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.
Elephants
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
John Higginbotham (b.1963). Serengeti, 1984. Pencil on paper, image measures 15 x 21 inches. Framed measurement: 23 x 29 inches. Signed and dated by artist lower right.
Paper, Pencil
$3,500
"Roses in Bloom" by Lindsey Kustusch, Realist Floral Still-Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Lindsey Kustusch's "Roses in Bloom" is a compelling handmade original oil on wood panel artwork, measuring 16 x 20 inches. This 2025 piece is a primary market item, arriving for Kust...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,633Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of a Trout Run in a Woodland River in the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of a Trout Run in a Woodland River in the English Countryside by 20th Century Artist, John Caesar Smith (British, Born 1930) Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measure...
Canvas, Oil
Rare Peruvian Colegio de San Bernardo Illustration paintings (Cusco Peru)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Perdro Celestino Flores (Peruvian, Early 19th century) Exceptional and unique pair of Peruvian Revolutionary Period illustrations documenting collegiate uniforms of The College of S...
Ink, Watercolor, Laid Paper
Goldfinch Bird 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: Goldfinch Size: 12 x 16 inch, (...
Paper, Watercolor
Small garden. Hyacinths
Located in Zofingen, AG
" Against a quiet, muted backdrop, a cluster of hyacinths blooms in a humble ceramic pot, capturing the tender awakening of a new season. Delicate white, vibrant pink, and soft purp...
Canvas, Oil
Rare 19th Century Russian Oil Portrait Bearded Man with Staff Signed Gilt Frame
Located in Stockholm, SE
RARE museum-quality example of a 19th‑century Russian plein‑air oil study on canvas, executed with swift, confident brushstrokes by the skilled hand of a masterful artist. The tall f...
Canvas, Wood, Oil, Cardboard
$1,458Sale Price|20% Off
Peaches oil/canvas, 40x50cm, 2020
By Igor Maikov
Located in Riga, LV
Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...
Canvas, Oil
New College, Oxford, engraving, 1690 David Loggan
By David Loggan
Located in London, GB
To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the view you want. David Loggan (1634-1692) New College...
Engraving
Vintage Mid-century Puerto Rico Christmas Poster
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Antonio Maldonado (1920-2006) Felicidades 1965 Artista: Antonio Maldonado Manatí, Puerto Rico, 1920- San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2006 Date 1965 Medium: serigraph Dimensions:24 5/8 x 17 3...
Screen
The Whisper of Heaven, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A magical sunset unfolds in artist Jose Luis Bermudez's realistic piece. The sky glows in gold and pink tones as the clouds ...
Oil
$119Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Portrait of a Detailed Cow's Face
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
$1,367
«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...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Golden Ranunculuse
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This piece is part of an ongoing series of round canvases dedicated to the "portraits of flowers." Instead of treating florals as simple decorative elements, I approach each canvas a...
Oil
Edge of Night, Original Painting
By Vic Roschkov
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Golden and orange light cuts through dark clouds, capturing the fleeting brilliance of sunset. The contrast between the fiery horizon and the brooding sky evoke...
Watercolor
Summer Bouquet Oil On Canvas
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Summer Bouquet 2022 Still Life oil on canvas, artist signed lower right framed. Zbigniew Kopania, artist painter, cinematographer, born December 21, 1949, in Łódź Poland. Kopania sty...
Oil, Canvas
Antique American Modernist Framed Dog Portrait Signed Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American dog portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Handsomely framed in a wood molding. Excellent condition, rea...
Oil, Board
Orange VI Still Life Painting, Oil on Board, Hyperrealism, 30cm
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...
Oil, Panel
$3,400Sale Price|38% Off
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh– Painting, Serene Pondscape
Located in Denver, CO
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 24 x 36 x 2.50 inches, presented in an elegant frame sized at 25.50 x 37.50 x 3 inches. Ready to hang, this...
Canvas, Oil
Hydrangea Flowers Bouquet, Impressionist Oil on Canvas, 25x25cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
Hydrangea Flowers - Floral Harmony – Original Oil Painting on Canvas by Olga Nikitina Hydrangea Painting is an original oil painting by Olga Nikitina, created with a palette knife i...
Oil, Canvas
The Village Bridge, 19th Century Scottish, River, Town, Genre Painting
Located in Wiscasset, ME
William Smeall was a Scottish artist based in Edinburgh. He is best known for his street scenes of the city, though he also painted rural subjects. His work is in the collections of ...
Oil, Board
Crabapple blossom
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Crabapple Blossom celebrates the quiet beauty and resilience of nature. Wild apples may be small, imperfect and untamed, yet their blossoms remain astonishingly delicate and beautifu...
Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting with Dunes by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Dunes & Beach Path 11 x 14 unframed and 16.5 x 19.5 framed signed LL Dunes & Beach Path is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases...
Oil
White Irises on Blue, Photorealist Screenprint by Lowell Blair Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: White Irises on Blue Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200, AP 30 Image Size: 41 x 23...
Screen
$350
"Los Angeles II" By Ed Fairburn, Limited Edition Poster Print, Portrait of Woman
By Ed Fairburn
Located in Denver, CO
"Las Angeles II" is a limited edition poster print by the acclaimed UK artist Ed Fairburn. This captivating piece is reproduced onto 100% 290gsm cotton rag premium archival Moab pape...
Paper, Archival Pigment
Flower Market at Rockford Tower
Located in Greenville, DE
Wonderful representation of historic Delaware scene. 29.5" x 35.5" framed Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
"Luganer See"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Eckert Georg Maria (1828-1903) – "Luganer See" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 349 x 140 cm Signature: Left side in the middle Description: A magnificent panoramic view of Lake ...
Canvas, Oil
Second World War Swillbin painting, German Pz.Kw.Mark III
Located in London, GB
Vivan Bewick German Pz.Kw.Mark III Gouache 6 x 9 cm Signed to the reverse. This striking miniature gouache depicts a German Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer I...
Gouache
Lake landscape – Swiss School early 19th century
Located in Middletown, NY
Brush and brown ink and wash with graphite on cream wove paper, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (165 x 232mm). Inscribed "Fahlerant, No. 9754, Paisaje--Orillas de un lago" in ink on the verso. ...
Ink, Handmade Paper, Graphite
After the Rain...
Located in Zofingen, AG
The quiet after a recent rain sets the stage, revealing a tranquil landscape. A vintage convertible and a solitary figure by an ice machine evoke a nostalgic, timeless scene. This ar...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Whopper
Located in Zofingen, AG
Original oil painting on canvas, still life painting made under natural light. This artwork is painted using high-quality fine linen canvas. Signed on the front and back of artwork. ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,200
Hyperrealist Countryside Landscape Gouache Painting by Harry Bennett
Located in Atlanta, GA
American artist Harry Bennett designed this stunning gouache painting on cardboard. This early hyperrealist design features a church or school in the middle of nowhere in the country...
Gouache, Cardboard
$19,054
Chrysanthemums in Urn - French 19th Century still life floral art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This beautiful large French 19th century floral still life oil painting is by noted French still life artist Eugene Petit. Painted in 1875 and signed and dated lower right it has pre...
Oil
$2,380Sale Price|20% Off
Part of the Portico of Edfou, Egypt: Original 19th C. Lithograph by D. Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "Part of the Portico of Edfou" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published i...
Lithograph
Coastal Oak Tree Landscape
By Deborah Eddy
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful color photograph of the gnarled trunk of a Coast Live Oak tree by California artist Deborah Eddy (American, b. 1943). Titled "Tree I" on the ma...
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
$2,621
Landscape With Mill at Sunset by Swedish Artist Mauritz Lindström
Located in Stockholm, SE
The small yet stirring painting "Landscape With Mill at Sunset" showcases the remarkable talent of Swedish painter Mauritz Lindström. He was a resp...
Oil, Wood Panel
$14,245
Yachts in the bay of Bali, Original Seascape Mountainscape Oil Painting, Large
By Simon Kozhin
Located in Zofingen, AG
Catalogue raisonné reference: Publisher: Tvorchestvo (2015) Language: English Russian ISBN-10: 5000280512 ISBN-13: 978-5000280515. Artwork description Original oil painting on canva...
Canvas, Oil
Lost to Time, Original Painting
By Art Clark
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A weathered yellow cottage with a red roof stands alone on the prairie, surrounded by wildflowers and a rustic fence. Dark clouds gather overhead, adding a se...
Acrylic
"Silent Hunter" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood (2025)
By Terra Novak
Located in Denver, CO
"Silent Hunter" shows a cougar in a stalking stance, tail low and gaze focused. The green, wood-grain background enhances the quiet tension and natural presence of this powerful pred...
Wood, Oil
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Show Dog Portrait Framed 19th Century Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school dog portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Image size, 9L x 9H.
Canvas, Oil
$1,975
Pink Hummingbird, Miniature Realist Bird Painting On Black Ground, Oil on Copper
By Dina Brodsky
Located in New York, NY
In Small Pink Hummingbird, Dina Brodsky captures a fleeting moment of stillness within a creature defined by motion. The tiny bird, rendered in luminous shades of rose, coral, and go...
Copper
"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...
Canvas, Oil
Writing a Letter – Hand-colored Meiji Era photograph, Japan
Located in Middletown, NY
Original Photograph Yokohama, Japan: c 1880 Hand-tinted albumen print, 10 1/2 x 8 inches (266 x 203 mm). Edges a little faded and some cockling, image is clear and beautifully color...
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
"The Peace of Evening Gold" - Original Western Landscape Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Andrzej Skorut's "The Peace of Evening Gold" is an impressive landscape oil painting piece which rests at 36 x 36 inches on stretched canvas and is ready to hang. Biography and Arti...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500Sale Price|20% Off
Abu Simbel Temple to Ramesses II in Egypt: A 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "The Great Temple of Aboo Simble, Nubia" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, p...
Lithograph
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Winter Stream Snow Scene Contemporary Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Caught by the Light, Winter Stream oil stretched canvas The image measures 16 x 20 and 21.5 x 25.5 framed. An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Bud...
Oil
Mouse Seeking Butterfly- original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife art
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...
Wood, Oil
$866Sale Price|20% Off
Rowing on a Lake in the Irish Mountain Landscape with Lush Green Trees Ireland
Located in Preston, GB
Rowing on a Lake in the Irish Mountain Landscape with Lush Green Trees in Ireland, by 20th Century Artist, William Yeaman. Original, Oil on Canvas prese...
Canvas, Oil
'Old Cedars' – Early New Mexico Landscape, Southwest Regionalism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
George Elbert Burr, 'Old Cedars – New Mexico', etching, 1920, edition 40, Seeber 218. Signed and annotated '(c) George Elbert Burr Del. et Imp.' in pencil. ...
Etching
"Mighty Ocean" Oil Painting by Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973)
Located in New York, NY
Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973) Mighty Ocean oil on canvas signed Montague Dawson (lower left); titled and inscribed (on the stretcher) 24 x 36 in. (61 x 91.4cm) Provenance...
Oil
A farmstead on Long Island
By Frank Waller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Frank Waller (American, 1842-1923) Farmstead, Long Island Oil on canvas, 13 x 21 inches FRAMED: 18 x 26 inches (approx.) Note: while this work is unsigned, it relates to a number o...
Canvas, Oil
Awakening, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Richard Johnson shows a profound connection to the oceans through his work. In this realistic seascape, he captures the intricate texture of sea foam and...
Oil
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
"Afternoon Cala Molto", Oil on canvas of underwater swimmers, cool tones
Located in Dallas, TX
"Afternoon Cala Molto" is a stunning oil on canvas by Patsy McArthur, showing a couple underwater swimmere surrounded by refreshing, cool turquoise green water and stunning reflectio...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Sea Drive, Nassau, Estate Edition Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features film producer Kevin McClory taking his wife Bobo Sigrist and their family for a drive in an 'Amphica...
Lambda
Distant Echoes, Original Painting
By Vic Roschkov
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Bathed in quiet light, a weathered farmhouse radiates a sense of history and solitude. The faded clapboard siding, rusted tin roof, and simple lines stand resil...
Watercolor
$1,487Sale Price|50% Off
Study of a Pointer Running by Léon Espinasse (French 19th/20th)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Study of a Pointer Running" Léon Espinasse (French, c. 1870 to 20th century) Watercolor on paper Signed on right 15 x 11 1/2 (28 1/4 x 23 1/2 frame) inches A stunning exercise in ...
Watercolor, Paper
Seaside of Vidzeme. 1984. Oil on canvas. 81x100 cm. Signed
Located in Riga, LV
As true landscape painter Harijs Veldre found the unique charm in each change of the seasons. In spring works the landscape gets depth, the summer involves with beauty of the nature,...
Canvas, Oil
$2,279Sale Price|20% Off
Woman in a Sunlit Italian Courtyard, Oil on Wood, Mid-19th Century
Located in Genève, GE
Dimension with frame : 36,5 x 28,5 x 4,5 cm. A charming 19th-century Italian oil study attributed to Silvestro Lega (1826–1895), depicting a woman seen from behind in a rustic sunli...
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait of a Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Vito Tomasello. Portrait of Wayne Herman, 1971. Pasel on paper, 18 x 24 inches. Signed and dated upper left. A lifetime NYC resident, Tomasello is best known for his male nude draw...
Paper, Pastel
Listening to Bessie Smith
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Woody Gruber (1946-2022) Listening to Bessie, 1975. Etching on paper, plate measures 7 inches h. x 7.75 w. Overall framed measurement in 14 x 15 inches. Numbered, titled, signed ...
Etching