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
Untitled (Seated Man Facing Left)
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Conté crayon on paper
Signed and dated, l.r.
This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now lives in New York City. ...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Conté
Cherry summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Scattered cherry on the metal plate create a vivid contrast against the white tablecloth focusing the viewer's eye towards the center of the composition. The various shades of red a...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
"European genre painting"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
No Signatured
This evocative 19th-century oil painting presents a tranquil yet atmospheric riverside scene, capturing a group of figures engaged in daily life. The composition is mas...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Flowers in a Vase and Peach” - Oil on Canvas - 87x63 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (76.5 x 100 x 5 cm)
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Gentleman in Crimson Coat - British 19th century art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This fine portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Joshua Reynolds. Painted circa 1800 it is a half portrait of a fine young man in a crimson velvet coat. The detail in h...
Category
Early 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Japan – Two young geishas in flower garden, studio photograph, hand-colored
Located in Middletown, NY
Yokohama, Japan: c 1890.
Hand-tinted albumen print, 10 1/2 x 8 inches (266 x 203 mm), numbered B334 in negative, right side of image printed somewhat lighter than left, tiny in-nega...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
Blessed are the pure in heart / - The Vision of the Child's Eyes -
Located in Berlin, DE
Rudolf Nehmer (1912 Bobersberg - 1983 Dresden), Blessed are the pure in heart, 1948. Woodcut on yellowish wove paper, 17.8 cm x 15.4 cm (image), 35 cm x 25 cm (sheet size), signed “R...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Woodcut
Antique French Realist Art Deco Terrier Dog Portrait Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Exquisite antique painting of terrier dogs by Jacques Cartier (1907 - 2001. Oil on board. Framed. Image size, 15H x 18L.
Category
1920s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - No Interview at the Intersection
By Su Yu
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas
Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing at Oil Pain...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Pyramidal" Original Oil, Honey Dew Melon Slice and Grapes, Still-Life Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Pryamidal" by Blair Atherholt is a an original, hand made painting depicting a honey dew melon slice surrounded by grapes.
Blair Atherholt is an award-winning contemporary realist...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Mercedes W128 Ponton. Figurative acrylic on paper car painting Polish art
Located in Warsaw, PL
Acrylic on paper contemporary figurative painting by Michal Wojtysiak. Artwork depicts mercedes car in realistic style.
MICHAŁ WOJTYSIAK (ur. 1984)
Graduated of Academy of Fine Art...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
New York City Snow Painting Michael Budden Grand Army Plaza Central Park
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Central Park Grand Army Plaza
oil/panel
8 x 10 image unframed 12.63 x 14.5 framed
is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. This is o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Pygmy Tyrant, watercolor on Paper, Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
313
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2024
Style: Classic Art
Title: Pygmy Tyrant
Size: 12 x 16 i...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Battery Hill at White Cottage Fairlight England, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Bees are buzzing, and the sun is intermittent as lazy winds move cloud shadows over the undulating land near White Cottage, Fairlight. I love London but I mus...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
A ballerina in pink III
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil on canvas, I strived to capture the essence of grace and poise inherent in ballet. The soft pink hues of the ballerina's tutu contrast elegantly against the muted backdro...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"The Sepulchre" Eclogue 8 original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. This impression on Alton Mill laid paper was printed in 1883 for "An English Version of the Eclogues of Virgil" and published in London by Seeley and Compan...
Category
1880s Realist Art
Materials
Etching
“Herd of Horses in a Marshy Landscape” Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877-1963)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
“Herd of Horses in a Marshy Landscape”
Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877-1963)
Oil on canvas on board
14 x 20 (24 x 30 frame) inches
Signed “FM...
Category
1920s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas, Board
Bermuda Landscape
By Will Howe Foote
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful early landscape by American artist, Will Howe Foote (1874-1965). Bermuda Landscape, ca. 1890-95. Oil on on textured cardboard panel, measures...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Cardboard
$1,125 Sale Price
75% Off
Ocean Beach Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful moonlit sailing evening created in an impressionistic realism style. The image...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
New York City Skating Painting Michael Budden Evening Lights Central Park
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening Lights Wolman Rink Central Park is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. Rockefeller Center is obviously a favorite spot to hi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Ballerina, Figurative art, Original Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Year: 2024
Style: Impressionism,
Title: Ballerina,
Size: 27.5 x 35.5...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Saint-Tropez Beach, Estate Edition, French Riviera
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons' Saint-Tropez Beach, an Estate Edition photograph, is a vintage scene of sunbathers on the French Riviera, August 1971. Colorful coral red and mint green umbrellas shelte...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
"Big Ben in Garden" Portrait of a Bulldog by Arthur Wardle (England, 1864-1949)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Big Ben in Garden"
Antique Dog Portrait of a Bulldog
Arthur Wardle (England, 1864-1949)
Pastel on paper Circa 1900
13 x 9 (17 x 12) inches
Though he made his reputation with large...
Category
Early 1900s Realist Art
Materials
Pastel
Dorothy Fitchew - 20th Century British Watercolor Illustration of Flower Fairies
By Dorothy Fitchew
Located in London, GB
DOROTHY FITCHEW
(1889-1975)
“I Must Go Seek Some Dewdrops Here,
And Hang a Pearl in Every Cowslip’s Ear.”
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II, Scene I
Signed l.l.: DOROTHY FITCHEW
...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
The Serenade - Italian 19th century art figurative oil painting musicians
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely Victorian 19th century figurative oil painting is by Italian artist Frederick Andreotti. Painted circa 1880 it is a lovely playful depiction of a pretty seated young woma...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Peacock Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
360
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2024
Style: Classic Art
Title: Peacock
Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
$96 Sale Price
20% Off
Maurice Chevalier, Casino de Paris
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Maurice Chevalier, Casino de Paris" created 1925 is a lithographic poster on paper by French noted artist Charles Kiffer, 1902-1...
Category
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Golden Hour - contemporary, realist, forest, landscape, oil on board
By Ciba Karisik
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic oil landscape painting is by Ciba Karisik, whose work is collected internationally.
Photographers call it the ‘golden hour’ or ‘the magic hour’—that moment in time ju...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Nuova Raccolta di Cinquanta Costumi - Suite of Original Etchings by B. Pinelli
Located in Roma, IT
Complete Title: Nuova Raccolta di Cinquanta Costumi Pittoreschi Incisi all'Acquaforte".
Suite of original colored etching realized by the italian engraver Bartolomeo Pinelli in 1815-...
Category
1810s Realist Art
Materials
Etching
Early 20th Century English Floral Still Life -- Cascading Yellow Tea Roses
Located in Soquel, CA
Elegant Early 20th Century Floral Still Life of Cascading Yellow Hybrid Tea Roses
Realistic early 20th Century floral still life by L. Griffin (English, 19th/20th century), 1904. Fe...
Category
Early 1900s Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Cardboard
$1,320 Sale Price
20% Off
DOUBLE DAMBLE..Colin Fraser contemporary Scottish artist
By Colin Fraser
Located in Pollenca, Illes Baleares
There is no greater pleasure than seeing artwork from the gallery come to life in a collector’s home. A great painting activates the four walls of a space and can complete a room. Th...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Egg Tempera
Silent Strength
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original colored pencil and pastel drawing signed by the Artist in the lower right corner.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Color Pencil
Fox Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
427
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2025
Style: Classic Art
Title: Fox
Size: 12 x 16 inch, (30...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
"Exhale" by Brian O'Neill, Oil painting, Male Nude
Located in Denver, CO
Brian O'Neill's (US based) "Exhale" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude male figure stooped over and keeling on the ground, with his back exposed and bowing his...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Silver, Gold Leaf
Tuscany
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Tuscany" c.1970is an acrylic painting on hardboard by artist Edward (Ed) Diffenderfer b.1928 It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork size is 22.15 x 28.15 inches, framed size is 26.5 x 32.5 inches. Custom framed in a gold frame. It is in excellent condition.
About the artist:
Ed Diffenderfer was born in 1928 in Stockton, California. Education: Berkeley Schools, California College Of Arts And Crafts. Experience: Instructor Of Illustration, Freelance Illustrator And Painter. Memberships, Collections, Awards: Society Of Illustrators (San Francisco) Bohemian Club; New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago Art Shows, The Pentagon, Library Of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and Air Force Academy...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
From the Vargas Portfolio
Located in Missouri, MO
From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included**
Lithograph Only
Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Magnolia, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Mark Hunter
Located in Yardley, PA
Magnolia study. Framed and ready to hang. 3" Plein Air espresso frame is black with brown undertones and a gold accent. Free shipping in Continental Un...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Vintage American Modernist Super Realist Trompe L'Oeil Cactus Avacado Still Life
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American realist still life. Oil on canvas. Unframed.
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$1,481 Sale Price
25% Off
Tomtit, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
228
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2024
Style: Classic Art
Title: Tomtit
Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
$120 Sale Price
20% Off
From the Vargas Portfolio
Located in Missouri, MO
From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included**
Lithograph Only
Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Cold Calculator – Midcentury Pop Realism, Vintage Adding Machine, Oil on Linen
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Step into a bygone era with TR Colletta's "Remingtayn Rand," a realistic oil painting of a vintage Remington Rand adding machine with a rich black and teal body, bright red function...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
White Cherries, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Three juicy cherries line up on a table, with the light enhancing their luminous and vibrant color. The sharp and detailed rendition of the fruit imparts a re...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
"Im Atelier des Malers"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Hans August Lassen (1857–1927) – "Im Atelier des Malers" (1887)
Artist: Hans August Lassen
Title: Im Atelier des Malers (In the Painter’s Studio)
Date: 1887
Medium: Oil on Panel
Dime...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello.
Portrait of Young Man, John Alcorn, Eliot House, Cambridge MA.
Pencil on pap...
Category
1940s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Pencil
DOMINO Signed Lithograph, Bucks County Landscape, Historic Stone Farmhouse, Cow
Located in Union City, NJ
DOMINO is an original hand drawn, limited edition lithograph(not a photo reproduction or digital print) by Peter Sculthorpe (b.1948 Ontario, Canada) printed using hand lithography te...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Important American Social Documentary Photograph Milton Rogovin Rare Original 60
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original gelatin silver print by American social documentary photographer Milton Rogovin depicting a resident of Buffalo's East Side in the early 1960's. This work is hand signed...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
I wish I was in Carrickfergus
Located in Zofingen, AG
Evgeniy loves to listen to the great Jim McCann during the painting sessions and one of the Irish folk songs performed by him, very suitable in terms of lyrics and mood, gave the tit...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Tempera, Wood Panel
LARGE OIL PAINTING by ANTHONY BRANDRETT (NAVY ADMIRALTY 20th CENTURY PIECE
Located in Ferndown, GB
LARGE FINE 20th Century Piece Maritime Battle Scene British oil painting in a Gold Gilt Frame
FINE RARE MARTINE PAINTING ORIGINAL
20th Century OLD MASTER STYLE OIL PAINTING GOLD GILT FRAME
By Similar $10,000 Premier Collection
NEW COLLECTION Of RARE PIECES OF OLD HISTORY
Good condition for age , (see pictures)
Description
Born in 1940 Anthony Brandrett...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Harbour Island, Bahamas, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a couple relaxing at the beach on Harbour Island, Bahamas.
This is an estate stamped and...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Dynamic Sporting Outdoor Landscape with Expressive Setters on Point, framed
By Beth Carlson
Located in Charleston, US
This dynamic sporting landscape in earth tones with English Setters flushing quail, "Setters on Point", by Beth Carlson is an example of her exciting paintings. In this special sport...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
1920's Illustration of a Country Girl
Located in Soquel, CA
Finely detailed figurative illustration of a young woman leaning against a fence. The woman is wearing a plaid dress and bonnet with a black ribbon. Some of the landscape has been il...
Category
1920s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor, Ink, Gouache
From the Vargas Portfolio
Located in Missouri, MO
From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included**
Lithograph Only
Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Early Realistic Still Life Painting of Stack of Books Against a Black Background
Located in Houston, TX
Early realist still life painting of a stack of books set against a black background. Signed Kaplan on the reverse. Currently hung in a wood frame with velvet matting. Would recommen...
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Just Keep the Connection
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork elegantly blends classic and contemporary elements, depicting a young woman in a stylish black outfit holding a phone to her ear. She stands against an endless blue sky...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
Until the final bloom - 21st Century Realistic Still-life Painting with a bird
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Jeanine Donkers
Until the final bloom
40 x 40 cm ( framed included in price)
Measurement with included frame: 44 x 44 cm
Oil on wood panel
Jeanine Donkers' paintings offer a world ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
"Bluffs West" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Bluffs West" is an original, handmade oil painting of a brilliant blue sky contrasted with a vast expanse of clouds. This ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Linen
Beth Parcell, "Springtime", 11x14 Equine Horse Landscape Green Oil Painting
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This vibrant landscape, "Springtime", is an 11x14 equine oil painting on canvas featuring three brown and white horses grazing in a lush green grassy pasture in the warm sunlight. T...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Trompe L'Oil Interior Scene Finely Framed 19th C Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American interior scene oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 20H by 16L.
Category
1880s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Aloft
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist.
FRAMED: 30.375" x 30.375" x 1.125" UNFRAMED: 20" x 22"
Artist Statement
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Linen, Oil, Panel
$10,800
Rita Aarons, Hawaii, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1955s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Rita Aarons, wife of photographer Slim Aarons, during the filming of 'Mister Roberts' in Ha...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
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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