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.
Sunbathing in Bermuda, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sunbathing and swimming at a beach in Bermuda, June 1967. Bathers in colorful vintage swimsuits lounge on a white sandy beach and swim in turquoise wa...
Lambda
Dahl Taylor, "Walking in the Stable", 22x30 Equine Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Walking in the Stable", by artist Dahl Taylor is a 22x30 equine oil painting on canvas featuring the interior of the stables behind the famou...
Canvas, Oil
Woods, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Golden light from the setting sun glows softly on one side of the woods, while the foreground rests in cool shadow. Autumn colors peek through the trees. A wind...
Oil
$13,175Sale Price|20% Off
View on Thames Looking to Blackfriars Bridge - Italian 19thC art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This large captivating and stunning oil painting is by noted Italian artist Francis Moltino. Painted in 1866 the painting is of a view of the Thames with Blackfriars Bridge and the c...
Oil
Winter in California 1927
Located in Pasadena, CA
Consigned to the gallery by H&N Fine Art as part of the Katherine A. Norris Legacy Collection, Newport Beach, California; 2006 Katherine A Norris, Newport Beach, CA; 2006 James D. Ju...
Oil, Panel
''Cherries” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Red Cherries, Fruit
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Oil, Panel
Roses from Rene-original still life hyper realism oil paintings-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Board
$10,764
Feldhütter Ferdinand (1842-1898)+ View of Hallstatt and Lake Hallstatt
Located in Gent, VOV
Oil on canvas View of Hallstatt and Lake Hallstatt A typical Feldhütter alpine scene. View of the peaceful lake and the idyllic little community surrounded by towering mountains. ...
Oil
Native Sparrow Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
459 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Native Sparrow Size: 12 x 16...
Paper, Watercolor
Madison Square Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Viewed across Madison Square Park at sunset, the Metropolitan Life Tower glows orange against a dramatic sky, with Eleven Madison echoing its warm light. Clouds...
Oil
Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - No Heroes in Troubled Times
By Su Yu
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing...
Canvas, Oil
$108Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Cow and Their Calf Munching on Grass
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...
Chalk, Graphite
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Fluffy Pomeranian Dog Portrait Wide Gold Frame Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredible signed early American dog portrait painting. Oil on board. Signed. Housed in a period gold giltwood frame.
Canvas, Oil
Pine, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"This work is a representation of the unadorned beauty of nature," shares artist Jose Luis Bermudez. The clear blue sky stre...
Oil
$1,646Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of a Trout Run in a Woodland River in the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of a Trout Run in a Woodland River in the English Countryside by 20th Century Artist, John Caesar Smith (British, Born 1930) Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measure...
Canvas, Oil
$400Sale Price|39% Off
Le chateau de Chillon, Switzerland by Albert Emil Kirchner - Engraving 20x27 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Engraving by Albert Emil Kirchner Dutch artist born in 1813 and died on 1885 He have 176 registered auctions. The oldest was in 1989 and the most recent in 2022 The theme of the engraving is one of the most famous castle in Switzerland "le chateau...
Engraving
The Mighty Oak, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Shela Goodman paints a lone oak tree standing majestically in an open sunlit field. "It is a symbol of strength, endurance...
Oil
"Italianizing landscape"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Adriaen van Diest (1655-1704) – "Italianizing Landscape" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 102 x 122 cm Dimensions (Flat): 74 x 106 cm Signature: Lower right corner Fram...
Canvas, Oil
$459Sale Price|20% Off
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 ...
Canvas, Oil
'Capri Tan' Estate Edition, 1968, Italy: vintage 60s beach fashion
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1968, A kneeling sunbather shows off her rings and pendant on a beach in Capri, Italy. From a recent Vogue article on the photography of Slim Aarons: "The iconic Capri is always teeming with a variety of hotels, each more beautiful than the last. A stone's throw from the Villa Malaparte from Jean-Luc Godard's movie Contempt, the Faraglioni cliffs plunging into the turquoise of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the colorful houses that climb the bay. The Hotel Punta Tragara was one of Slim Aarons' favorite spots in Italy." Slim Aarons Capri Tan...
Lambda
Chickadee, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
109 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art, Subject: Chickadee, Size: 12 x...
Paper, Watercolor
$1,096Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century Miniature Oil Painting of an English River Scene by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
20th Century Miniature Oil Painting of an English River Scene by British Artist, Linda D Brooks Art measures 10 x 7 inches Frame measures 15 x 12 inc...
Oil, Board, Paint
Sleepyhead
Located in Zofingen, AG
While working with a model in the studio, it often happens that models get tired and fall asleep - such moments are beautiful in their naturalness and often become the impetus for cr...
Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker
$720Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a painter in a costume - Oil on wood 65x53 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas with frame The frame is new and the total size is 70x80 cm Signed " V. Marendaz ", Unknonwn artist from the gallery Dated 1920
Oil
Penthouse Pool, Estate Edition, Poolside Landscape with Acropolis, Athens Greece
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons’s Penthouse Pool captures a sunlit moment of casual glamour at the Canellopoulos penthouse pool in Athens, Greece. Taken in July 1961, the photograph shows a group of you...
Lambda
Swallow Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
374 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2024 Style: Classic Art Title: Swallow Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Paper, Watercolor
$730
Foamy Clouds Diptych in Blue, Stormy Sky Scene, Handmade Cyanotype Print, Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype diptych of foamy gorgeous clouds. Details: + Title: Floating Clouds Diptych + Year: 2023 + Edition Size: 20 + Stamped and ...
Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, C Print, Color, Dye Transfer, L...
Skiers At Gstaad, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features skiers at Gstaad, Switzerland. This is an estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with cer...
Lambda
$600
Puppy Dog & Duckling Greeting Card Illustration painting (Children's room decor)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Ferd Sondern (b.1923) Puppy and Duckling, 1977. Pencil, gouache and watercolor on illustration board. Complete panel measures 7 x 9 inches. Signed lower left. Credited on verso. ...
Watercolor, Gouache, Illustration Board
"Chess"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
In this work, I embodied a dance of colors and emotions on canvas. Through oil and dedication, surrealism blends with figurative expressionism. I invite viewers into a timeless world...
Paper, Oil
Sunflowers
By Malou Flato
Located in Dallas, TX
Over the past forty years, Malou Flato’s paintings have focused on the Texas landscape—its native flowers, blooming cactus, diverse citizenry, and especially its precious water and abundant sky. “Texas is my inspiration,” she says. “I have made my life here, and I would like to think that my art reflects the place I know best.” Malou Flato’s works can be seen in many public places in Texas and beyond. They enliven a border crossing...
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
Eagle Club, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features holidaymakers dining at the Eagle Club, Gstaad, Switzerland. This is an estate stamped and hand nu...
Lambda
"Autumnal Evening" - Oil on Linen Panel, Atmospheric Nocturne 2025
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Miller’s "Autumnal Evening" is a captivating oil painting on linen panel that embodies the quiet stillness of rural landscapes at night. Measuring 12 x 12 inches unframed (17...
Linen, Oil, Panel
"The Partridge", 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Spanish Artist Benjamín Palencia
Located in Madrid, ES
BENJAMÍN PALENCIA Spanish, 1894 - 1980 THE PARTRIDGE signed & dated "B. Palencia, 66" (lower right) oil on canvas 25-3/4 x 21-3/8 inches (65 x 54 cm....
Canvas, Oil
Felidae. Watchful Tranquility, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two cheetahs stand in a lush green landscape, with a blue tree and rolling mountains rising behind them. Their alert posture suggests they are attentive to some...
Oil
Ballerina on a Cube Sculpture, Bronze and Stone, Realist, 1990s
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Classical ballet was my main source of inspiration. Grace and beauty of ballerinas combining with extremely hard work they do. This combination is shocking and inspiring in the same...
Stone, Bronze
"Steinigung von Santa Stefano"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Filippo Lauri (Rome, 1623 - 1694) "The Stoning of Saint Stephen" Oil on Canvas Framed: 55 x 72 cm Flat: 61 x 65 cm No signatured This powerful Baroque painting by Filippo Lauri, a r...
Canvas, Oil
On the Roof with a Cat
Located in Zofingen, AG
A mesmerizing fusion of elegance and mystery, this painting captures a woman draped in flowing turquoise fabric, standing on a rooftop, her presence seamlessly merging with the city’...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
When Pigs Fly (Black-triptych)-original realism wildlife sculpture-contemporary
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Bronze
$897Sale Price|50% Off
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, ...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
Apple, Digital on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
apple, I wanted to show how an apple looks in lines :: Digital :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes ...
Digital
"Last Light" (2025), Oringinal Midwestern Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Andrzej Skorut's "Last Light" is an oil painting that depicts clouds looming over the vast plains with distant mountains in the background. This piece is framed at 46.50 x 51.50 inch...
Oil
"Sailing West, " Portugal Ocean Waves Oil Painting by Sparky LeBold
Located in Denver, CO
"Sailing West" by Sparky LeBold (US and Portugal based) is a handmade oil painting that depicts a moody ocean in Portugal. ARTIST STATEMENT Sparky LeBold has made a name for himse...
Canvas, Oil
"Mighty Ocean" Oil Painting by Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973)
Located in New York, NY
Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973) Mighty Ocean oil on canvas signed Montague Dawson (lower left); titled and inscribed (on the stretcher) 24 x 36 in. (61 x 91.4cm) Provenance...
Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
"Yearling Black Bear, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Susan McDonnell's (U.S. based) "Yearling Black Bear" is an original, handmade watercolor and gouache painting of a young bear peeking behind a tree. The painting is 11 x 15" and with the frame it is 15.37 x 19.87". Artist bio: Susan McDonnell is a realist painter who has recently moved back to Minnesota after living in Southern California for 30 years. Her paintings are narratives inspired by her observations of wild animals in their natural habitats. Albrecht Dürer and Otto Marseus van Schrieck...
Watercolor, Gouache
The Birdwatcher, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In uptown Manhattan, a solitary cat sits on a windowsill, gazing intently at a drone hovering outside. The cat doesn’t appear alarmed but curious, as though...
Mixed Media
"Achromatic" Original Oil, Teapot with Grapes, Still-Life Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Achromatic" by Blair Atherholt is a an original, hand made painting depicting a steaming teapot with grapes and leaves. Blair Atherholt is an award-winning contemporary realist oi...
Oil, Panel
Sakura
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cherry branch is placed in a smooth, neutral space. The various shades of pink color of flowers with its thin delicate petals inspire me to create this work. My intention was to ke...
Oil
Sea Drive, Nassau, Estate Edition Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features producer Kevin McClory taking his wife Bobo Sigrist and their family for a drive in an 'Amphicar' a...
Lambda
"Lenaia" (2020) By Diego Glazer, Original Realist Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Diego Glazer's "Lenaia" is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed and ready to hang. The framed measurements are 21 in H x 29 in W. About the Artist: For as long as I ca...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Languid Girl in Blue Camisole 18th century Italian Rococo Master
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed to Pietro Antonio Rotari (1707 - 1762), Italian painter of the Rococo era. His portraits, mostly of women, are renowned for being beautiful and realistic. The details and ...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Daisies in a Jug, Early 20th Century Realist Floral Still-Life by Claude Buck
By Claude Buck
Located in Soquel, CA
Daisies in a Jug, Early 20th Century Realist Floral Still-Life by Claude Buck 1929 Excellent oil on canvas still life entitled "Daisies and Jug" by Claude Buck (American, 1890-1974)...
Canvas, Oil
Cityscape
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Cityscape" c.1930 is an original color etching on wove paper by Austrian/American artist Tana Kasimir Hoernes, 1887-1972. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist. The image (plate mark) size is 12.75 x 9.15 inches, framed size is 19.35 x 15.25 inches. Custom framed in a silver with brown patina frame, with light grey matting and green and red filet. It is in excellent condition, About the artist: Tanna Kasimir...
Etching
''Onions” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Five Onions
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Oil, Panel
Heron Moon
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Heron Moon" c.1990, is a color woodblock print on paper by noted Canadian/Japanese artist Suezan Aikins, b.1952. It is signed, titled and numbered 58/150 in pencil by the artist. The artwork (image) size is 8.5 x 21 inches, framed size is 15.75 x 28.25 inches. Custom framed in a silver metal frame, with double off white matting. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some small minor rubs, barely visible. About the artwork: This artwork required have 5 different carved wood blocks and 9 layers of colors to complete. About the artist: Born in Montreal in 1952, Suezan was influenced early in her life by the works of modern Japanese woodblock printmakers which hung throughout her parents’ home. She attended the Fine Arts programme at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick (1969 - 1971), The Ontario College of Art (1971-73), L’ ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts (1974), Nova Scotia College of Art and Design -BFA (1975) as well as a very intensive year of study with Toshi Yoshida in Tokyo (1984-85). She has exhibited extensively in both public and private galleries throughout North America and Japan. Recent exhibitions include solo shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, and Boston with group exhibitions at the Wenniger Gallery, Boston, Royal Canadian Academy in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Her paintings and woodblock prints are found in many collections such as The Canada Council Art Bank, The Nickle Art Museum, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Royal Bank of Canada, Prince Takamanonamiya Norihito, the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, The Thomas Moore Institute as well as private collections. Suezan Aikins was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant in 1983, Nova Scotia Department of Culture - Development Grants in 1980, 1987 and 1988. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1990 and received the Canadian Progress Club- Women of Excellence Award for Culture in 1993. Her work has been featured in a number of television documentaries as well as many Canadian magazines. STUDIES: Yoshida Woodblock Print Studio Tokyo, 84-85 Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, Halifax, 74-75 BFA Ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts, Montreal, 74 Ontario College of Art, Toronto, 71-73 Mt. Allison University, 69-72 SELECTED SOLO SHOWS: 25 Year Retrospective of Woodblock Prints traveled to three Public Galleries in Germany: Dornum Castle; Tollhousverein, Leer; Rastede Palace, Oldenberg 2000-2001 color catalog and reviews. Private Exhibitions, Falmouth, Mass., July 1996; Montreal, November 1996; Gibson Island, Md., April 1999. Gold Paintings and Woodblock Retrospective, travelling: Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo; Genkan Gallery, Tokyo American Club; Blue Nile Gallery, Osaka; Kanda's Gallery BOQ, Okinawa; May 1994 (color catalogue) Edo Gallery, Boston, November 1992, Private Exhibitions, Chatham, Mass, July 1992, Toronto, Oct. 1991 New Paintings and Woodblocks Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo, May 1991, and also in 1987. Japanese Garden and Pavilion Foundation, Montreal, September 1990, Ownens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University 1988 Zwickers Gallery, Halifax, NS, 1979; Gallery 78; Fredericton, November, 1983; Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, November, 1982 SELECTED GROUP SHOWS: "A New Leaf" 30 foot instalation of mixed media/ goldleaf reliefs, Artsplace, Annapolis Royal, N.S., 2000 color catalog "Far and Wide" Juried Bienials, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; 1996 to '99, travelling, catalogs "Moku Hanga Travelling Exhibition: Contemporary Japanese Woodcuts...
Woodcut
Same Old Story (Brooklyn Dodgers & St. Louis Cardinals Illustration)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Bill Crawford (1913-1982). Original illustration artwork depicting teams as they advance to the World Series. Depicted are representations of the St. Louis Cardinals and The Brooklyn...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Gouache, Pencil
$17,566Sale Price|20% Off
Odalisque - Woman in a Harem - French 1900 Orientalist art portrait oil painting
By Lucien Laurent Gsell
Located in Hagley, England
This charming ex Christie's Victorian Orientalist oil painting is by noted French exhibited artist Lucien Laurent Gsell. The painting dates to around 1900 and portrays a beautiful yo...
Oil
The Popcorn
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting presents a sophisticated visual paradox: a woman dressed in the refined style of a 17th-century portrait — black dress, lace collar, white bonnet — is interrupted by un...
Acrylic
Edge of the Woods - contemporary, realist, floral, landscape, oil on canvas
By Ciba Karisik
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This realistic oil landscape painting is by an artist whose work is collected internationally. Ciba Karisik is highly regarded as a fine artist whose impressive oeuvre reflects a de...
Oil, Canvas
$1,893
The Essence of Harmony - original realism floral oil painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil