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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
Man in Thought
Man in Thought

Man in Thought

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Robert Bliss (1925-1981). Man in Thought, 1964. Graphite on canvas, 11.5 x 46 inches. Signed and dated lower left. Right piece of basic wood strip frame i...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Graphite

"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall
"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall

"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall

Located in Denver, CO

Tracy Wall's (Colorado, US based) "Kenosha Colors" is an original, handmade, mixed media painting that depicts Colorado aspen trees in autumn. As an artist, Tracy Wall sheds new light on everyday life, inviting the viewer to see the familiar as if for the very first time. Working with a variety of subjects, Tracy paints interesting viewpoints with compelling value, color, and shapes. Appealing compositions are everywhere, and they make strong impressions from afar even before the subject matter is recognized. She loves to balance representational impressions with more abstracted compositions. Tracy has studied at the Art Students League of Denver under such influential artists as Michelle Torrez, Ken Velastro, Kevin Weckbach, John Lencicki, and Rob Gratiot while also participated in additional workshops from Sally Strand, Carol Marine...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Canvas

Les Andelys in the Seine Valley France Pastel Art by 20th Century British Artist
Les Andelys in the Seine Valley France Pastel Art by 20th Century British Artist

Les Andelys in the Seine Valley France Pastel Art by 20th Century British Artist

By Lionel Aggett

Located in Preston, GB

Les Andelys in the Seine Valley France Landscape Pastel Art. A fine example of the beautiful work of British 20th Century Artist, Lionel Aggett (1938-2009). Signed front and rear, fr...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Pastel, Board

Lady in Red Portrait - British Post Impressionist 50s oil painting female artist
Lady in Red Portrait - British Post Impressionist 50s oil painting female artist

Lady in Red Portrait - British Post Impressionist 50s oil painting female artist

By Constance Anne Parker

Located in Hagley, England

A super circa 1955 British portrait oil painting in tones of red. A very evocative period portrait of a woman painted by British listed female artist Constance Anne Parker. A highly...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Danzig
Danzig

Danzig

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Danzig" c.1920, is a color etching on paper by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir, 1881-1962. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist's estate at the lower center. The plate mark (image) size is 16 x 20 inches, framed size is 26.5 x 30 inches. Custom framed in a wooden silver frame, with light brown matting and dark brown fillets . It is in Excellent condition. About the artist. Luigi Kasimir was born in 1881 at Pettau, today Ptuj, Slovenia, then a part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. He inherited his talent from his ancestors; his grandfather was a painter and a poet, and his father an officer in the Habsburg army, who later became a professional painter. Kasimir attended the Vienna Academy of Art where he studied under Wilhelm Unger, who introduced him to the technique of the coloured etching, and also to his future wife, the artist Tanna Hoernes.[1] He died in 1962 in Grinzing, a suburb of Vienna.Kasimir was among the first to develop the technique of the coloured etching. Before this, prints were usually hand-coloured with the colour being applied in a casual, haphazard manner. Kasimir would first create a sketch usually in pastel, he then transferred the design on as many as four to six plates, printing one after the other and applying the colour on the plate, all done by hand. Kasimir is mainly famous for his etchings, but he also produced some oil painting, as well as some pastels. One of his favourite genres was the landscape, or veduta. He demonstrated a predisposition street scenes, and tourist landmarks. He depicted places from all over Europe, mainly Italy, Austria, and Germany. He also travelled to the United States to do a series of etchings of famous sights ranging from urban landmarks such as New York City skyscrapers, to natural wonders like Yosemite Valley. Luigi Kasimir’s etchings...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Shady Side

Shady Side

By David Leonard

Located in Fairfield, CT

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --The primary subjects of my paintings are 21st century man's working monuments, which represent our culture's dedication to produc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Corridor, Montereggi" Oil Painting
"Corridor, Montereggi" Oil Painting

"Corridor, Montereggi" Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "Corridor, Montereggi" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an interior setting adorned with fine wood fur...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

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

Antique English Realist Genre Scene Framed High Society Portrait Oil Painting
Antique English Realist Genre Scene Framed High Society Portrait Oil Painting

Antique English Realist Genre Scene Framed High Society Portrait Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

George Dunlop Leslie (1835 - 1921) Antique English realist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 17 by 20 overall and 12 by 15 paining alone. Artist Bio: George Dunlop Leslie RA (London 2 July 1835 – 21 February 1921 Lindfield, Sussex) was a British genre painter, author and illustrator. He was born into an artistic family; his father was the notable genre painter Charles Robert Leslie RA, and his uncle Robert Leslie was a marine artist. He studied art first at Cary's Art Academy, then from 1854 at the Royal Academy. His first exhibition at the Academy was in 1859, and he showed his work every year thereafter. He became an Associate (ARA) in 1868 and a full Royal Academician (RA) in 1876.George Dunlop Leslie lived early on in St John's Wood (London), and was part of the St John's Wood Clique, a group of artists who favoured light-hearted genre subjects. From 1884–1901 he was resident at "Riverside", St. Leonard's Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. His sister Mary Leslie (1833–1907), also an artist, lived at "Cromwell Lodge" next door. Fellow artist, James Hayllar, was also a resident of the village and they painted a portrait of Queen Victoria together for her Golden Jubilee in 1887. From 1906 he lived at "Compton House" in Lindfield, SussexHis early works, such as Matilda (1860) showed the strong influence of the Pre-Raphaelites, but he settled into a more academic, aesthetic, style of painting with the aim of showing "pictures from the sunny side of English domestic life". He often used children as subjects and his work was praised by John Ruskin for its portrayal of the "sweet quality of English girlhood". One of his pictures, This is the Way we Wash our Clothes, was used as a poster in an advertising campaign for soap. Despite its apparently trivial subject matter, however, Leslie's work was highly regarded by critics of the time.In 1889 during his time at Riverside house in Wallingford Leslie is credited with painting four angel murals in St Leonards Church.Leslie was also an author and had several books published. Our river (1888), Letters to Marco (1893) and Riverside letters (1896) were all illustrated by him in black and white, and based on personal observations of life and nature in his local area. He also wrote a history of the early years of the Royal Academy - The inner life of the Royal Academy.Leslie was married to Lydia. They had a daughter Alice (depicted in his painting Alice in Wonderland) and a son Peter Leslie...

Category

1880s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Venetian painter – 19th c. Guardesque lagoon view – San Michele island
Venetian painter – 19th c. Guardesque lagoon view – San Michele island

Venetian painter – 19th c. Guardesque lagoon view – San Michele island

Located in Varmo, IT

Venetian painter (19th-20th century) — Venice, view of the Island of San Michele. 35 x 45 cm (unframed) - 46 x 56 cm (framed). Oil on canvas, in a gilded and painted wooden frame. ...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Viktoria. Large vertical portrait painting, woman, nude, realism
Viktoria. Large vertical portrait painting, woman, nude, realism

Viktoria. Large vertical portrait painting, woman, nude, realism

Located in Oslo, NO

The portrait depicts a girl of such perfect natural beauty that the work goes beyond the portrait of a specific person and represents an archetypal generalized image of femininity as...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, 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

Pools of Hahamongna; Arroyo Seco
Pools of Hahamongna; Arroyo Seco

Pools of Hahamongna; Arroyo Seco

By Peter Adams

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. UNFRAMED: 30" x 40" FRAMED: 39" x 48.5" x 3" Artist Statement “For this large painting I did a number of preparatory ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Reflection
Reflection

Reflection

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

PORTAL TO WITHIN
PORTAL TO WITHIN

PORTAL TO WITHIN

Located in Zofingen, AG

shipped in roll For this piece, I wanted to create a sense of diving deep into the self. The sunbeams cutting through the water are like shafts of inner light, illuminating the qui...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections
Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections

Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections

Located in Preston, GB

Peaceful Misty Riverside in the English Countryside with Cows & Tree Reflections by 20th Century British Artist. Unique Vintage Original, Oil on Canvas, Signed. Art measures 30...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"
Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"

Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"

Located in Zofingen, AG

This artwork captivates with its blend of cultural and surreal elements. The central figure, a poised woman in a traditional East Asian kimono, radiates elegance through intricate fl...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Luminous Night, Original Painting
Luminous Night, Original Painting

Luminous Night, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This panoramic scene captures the beauty of clouds drifting above the city at night. Backlit by moonlight, the clouds glow against the darkness, luminous agains...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Columbia vs Defender Racing off Oyster Bay
Columbia vs Defender Racing off Oyster Bay

Columbia vs Defender Racing off Oyster Bay

Located in Greenwich, CT

Unframed dimensions: 30 x 40 inches Framed dimensioins: 35 1/2 x 45 1/3 inches Sept 13th 1899 After a very competitive season Nat Herreshoff’s new 90 footer Columbia with Charlie Ba...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching
New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching

New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching

By Katherine Gallagher

Located in Buffalo, NY

Limited edition aquatint etching of the New York City skyline by Katherine E. Gallagher. This piece features the famous Chrysler Building prominently in the background along with a M...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

White peonies
White peonies

White peonies

Located in Zofingen, AG

The contrast of the white against the dark background and subtle light on peonies attracted me together with the focus on color harmony. The style of the painting is inspired by the ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

LOGAN SQUARE AND ASHLAND AVE.
LOGAN SQUARE AND ASHLAND AVE.

LOGAN SQUARE AND ASHLAND AVE.

By Audrey Barrett

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Audrey Barrett grew up in Queens, New York. It was there that her fascination with the urban landscape began. Audrey, a self-taught artist, studied art history and became known for her landscapes and botanical subjects. Audrey Barrett worked as a package graphic designer for 25 years while painting large botanical paintings...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with Pineapple. Large tropical still life, yellow, blue.
Still Life with Pineapple. Large tropical still life, yellow, blue.

Still Life with Pineapple. Large tropical still life, yellow, blue.

Located in Oslo, NO

A bold and expressive still life filled with tropical abundance. Juicy, textured, and sunlit, this composition draws the eye with its saturated colors and tactile forms. Each fruit f...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Forgotten Dwelling, Original Painting
Forgotten Dwelling, Original Painting

Forgotten Dwelling, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A weathered farmhouse stands silent against a late fall sky, its boarded windows holding the echoes of another time. Dry grasses and bare trees seem to lean inw...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Cat Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind

Cat Animal Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind

Located in Granada Hills, CA

480 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Cat Size: 12 x 16 inch, (30...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Figurative Realist Acrylic Painting, Hippie Era Scene, Spanish Art 1980s Framed
Figurative Realist Acrylic Painting, Hippie Era Scene, Spanish Art 1980s Framed

Figurative Realist Acrylic Painting, Hippie Era Scene, Spanish Art 1980s Framed

By José Luis Fuentetaja

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Original 1980 figurative oil and acrylic painting by Spanish realist José Luis Fuentetaja, depicting an intimate hippie-era scene with powerful psychological presence and masterful a...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Moments of Reflection Depicting a Woman Sitting by the Fire, Original Oil Paint
Moments of Reflection Depicting a Woman Sitting by the Fire, Original Oil Paint

Moments of Reflection Depicting a Woman Sitting by the Fire, Original Oil Paint

By Sam Uhrdin

Located in Stockholm, SE

We are pleased to present a captivating painting by the artist Sam Uhrdin (1886-1964). This beautiful artwork depicts a woman from Dalarna, sitting in front of a warm, glowing fire. The entire painting is bathed in a soft, radiant light, particularly illuminating her face and traditional white/red attire. The woman appears contemplative, lost in thought, perhaps thinking of someone dear to her heart. She is depicted in a kitchen, taking a moment to relax after a day's chores in her home. Sam Uhrdin's artistic journey began in the early 1900s, he traveled to Stockholm in 1903 to further continue his studies in painting. He worked as a painter during the day and attended various evening schools in the evenings. In 1906, he journeyed to America to work as a sign painter, but he mainly ended up working as an upholsterer. Returning to Leksand in 1909 via London and Paris, his artistic talent gained recognition, and with the help of some patrons, he began studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1911, occasionally attending Althin's painting school in Stockholm. Financial circumstances cut his study time short, and his skill as a portrait painter earned him numerous portrait commissions, which further occupied his time. In 1921, Uhrdin received a scholarship from the Royal Academy, enabling him to embark on a study trip in 1922 to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, which he had to cut short due to his wife's illness. He later visited places like Spain and Portugal. Uhrdin's breakthrough came with his portrait of the former Prime Minister Nils Edén, which he executed in 1919. In 1921, he portrayed the participants of the Swedish Academy. Among other representatives of official Sweden captured by Uhrdin were Gustav V, Manne Siegbahn, Ludvig Stavenow, and bishops Gottfrid and Einar Billing. In 1932, he held a solo exhibition at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm, and he participated in various exhibitions, including the Swedish Artists' Association in Stockholm in 1917, Swedish Art at Valand-Chalmers in Gothenburg in 1923, Dalarna Artists displayed at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1936, and the National Museum's traveling exhibition "Barnet i konsten" (Children in Art...

Category

1940s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, 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

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mark MorrisonMountain Goat, ca. 1950

$1,950Sale Price|35% Off

Mountain Goat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Mountain Goat, ca. 1950. Carved granite. 6.25" long, 3.25" wide, height is 6.25" Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: University of Missouri John Flannag...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Old Teapot, Still life, Oil painting, Impasto, Canvas on panel, Vertical
Old Teapot, Still life, Oil painting, Impasto, Canvas on panel, Vertical

Old Teapot, Still life, Oil painting, Impasto, Canvas on panel, Vertical

Located in Oslo, NO

This still life was painted in 2024. Vertically composed, oil on canvas on panel. The main subject is the Old black Teapot, accompanied by a cup and a red apple on a golden-yellow ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blustery Clouds, Stormy Sky Landscape, Blue Tones, Extra Large Cyanotype, Paper
Blustery Clouds, Stormy Sky Landscape, Blue Tones, Extra Large Cyanotype, Paper

Blustery Clouds, Stormy Sky Landscape, Blue Tones, Extra Large Cyanotype, Paper

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Blustery Clouds" is an cyanotype of the semi-abstract patterns of clouds in the sky after a storm. Details: + Title: Blu...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper, Emulsion, Etching, Lithograph

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.