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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
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print of a Mushroom by Alexander Lowry
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print of a Mushroom by Alexander Lowry

Vintage Silver Gelatin Print of a Mushroom by Alexander Lowry

Located in Soquel, CA

Vintage Silver Gelatin Print of a Mushroom by Alexander Lowry High-contrast silver gelatin print showing the underside of a mushroom on the forest floor by Alexander Lowry (1937-201...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Paper

Ram
Ram

Mark MorrisonRam, ca. 1940

$2,000Sale Price|60% Off

Ram

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Ram, ca. 1940 Carved diorite 9" long, 6" wide, height is 7.5" Rusty band on hind quarter is a naturally occurring iron ore occlusion in stone, which bot...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Reflection
Reflection

Reflection

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

I love the way the silver and porcelain objects are reflected and the subtle warm and cool color throughout. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant col...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Dog Lake, Oil Painting
Dog Lake, Oil Painting

Dog Lake, Oil Painting

By Keith Thomson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A ballerina leaps into the air with a dog behind her, seemingly following her steps. In this painting, artist Keith Thomson drew inspiration from Pyotr Ilyich T...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Moths and a Lady Bug in a Landscape: A Hand-colored Engraving by Moses Harris
Moths and a Lady Bug in a Landscape: A Hand-colored Engraving by Moses Harris

Moths and a Lady Bug in a Landscape: A Hand-colored Engraving by Moses Harris

By Moses Harris

Located in Alamo, CA

This is a hand-colored engraving depicting the natural history of moths and a lady bug, which is plate 22 from Moses Harris' publication "The Aurelian: or Natural History of English Insects; Namely Moths & Butterflies", first published in London in 1766 and this from an 1840 edition. The engraving depicts the natural history developmental stages of the Burnished Brass Moth, the Dark Gothic...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Red Fox
Red Fox

Red Fox

By Ezra Tucker

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original pencil drawing signed by the Artist on the lower right corner.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Pencil

Monkey
Monkey

Mark MorrisonMonkey, ca. 1940

$4,000Sale Price|50% Off

Monkey

By Mark Morrison

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Monkey, ca. 1940 Carved New Hampshire granite 8.5" by 5", height is 16.5" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Fishermen Sailors at Sea - Scottish Victorian art marine portrait oil painting
Fishermen Sailors at Sea - Scottish Victorian art marine portrait oil painting

Fishermen Sailors at Sea - Scottish Victorian art marine portrait oil painting

By Patrick William Orr

Located in Hagley, England

This charming Scottish Victorian oil painting is by noted Scottish artist Patrick William Orr. Painted circa 1880, this marine portrait is of two fishermen sailors at sea, sorting th...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"House Finch" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood
"House Finch" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood

"House Finch" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood

By Terra Novak

Located in Denver, CO

About the Artist: Terra Novak is a contemporary realist painter and art educator based in Colorado whose work explores the beauty, strength, and emotional depth found in both people ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Wood, Oil

"Still Life"
"Still Life"

"Still Life"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Johann Rudolf Feyerabend, called Lelong (1749-1814) – Still Life Medium: Reverse painting on glass Dimensions: 16 x 23 cm Signature: Lower right corner Provenance: Private collection...

Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

In Tradition
In Tradition

In Tradition

By Mian Situ

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. Signed "Mian Situ" on lower right Description In this oil painting titled, In Tradition, Mian Situ pays tribute to the ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life - Flowers in Urn with Bird's Nest
Still Life - Flowers in Urn with Bird's Nest

Still Life - Flowers in Urn with Bird's Nest

Located in San Francisco, CA

This large, colorful still life painting by Paul Longenecker (1920-2008) depicts a varied assortment of flowers in an urn. There is a bird’s net to the lower right of the urn as well...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

British Chalk Pencil Sketches of Two Sheep Standing and Lying on the Grass
British Chalk Pencil Sketches of Two Sheep Standing and Lying on the Grass

British Chalk Pencil Sketches of Two Sheep Standing and Lying on the Grass

By John Rabone Harvey

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...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

The Observer, Portrait of Jackson Nash by Graham Nash
The Observer, Portrait of Jackson Nash by Graham Nash

The Observer, Portrait of Jackson Nash by Graham Nash

By Graham Nash

Located in Soquel, CA

The Observer, Portrait of Jackson Nash by Graham Nash Gorgeous archival digital photograph, limited edition giclee by Graham Nash (American, b. 1942) of a Nash's first born son Jac...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Laid Paper

OIL PAINTING By MAJOR John E . Bale 19th Century BRITISH SCHOOL
OIL PAINTING By MAJOR John E . Bale 19th Century BRITISH SCHOOL

OIL PAINTING By MAJOR John E . Bale 19th Century BRITISH SCHOOL

By John Edward Bale

Located in Ferndown, GB

OIL PAINTING SIGNED 19th Century BRITISH SCHOOL Fine Original Antique 19th Century British OIL PAINTING GOLD GILT FRAME By Major John Edward Bale Excellent Condition Panel, Professional Cleaned & re-varnished Ready to hang. frame is in wonderful condition . John Edward Bale, was born at Low Farm House, Pattesley-cum-Oxwick, South Creake, Norfolk on 27 July and baptised at South Creake on 1 August 1834, eldest child of John Edward Bale (1803-27 April 1862), a farmer of 620 acres, and his wife Mary née Branford, who married at Horningtoft, Norfolk on 27 November 1833. In 1841, a 6 year old, living at Low Farm with his parents, 35 year old John and 28 year old Mary, and his two sisters, Mary 3 and Esther 1. In 1861, a 26 year old 'artist architecture' boarding at 11 Bulstrode Street, Marylebone, London but in October 1863, he was an Ensign by purchase in the 1st West Indian Regiment. As a lieutenant, whilst on a tour of duty in West Africa, Surgeon Major Augustus Frederick Elliott (born 1834), kept a diary (now at Duke University Library) which is embellished with calligraphy and watercolour titles by Bale. During this tour, Bale was promoted to Captain and retired from the army in 1881 with the rank of major. Bale married at Christ Church, Ealing on 10 November 1868, Charlotte Gordon Lee née Johnson (c1847-1910). A painter in oil and watercolour and a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1886-1890 and as Major Bale exhibited from 9 Creffield Terrace, Colchester, Essex in 1888, 'View from Museum...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

An auction at Drouot's in Paris.
An auction at Drouot's in Paris.

An auction at Drouot's in Paris.

By René Francois Xavier Prinet

Located in Paris, FR

An auction at Drouot's in Paris. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Around 1900-1910. René François Xavier Prinet (31 December 1861, Vitry-le-François – 26 January 1946, Bourbonne-les-Bains) was a French painter and illustrator who drew his subjects from middle-class society. He was born to Henri Prinet, an Imperial Prosecutor in Vitry-le-François. A promotion led to him being posted in Paris, where they lived in a home not far from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His father painted as a hobby and was supportive of his desire to study art, having him seek the advice of Louis Charles Timbal [fr], a well-known church painter and friend of the family. Around 1880, he began his studies in earnest, in the studios of Jean-Léon Gérôme; remaining with him until 1885. That year, his painting "The Infant Jesus" was accepted for display at the Salon. This was followed by studies at the Académie Julian. At this time, he also became associated with a group of young artists known as the Bande Noire (Black Stripe), which included Lucien Simon, André Dauchez...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

An apple every day
An apple every day

An apple every day

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

I love the way the objects are reflected on each other and the subtle warm and cool color throughout. The strong light vibrates on porcelain and glass. A dark background helps to rev...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The spring fairy
The spring fairy

The spring fairy

By Serghei Ghetiu

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this oil painting, I poured my heart into capturing the gentle awakening of spring amidst lingering winter’s chill. The young woman’s serene gaze and delicate flower crown embody ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Transcarpathia"
"Transcarpathia"

"Transcarpathia"

By Oleksandr Khrapachov

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Transcarpathia Oleksandr Khrapachov, 2025 --- The Tisa asks for no permission. It simply flows. Of all Ukraine’s rivers, the Tisa is the most headstrong. It knows no straight lines a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Rabbi, Judaica Oil Painting, Purim

Portrait of a Rabbi, Judaica Oil Painting, Purim

Located in Surfside, FL

In this painting the artist depicts a Rabbi in a formal manner, from a 3/4th view angle, and the portrait has been rendered using controlled brushstrokes, and in a realistic way. The...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Nude"
"Nude"

"Nude"

By Roman Dub

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The heroine does not look at the viewer. Her gaze is directed into the distance, past the grey walls, beyond the edge of the canvas. She is not merely looking — she sees what is hidd...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

"The Pincio Fountain in Rome"
"The Pincio Fountain in Rome"

"The Pincio Fountain in Rome"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Jozefina Kirchner (1890–1931) "The Pincio Fountain in Rome" (1923)** This atmospheric oil painting on canvas by Jozefina Kirchner, completed in 1923, captures a captivating view of t...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Dance
The Dance

The Dance

By Michael Albrechtsen

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen. Signed lower right. Framed Dimensions: 45 X 47

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Giraffe"
"Giraffe"

"Giraffe"

By Madalena Zampassi

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This painting is a portrait of a giraffe. A native African animal, the giraffe is a graceful and beautiful creature that inspires and captivates with its beauty. The graphic techniqu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows
Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows

Located in Soquel, CA

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows Miniature landscape with two cows in the foreground, signed "J.M. Myall 1910." One cow sits on the ground of a rolling h...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Pair of 19 century oil on porcelain portraits
Pair of 19 century oil on porcelain portraits

Pair of 19 century oil on porcelain portraits

Located in San Francisco, CA

Pair of fabulous 19 century oil on porcelain portraits. These finally detailed paintings are most likely, a husband and wife. The male portrait could possibly be Napoleon the second....

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt
Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt

Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt

Located in Stockholm, SE

This poignant portrait by Swedish artist Nina Bergstedt captures a quiet intensity that lingers in the viewer’s mind. The sitter, an unknown woman, is portrayed with deep emotional p...

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Basket with tangerines
Basket with tangerines

Basket with tangerines

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

“Basket with tangerines” is a work that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this luscious fruit. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this m...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

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.