Realist Art
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.
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Early 2000s Realist Art
Oil, Canvas
1980s Realist Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
The sea exudes an atmosphere of comfort and peace at sunset. The water mirrors the glorious colors of the sky, creating a captivating display of light. The re...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Pastel
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Oil
19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1890s Realist Art
Oil, Board
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Oil
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
1970s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1870s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Copper
2010s Realist Art
Other Medium
1980s Realist Art
Lambda
2010s Realist Art
Oil
1980s Realist Art
Lambda
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Oil
1970s Realist Art
Paper, Conté
2010s Realist Art
Bronze
Artist Comments
Brightly colored brown eggs rest on top of a rustic safe, depicting them as treasures. It is a thought-provoking still-life that questions the price of food in ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Watercolor
2010s Realist Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Early 2000s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Realist Art
Lambda
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Watercolor
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Charcoal
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Etching
1850s Realist Art
Printer's Ink, Rice Paper, Woodcut
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
2010s Realist Art
Panel, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Egg Tempera, Panel
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
1980s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil
1970s Realist Art
Lithograph
2010s Realist Art
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
2010s Realist Art
Oil
1850s Realist Art
Wood, Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
A railway stop stands beside the tracks, its weathered wood and faded paint showing years of wear. Bright autumn foliage surrounds it, contrasting with the mist...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
19th Century Realist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A wintry country road stretches into the distance, evoking a sense of serenity and isolation. Bare trees and snow-covered fields frame the scene. Tire tracks ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Watercolor
2010s Realist Art
Paper, Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Acrylic
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Parchment Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
1970s Realist Art
Charcoal