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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
Antique French Large Finely Framed 19th C Realist Flower Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique French realist flower still life painting by Jules Edouard Diart (1840 - 1890) . Oil on canvas. Signed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a period go...
Category

1860s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magnolia. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning magnolia placed in a transparent vase. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers and capture the reactions of light with glass. The medium used is oi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Glimmer" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Nude Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Karen Offutt's (US based) "Glimmer" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude female wearing a translucent robe, posing with her arms above her head. The painting is ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Portrait of a Handsome Beatnik
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mary Kiisel Greenwood (b.1924) Studied: PAFA Exhibited: Gross McCLeaf Gallery, Philadelphia Portrait of a Beatnik, ca. 1955-60. Oil on canvas measuring 12 x 16 inches. Some w...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hyperreal Pink Glass Balloon Sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Pink hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. These hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted and acid-etched to resemble real wa...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

"Meringues" (2015) by Suzy Smith, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Suzy Smith's "Meringues" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a female nude set against a backdrop inspired by a Wayne Thiebaud pie painting...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

Throwing Shade, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The sun pierces through the morning mist, casting a warm, golden glow on the fields and meandering stream below. The aerial view captures the scale, depth, and ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 25 x 21 inches John Haskins...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Mickalene Thomas, Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien official COA S/N, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Mickalene Thomas Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien, 2012 Pigment print on 100% cotton rag paper Edition 141/150 Frame included with official COA affixed to the back Hand numbered ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Permanent Marker, Digital Pigment

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

Hudson River School, Luminism Oil Painting After Thomas Moran Venice Boats
By (after) Thomas Moran
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
After Thomas Moran Harbor, Venice oil/canvas board signed LL 15.75 x 20 unframed, 24 x 28 framed Good original as purchased condition in what looks to be a period frame? Possibly original. Signature looks similar to others found online. The last two photos are of similar signatures from two paintings listed in Brunks Auction in 2025. Small dent, lower center, under the two black objects as seen in photo. Might benefit from a light professional cleaning. Purchased at Stair Auctions Also shown here is a similar venetian painting by Moran sold at Shannons Auctioneers 2022 for $162.500 including premium showing a similar signature. Biography Thomas Moran was born 12 February 1837 in Bolton, England, not far from Manchester, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Several generations of the Moran family had worked as handloom weavers in Bolton until the introduction of power looms radically changed the industry. In 1842/1843, seeking public education for his children and economic opportunity in a new land, Thomas Moran, Sr., journeyed to America. The following year his wife and children joined him and the reunited family settled in Kensington, a suburb of Philadelphia, where they became part of a well-established community of immigrant textile workers. While still a teenager Thomas became an apprentice at the Philadelphia engraving firm of Scattergood and Telfer. After three years he withdrew from his apprenticeship and began working in the studio of his older brother, Edward, who had begun to establish himself as a marine painter. Serving, in effect, a second apprenticeship, Moran benefitted not only from the advice of his brother but also from that of James Hamilton (1819-1878), a well-known Philadelphia painter who had befriended Edward. Described by contemporaries as the "American Turner," Hamilton may have sparked Thomas Moran's life-long interest in the work of English artist J.M.W. Turner. In 1861, after several years of studying Turner's work in reproduction, Thomas and Edward journeyed to London where they spent several months studying and copying Turner's work at the National Gallery. A decade later, when Thomas journeyed west to join Ferdinand Vandiver Hayden's expedition to Yellowstone, the watercolors he produced on site bore clear evidence of his debt to Turner. Moran's trip to Yellowstone in 1871 marked the turning point of his career. The previous year he had been asked by Scribner's Magazine to rework sketches made in Yellowstone by a member of an earlier expedition party. Intrigued by the geysers and mudpots of Yellowstone, he borrowed money to make the trip himself. Numerous paintings and commissions resulted from this journey, but the sale of his enormous (7 by 12 feet) Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1872, National Museum of American Art) to Congress shortly after passage of the bill that set Yellowstone aside as the first National Park, brought Moran considerable attention. In 1873, following up on his earlier success, Moran joined John Wesley Powell's expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Shortly after his return he set to work on a second canvas equal in size to his earlier Yellowstone painting...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Marine Melody
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I depicted a young woman wading through shallow waters, her movements smooth and graceful. I focused on capturing the interaction of light with water and fabric, hi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Pink Poppy
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Mark Adams (American, 1925-2006) Title: Pink Poppy Year: 1980 Medium: Color aquatint Paper: Wove Image size: 11.25 x 8.5 inches Sheet size: 18 x 13.5 inches Framed size: 20....
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Color, Aquatint

On the walk
Located in Oslo, NO
A minimalist but masterfully executed monochrome watercolor. The work is striking in its lightness - although there is nothing on it except the figure of a child, from the way he is ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

A basket upgrade (springer spaniel)
Located in London, GB
Painted in 1922, this sensitive and beautifully observed portrait captures the quiet intelligence and loyal character of a liver-and-white Springer Spaniel. Seated with dignity on a ...
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bathers - Nude Figures in Landscape Oil by Paul Gustav Fischer
By Paul Gustave Fischer
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed and dated oil on canvas nudes in seascape by Danish realist painter Paul Gustav Fischer. The work depicts two young women bathing on a rocky shoreline looking our towards the ...
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

shellfish harvesters women on the beach Spain spanish seascape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
**Title**: Fisherwomen on the Beach **Author**: Rafael Mumpao Hinojosa **Technique**: Oil on canvas **Canvas dimensions**: 25.6 x 31.9 in **Framed dimensions**: 37.8 x 44.1 in This artwork captures a beautiful costumbrist scene, focusing on traditions and everyday life. **Rafael Mumpao Hinojosa**, with his detailed and realistic style, draws inspiration from renowned painters such as **Joaquín Sorolla**, a master of light and movement, and **Julio Romero de Torres...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Classical Horse Painting of a Grand Andalusia Evoking Strength and Warmth
Located in Charleston, US
Renowned equine artist Valarie Wolf presents "Trusted Friend," a stunning classical horse painting that captures the beauty, strength, and loyalty of the majestic Andalusian horse. C...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"The Bather" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Female Portrait, Nude
Located in Denver, CO
Karen Offutt's (US based) "The Bather" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude female in a landscape, bathed in light, with a towel draped around her. The painting ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Allusions, Bay of Naples (from the collection of Donald Baechler) Signed/N print
Located in New York, NY
Cy Twombly Allusions, Bay of Naples (from the collection of Donald Baechler), 1975 Color offset lithograph and photo lithograph on wove paper Signed and numbered 56/80 in ink on the ...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

"Oracle" (2024) By Allen Williams, Original Oil Nude Portrait Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Oracle" (2024) by Allen Williams is an original oil painting on a sealed illustration board that depicts an eerie portrait of a nude female figure. Thi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"Orange Wrapped in Plastic" Oil Painting by Kelly Birkenruth
Located in Denver, CO
Kelly Birkenruth's "Orange Wrapped in Plastic" (2023) is an original oil painting on panel, measuring 5 x 5 x 1 inches. This captivating still life features an orange wrapped in a tr...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Wood Nymph" (2018) By John Tarantola, Nude Oil Portrait Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Wood Nymph" (2018) is a beautiful realist painting done with oil on panel, which depicts an athletic nude male figure standing in a forest, p...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

The House of Shango — African American artist
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Samella Sanders Lewis, 'The House of Shango', lithograph, 1992, edition 60. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered '31/60' in pencil. A superb, richly-inked impression, on Arches cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (1 1/4 to 3 1/2 inches), in excellent condition. Image size 24 x 18 inches (610 x 457 mm); sheet size 30 inches x 22 1/4 inches (762 x 565 mm). Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed. ABOUT THIS WORK “The title of this piece is an unmistakable harkening to African roots. Shango is a religious practice with origins in Yoruba (Nigerian) belief, deifying a god of thunder by the same name. Shango has been adopted in the Caribbean, most notably in Trinidad and Tobago, a fact that underscores the importance of transnationalism to Samella Lewis’s piece. Her work often grapples with issues of race in the U.S., and The House of Shango is no exception. Through a reliance on the gradual transformation of Shango—one that took place across continents and time—Lewis’s piece forms a powerful link between black Americans and their African and Caribbean counterparts. The figure depicted in the piece appears to emerge, quite literally, from the house of Shango. Given the roots and transformative process of the religion, The House of Shango can draw attention to the historical intersections to which black American culture is indebted.” —Laura Woods, Scripps College, Ruth Chander Williamson Gallery, Collection Highlights, 2018 ABOUT THE ARTIST Samella Lewis’ lifelong career as an artist, art historian, critic, curator, collector, and advocate of African American art has helped empower generations of artists in the United States and worldwide, earning her the designation “the Godmother of African American art.” Born and raised in Jim Crow era New Orleans, Lewis began her art education at Dillard University in 1941, transferring to Hampton University in Virginia, where she earned her B. A. and master's degrees. She completed her master's and a doctorate in art history and cultural anthropology at Ohio State University in 1951, becoming the first female African American to earn a doctorate in fine art and art history. Lewis taught art at Morgan State University while completing her doctorate. She became the first Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Florida A&M University in 1953. That same year Lewis also became the first African American to convene the National Conference of African American artists held at Florida A&M University. She was a professor at the State University of New York, California State University, Long Beach, and at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Lewis co-founded, with Bernie Casey, the Contemporary Crafts Gallery in Los Angeles in 1970. In 1973, she served on the selection committee for the exhibition BLACKS: USA: 1973 held at the New York Cultural Center. Samella Lewis's 1969 catalog 'Black Artists on Art', featured accomplished black artists typically overlooked in mainstream art galleries. She said of the book, "I wanted to make a chronology of African American artists, and artists of African descent, to document our history. The historians weren't doing it. It was really about the movement." From the 1960s through the 1970s, her work, which included lithographs, linocuts, and serigraphs, reflected her concerns with the values of human dignity, democracy, and freedom of expression. Between 1969 and 70, Lewis and E.J. Montgomery were consultants for a groundbreaking exhibition at the Oakland Public L designed to create greater awareness of African American history and art. Lewis was the founder of the International Review of African American Art in 1975. In 1976, she founded the Museum of African-American Art with a group of artistic, academic, business, and community leaders in Los Angeles, California. Lewis, the museum’s senior curator, organized exhibitions and developed new ways of educating the public about African American art. She celebrated African American art as an 'art of experience’ inspired by the artists’ lives. And she espoused the concept of African American art as an 'art of tradition', urging museums to explore the African roots of African American art. In 1984, Lewis produced an extensive monograph on Elizabeth Catlett, her beloved mentor at Dillard University. Lewis has been collecting art since 1942, focusing primarily on the WPA era and work created during the Harlem Renaissance. Pieces from her collection were acquired by the Hampton University Museum in Virginia, the world’s earliest collection of African American fine art...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Paris Rainy Cafe" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, French Cityscape
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Paris Rainy Cafe" is an original, hand made oil and acrylic painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape in France. Christopher has been an artist since early childhood, when he would watch Bob Ross on PBS and mimic the famed oil painter’s art with crayons. He considers himself a self-educated artist, with his studies ranging from personal training with contemporary masters, to classical academic art technique, with much inspiration from 19th Century art and the Impressionist Movement. Christopher lived in Italy for a time, immersing himself in Italian culture and art, which continues to influence his painting. His fan base has grown considerably since his return to the US, gaining the attention of Lucasfilm and Marvel Fine Art, which both signed him as an officially licensed artist in 2016. Other clients include George Lucas, Major League Baseball, Louisville Slugger, and Fender Guitars. Christopher’s painting skills are not his only talent in the arts. He has won several national swing dance championship competitions, and also studies tango and blues dancing. He has played guitar since the age of 12, and during his time as lead guitarist for a rock band, he opened for Blue Oyster Cult and Eddie Money...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

"Southern Colorado Skies" by Michael Magrin, Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Southern Colorado Skies" is an original, handmade oil painting of a vast sky above the Colorado plains. This piece is fram...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Linen, Wood Panel

Colossal Statue Luxor, Egypt: Original 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "A Colossal Statue at the Entrance to the Temple of Luxor" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the larg...
Category

1840s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

EDWARD BOHLIN 1920s-1930s SILVER ART PARADE SADDLE HOLLYWOOD WESTERN ARTIST VAIL
By Edward H. Bohlin
Located in San Antonio, TX
Circa Late 1920s - Early 1930s. It is all Bohlin made and marked to include the saddle, the headstall and the breast collar. All made in Hollywood California. The only non-Bohlin item is the bit which appears to also be early California. There is some interesting provenance of the fine saddle. It was commissioned by Charles R. Bell, married to Margaret Vail Bell who was the daughter of Walter Vail. On the Bolin nameplate it has engraved, Vail Ranch as well as made for Charles Bell. Charles Bell Died in 1939. The Vail Ranch has some great Western History which I will go into a little detail. You see, not only am I selling Saddles, but I’m also selling History. If you want to skip the history lesson you can just scroll down past the following info to images of the saddle. It’s no secret that ranching runs in the family blood. There is no greater example of that than California Rangeland Trust CEO Nita Vail. On April 14, 2018 Nita had the opportunity to witness her great-grandfather Walter L. Vail’s induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This high honor is bestowed by the Museum to “exceptional individuals who have made an indelible impact upon the history of the great West.” A pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching, Walter Vail joins just over only 200 individuals who have been inducted into this esteemed hall. The Vail legacy of advocacy and ranching lives on strongly through his descendants, including Nita. All these years later, Nita carries the mantle of advocacy for ranchers in her own work at the California Rangeland Trust. Reflecting on her great-grandfather’s induction ceremony in Oklahoma, Nita says, “Witnessing my great-grandfather’s induction with family and friends was an incredible experience and a reminder of why I do what I do. Ranching plays an integral role in the culture, economy, and quality of life in California. Generations later, I get to honor Walter L. Vail’s legacy in my work with the California Rangeland Trust every day, preserving those open spaces for new generations and partnering with ranchers to continue to sustain life on the range in California.” Walter Vail History A native of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Walter Vail purchased the 160-acre Empire Ranch southeast of Tucson, Arizona in 1876, along with an Englishman named Herbert Hislop. In 1882, the Empire Land & Cattle Company was formed with Walter L. Vail as principal shareholder. Over the years Vail, along with various partners, expanded the original land holdings to include over one million acres. The year after Walter purchased the Empire Ranch, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a railroad line, which was great news for the Vail family as it provided a means for them to ship their cattle. Edward L. Vail, George Scholefield and Bird at the mouth of Rosemont Canyon ca. 1896-1898 Standing Up for Ranchers In the fall of 1889, the Southern Pacific Railroad announced they would raise cattle freight rates by 25 percent. They ignored loud protests from ranchers who had already been hit hard by depressed cattle prices. In response, the Vails made a plan to drive the cattle overland themselves without the railroad. They knew that, if they were successful, they could break the railroad’s monopoly on the ranchers and force prices down. Walter’s brother Edward Vail and foreman Tom Turner volunteered to drive the almost 1,000 steers on the 300-mile trip to the Warner Ranch in San Diego. The journey ahead would be grueling. Most of their trip was through desert with water sources 15 to 30 miles apart. The ranchers would face a slew of obstacles—a stampede, a chaotic Colorado River crossing, an encounter with a group of horse thieves. In spite of all the dangers and challenges, they reached their destination. Just 71 days after leaving Arizona, the Empire cowboys arrived at the Warner Ranch. They had only lost 30 steers. The historic Empire Ranch Trail Drive of 1890 inspired other Arizona ranchers to make similar drives as a stand against the railroad. That fall, a group of Arizona cattlemen met and agreed to fund improvements to establish a safe cattle trail from Tucson to California. In response to the united stand of the ranchers, sparked by the Vails, the railroad finally agreed to restore the old freight rate—on the condition that the cattlemen would make no more cattle drives. Walter Vail led by example, but he was also an active representative of ranching interests in the legislature. He served in the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1878 and in 1884 on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. He introduced two significant bills: One proposing the creation of Apache County in the northeastern corner or Arizona Territory, and the other calling for the repeal and replacement of a Pima County fencing ordinance. Elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association in 1884, Walter L. Vail advocated for levying fines on outfits that brought diseased cattle into the Territory, proposed a system of recording brands and earmarks, and requested the establishment of the livestock sanitary commission to oversee quarantines on infectious diseases, and tighter trespass laws. Moving to California In the late 1880s when a long drought hit Arizona, the Vails began leasing California pastures and shipping increased numbers of their cattle there to fatten. This marked the beginning of Walter’s efforts to purchase land in Temecula Valley. Vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) at the Empire Ranch in Arizona In 1890, with growing corporate holdings in California, Walter Vail established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and moved his family there. By this time, he had pieced together four Mexican land grants—Pauba Rancho, Santa Rosa Rancho, Temecula Rancho and Little Temecula Rancho—to form the Pauba Ranch. Eventually, the Vails would own more than 87,500 acres surrounding the little town of Temecula. In 1892 they leased Catalina Island and in 1901-1902 in partnership with J. V. Vickers, they purchased most of the interests in Santa Rosa from the estate of A.P. More. In March of 1894, Vail and Gates joined Vickers in setting up a third cattle company, the Panhandle Pasture Company, with the hopes of expanding new markets in the east. The Panhandle Pasture Company bought seven thousand acres of grassland in Sherman County, Texas, and an equal amount across the line in Beaver County, Indian Territory (later Oklahoma). Walter Vail was tragically killed in a Los Angeles streetcar accident in 1906. After his death, the Empire Land & Cattle Company (later renamed the Vail Company) assumed control of all his ranches and other real estate holdings. Walter had five sons and they would all have a hand in running the various ranches and the Vail Company as whole throughout their lives. The Empire Ranch in Arizona was sold in 1928. The Temecula area ranches continued to operate until it was sold in 1965. Santa Rosa Island, the last of Walter Vail’s holdings, was sold to the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching operations shut down there in 1998. Walter Lennox Vail (May 13, 1852 - December 2, 1906) was an American businessman, cattle dealer, and politician. He is known for his Empire Land & Cattle Company (later the Vail Company), which spanned over one million acres throughout five states.[1] Vail has been called "a pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching." Early life Vail was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia on May 13, 1852, to Mahlon Vail, Sr. and Eliza Vail. Career Empire Ranch The headquarters of the Empire Ranch in the modern day Vail left his family's Plainfield, New Jersey house in the middle of 1875 to pursue riches in the West. He worked for a few months in Virginia City, Nevada as a mine's timekeeper, but in November he wrote of his intention to get involved in Arizona's sheep business. He, along with an Englishman named Herbert R. Hislop, then purchased the Empire Ranch along with its 612 cattle on August 22, 1876. The purchase from Edward Nye Fish and Simon Silverberg cost $1,174 at the time and was only 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2). Vail had met Hislop for the first time in August of that year, at the Lick House in San Francisco. Vail also became the main shareholder of the Empire Land & Cattle Company, which was formed in 1882. Politics Vail additionally served in the House of Representatives on the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature for two years, starting in 1879. He was one of five representatives from Pima County. There, he proposed the creation of Apache County in the northeast. In 1884, Vail was elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association, where he introduced many laws relating to cattle farming. California Vail moved his main operations to California in the late 1880s due to a long drought in Arizona. He started leasing Californian land mainly in Temecula Valley, but established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. By this time, he had already bought four ranches: the northern half of Rancho Little Temecula, Rancho Pauba, Rancho Santa Rosa, and Rancho Temecula. Later, Vail would own over 135 square miles (350 km2) surrounding the city of Temecula. He also leased Santa Catalina Island and Purchased Santa Rosa Island in 1892 and 1901, respectively. Vail, along with Carroll W. Gates and J.V. Vickers, set up the Panhandle Pasture Company, which bought about 22 square miles (57 km2) in Sherman County, Texas and Beaver County, Oklahoma. Personal life Vail married Margaret "Maggie"[a] Newhall in 1881, with them having five children: Nathan Russel, Mahlon, Mary, Walter Lennox Jr., and William Banning (who used his middle name) together. In 1890, a Gila monster bit Vail on his middle finger, and for years thereafter he experienced bleeding and swelling in his throat, which was thought to be caused by the venom from the bite. Death Vail died at 54 on December 2, 1906, due to complications from a tram (Trolley Car) accident in Los Angeles. He was cremated, then buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on December 6. Legacy Vail's sons took over the company after his death, renaming it to the Vail Company. The Empire Ranch was sold in 1928, and the Temecula ranches were bought by a syndicate of companies, including Kaiser Aluminum, Kaiser Industries, and Macco Realties in 1965. Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching ceased in 1998. Vail was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2018.[2] Various properties have been named after the Vail family including: Vail Headquarters, an outdoor shopping mall, Vail Lake, and Vail, Arizona. In 1867, German immigrant, Louis Wolf, and his Chumash wife, Ramona, built a small adobe trading post next to Temecula Creek. Their Wolf Store helped launch the Temecula community, serving as a saloon, livery stable, legal services, hotel, general store, stagecoach stop, post office, school and employment agency. After Louis and Ramona’s deaths, their land and other Ranchos were purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail. By 1905, the 87,000-acre Vail Ranch became one of the largest cattle operations in California, stretching from Camp Pendleton to Vail Lake to Murrieta. It operated through the late 1970’s when it was sold to build Temecula’s housing. Some of the ranch’s oldest buildings survived in a cluster around the long-vacant Wolf Store. Together they would wait more than 40 years to be restored and once again become a center for community life in the Temecula Valley. ​ In 1905 after his death, Wolf’s Temecula was purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail, along with three other Ranchos totaling 87,500 acres. The sprawling Vail Ranch spread from South of Highway 79 to South of Clinton Keith Road, East to Vail Lake Resort and West to Camp Pendleton and continued operations through the late 1970’s when it was sold for housing subdivisions. The remaining buildings that comprised the Vail Ranch Headquarters, several having been demolished, have sat mostly vacant since then awaiting their restoration and re-use. John N. Harvey, Edward L. Vail, Walter L. Vail, 1879 Ned Joins the Partnership - May 1879 In May of 1879 Walter’s older brother, Edward Lang Vail, known as Ned, joined the Empire Ranch partnership. He had no ranching experience but quickly learned. The Empire Ranch herds were finally sufficiently developed for sale, and the Empire Ranch found a ready market in the town of Tombstone and its nearby mines. Walter finally had sufficient funds to begin to pay off some of the loans from his Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna. North end of the original four rooms of the Empire Ranch House. Empire Ranch Census Records - 1880 The 1880 U.S. Census documents that eight men were living full time at the Empire: the partners, Walter Vail, John Harvey and Ned Vail; John Randolph Vail, Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna’s son; John Milton Requa, nephew of Isaac Requa who hired Walter in Virginia City; John Dillon, who was instrumental in locating the Total Wreck Mine; Tomás Lopez, a herder; and Mon Ta, the cook. Section of Official Map of Pima County by Roskruge 1893. The Southern Pacific Railroad Arrives in Pantano - April 1880 In 1880 the Southern Pacific Railroad finally reached Tucson and by April it was extended to Pantano, north of the Empire Ranch. The availability of rail transportation was a major boom to the Empire Ranch as it was now possible to sell cattle and beef to markets beyond Southern Arizona. The railroad also increased the availability of goods in Tucson and allowed for much quicker and safer transportation to California and the East. Empire Ranch land acquisitions are highlighted in red. Courtesy of Dave Tuggle Land Holdings Expand-1881-1882 Starting in 1881 the land holdings of the Empire Ranch expanded considerably. They acquired Charles and Agnes Paige’s Happy Valley Ranch near the Rincon Mountains in 1881. 1882 saw the addition of Don Alonzo Sanford’s Stock Valley Ranch totaling over twenty-eight square miles of grassland between the Whetstone and Empire Mountains. Charles Bell Bohlin Saddle. All of the leather has been professionally cleaned and conditioned. All of the sterling has been professionally polished as are all of my saddles. THE BOHLIN BRAND IS AS ICONIC AS THE FAMED WESTERN STARS that wore it. The late actor Richard Farnsworth sported a recognizable gold steer-head Bohlin buckle...
Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Silver

Raspberry - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. In Raspberry, Dani Humberstone suspends a delicately painted fr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Board

An Alsatian hoping for a walk
Located in London, GB
Nancy Jane Burton, G.S.L.A. (Scottish, 1891-1972) An Alsatian hoping for a walk signed and dated 'N.J. Burton - 1925 -' (lower right) oil on canvas 14 x 18 in. (35.5 x 45.8 cm.) fram...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Impasto Oil Painting of River Tree Scene British Postwar & Contemporary Artist, Terry Evans Terry Evans is a British Postwar & Contemporary Painte...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

"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...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Melancholy in Red" Oil Painting by Joseph Lorusso, Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Joseph Lorusso's (US based) "Seeing Shadows" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a female figure at a table with a wine glass in the foreground. The painting is framed and ready to hang. Joseph Lorusso was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966 and received his formal training at the American Academy of Art. He went on to receive his B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. Born of Italian descent, Lorusso was exposed to art at an early age. Through several early trips to Italy, his parents introduced him to the works of the Italian Masters. Lorusso would look to these influences throughout his early artistic development and they are still evident in his work today. While in school, Lorusso majored in watercolor and considers himself self-taught as an oil painter. He learned to paint by studying the works of master painters, often losing himself in the halls of the Chicago Art Institute during lunch hours...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Pinienhain" original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. Printed in 1900 and published in Leipzig, Germany for Zeitschrift für Bildende Kunst. This impression is printed on cream wove paper, and the image size is ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

"Betises 22" by Marina Dieul, Oil Painting, Cat and Mouse
Located in Denver, CO
This whimsical oil painting by Marina Dieul, titled "Betises 22," created in 2024, features a dual portrait of a cat and a mouse. The artwork is rendered on a panel measuring 10.5 x ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Porcelain Pattern Sphynx 1" - Hand-Painted Resin Cat Sculpture, 2024
Located in Denver, CO
Nana Williams’ "Porcelain Pattern Sphynx 1" is a captivating resin sculpture that merges delicate craftsmanship with intricate surface decoration. This 2024 original work is a resin cast, hand-painted with acrylic gouache, standing at 5.50 x 2 x 3.50 inches (13.97 x 5.08 x 8.89 cm). Inspired by the elegance of fine porcelain, the piece mimics the timeless beauty of blue-and-white ceramic motifs...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Resin, Acrylic, Gouache

Antique Painting Plethora of Ripe Raspberries in Fruit Basket signed Bohner
Located in Buffalo, NY
Original frame to the painting. Dramatic highlights and shadows.
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Fancy Department Store Satirical Cartoon
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). Fancy Department Store Satirical Cartoon, ca. 1930's. Ink, watercolor and gouache on heavy illustration paper, panel measures 19 x 15 inches. Signed lower right. Very good condition. Unframed. Provenance: Ethel Maud Mott Herman, artist (1883-1984), West Orange NJ. For two decades, she drew almost 600 cartoons for The New Yorker with female characters that commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony. In the mid-1920s, Harold Ross, the founder of a new magazine called The New Yorker, was looking for cartoonists who could create sardonic, highbrow illustrations accompanied by witty captions that would function as social critiques. He found that talent in Barbara Shermund. For about two decades, until the 1940s, Shermund helped Ross and his first art editor, Rea Irvin, realize their vision by contributing almost 600 cartoons and sassy captions with a fresh, feminist voice. Her cartoons commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony, using female characters who critiqued the patriarchy and celebrated speakeasies, cafes, spunky women and leisure. They spoke directly to flapper women of the era who defied convention with a new sense of political, social and economic independence. “Shermund’s women spoke their minds about sex, marriage and society; smoked cigarettes and drank; and poked fun at everything in an era when it was not common to see young women doing so,” Caitlin A. McGurk wrote in 2020 for the Art Students League. In one Shermund cartoon, published in The New Yorker in 1928, two forlorn women sit and chat on couches. “Yeah,” one says, “I guess the best thing to do is to just get married and forget about love.” “While for many, the idea of a New Yorker cartoon conjures a highbrow, dry non sequitur — often more alienating than familiar — Shermund’s cartoons are the antithesis,” wrote McGurk, who is an associate curator and assistant professor at Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. “They are about human nature, relationships, youth and age.” (McGurk is writing a book about Shermund. And yet by the 1940s and ’50s, as America’s postwar focus shifted to domestic life, Shermund’s feminist voice and cool critique of society fell out of vogue. Her last cartoon appeared in The New Yorker in 1944, and much of her life and career after that remains unclear. No major newspaper wrote about her death in 1978 — The New York Times was on strike then, along with The Daily News and The New York Post — and her ashes sat in a New Jersey funeral home...
Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Gouache, Ink

Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Liliya Volskaya
Located in Zofingen, AG
Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Lilia Volskaya. Flowers are the ultimate delight in beauty, which is flawless. The slight curves of lines, tones and semitones, ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Lacquer, Oil

Realist Portrait, Mid-Century Oil On Card, The Babushka. Oil.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid-Century realist oil on card of a peasant woman, dated 1963 to the reverse. Artist unknown. Presented in gilt and painted wood frame under glass. A charming, grounded painting of...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Cardboard, Oil

1991 Gretchen Dow Simpson 'Westport, Massachusetts' USA HAND SIGNED
By Gretchen Dow Simpson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This limited edition serigraph titled Westport, Massachusetts by renowned artist Gretchen Dow Simpson is a meticulously crafted piece that captures the serene and picturesque landsca...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Screen

Interior of the Temple Abu Simbel, Egypt: A 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "Interior of the Temple of Aboo Simbel" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, pu...
Category

1840s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Miniature Painting of Cattle Grazing in Ireland Countryside 20th Century Vintage
Located in Preston, GB
Miniature Painting of Cattle Grazing in Ireland Countryside by 20th Century Irish Artist - Presented in an ornate vintage gold frame Art measures 7 x 5 inches Frame measures 11 x ...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Painting of Mountain Cottages by River in Ireland by 20th Century Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Mountain Cottages by River in Ireland by 20th Century Irish Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 24 x 20 inches This captivating oil painting portrays a ...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Beach Path & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Path oil/panel 11 x 14 image unframed, 17.38 x 20.38 framed Beach Path is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a plein a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Lake District Cumbria Landscape Fine English Oil Painting Open Panoramic View
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Great Gable and Black Sail Youth Hostel Emmerdale" by ARTHUR TERRY BLAMIRES (b.1930) signed and dated, 1995 oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 20 x 3...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Alpine Mountain Hut Vintage Landscape Painting by 20th Century German Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Alpine Mountain Hut - Vintage Landscape Painting by 20th Century German Artist, Fritz Haupt Art measures 11 x 9 inches Frame measures 15 x 13 inches This exquisite painting by F....
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Pocket Red Pomegranate - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Rich, vibrant, and bursting with life, this striking still lif...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Board

The Courtesan Kashiwagi and the Kamuro Wakano - Japanese Woodblock Print
Located in Soquel, CA
The Courtesan Kashiwagi and the Kamuro Wakano - Japanese Woodblock Print Original Toyokuni III/Kunisada (Japanese, 1786 - 1864) Japanese Woodblock Print "The Courtesan Kashiwagi and...
Category

1820s Realist Art

Materials

Printer's Ink, Rice Paper, Woodcut

Antique American Marine Seascape Oil Painting Crashing Surf Atlantic Coast Maine
Located in Portland, OR
A fine antique seascape oil painting on panel by the celebrated marine artist, Frederick Judd Waugh (1861-1940), depicting the Atlantic of the coast of Maine, circa 1910. The painting is finely executed with bold and decisive brush strokes with crisp edges, one can almost hear the roar of the ocean as the surf crashes upon the rocks. The painting is signed lower right "Waugh" and is housed in the original carved & gilded frame. Condition is very good indeed, this fine seascape by one of America's most acclaimed late 19th early 20th century marine artists is ready to grace your wall. The painting will be accompanied with a certicificate of authenticity & provenance. Frederick Judd Waugh was an American artist, primarily known as a marine artist. During World War I, he designed ship camouflage for the U.S. Navy, under the direction of Everett L. Warner. Waugh was the son of a well-known Philadelphia portrait painter, Samuel Waugh. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with Thomas Eakins, and at the Académie Julian in Paris with Adolphe-William Bouguereau. After leaving Paris, he moved to England, residing on the island of Sark in the English Channel, where he made his living as a seascape painter. In 1898 he was recorded as living in Heath and Reach, Bedfordshire. In 1908, Waugh returned to the U.S., settling in Montclair Heights, New Jersey. He had no studio until art collector William T. Evans (a railroad financier and President of the dry goods firm, Mills Gibbs Corporation) offered him one in exchange for one painting a year. In later years, he lived on Bailey Island, Maine, and in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Waugh’s marinescapes were highly acclaimed, garnering him the Popular Prize at the Carnegie International Exhibition for five years in a row, a feat accomplished by no other artist. In 1914, he was a judge of the art exhibit on Monhegan Island, Maine during the 1914 Ter-Centenary celebration of the Voyage of Captain John Smith. In addition to his marinescapes, Waugh sometimes published work in periodicals, such as The Green Sheaf, to which he contributed at least one illustration. He also produced paintings and sketches on legendary and mythological themes; see, for instance, his 1921 sketch “Levitation in Dream No. 3”, and his c. 1912 painting “The Knight of the Holy Grail”. In 1918, Waugh was recommended to serve as a camouflage artist (or camoufleur) for the U.S. Navy, as a member of the Design Section of its marine camouflage unit. That section was located in Washington, D.C., and was headed by American painter Everett L. Warner. According to a biography of Waugh, “Many large ships, including the Leviathan, were painted according to his designs. Though the enterprise was of course a team effort in which no man played a solo part, he had every reason to be proud of his record. Only one ship with his system of camouflage was lost during the war”. Waugh was known to produce literary work, publishing a short poem in Pamela Colman Smith’s short-lived periodical The Green Sheaf; a fairy tale in The English Illustrated Magazine; and, in 1916, the book The Clan of Munes...
Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

The Soda Fountain (New Yorker Magazine cover proposal)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). The Soda Fountain, ca. 1950s. Watercolor and ink on paper, 9 x 12 inches; 13 x 16 inches framed. Signed lower right. Exc...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Portrait of Mary Haggie - British 1925 art portrait landscape oil painting
By Charles Buchel
Located in London, GB
This lovely British 1920's Art Deco vibrant portrait oil painting is by Charles A. Buchel. Painted in 1925 and signed and dated it is a seated portrait of a young woman, Mary Haggie,...
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Three Children and Dog in a Rowing Boat at a Farmhouse Flower Garden in England
Located in Preston, GB
Three Children and Dog in a Rowing Boat at a Farmhouse Flower Garden in England by British Artist, Les Parson entitled "Going Home". Art measures 30 x 20 ...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century American Realist Fruit Still Life Finely Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very finely painted 19th Century American realist still life painting. Oil on canvas. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a period giltwood molding. Excellent c...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Landscape Painting of the English Lake District by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Mountain Landscape Painting of the English Lake District by British Artist, Philip Stanton. This is a high quality original, oil on canvas, in great condition and ready to hang! Art measures 30 x 20 inches Frame measures 38 x 28 inches (Presented in an ornate gold frame, commensurate with age) This exquisite oil painting captures the breathtaking beauty of a serene lake nestled among majestic mountains, reminiscent of the iconic landscapes found in England’s Lake District...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Horse Playing with a Dog" Pierre Lenordez (1815-1892) circa 1860
By Pierre Lenordez
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Saddled Horse Playing with a Dog"  Pierre Lenordez (1815-1892)  Bronze with green marble base, circa 1860 11 x 7 inches Painter and sculptor, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts ...
Category

1860s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Woman in Hat, Original Figurative Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism, Title: Woman in Hat, Size: 31.5 x 3...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by British Artist, Andrew Grant Kurtis M.A.(Lon) B.Des.(Hons) L.S.I.A.D. Art measures 16 x 12 inches Frame measures ...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, 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.

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