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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20th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Oil
1980s Realist Art
C Print
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Realist Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
Early 19th Century Realist Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
A pair of little woodpeckers perch on opposite sides of a branch, busy probing the small holes they've made for fresh tree sap. The intricate features of their plumage and the textured bark create a striking contrast against the stark white background. Rendered in vibrant colors and fine detail, artist Emil Morhardt brings this charming scene to life.
About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Acrylic
1940s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Realist Art
Lithograph
Early 1900s Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Bronze
1990s Realist Art
Paper, Pastel
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Towering clouds drift lazily over an island, creating a sense of awe and tranquility. Inspired by artist Kat Bergman's time spent on the North Shore of Oahu, this piece captures the quiet isolation and beauty of the landscape. The composition invites the viewer to imagine themselves on a secluded beach immersed in the peaceful rhythm of nature.The artwork comes with a natural wood frame.
About the Artist
Artist Kat Bergman paints landscapes and natural scenes in a realistic style, often infused with serenity and tranquility. "With each piece, there is always some extent of self-discovery and healing that occurs," says Kat. She channels deep human emotion in her work, capturing beauty, sorrow, and resilience through her art. After raising two sons as a single mother and building a career as a Quality Director in the electronics industry, she retired in 2015 to pursue painting full-time. She works in her home studio, a dedicated space within her large garage, which she keeps mostly tidy. When not creating, Kat enjoys reading, baking, and working on a cookbook.
Words that describe this painting: cloud, island, cloudscape, ocean, sea, tranquil, sky, water, Hawaii...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Bronze
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Board
1980s Realist Art
Offset
2010s Realist Art
Watercolor, Paper
20th Century Realist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Art
Paper, Color, Digital, Giclée
2010s Realist Art
Acrylic
1880s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Realist Art
Monotype
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Acrylic
2010s Realist Art
Oil
1970s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil, Board
2010s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Granite
1910s Realist Art
Oil, Canvas
19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A tranquil winter scene unfolds in this watercolor, where a partially frozen river winds through a quiet, snow-covered forest. Tall trees frame the foreground, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Watercolor
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Paper
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Realist Art
India Ink, Acrylic, Paper
20th Century Realist Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Realist Art
Oil, Linen, Panel
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Watercolor, Paper
Early 19th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Wood, Oil
1990s Realist Art
Screen
19th Century Realist Art
Oil
20th Century Realist Art
Oil
2010s Realist Art
Pastel
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Lithograph
1860s Realist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"This work is a representation of the unadorned beauty of nature," shares artist Jose Luis Bermudez. The clear blue sky stre...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Canvas, Oil