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.Â
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 HonorĂ© 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.Â
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.
$2,514
An Unremarkable Evening, Realist Acrylic on Canvas, Signed 70 x 95 CM
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captures an intimate, seemingly ordinary evening that gradually reveals a quiet psychological tension. A young woman sits on the floor beside a bed, dressed in vivid tu...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Portrait of a Young Girl in a Striped Dress, c. 1895-1905.
Located in Stockholm, SE
Paul Fischer (1860–1934) Denmark Portrait of a Young Girl in a Striped Dress, c. 1895-1905. signed lower right “Paul Fischer” oil on canvas unframed 34 × 23 cm (13.4 × 9.1 in...
Canvas, Oil
Landscape
Located in Edinburgh, GB
"Landscape" (1966) by Mykola Artemovych Pavlyuk 🌲 This artwork is an oil on canvas landscape painting that captures a serene, sun-drenched forest scene: • Subject: A dirt path gentl...
Oil
David Smith (1949-) English realist 20thC oil painting RIVER CHELMER ESSEX
By David Smith
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: David Smith (1949-) British TITLE: "River Chelmer At Langford" SIGNED: lower right MEDIUM: oil on canvas SIZE: 50cm x 30cm inclusive of frame CONDITION: very good DETAIL...
Oil
Embrace 3 (San Francisco 1970's Gay Castro photo)
By Fisher Ross
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Fisher Ross Embrace 3, ca. 1977. 5 7/8 Ă— 4 3/8 inches. 2026 archival pigment print on Canson satin paper from the original. From an edition of 15 on archival paper produced by ...
Photographic Paper
A Sunny Day
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting depicts a clear, sunny day. Bright sunlight illuminates a dazzlingly white house. The blue sky contrasts with the silhouette of the white stone house. In the foreground ...
Oil
Embrace 5 (San Francisco 1970's Gay Castro photo)
By Fisher Ross
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Fisher Ross Embrace 5, ca. 1977. 4 3/8 Ă— 5 7/8 inches. 2026 digital print from the original in the Fisher Ross Archive. From an edition of 15 on archival paper produced by the F...
Photographic Paper
Enjoing a summer day
Located in Zofingen, AG
The composition is centered around a harmonious group of white porcelain vessels, united into a single luminous shape. Against this quiet white mass, the vivid cherries seem to come...
Canvas, Oil
Two Hummingbirds with Floral
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed: Center Back FRAMED/UNFRAMED: 24" x 24" x .5' Artist Statement "The pursuit of realism is not merely a technical exercise,...
Oil, Panel
Melancholia
Located in Zofingen, AG
Against a deep, shadowy background, a single cluster of pale blue hydrangea rests gracefully within a simple glass vessel. On one hand, we witness the flawless, almost mathematical g...
Canvas, Oil
Blue lilies Azure Resonance Abstract Floral Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, XXXL
Located in London, London
Abstract contemporary floral decor Blue flowers still-life. Original floral abstract expressionism oil painting on canvas. XXXL Extra-large original artwork. Artist: Katarina Joy...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Large Guillaume Lauters 19th-C Pastoral Landscape Oil Painting, Superb Frame
Located in New Orleans, LA
Guillaume Lauters (Belgian, 1845–1937) Pastoral Landscape with Farmer and Horse Oil on canvas Signed lower right Late 19th/early 20th century Presented in an antique gilt gesso and w...
Oil
$270
Pocket Fig-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Red Apple-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
$270
Pocket Fig-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
10-Speed (San Francisco 1970's Gay Castro photo)
By Fisher Ross
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Fisher Ross 10-Speed, ca. 1977. Print measures 8 x 10 inches. 2026 digital print from the original in the Fisher Ross Archive. From an edition of 15 on archival paper produced by...
Photographic Paper
$450
Barcelona Beach Night Horizon, Nocturnal Seascape Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Outstanding "Barcelona Beach Night Horizon" shows a nocturnal seascape, taken on the Barcelona beach. Details: + Title: B...
Emulsion, Printer's Ink, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Color, Photogram
New York City Winter Snow Painting Michael Budden Along Fifth Avenue
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Along Fifth Avenue, NYC oil/canvas 24 x 20 unframed, 30.5 x 26.5 x 1.5 framed. signed LR Along Fifth Avenue is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael ...
Oil
Cherries in Porcelain #201, Original painting, still life, fruit
Located in Deddington, GB
Cherries in Porcelain - #201 An original oil painting on aluminium composite material panel (ACM) of a cluster of glossy cherries with a traditionally decorated Chinese bowl lit by natural daylight through the artist’s studio window. For Pete, still life is not about assembling elaborate compositions but about discovering quiet conversations between everyday things that might otherwise go unnoticed. In Cherries in Porcelain, the deep crimson fruits are set against the cool elegance of a blue and white porcelain bowl. The restrained decoration of the ceramic provides a gentle counterpoint to the glossy rich colour of the fruit, while the warm wooden surface introduces a further note of contrast and the slender touches of green of the stems provide punctuation. Rather than seeking photographic precision, Pete’s aim is to capture the quiet presence of the objects and the sense that they belong together. Painted in oils using traditional techniques, Cherries in Porcelain continues Pete Underhill’s exploration of everyday subjects that reward prolonged observation. He hopes it invites the viewer to pause for a moment and appreciate the quiet beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. Additional information Cherries in Porcelain #201 Pete Underhill Painted in the artist’s Leicestershire Studio in July 2026. Signed the artists’s PGU monogram An original oil painting of cherries...
Metal
Fig - original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
$420
Blustery Clouds, Stormy Sky Landscape, Blue Tones, Extra Large Cyanotype, Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Blustery Clouds" is an cyanotype of the semi-abstract patterns of clouds in the sky after a storm. Details: + Title: Blu...
Paper, Emulsion, Watercolor, Etching, Lithograph
Seagulls, Realist Landscape Painting, Oil on Cardboard, 2020
Located in Edinburgh, GB
A panoramic seascape depicting dark, mossy rocks surrounded by swirling, foamy waves. White seagulls perch on the rugged cliffs and glide through the air. Rendered with rich impasto ...
Oil
Sailboat In San Diego, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early-1960s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Mrs Cuddihy Perry, her son, and Mrs George H. Gentry with a sailboat on a beach in San Diego, Califor...
Lambda
Cherry Pie
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Sensual acrylic painting for those who recognize no limits. She lay perfectly still, as though the painting itself had been born from silence and a warm half-dream. On her skin, whe...
Acrylic
Velox Ward - The Home My Daddy Built Poster, from America The Third Century
By Velox Ward
Located in New York, NY
Velox Ward - The Home My Daddy Built Poster, from America The Third Century, Bicentennial series This poster publicizes the edition which was sponsored by Mobil Corporation to celebr...
Lithograph, Offset
A Jockey on a Racehorse. Antique framed oil on canvas. Sir Herbert James Gunn
Located in St. Albans, GB
Sir Herbert James Gunn (1893 - 1964) A Jockey Before the Race Signed Oil on Canvas Provenance: Christies sporting art This is a striking, dynamic equestrian oil painting by the ren...
Canvas, Oil
Pacific Sunset Waves, Contemporary Cyanotype on Paper, Navy Blue, Beach House
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Sunset Waves" is an original cyanotype that abstractly shows the sunset reflections on the sea. Details: + Titl...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...
$260
William Bailey - Still Life with Eggs, Candlestick & Bowl poster Limited Edition
Located in New York, NY
William Bailey - Still Life with Eggs, Candlestick & Bowl poster from America The Third Century, Bicentennial edition William Bailey - Still Life with Eggs, Candlestick & Bowl poster...
Lithograph, Offset
$5,000
Ferdinand Hernlund Swedish Sunset Landscape, SmĂĄland Forest Lake
Located in Stockholm, SE
Ferdinand Hernlund (1837–1902) Sweden By a Forest Lake in Småland signed lower right “Ferd. Hernlund” oil on canvas unframed 45 × 78 cm (17.7 × 30.7 in) framed 60 × 93 cm (23.6 × 3...
Canvas, Oil
Sports Car Couple, Estate Edition photograph, midcentury 1950s London
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1955: John Bryant with his AC sports car in Kinnerton Place, London SW1. His passenger is Margaret McAulay. Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Undercurrent P...
Lambda
Portrait of a Young Couple (San Francisco 1970's Gay Castro photo)
By Fisher Ross
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Fisher Ross Portrait of a Young Couple, ca. 1977. Print measures 8 x 10 inches. Framed measurement: 10 x 12 inches. 2026 digital print from the original in the Fisher Ross Archiv...
Photographic Paper
"Patient Martyr" - Realist Male Portrait, Oil Painting on Aluminum Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Patient Martyr" is a realist oil painting on aluminum panel by American painter Zack Zdrale, depicting a male model with his arms outstretched and intertwined above his head, leanin...
Oil, Panel
$8,000Sale Price|20% Off
"Hendrick Hudson" Realist Hudson River Steamboat Oil Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in New York, NY
This vibrant painting depicts the historic Hendrick Hudson side-wheel steamboat, majestically cruising across the Hudson River on a bright sunny day. The grand three-deck vessel, wit...
Canvas, Oil
$1,775
19th Century European Pastoral Milkmaid Reverse Glass Painting Gilt Tondo Frame
Located in Stockholm, SE
This charming pastoral scene, executed in the highly intricate technique of reverse glass painting (German Hinterglasmalerei or French églomisé) in the second half of the 19th centur...
Glass, Wood, Oil
$118Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow Posed Lying On The Grass
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...
Chalk, Graphite
$106Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow With Horns Facing Away
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...
Chalk, Graphite
Romantic Lakeside Sunset with Seated Woman, Antique Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Mary Kirschbaum, Sweden Woman by a Lake at Sunset, c. 1890 signed oil on canvas unframed 23 Ă— 33 cm (9.1 Ă— 13 in) framed 33 Ă— 43 cm (13 Ă— 16.9 in) Provenance: Private collection, ...
Canvas, Oil
Two Daschounds. An antique painting of dogs framed and signed
Located in St. Albans, GB
Heinrich SPERLING German School Picture Size: 15 x 18" (38 x 46cm) Framed Size: 22 x 25" (56 x 64cm) Signed and framed Sperling was born March 23rd 1844 in Warnkenhagen, and died 2...
Canvas, Oil
$119Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow With Horns Resting on The Grass
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...
Chalk, Graphite
"Hindsight" - Original Still-Life and Landscape, Oil Painting on Panel
By Emma Kalff
Located in Denver, CO
"This painting was made based off of a photo I took from a bus window in Mexico, near Puerto Vallarta. The image stuck with me as the idea of an idyllic hillside. It felt to me like ...
Oil, Panel
$960Sale Price|20% Off
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 signed LL Morning Drama is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showca...
Oil
Cat Awaits the Apocalypse, Realist Acrylic Painting on Cotton Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This refined interior scene captures a moment of psychological stillness, where presence and perception quietly intersect. The poised figure of a woman contrasts with the alert silho...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Chelsea Hotel, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The Hotel Chelsea has stood on West 23rd Street since 1884, and its facade reflects its long history. Its deep red brick, ornate cast-iron balconies, and layers...
Oil
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
New York City Winter Oil Painting Fifth Avenue Flags St Patricks Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter On Fifth Avenue, St Patrick's, Flags 24 x 18 unframed. and 30.25 x 24.5 framed signed LL Winter On Fifth Avenue, St Patrick's, Flags is an oil painting on linen by award winn...
Oil
La Fille du RĂ©giment
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
WILLIAM WEGMAN (b. 1943) 'La Fille du RĂ©giment', 2007 SIGNED Vintage Oversized Artist's Photography Poster Commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera's 2007-2008 season, renowned arti...
Offset
Cold room
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Cold Room explores the tension between vivid, organic forms and a cool, almost abstract surrounding space. Saturated reds and pinks contrast with pale blues and whites, transforming ...
Oil
Roses
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting depicts the lush buds of a white, densely petaled rose, filling almost the entire canvas. The composition is delicately accented by sharp, emerald-green leaves peeking o...
Watercolor
"Cloud Composition 7" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 7" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
$106Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Sketch of A Young Horse with White Markings
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...
Chalk, Graphite
"Kenosha Skies" - Western Landscape and Skyscape, Oil Painting on Linen
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: This painting captures the luminous midday atmosphere above Colorados Kenosha Pass, where expansive skies stretch endlessly above the Continental Divide. Using a co...
Linen, Oil
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
Antique 19th Century British Oil Painting by G. Wylle Rural Landscape Gilt Frame
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is an antique British oil painting on canvas, signed “G. Wylle” in the lower area, depicting a picturesque riverside village scene with historic stone buildings, a tower ...
Oil
Dove
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Dove, ca. 1960 Carved and polished stone 10" wide, 6.25" deep, height is 12" Tail exhibits a small area of loss. Our conservator can repair this at no ex...
Stone
$1,471Sale Price|25% Off
Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist, Terry Evans Terry Evans is a British Postwar & Contemporary Painter born in 1943, known for h...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
JosĂ© MarĂa MarquĂ©s GarcĂa Spanish Pastoral Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
JosĂ© MarĂa MarquĂ©s GarcĂa Pastoral Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas. Oil on canvas. Signed by the artist in the lower right corner. Artwork: 68 Ă— 97 cm (26.8 Ă— 38.2 in.). Framed: 80 ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,316
Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by 20th Century Modern British Artist, James Wright Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 29 x 23 inches Pres...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$7,430
A Young Man Feeding Chickens: A Quiet Moment of Rural Life
Located in Stockholm, SE
Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817–1880) Sweden Young Man Feeding Chickens signed Johan Boklund lower right oil on panel unframed 39 × 26 cm (15.4 × 10.2 in) framed 49 × 35.5 cm (19.3...
Oil, Wood Panel
$270
Pocket Pear - original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Oil, Canvas
$2,550
Boy From Hood - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Hyperealism, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Fal...
Canvas, Oil
King Charles Spaniel puppy bath painting (Oklahoma Artist)
By Jay Weaver
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Jay Weaver (?-1960). Is This Necessary?, 1952. Oil on canvas measuring 12 x 16 inches. Framed measurement: 18 x 22 inches. Signed by artist lower right. 1952 Salmagundi label af...
Canvas, Oil
New York City Flags Winter Cityscape Urban Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Flags Above the Avenue The image measures 12 x 9 unframed, 18.5 x 15.5 framed signed LL Flags Above the Avenue is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artis...
Oil
A hyperrealist canvas by Heinz Schönhammer transforms a café classic into an unforgettable still life.
With a solo show at the Denver Art Museum and a commission from the Met, the Cree Canadian painter has become an international sensation.