inner Glow
Located in Dallas, TX
The works of Mike Dargas elude a clear temporal distinction. Even if the representations can stand as indications of a contemporary Western zeitgeist, the images lose their temporal ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Red roses, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Professional paints, gallery stretch canvas. Such a painting requires painstaking work for several months, the technique of multi-layered painting. The painting will be covered with ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

White peonies in a cold color, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
White peonies in a cold color :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes :...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Boats Sailing At Sunset, Santa Cruz - Color Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Boats Sailing At Sunset, Santa Cruz - Color Photograph Color photograph of sailboats at sunset in front of the Breakwater Lighthouse in Santa Cruz, California by John F. Hunter (Ame...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Ink, Photographic Paper

'Promise of Spring' Contemporary Painting of a blue tit bird on a branch, yellow
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Promise of Spring' by Ben Waddams is a Contemporary Realist Wildlife oil painting of an English Blue Tit bird on a branch. With such incredible detail you almost expect the bird to ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Future Love" Oil Painting 72" x 60" inch by Casey Baugh
Located in Culver City, CA
"Future Love" Oil Painting 72" x 60" inch by Casey Baugh Medium: oil on canvas ABOUT THE ARTIST: Baugh's work can be described as narrative impressionistic realism. Specializing i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

EMCS #14
Located in New York, NY
Brad Nelson (American, b. 1977)
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.

Recently Viewed

View All