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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
Artist: kenny harris
Rome from the Victoriano, Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

Dutch Vase
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

Woman Reading a Letter, Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchiet...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

Judy in Profile, Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

Intransigent Will (Misty Red Arcade, Havana), Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchiet...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Instransigent Will (Blue Arcade, Havana), Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchiet...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Intransigent Will (Yellow and Red Arcade, Havana), Framed
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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Parisian Chandeliers
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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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