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Realist Art

REALIST STYLE

Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world. 

Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history. 

By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.

Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.

Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.

​​Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Realist
The childhood of Harley Quinn
Located in Zofingen, AG
Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. In this painting, I captured the delicate innocence and quiet melancholy of childhood ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mystic Louisiana Marsh Landscape in Blue Tones, Limited Edition Cyanotype Print
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Exquisite landscape of a "Mystic Louisiana Marsh". Details: + Title: Mystic Louisiana Marsh + Year: 2025 + Edition Size:...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype

Nude. Abstract realism, Horizontal, Pastel colours, Beige, Cream, Ochre, Blue
Located in Oslo, NO
The subject of the painting is just awakened young woman, resting in a bad and enjoying first morning sunlight. The relaxed posture and soft colors express a calm mood, the freshnes...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

«Splash of Silence» – Turquoise Wave Hyperrealism Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
A wave rises — calm, steady, full of quiet power. There is no noise here, only the deep breath of the ocean. "Splash of Silence" captures the moment just before everything moves again
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

“Pulse of the Ocean” — Hyperrealistic Oil Seascape Painting of Sunset Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean pulses like a heart in love with the sunset. Its waves are gentle touches, holding the secrets of endless love.
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

«Light of Hope» – Hyperrealism Ocean Splash Wave at Sunset Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Created in March 2022, during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, Light of Hope carries a deep emotional resonance. This hyperrealistic seascape unites the fiery energy of a sunse...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Board

New York City Painting Michael Budden Evening On Broadway St James & Sardis
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On Broadway, St. James & Sardi's Image is 10 x 8 unframed, 15.5 x 13.5 framed. An acrylic painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

«Evening Symphony of the Sea» — Hyperrealistic Painting of Ocean Sunset and Wave
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting depicts a magical moment between day and night at the seaside. The sand still holds the warmth of the fading sun, while waves dance along the shore, composing a gentle ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Amber Light” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting of Sunset Ocean Wave.
Located in Zofingen, AG
«Amber Light» is a fleeting and rare moment when the sea glows from within, filled with warm golden light. A wave sparkles like a drop of amber, inviting us into the slow, quiet rhy...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Socialite 1950's female portrait
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of a Socialite. Oil on canvas glued down to masonite panel. Panel measuring 25 x 30 inches. Unsigned and unattributed.
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Fiberboard

British Chalk Sketch of A Flock Of Herded Sheep On Deep Green Artist Paper
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Graphite, Chalk

Train to Sunset, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Set on a winter evening at the 4th Avenue/9th Street station in Brooklyn, this painting captures a vivid sunset framed by the converging diagonals of the train ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

«Explosion of Feelings» – Hyperrealistic Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Through the warm sunset sky, the ocean soars toward the light. A single wave, igniting, bursts into a thousand sparkling droplets, each seemingly holding the last glimmers of the dep...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: A 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
"Stone of Unction, Church of the Holy Sepulchre" is a framed 19th century hand-colored lithograph by David Roberts from the large folio edition of his monumental 6 volume publication...
Category

1840s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

BE WATER
Located in Zofingen, AG
She floats where silence begins — just beneath the skin of the water. Her form is neither here nor gone, dissolving into rhythm and light. There is no past, no edge, no name — only t...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Original painting on canvas board by Serg Graff " Futuristic Apple" COA
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is an original contemporary acrylic painting on canvas board in a modern still life style by Serg Graff, titled “Futuristic Apple.” The composition features a single boldly ren...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy (Man)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of an Edwardian Dandy Gentleman, 2003. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Signed with monogram and dated lower right.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Lolita"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting depicts a young woman in a delicate semi-transparent nightgown against a backdrop of vintage wallpaper. The girl's name is Lolita. She is wearing a long semi-transparent...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Seashore
Located in Zofingen, AG
The ocean is a mystery, full of secrets and deep emotions. Its power can be frightening, yet it beckons and offers freedom. In every wave lies a story of fear and love, intertwined i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Harvest Time on the Farm
Located in New York, NY
This Barbizon influenced work is a moving and beautifully painted work. The artist took a strong interest in artists such as Corot and the French painters that took to depicting the...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

«Sea on Fire» - Hyperrealistic Oil Seascape Painting with Sunset Ocean Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Sea on Fire” is a moment when the sky bursts into flame above the horizon, and the sea catches its light as if holding a secret. The waves whisper in the language of sunset, rolling...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Cat Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
466 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Cat Size: 12 x 16 inch, (30...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Esther Williams, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features American swimmer and actress Esther Williams (1921 - 2013) lounging on a trampoline. This ...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

White lace
Located in Zofingen, AG
On the canvas of the artwork "White Lace" nature unveils its delicate side, as if weaving an intricate lace fabric for its masterpiece. A wave, enveloped in pristine foam, intertwine...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tall ship at sea, dramatic sky, crashing waves, maritime oil by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Tall ship at sea, dramatic sky, crashing waves, maritime oil by British Artist Art measures 18 x 13 inches Frame measures 23 x 18 inches This is a beautifully framed maritime oil ...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Renewal
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Renewal" is the gentle touch of the ocean where water and soul meet, merging in a dance of light and motion. The waves envelop and carry away into a realm of quiet magic, where ever...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wikiva Basin, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This oil painting captures the quiet beauty of a Florida marsh. Palm trees and billowing clouds add depth and balance to the composition. Artist Kent Sullivan u...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Still Life with an Album of Japanese Prints
Located in Oslo, NO
The still life is done in light colors, in gentle neutral pearl-silver shades. The background for the objects is an open large album with Japanese prints. We see two reproductions wi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Echo of the Black Cat
Located in Zofingen, AG
This striking, contemporary painting invites the viewer into a space of quiet mystery and irony. A young woman with auburn hair, dressed in a dark, structured dress, stands confide...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Scottish Highlands Landscape Scene with Children & Dog Fishing by Mountain Lake
Located in Preston, GB
Scottish Highlands Landscape Scene with Children & Dog Fishing by a Mountain Lake by British Artist, Andrew Grant Kurtis M.A.(Lon) B.Des.(Hons) L.S.I.A.D. Art measures 30 x 20 inche...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magpie Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Magpie Size: 9 x 12 inch, (23x3...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Magpie Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Magpie Size: 9 x 12 inch, (23x3...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Fisherman Preparing His Fly Fishing Rod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 7 x 5.5 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

«The Scarlet Embrace of Dusk» – Hyperrealism Sunset Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Created in March 2022, during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, Light of Hope carries a deep emotional resonance. This hyperrealistic seascape unites the fiery energy of a sunse...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

New York City Snow Oil Painting Michael Budden Winter Union Square
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter Union Square oil/panel 9 x 12 x .25 unframed 14x17.25 framed as pictured. Frame has been touched up Winter Union Square is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Late 19th Century Antique Oil Portrait of Young Peasant Girl Resting by Road
Located in Stockholm, SE
This enchanting original oil painting on canvas depicts a young Scandinavian peasant girl in traditional folk costume who has paused on a winding road to rest. The melancholic beauty...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

19th Century Antique Oil Painting Castle on Hill Lake Boat Figures Gilt Frame
Located in Stockholm, SE
This charming 19th century antique oil painting captures a romantic European castle on a hill overlooking a tranquil lake. The composition features two figures enjoying a boat ride o...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

19th Century European Oil Painting Panoramic Landscape Sunrise with Pond Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
An atmospheric antique oil on canvas from the late nineteenth century presents a radiant sunrise over quiet countryside. In the center a large disk of the sun is half risen above the...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Costa Rica Beach Foam, Shoreline Seascape, Minimal Blue, Limited Edition Print
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype of a Sandy Shore with Foam. Details: + Title: Sandy Shore with Foam + Edition Size: 100 + Stamped and Certificate of Aut...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Emulsion, Monotype, Paper

Daffodils in a milk jug
Located in Zofingen, AG
These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Weightlessness
Located in Zofingen, AG
In the embrace of water, weightlessness becomes our faithful companion, allowing us to temporarily free ourselves from the burden of everyday life and experience the lightness of bei...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Cat Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
472 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Cat Size: 12 x 16 inch, (30...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Dodo Bird
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Dodo, ca. 1940 Carved granite 7.75" wide, 5" deep, height is 7" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: Univers...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Dodo Bird
Dodo Bird
$1,600 Sale Price
60% Off
"Subtle Glory" (2025) Original Oil painting with Black Horse
Located in Denver, CO
"Subtle Glory" is an original oil painting by Brian Keith Stephens depicting a black horse with bridle and saddle in profile. It is unframed, but ready-to-hang. Artist Statement Ho...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Oil

"Last Light" - Oil on Canvas Winter Landscape with Sunset Mountains
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Harrison’s Last Light (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas that captures the fleeting beauty of twilight as it falls over a snow-covered plain and the rugged p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Antique 19th Century Pastoral Landscape Oil on Canvas Old Master Style Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This antique oil painting on canvas represents a masterfully painted pastoral landscape from the first half of the 19th century and executed in the style of the old masters school. T...
Category

1830s Realist Art

Materials

Gold

British Chalk Pencil Sketches of A Bull Lying Down With White Features
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

The Poor Girl – An Early Genre Scene by Julius Kronberg, 1873
Located in Stockholm, SE
This small, tenderly rendered painting— titled The Poor Girl (Den fattiga flickan)—offers a rare glimpse into Julius Kronberg’s early period, when he w...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"In Repose" (2025) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "In Repose" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a brunette seated at a table in deep contemplation. Artist bio/statement...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Portrait of Black Dancer Darryl Robinson (male nude)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roy Blakey (1930-2024). Portrait of Darryl Robinson, ca. 1972. Original photographic print on paper, image measures 11 x 14 inches. Framed measurement 12 x 15 inches. Studio stam...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

'Freedom', By Bojan Grof, Graphite, Charcoal and Oil Pencil Drawing on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 27" x 19" monochromatic graphite and charcoal drawing by Serbian artist, Bojan, is rendered in a hyper-realistic manner. A dog is the main subject in the lower right corner ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Graphite

"Red Plum & Pitcher" Original Oil, Teapot with Plum, Grapes, Still-Life Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Red Plum" by Blair Atherholt is an original, hand made painting depicting a teapot with grapes and a warmly lit red plum Blair Atherholt is an award-winning contemporary realist oi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Golden Tranquility' Forest Lake Scene by American Postwar 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
'Golden Tranquility' Forest Lake Scene by American Postwar 20th Century Artist, Phillip Cantrell, born in 1922. Original, Signed, Landscape, Vintage Oil Painting. Art measures 16 x...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Allen D Cochran Salmagundi Club Gloucester
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Allen Dean Cochran (American 1859-1938) oil on canvas board seascape, titled Turning of the Tide, signed lower right, "Quiet Cove - Gloucester"; c. 1950; Oil on Board; 8 x 10 image, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

“Chono Ca Pe, An Ottoe Chief”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Chono Ca Pe, is the remarkably handsome man looking back at us across some 200 years, expressing a certain wariness of the white man painting him. Also known as Big Kansas, the sitte...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Paper

Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Sunrise
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Morning Drama oil/panel image 8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a dramatic sunrise se...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Minimal Triptych of Calm Costa Rica Shore, Handmade Cyanotype on Paper, Blue
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Monotype

“Blue Horizons” — Hyperrealistic Seascape Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where the sea meets the sky, infinity is born. The horizon dissolves into shades of blue, promising freedom and new paths. Unstretched
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait of a Handsome Beatnik
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mary Kiisel Greenwood (b.1924) Studied: PAFA Exhibited: Gross McCLeaf Gallery, Philadelphia Portrait of a Beatnik, ca. 1955-60. Oil on canvas measuring 12 x 16 inches. Some w...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

In an embrace. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. My intention was to keep tenderness and fragility of flowers, a ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Michael Budden, Daniel Pollera, and Su Yu. 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 Realist art, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.

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