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.
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Original Oil Painting on canvas, Still Life, Flowers, Signed, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a beautiful original oil painting on canvas. This painting is a classical and elegant floral still-life composition, featuring a lush bouquet of vibrant flowers arrang...
Oil
Hyperreal Lemonade Yellow Glass Balloon Sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Hyperreal lemonade yellow glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted and acid-etc...
Glass, Blown Glass
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam (Belgian? 19th century) Signed lower left Oil on wood panel 8 1/4 x 5 /12 (10 1/4 x 13 1/4 frame) Though little is known about E. ...
Oil, Wood Panel
Five Maiko (Apprentices) Having lunch – Original hand-colored Meiji era photo
Located in Middletown, NY
Yokohama, Japan: c 1890. Hand-tinted albumen print, 8 x 10 1/2 inches (203 x 266 mm), numbered B04 in negative, small spots of fixer on lower right corner, pencil inscription on ver...
Watercolor, Photographic Paper
$480Sale Price|20% Off
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Off the Coast Seascape Study is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionist...
Oil
$2,362Sale Price|20% Off
Venetian Vedutist - 19th century landscape painting - View of Venice Colleoni
Located in Varmo, IT
Venetian painter (dated 1892) - Venice, view of Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo with the statue of Colleoni. 40 x 22 cm without frame, 59.5 x 41.5 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in an an...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary portrait "Inhabitants"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Once I lived in a private house. We had four cats, and then we accidentally found the fifth. Where he came from and how long he lived with us is unknown). For texture on the primed c...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Maritime Oil Painting of RMS Aquitania in New York Harbor
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Maritime Oil Painting of RMS Aquitania in New York Harbor by Frederick Hoertz. Original painting of Cunard Line’s Aquitania by Frederick Hoertz (American, 1889-1978) that w...
Oil, Linen, Stretcher Bars
$1,195Sale Price|30% Off
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....
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$2,254Sale Price|32% Off
Loch Eilt in the Scottish Highlands Realist Landscape Vintage Oil Painting
Located in Preston, GB
Loch Eilt in the Scottish Highlands Landscape Vintage Painting. A beautiful realist oil painting of the Scottish Highlands from a highly respected British Artist. Art measures 33 x...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$3,006Sale Price|36% Off
Oil Painting of a Woodland Scene in the English Countryside by British Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of a Woodland Scene in the English Countryside by 20th Century Modern British Artist, James Wright Art measures 30 x 16 inches Frame measures 36 x 22 inches This 198...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Canvas
$108Sale Price|20% Off
British Chalk Pencil Sketches Of A Flock Of Sheep Standing and Lying Down
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
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Oil Painting on canvas Still Life, books, candle, Signed Azuquita Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This painting is a still-life composition featuring an arrangement of books and other objects on a table. The focal point is an open book, its pages splayed out as if it was recently...
Oil
$5,411Sale Price|20% Off
Sheep by Mountain Waterfall in Lake District England an Original Oil on Canvas
Located in Preston, GB
Sheep by Mountain River Waterfall in the Lake District of England - an Original Oil on Canvas by 20th Century Modern British Artist, Peter Coulthard. Art measures 30 x 20 inches Fra...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
19th Century Loch Tay Scottish Landscape in Watercolor on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
19th Century Loch Tay Scottish Landscape in Watercolor on Paper Masterful Scottish watercolor landscape of Loch Tay with boats and small figures on the short by Aaron Edwin Penley (E...
Paper, Watercolor
Great Tit, Bird, Watercolor on Paper, Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
296 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2024 Style: Classic Art Title: Great Tit Size: 12 x 16 inch...
Paper, Watercolor
$4,700Sale Price|21% Off
Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931
By Arthur Heyer
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931 Oil on canvas Signed lower right "Heyer A." 25 1/2 x 21 (29 1/4 x 3...
Oil, Canvas
Daffodils in a milk jug
Located in Zofingen, AG
These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...
Canvas, Oil
$425Sale Price|55% Off
Sitges Beach Charcoal Drawing, Realist Style, Framed, 1950s
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Francesc Ferret Farreras ”Bruno” (1921-2000) - Sitges Beach - charcoal Measurements drawing 44x59 cm. Frame measures 65x79 cm.
Charcoal
Antique American Realist Horse Portrait Barn Scene Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American realist barn scene oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 25 by 29 inches overall. Handsomely framed i...
Oil
$1,674Sale Price|30% Off
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 ...
Oil, Board
$3,825Sale Price|55% Off
"Reclining Nude", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Please note: This is a secondary market artwork with one previous owner. Kang Cho's artistic legacy endures through "Reclining Nude," a serene and contemplative handmade original o...
Oil, Panel
Model Girl Bronze and Stone Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Located in Zofingen, AG
Classic female torso inspired by examples of high Greek sculpture. Sculptor explores the lines and shapes of the female body, embodied the diversity, slightly changed the poses. Thi...
Stone, Bronze
Blood Moon, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A blood moon glows softly against a brilliant night sky. A row of palm trees in the foreground reaches upward. Pale clouds drift and billow, adding a sense of c...
Oil
"Looking Away" by Mark Bradley Schwartz, Oil Painting, Female Nude Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Bradley Schwartz’s "Looking Away" (2020) is a masterful example of contemporary figurative realism, executed in oil on board. This original, handmade painting captures a quiet, ...
Oil, Board
$960Sale Price|20% Off
New York City Flags Winter Cityscape Urban Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Flags Above the Avenue The image measures 12 x 9 unframed, 18.5 x 15.5 framed An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the ...
Oil
$1,803Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Lakeland Landscape Painting with Sheep by 20th Century British Artist
By Peter McKay
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Lakeland Landscape Painting with Sheep by 20th Century British Artist, Peter McKay Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures ...
Canvas, Oil
$480Sale Price|20% Off
'Brentor, ' by Andrew Douglas, Watercolor Painting
By Andrew Douglas
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This late 19th century framed 14" x 27" watercolor painting by artist Andrew Douglas depicts an ominous landscape in a dark and neutral palette of browns, gray, and yellow. In the fo...
Watercolor
Signed Italian Oil Painting Realist Flowers in Pewter Vase, Peonies
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Italian School, signed lower left, 20th century Title: Flowers in a Pewter Vase Medium: oil painting on board , framed Size: framed: 15.5 x 13.5 inches painting: ...
Oil
"Rabbit" Realist Rabbit Portrait in the Field Oil Painting on Carved Wood Panel
By Chaval
Located in New York, NY
With the medium of traditional oil paint, this charming piece by Chaval is exceptionally detailed and thought-provoking. Following a realist approach, yet depicting some playful impe...
Oil, Wood Panel, Varnish
Sunset in the Scottish Highlands, Moody Landscape
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
British, 19th Century Signed: L. Clipston (Lower, Right) " Sunset in the Scottish Highlands ", circa 1880s Oil on Canvas Laid on Board 10 1/2" x 22 1/2" Housed in a 3" Period O...
Canvas, Oil
$5,411Sale Price|20% Off
Sheep by River in Mountains of Lake District England - Original Oil on Canvas
Located in Preston, GB
Sheep by the River in the Mountains of the Lake District of England - an Original Oil on Canvas by 20th Century Modern British Artist, Peter Coulthard. Art measures 30 x 20 inches F...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$819Sale Price|20% Off
European Village Scene with Figures by Dutch Artist Cor van Eijk (1914–1990)
Located in Preston, GB
European Village Scene with Figures by Dutch Artist Cor van Eijk (1914–1990) Art measures 10 x 14 inches Frame measures 16 x 20 inches This atmospheric mid 20th century oil paintin...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$531
“Botany 5” Original floral painting. Small circular canvas. Gift , home decor
Located in Oslo, NO
This exquisite artwork showcases a captivating, circular composition of wildflowers meticulously rendered on a textured, neutral-toned surface. The artist masterfully captures the vi...
Canvas, Oil
"Cloud Composition 3" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 3" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
Wild Strawberry - original still life impressionism painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This elegantly framed artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Sig...
Canvas, Oil
W . THORNLEY OIL PAINTING 19th CENTURY Gold Gilt Frame
Located in Ferndown, GB
OIL PAINTING 19th CENTURY SHORE SCENE 19th Century Good condition on Canvas .. Piece has been professional cleaned Frame is in Good condition for age (see pictures) Descriptio...
Oil
Venice Grand Canal Original Oil Painting by S.Hofner Vintage Large Framed Art
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This vintage Venetian cityscape oil painting by S. Hofner presents a classic view of Venice’s Grand Canal, animated by gondolas, historic palazzi, and shimmering green-blue water und...
Oil
$450Sale Price|25% Off
Gentleman Caller Southern Belle
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful illustration art painting depicts a gentleman calling on a Southern belle. Oil on canvas measures 16 x 20 inches; 18 x 22 inches framed. Signed lower left.
Oil
$3,826
Playa Del Ray - contemporary realism oil painting- cityscape art -modern artwork
By Nathan Neven
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
Portrait of white rose
Located in Oslo, NO
This exquisite artwork, attributed to Nadya Stupina, showcases a masterful rendition of a white rose at its center. Painted on a circular canvas, the flower's soft, layered petals ex...
Canvas, Oil
"The Sumatran Tiger" - Original Oil Painting of an Endangered Big Cat
Located in Denver, CO
Lindsey Kustusch's "The Sumatran Tiger" is a stunning handmade original oil on wood panel artwork, with dimensions of 30 x 30 x 1.50 inches. Created in 2023, this piece stands as a p...
Oil, Wood Panel
"The Adoration of the Magi"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
18th Century Italian or Spanish School "The Adoration of the Magi" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 109 x 197 cm Dimensions (Canvas): 90 x 170 cm No signatured Provenance: ...
Canvas, Oil
$10,000
Dog Portraits: "The Musicians" Charles Van den Eycken ((1859 - 1923)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"The Musicians" Charles H. Van den Eycken (Belgium, 1859 - 1923) Oil on wood panel with highly ornate original wood, stucco and gilt frame. Signed upper right and dated "1893.' 10 1...
Mahogany, Oil, Wood Panel
$6,600Sale Price|20% Off
"Fire Starter" – Nude Figure Oil Painting Artistry
Located in Denver, CO
Dave Seeley's "Fire Starter" is an exquisite example of nude figure oil painting artistry, masterfully rendered on canvas mounted on board. Cr...
Canvas, Oil, Board
"Galantes Paar" by Henri Druard - Oil on Canvas - 100x81 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (100 x 120 x 7.5 cm) Henri Druard (1821–1877) was a French painter known for his genre scenes and depictions of everyday life in 19th-century France. Born in...
Canvas, Oil
$982Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of Mountain and Forest Landscape by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Mountain and Forest Landscape by 20th Century Artist, W Ward Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 24 x 20 inches
Canvas, Oil
$1,358
On the table, Original Realist Still-life Oil painting by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
The picture is painted on a quality 100% linen canvas with an oil color of high quality. The painting technique is many-layer. "I love the way the silver and glass objects are reflec...
Oil
Portrait of Black Dancer (male nude)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roy Blakey (1930-2024). Portrait of Black Dancer, ca. 1972. Mr. Dennis was immortalized in 1975 as the original Richie "Gimme The Ball" Walters in A Chorus Line, after making his B...
Photographic Paper
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
"Stillness" - Oil Painting of Nude Female Figure by Matt Talbert
By Matt Talbert
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "Stillness" (2024) is an oil painting on linen, measuring 21 x 14 inches (53.34 x 35.56 cm). The unframed artwork features a nude female figure seated beside a window,...
Oil, Panel
Pearfect in Pink
By Bela Bacsi
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Exhibitions Exhibited at the Los Angeles Art Show 2014, January 15-19, 2014
Marble
$1,366Sale Price|20% Off
Children Fishing by a River with Wild Flowers & Farmhouse in English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Children Fishing by a Riverside with Wild Flowers & Farmhouse in the English Countryside by British Artist, Les Parson Art measures 20 x 16 inches Fram...
Canvas, Oil
THE NEW MODEL . Vicente Romero Redon Spanish contemporary artist
Located in Pollenca, Illes Baleares
Vicente Romero Redondo was born in Madrid as the eldest of four sons. Due to the work of his father, he grew up in many different towns all over...
Pastel
Table top bottles still life painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful Italian Still Life painting by unknown artist in the style of Giorgio Morandi. Oil on panel, measuring 16 1/8 x 22 inches. ca. 1960s Artist board and fixtures are Italian.
Oil, Wood Panel
"Baptism of Christ"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Unidentified Bolognese Artist, 18th Century – "Baptism of Christ" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 119 x 151 cm (unframed), 133 x 168 cm (framed) Provenance: Private collection No...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Realist Interior Portrait Signed Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract landscape oil painting by Charles Courtney Curran (1861 - 1942) . Oil on canvas, lain to board. Framed. Measuring: 23 by 27 inches overall, and 18...
Oil, Board
"Garden Stream" (2025) Realist Female Portrait and Flora, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
Nadezda's "Garden Stream" (2025) is a beautiful handmade oil painting on panel. Part of her 2026 solo exhibition "She is Garden", this piece depicts a portrait of a young woman weari...
Oil, Panel
$1,060Sale Price|22% Off
Children holding pails with chickens by a duck pond & cottage in Rural England
Located in Preston, GB
Children holding pails with chickens by a duck pond & cottage in the English Countryside by British Artist, Les Parson entitled 'Arm in Arm'. Art meas...
Canvas, Oil
$841Sale Price|20% Off
Nude I - Limited Edition Finest Quality - Color Photograph
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Beautiful limited edition art photography Printable in colour or black/white Editions: 20 Technique: Photography Surface: Photo Paper Country of Origin: Russia Signed: Signed, ...
Photographic Paper
$2,350Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of the English Lake District by Modern British Landscape Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Glaramara and Combe Ghyll in the English Lake District by Modern British Landscape Artist Arthur Terry Blamires (b. 1930) Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measure 2...
Oil, Board