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Realist Art

15,529 Results
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 American Modernist Framed Dog Portrait Signed Large Oil Painting
Antique American Modernist Framed Dog Portrait Signed Large Oil Painting

Antique American Modernist Framed Dog Portrait Signed Large Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American dog portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Handsomely framed in a wood molding. Excellent condition, rea...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

La Tauromaquia, Plate #28
La Tauromaquia, Plate #28

La Tauromaquia, Plate #28

By Francisco Goya

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "El Esforzado Rendon Picando un Toro, De Cuya Suerte Murio en la Plaza de Madrid" from the suite "La Tauromaquia" engraved between 1815 and 1816, is a photogravur...

Category

Early 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Barcas al atardecer en la costa - Óleo sobre tabla
Barcas al atardecer en la costa - Óleo sobre tabla

Barcas al atardecer en la costa - Óleo sobre tabla

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior La obra se presenta enmarcada con un marco de la época de la obra Medidas obra: 15 cm. altura x 29 cm. ancho Medidas obra: 3...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Still Life with Fruit" - Large Contemporary Framed Painting
"Still Life with Fruit" - Large Contemporary Framed Painting

"Still Life with Fruit" - Large Contemporary Framed Painting

By Clinton Hobart

Located in New Orleans, LA

Clinton Hobart paints in a painstaking Renaissance style, and you can see his breathtaking skill clearly in this still life. I bought six paintings similar to this from him in one ba...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

19th Century Oil Painting Sussex Coast Fishermen Returning Maritime Scene
19th Century Oil Painting Sussex Coast Fishermen Returning Maritime Scene

19th Century Oil Painting Sussex Coast Fishermen Returning Maritime Scene

Located in Stockholm, SE

This captivating mid 19th century oil on canvas depicts a touching maritime scene along England's Sussex coast, renowned for its dramatic white chalk cliffs and centuries-old fishing...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

GAME-WORK #20
GAME-WORK #20

GAME-WORK #20

By Katsunori Hamanishi

Located in Santa Monica, CA

KATSUNORI HAMANISHI (b.1949) GAME-WORK #20 (S.22) c. 1984. Mezzotint, Signed titled and numbered 12/100 in pencil, 13 x 8 5/8 inches. Sheet 18 3/4 x 14 inches. In excellent condi...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Mezzotint

Navajo Women, state #2
Navajo Women, state #2

Navajo Women, state #2

By R.C. Gorman

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Two Native American Women" 1980 Is an original lithograph on creme Arches paper by renown Navajo artist Rudolph Carl Gorman, 1932-2005. It is signed, dated and numbere...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Citadel of Cairo: A Framed Original 19th C. Hand-colored Roberts Lithograph
The Citadel of Cairo: A Framed Original 19th C. Hand-colored Roberts Lithograph

The Citadel of Cairo: A Framed Original 19th C. Hand-colored Roberts Lithograph

By David Roberts

Located in Alamo, CA

This is an original framed 19th century hand-colored lithograph entitled "The Citadel of Cairo, Residence of Mehmet Ali-Egypt" by David Roberts, from his Egypt, The Holy Land and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published in London by F. G. Moon in 1849. The lithographs were prepared by Louis Haghe (1806-1885) from drawings and paintings by Roberts. The resultant large folio editions of 'The Holy Land' and 'Egypt & Nubia' are considered the greatest lithographically illustrated works issued in the 19th century. This is one of Roberts' most famous and collectible works. The scene captures a view of the Citadel and Mosques with addititional buildings on a hill in the background as it appeard on the day of Roberts' visit. An Arab man is looking down from a ledge as a camel caravan passes below People are dressed in their colorful local costumes. Roberts' signature and hand written title are reproduced in the plate on the lower eft. This hand-colored lithograph is printed on wove paper with wide margins. The print is in very good condition. It is presented in a gold-colored wood frame with a tan mat. It is glazed with UV protected conservation glass. All framing materials used are archival museum quality. The frame measures 23.63" high, 29" wide and 1.25" deep. There are two additional iconic David Roberts hand-colored lithographs for sale on 1stdibs that are matted and framed in identical styles, although slightly different sizes. They are scenes of Approach of Simoon, Desert of Gizeh and the Petra. They can be viewed by typing their reference #'s, LU1173211955452 and LU1173211969422, into the 1stdibs search field or typing Timeless Intaglio in the search field and tapping on the drop down name to be taken to our storefront. Two or all three of these pieces would make for a striking display grouping. A discount is available for the purchase of multiple pieces. David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter who specialized in landscapes, architectural subjects, and scenes from the Middle East and Europe. Born in Edinburgh, Roberts began his career at age ten as an apprentice to a house painter and eventually became a scene painter for theater companies in Edinburgh and London. In the 1820s, J. M. W. Turner recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to become a full-time artist. He began to focus on painting landscapes and architecture. In 1838 he traveled to Egypt and soon after to the Holy Land, concluding in Jerusalem. Roberts' travels in the Middle East had a profound impact on his art, and he produced a series of highly detailed and realistic paintings and sketches of the region's famous ruins and other landmarks, including the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Temple of Abu Simbel...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Doorway" Ken Davies, Realist House Porch Architecture
"Doorway" Ken Davies, Realist House Porch Architecture

"Doorway" Ken Davies, Realist House Porch Architecture

Located in New York, NY

Ken Davies Doorway, circa 1970 Signed lower left Oil on board 11 x 15 inches Provenance: The Heritage Gallery Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 1975 Private Collection, Columbus Acquired from the estate of the above Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Kenneth Davies...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Merton College, Oxford etching by Richard Beer
Merton College, Oxford etching by Richard Beer

Merton College, Oxford etching by Richard Beer

By Richard Beer

Located in London, GB

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you ...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

"Glen Retreat, " Oil painting

"Glen Retreat, " Oil painting

By Judd Mercer

Located in Denver, CO

Judd Mercer's (US based) "Glen Retreat," is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a green grassy pasture where a herd of white sheep shuffle amid rocks and crags. About the Artist: Judd Mercer is a watercolor painter based in Denver, Colorado. After attending art school for industrial design, Judd pursued a career in digital design and user experience and is co-owner of Elevated Third, a Denver-based digital agency. After committing to writing and illustrating a full-length fantasy novel in his spare time, Judd began watercolor painting around 2014, studying with teachers such as Alvaro Castagnet, Joseph Zbukvic and Herman Pekel...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"In My Dreams I Can Fly, " Sculpture
"In My Dreams I Can Fly, " Sculpture

"In My Dreams I Can Fly, " Sculpture

By Bill Starke

Located in Denver, CO

Bill Starke's "In My Dreams I Can Fly" is a limited edition, cast and patinated aluminum sculpture created by Bill Starke depicting a male figure free falling through the air. ( 3/99 ) Note: Images 4 and 5 depict additional available patinas. About the artist: Human beings interacting, colliding, cooperating, striving, & achieving are the themes I wish to portray in my sculptures. My observations on the human condition are meant to be both humorous and thought provoking. Bill Starke's "Free Man" is everything that good art should be: technically superb, brilliantly composed, emotionally powerful and visually arresting... like George Stubbs, the 18th century English...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Other Medium

Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour on Silk Applied to Handmade Paper.
Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour on Silk Applied to Handmade Paper.

Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour on Silk Applied to Handmade Paper.

By La Roche Laffitte

Located in Cotignac, FR

One from a set of four watercolours of butterflies on silk, applied to handmade paper, with hand cut edges, by French artist La Roche Laffitte. Signed bottom right. (The other 3 items are available separately) A beautifully observed and detailed study of a butterfly painted...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Silk, Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper, Carbon Pencil

The Fox and the Lion
The Fox and the Lion

The Fox and the Lion

By William Stout

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "2017 WM. Stout" on upper right Artist Statement "I drew and painted a series of Aesop's Fables that featured fox...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Board

Night Watch. Limited Edition 3/5 - Bronze Sculpture
Night Watch. Limited Edition 3/5 - Bronze Sculpture

Night Watch. Limited Edition 3/5 - Bronze Sculpture

Located in Riga, LV

Dimensions: 36 W x 38 H x 13 D cm Weight: 8,2 kg Material: Bronze, patina Edition: 3/5 + 1 AP, signed on base Condition: Excellent, certificate Free worldwide shipping in a branded b...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Black Centaur (African-American Mythological Figure)
Black Centaur (African-American Mythological Figure)

Black Centaur (African-American Mythological Figure)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Black Mythological Scene with Centaur, ca 1970's. Etching on wove paper, plate measures 17.5 x 21.5 inches on a sheet 22 x 26 inches. Unsigned and unattributed. This is an examp...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Hunting Dogs, Landscape by 19th Century French painter, period frame
Hunting Dogs, Landscape by 19th Century French painter, period frame

Hunting Dogs, Landscape by 19th Century French painter, period frame

Located in Doylestown, PA

"Hunting Dogs" is a 26 x 21.5 inches, oil on canvas landscape of two dogs on the trail by the river. The canvas is signed "G Boucher" in the lower left. G. Boucher is a listed artis...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Nasturtiums" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this summer flower. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exu...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Mother Washing with Children Nearby
Mother Washing with Children Nearby

Mother Washing with Children Nearby

Located in Stockholm, SE

This delightful painting by Carl Ewald Lönngren captures a serene moment of rural life in late 19th-century Sweden. The scene shows a mother kneeling by a wash basin, surrounded by h...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Michael Hunting

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Michael Hunting

By Mark Beard

Located in New York, NY

Oil on canvas Signed in red, u.r. 14 x 11 inches, canvas size 14.5 x 11.5 inches in distressed gold leaf frame This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “Bruc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Man of the Sandwich Islands, Dancing (Hawaii) from Captain Cooks travels engra
A Man of the Sandwich Islands, Dancing (Hawaii) from Captain Cooks travels engra

A Man of the Sandwich Islands, Dancing (Hawaii) from Captain Cooks travels engra

By John Webber

Located in Paonia, CO

A Man of the Sandwich Islands Dancing (Hawaii) is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. John Webber (1752-1793) was the official artist for the third voyage of Captain James Cook (1728-1779). The purpose of this voyage was to discover the Northwest Passage and to explore the Pacific Ocean north of the Equator. These engravings were published in 1784-85 by G. Nichol and Thomas Cadell of London in the four large format atlas, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Captain Cook was an extraordinary explorer known for discovering and mapping unknown territory and for his many contributions to the scientific world. These original engravings from Webber’s drawings and paintings are only a glimpse into this great man’s historical contributions that make him one of the greatest explorers of all times. This image shows a Hawaiian dancer...

Category

1780s Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

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.