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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
Hot Spring - underwater nude photograph - archival pigment print 16.6x23.5"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Underwater nude photograph of a beautiful young woman on red background. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on archival paper signed by the artist. Limited edition of 1...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Ain't no Mountain high enough by K. Husslein Impasto Landscape Mountain Painting
Located in DE
Katharina Husslein's textural and abstract paintings vividly encapsulate the vibrancy and movement found in a bouquet of flowers. This series differs from Husslein’s more controlled...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sand Dunes -original realism seascape oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Sand Dunes by Olga Calado takes the viewer on a visual journey ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fishing port Essaouira Morocco oil on canvas painting seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed Adolfo Perez Frameless
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Located in Brussels, BE
Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 2 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment, Pigment

Marilyn Monroe . Marilyn Monroe pink angel . The last sitting
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Bert stern Marilyn Monroe pink angel Mythical photo of the last seance (1962) ink jet print by bert stern 2012 signed on both sides certificate signed by the artist in his lifetime ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Harmony / oil on canvas
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

"Summer Evening" (2024) By Michael Miller, Original Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Miller's beautiful original photorealist landscape barn painting "Summer Evening" (2024) depicts a Midwestern barn in the middle of the vast plains, with a large cloud loomin...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fishing port France oil on canvas painting seascape boats
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed Adolfo Perez Frameless
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Salita scivolosa a Trinità dei Monti Roma - # 3 on 5 - Black & White Photography
Located in Brussels, BE
Artwork # 3 on 5 sold in perfect condition Print called "Art 2014", format 42 x 60 cm. SERIES OF 5 PRINTS + 2 AP Snowstorm over Rome. The photographer grabs his camera and walks the ...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Winter Fishing - underwater nude photograph - print on paper 35" x 49"
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, Archival Paper

La Puerta (Photorealistic Interior)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Enrique Medina (b.1935). La Puerta, 1985. Acrylic on canvas, measuring 32 x 32 inches; 33 x 33 inches framed. Signed lower right. Signed, dated, titled on verso. Personal Information...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Boats in the lake oil on canvas painting seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed Adolfo Perez Frame size 50x42 cm.
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sparrow and Jumping Mouse Find the Magic Mushrooms
Located in Denver, CO
This cheekily titled scene depicts two woodland creatures encountering a spattering of fungi on the forest floor. This work is rendered in exquisite detail, down to the Sparrows feathers and inquisitive expression and and the soft fuzz on the mouse's small form. "Sparrow and Jumping Mouse Find the Magic Mushrooms" showcases artist Marc Dennis' hyper realistic style and propensity for witty humor. Marc Dennis' paintings merge 19th-century traditional American Western painting...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Blood and Milk III - underwater nude photograph - print on paper 23" x 17"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
"Blood and Milk III" charts new territory in contemporary underwater fine art photography. Set against a mesmerizing crimson background that evokes molten lava, the image captures a ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Bread and Pears super realism, colorful, object, traditional still life
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Doug Newton’s hyper-real oil paintings observe reality, explore translucency, reflections and luminosity, and dazzle the viewer with all the ways light can transform our perceptions. His subject matter concentrates on still lives of food, toys, candy and household objects. In addition to many group shows across the country, Mr. Newton’s show, “HARD CANDY and other confections” represents his fifth solo exhibition. His paintings have been collected in numerous private collections. Dr. Sonia Coman writes in her essay, Doug Newton’s hard candy: the confection of painting Doug Newton’s paintings are about… painting. The hyperrealist technique of trompe l’oeil or “trick the eye” is knowingly playful. It simultaneously calls attention to the illusion of a different material—for example, translucent candy wrappers—and the reality of the layers of paint, masterfully applied to the canvas. In that, Newton’s paintings pay homage to an esteemed series of trompe l’oeil masters, from Inquisition-era Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán to Gilded-Age American painter William Michael Harnett...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Roma (from Urban Landscapes III)" Richard Estes, Photorealist Screenprint
Located in New York, NY
Richard Estes Roma (from Urban Landscapes III), 1981 Signed and numbered "33/250" in pencil, lower margin Color screenprint on white wove paper 14 x 20 inches Edition 33/250 Richar...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

"Monument Valley" Black and White Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
"Monument Valley" Black and White Photograph Stunning photograph of Monument Valley, Utah, by an unknown artist (20th Century). A gnarled, ...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall
Located in Austin, TX
American model Jerry Hall with singer Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, photographed for Norman Parkinson’s exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, July 1981. NORMAN P...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Male Nude 6, Photorealist Lithograph by Lowell Blair Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
This provocative portrayal of a male nude figure by Lowell Blair Nesbitt is very different from many of his other works featuring floral decoration and close-up depictions of flowers...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

American School Modernist Trompe L'Oeil Still Life Realist Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist realist still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed verso.
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Original Black and White Photograph of Johnny Weissmuller
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Black and White Photograph of Johnny Weissmuller Black and white photograph 1932, depicting Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller (Hungary, 1904-1984) by George Hurrell (Ameri...
Category

1920s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

End December, Oil painting on Canvas, Leafs, Forest, Realistic Nature, Botanical
Located in AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FR
Work : Original Oil Painting, Unique Work. Handmade artwork. Ready to Hang. Medium : Oil and Acrylic painting on Canvas. Artist : Deniz Bayav Subject : Fin de décembre (Title / FR) ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Fishing port oil on canvas painting seascape boats European art
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed Adolfo Perez Frameless
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma sky (Blue key) 10 - Contemporary, Blue, Minimalist, Figurative, Landscape
Located in Baden-Baden, 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

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

A single Soul inhabiting two Bodies by K Husslein Hyperrealistic Still life
Located in DE
This is a beautiful oil painting of an array of flowers in a vase in front of dark background. Reminding us of old master paintings, this is a brand new painting full elegance and ti...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

In Honour of Love by K Husslein Hyperrealistic Still life
Located in DE
This is a beautiful oil painting of an array of flowers in a vase in front of dark background. Reminding us of old master paintings, this is a brand new painting full elegance and ti...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Golden Martini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer is a California-based internationally collected artist. She is a leading force of the New California Realism. Kathleen brings a fresh, clean perspective to her colorf...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

David Bowie and William Burroughs, framed signed print by Terry O'Neill
Located in Austin, TX
Framed, 20x24" signed lifetime edition print by Terry O'Neill of David Bowie with William Burroughs, taken for an interview published at Rolling Stone magazine in February 28, 1974. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Paul Béliveau “Les Humanities CCVIII” acrylic 2006 Trompe l’Oeil Photo Realism
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
“Les Humanities CCVIII”, a large and wonderful acrylic on canvas painting by Paul Béliveau, was created in 2006. This panting depicting books on a shelf is considered to be in the Tr...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

In the rain. 1990, cardboard, oil, 90x140 cm with minor defects
Located in Riga, LV
In the rain. 1990, cardboard, oil, 90x140 cm with minor defects Liga Purmale (1948) Was born on October 4, 1948 in Dundaga. She graduated from the secondary art school of Janis Rose...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Patti Smith 1975 Iran War Protest, framed first print of the edition #1/20
Located in Austin, TX
Patti Smith taken in NYC during a 1975 Iran War protest by Lynn Goldsmith. Recently framed with non-glare museum glass, signed limited edition 16x20" print, edition #1/20 Lynn Go...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Lilies & Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Lilies & Mushrooms with my Parrot Kouka Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on Panel, with Artist Painted Frame Size: 65.50 x 52.50 inches Condition: Exc...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Over The Beach - Landscape Ocean Original Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph Piccillo Dancer Hyperrealism Black and White (Dancer with Chick) Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original graphite, oil paint and collage on canvas by American contemporary artist Joseph Piccillo.
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Oil, Graphite

Fishing port Essaouira Morocco oil on canvas painting seascape boat
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed Adolfo Perez Frameless
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

MAN RAY (1890-1976), SURREAL MODERNIST ABSTRAC, 1934 Photogravure, FIRST EDITION
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Man Ray (American born, 1890 - 1976) Title: SURREAL MODERNIST ABSTRACT Date Of Negative: 1934 Type Of Print: Authentic Vintage Sheet Fed Photogravure/Heliogravure. Date Of Pr...
Category

1920s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Mick Jagger and his Aston Martin DB6, London 1966 by Gered Mankowitz
Located in Austin, TX
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones with his beloved Aston Martin DB6, taken outside his London apartment in 1966 by Gered Mankowitz. "I shot a series of photographs of each member of...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Athena - underwater nude photograph - archival pigment print 18" x 24"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a naked young woman with a sward. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper with metallic fi...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Hampshire Garden I, Dylan Lloyd, Original Floral Oil Painting, Realist Artwork
Located in Deddington, GB
Hampshire Garden I by Dylan Lloyd [2021] original Oil paint on board Image size: H:30 cm x W:24 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:30 cm x W:24 cm x D:2.5cm Framed Size: H:40.5 cm...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Two cigarettes Photography Mexico Signed Karol Kállay
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Photography done for publication Mexico/Volk und Welt, signed by the author on the back.
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Pop Fizz Clink, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
:: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes :: Signature Location: bottom...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Elevated View of a Sussex Town in the Countryside of South England in Summer
Located in Preston, GB
Elevated View of Sussex Town in the Countryside of the South of England in Summer, by 20th Century British Artist, Christopher Osborne. Art measures ...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Primaries" by Karina Rodríguez, Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Primaries" is an exquisitely detailed contemporary still life by Karina Rodríguez, rendered in oil on panel in 2019 and depicts three glass jars with yellow, blue and red liquid. Th...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Empire by Robert Cottingham (photorealism, 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, Lincoln Center commissioned Robert Cottingham to commemorate the 46th anniversary of its Film Festival. Inspired by his earlier photographs of the Empire Theatre in Montgomery Alabama...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Snowy season
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
This artwork captures the stillness and serenity at a train station after a snowfall, presenting itself as a window to a world of winter beauty. The artist transports us to a place w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

White and Black, Contemporary Art, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Varvarov Anatoly Viktorovich Title: White and Black Sise: 41.5x53 inches, (105x135 cm) Medium: Oil on Canvas Hand painted, original, one of a kind. Who said that black and white can't be beautiful? This stunning oil painting "White and black" will prove them wrong! The chessboard is drawn in a blurry way, making the chess pieces look even more realistic. It's a perfect piece of art for anyone who loves playing chess or simply appreciates beautiful things. About the artist: Varvarov Anatoly Viktorovich was born on February 12, 1967 in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. Attended Dnepropetrovsk Art School. EV Vuchetich from 1983 to 1987, and National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture from 1990 to 1996 graduated with Masters degree in Fine Art. After becoming a member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, Mr. Varvarov received the category of artist-restorer of easel painting in 1999...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

David Bowie and William Burroughs, framed signed print by Terry O'Neill
Located in Austin, TX
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

Amy Winehouse
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 by Terry O'Neill. Amy Winehouse...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

'Vintage Manhattan Skyline' with River', by Unknown, Black & White Photograph
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This vintage black and white photograph of Manhattan with bridge and river measures 12.5" x 15.5". The water is in the foreground and covers over half of the composition from the bot...
Category

Mid-20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

David Bowie 1973 by Lynn Goldsmith
Located in Austin, TX
Fine art print of David Bowie by acclaimed photographer. Lynn Goldsmith. Taken in 1973 during the Spiders from Mars tour, and now available for the first time in black and white. Ly...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

The Shore-original realism seascape oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. The Shore by Olga Calado captures the fleeting moment when the ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Seltzer
Located in Boca Raton, FL
OPAC The Organization of Photorealist Artists and Collectors presents Seltzer, a signed and numbered giclee on canvas by famed photorealist Mark Schiff. This piece is 28" x 34". The ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink

Double Trouble - underwater black & white nude photograph - paper print 24 x 35"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white photograph of two naked young women in the pool. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on archival paper signed by the artist. Limited editio...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Realist Leopard Portrait Wild Cat Painting from British Wildlife Tiger Artist
By Pip McGarry
Located in Preston, GB
Realist Leopard Portrait Wild Cat Painting from British Wildlife Tiger Artist. The vivid realism of the hairs & whiskers coupled with the intensity of the leopard's eyes make this pa...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Paint, Cotton Canvas

Bent Mirror - underwater photograph - print on paper 17 x 23.5"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater black and white photograph of a topless young female dancer in the pool. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on archival paper signed by the artist, furnis...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

September 10, 11 East 71: Architectural Oil Painting Realistic Building Exterior
Located in Hudson, NY
30 x 40 inches horizontal photo realist oil painting on canvas of neo-classical architecture Mr. Britell's subject matter is drawn from the world of pre-modernist architecture. Wha...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary 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.

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