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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
Contemporary portrait "Near the Sea"
Contemporary portrait "Near the Sea"

Contemporary portrait "Near the Sea"

By Nataliya Bagatskaya

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this painting, I've aimed to capture a moment of sudden stillness and a muted connection between two figures against a coastal backdrop. Using acrylics, I have layered the realist...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Woman Feeding Goldfish in a Dutch Interior, c. 1870
Woman Feeding Goldfish in a Dutch Interior, c. 1870

Woman Feeding Goldfish in a Dutch Interior, c. 1870

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Frans Moormans (Dutch, 1831-1893) The Goldfish Bowl, c. 1870 Oil on panel, 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches FRAMED: 19 1/2 x 14 1/4 inches (approx.) Signed at lower right: “Frans. Moormans” B...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Fog Ridge (Hand-printed cyanotype, 16 x 24", ed. 1 of 5)
Fog Ridge (Hand-printed cyanotype, 16 x 24", ed. 1 of 5)

Fog Ridge (Hand-printed cyanotype, 16 x 24", ed. 1 of 5)

By Christine So

Located in Oakland, CA

Brand-new addition to the Foggy Woods Collection of forests in northern California near San Francisco. This is a hand-printed contact photograph using the antique cyanotype process a...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram

Mid Century French Oil Painting Fine Silver & China Tea Table Interior signed
Mid Century French Oil Painting Fine Silver & China Tea Table Interior signed

Mid Century French Oil Painting Fine Silver & China Tea Table Interior signed

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

French artist, mid 20th century Signed oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 25.5 x 32 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: overall good and ready to enjoy

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Miami Beach"
"Miami Beach"

"Miami Beach"

By Kyrylo Bondarenko

Located in Edinburgh, GB

A series of paintings created during my studies at the Academy. A second life for academism, mothballs, restrictions, prohibitions, conditions, and laws. I take dry and boring academ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Bad Gastein Church, Austria
Bad Gastein Church, Austria

Bad Gastein Church, Austria

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Bad Gastein Church, Austria Soft ground etching & aquatint, c. 1930 Signed in pencil by the artist (see photo) Image: 18 1/2 x 13 3/4" Condition: Very good...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Mid Century Horse in Winter Landscape
Mid Century Horse in Winter Landscape

Mid Century Horse in Winter Landscape

By William Ernest Smyth

Located in Soquel, CA

Charming mid century watercolor painting of a horse in winter with a barn in the background by Ernest Smythe (American/England 1881-1950). Signed "ERNEST SMYTHE" in lower left corner. Presented in a tan mat with a wood frame and glass. Image size: 25"H x 19.75"W As William Ernest Smyth, he was born at 13 Commercial Road, Ipswich on 9 April 1874 but was not baptised at St Michael's, Ipswich until 23 October 1885, when his birth date is given as 17 February 1874, youngest son of artist Thomas Smythe...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Illustration Board

Cabane Landscape . figurative. lake.mountains. blue
Cabane Landscape . figurative. lake.mountains. blue

Cabane Landscape . figurative. lake.mountains. blue

By Joaquin Cabane

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

cabane. Landscape . figurative. Original watercolor by the Spanish artist Joaquin Cabane. 1922/1993 Painter and watercolorist, Joaquim Cabané traveled in search of inspiration diff...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Self Love - Bruno Surdo, Original Multimedia Figure Drawing

Self Love - Bruno Surdo, Original Multimedia Figure Drawing

By Bruno Surdo

Located in Chicago, IL

Bruno Surdo Self Love, 2017 charcoal on paper 20h x 20w in 50.80h x 50.80w cm BRS026 Bruno A. Surdo b. Chicago, 1963 EXHIBITIONS 2023 New Work, Gallery VICTOR, Chicago, IL 20...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Charcoal, Conté, Gouache, Color Pencil

Guardian of time  oil/canvas, 60x80cm, 2013
Guardian of time  oil/canvas, 60x80cm, 2013

Guardian of time oil/canvas, 60x80cm, 2013

By Igor Maikov

Located in Riga, LV

Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"
"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"

"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"

By Oleksandr Khrapachov

Located in Edinburgh, GB

“Fir trees.Transcarpathia” - the melody of mountain peaks Oleksandr Khrapachov, 2014 The canvas “Fir trees.Transcarpathia” invites the viewer to a journey through the breathtaking ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Green Heron
Green Heron

Green Heron

By John James Audubon

Located in Columbia, MO

John James Audubon (American, 1785–1851) Not signed Fine Color Facsimile John James Audubon was born in Haiti in 1785. Most of his childhood was spent in France, where he first took ...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Laser

"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

Immersed in Darkness, Oil Painting
Immersed in Darkness, Oil Painting

Immersed in Darkness, Oil Painting

By Jose Luis Bermudez

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A young woman walks through a myriad of water lilies, her illuminated figure contrasting sharply with the dark lake. Her posture and radiant hair create a fee...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Last Snow, Original Painting
Last Snow, Original Painting

Last Snow, Original Painting

By Vic Roschkov

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Grass emerges and spindly branches fan out as the snow begins to thaw. Muted tones of brown soil and green foliage blend with the lingering patches of white. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

"Satyrs and Nymphs in a Landscape"
"Satyrs and Nymphs in a Landscape"

"Satyrs and Nymphs in a Landscape"

By Daniel Vertangen

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Attributed to Daniel Vertangen (1601–1683) – "Satyrs and Nymphs in a Landscape" Artist: Attributed to Daniel Vertangen (1601–1683) Title: "Satyrs and Nymphs in a Landscape" Medium:...

Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

San Miguel

San Miguel

By Catherine Koenig

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original realist egg tempera painting by American artist Catherine Koenig created during her travels to Mexico. This work will be featured in the gallery's upcoming exhibition "D...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Board, Egg Tempera

A cup of coffee for a good start II
A cup of coffee for a good start II

A cup of coffee for a good start II

By Serghei Ghetiu

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this piece, I captured a quiet moment of reflection, merging realism with impressionistic light to evoke calm and contemplation. The warm glow on her face and the urban backdrop t...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Historical Home Russellville Kentucky 1930
Historical Home Russellville Kentucky 1930

Historical Home Russellville Kentucky 1930

Located in Soquel, CA

Mid-century Southern landscape of the historical Home possibly of the Artist and built by the Kentucky Governor John Breathitt for his daughter Jane (some historical accounts say) and later the McClean family lived there, in Russellville, Kentucky by Roberta Fisk McClean (American, 1882-1975). As we get the information confirmed we will update the description. Roberta painted numerous versions of the house and one example called it the Bowden House. There is a House that looks similar on E5th in Russellville called Governors Corner, but many look like the same structure of the time. Signed "R. McClean" in the lower left corner Presented in a giltwood frame. Artist's board size: 14"H x 19"W Framed size: 17.75"H x 22.5"W Born in Russellville, Kentucky, Roberta McClean...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Cross Up

Cross Up

By Catherine Koenig

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original realist pastel drawing by American female artist Catherine Koenig.

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Oil Pastel

20th century lithograph black and white landscape print trees lake signed
20th century lithograph black and white landscape print trees lake signed

20th century lithograph black and white landscape print trees lake signed

By Adolf Dehn

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"Peaceful Cove - New England" is an original lithograph by Adolf Dehn. The artist signed the piece lower right. It depicts an aerial view of New England. 9 1/2" x 13" image 11" x 15" paper 17" x 20 5/8" frame Adolf Dehn was born in Minnesota, November 22, 1895 and he died in New York City, May 19 1968. He was one of the most notable lithographers of the 20th century. Throughout his artistic career, Dehn participated in and helped define some important movements in American art, including Regionalism, Social Realism, and caricature. He was known for both his technical skills and his high-spirited, droll depictions of human foibles. Biography Dehn was born in 1895 in Waterville, Minnesota. Dehn began creating artwork at the age of six and by the time of his death had created nearly 650 images. After high school he went to the Minneapolis School of Art, known today as the (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) where he met Wanda Gág...

Category

1940s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sierra Mountain Reflections - Black & White Landscape Photograph
Sierra Mountain Reflections - Black & White Landscape Photograph

Sierra Mountain Reflections - Black & White Landscape Photograph

By Robert Werling

Located in Soquel, CA

Stunning black & white landscape photograph with trees reflecting in water in the Sierra Nevada mountains by California artist Robert Werling. Signed on mat lower right: "Bob Werling." Presented in a silver metal frame. Image, 15"H x 19"W. Robert Werling was born in San Francisco, California in 1946 and realized an interest in art at an early age. While briefly attending a commercial art school, he found photography to be his medium and went on to obtain both a BA and an honorary MS from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. He also studied privately under Ansel Adams from 1966 to 1970 and Imogen Cunningham from 1969 to 1975. Through his affiliation with Adams, Werling came to know and work with other noted photographers. Brett Weston became his close friend and mentor and Marion Post Wolcott, relying on his darkroom expertise, entrusted her negatives to his printing genius. While creating an impressive number of his own fine art prints, Werling also lectured extensively and worked as an instructor for the Brooks Institute, the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Zone System Seminars and Workshops in the United States, and for the Werkschule fur Fotografie in Soltau, Germany. Werling has exhibited his photographs in over sixty one-man and group shows in both the United States and Europe. He was guest curator of photography for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art organizing VIVO, the Contemporary Japanese Photography and Brett Weston’s photographs...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Sun reflex before Sunset
Sun reflex before Sunset

Sun reflex before Sunset

By Evgeniy Monahov

Located in Zofingen, AG

The last live sketch with industrial marker and tempera at the very end of a beautiful day, when the setting sun painted everything in the studio gold. Sheet from Monahov's studio a...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Quail Lamp (with 7 chicks)
Quail Lamp (with 7 chicks)

Quail Lamp (with 7 chicks)

By Bryce Pettit

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Bronze sculpture with an inscribed signature and edition number by the Artist on the bronze base of the piece. 24/30

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

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.