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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
"Stardust" Oil Painting
"Stardust" Oil Painting

"Stardust" Oil Painting

By Shelli Langdale

Located in Denver, CO

Shelli Langdale's "Stardust" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a horse grazing on yellow dandelions as the night sky fills with stars. Artist Bio: Shelli Langdale is an oil painter living and painting in Chattanooga, TN. U.S.A. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Freeway Exit
Freeway Exit

Freeway Exit

By Tony Peters

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peters" on lower left Description The subject of this painting depicts the northern segment of California Inters...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lakeside. 1959, oil on cardboard, 36x49, 5 cm
Lakeside. 1959, oil on cardboard, 36x49, 5 cm

Lakeside. 1959, oil on cardboard, 36x49, 5 cm

By Edgars Vinters

Located in Riga, LV

Lakeside. 1959, oil on cardboard, 36x49,5 cm Summer landscape by the lake Edgars Vinters (1919-2014) Edgars Vinters is working in oil, watercolor and monotype techniques. He paints ...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Chinese vase
Chinese vase

Chinese vase

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

The flowers picked in my garden set in Chinese vase. The various shades of pink color of the flower and their shiny leaves inspire me to create this work. M...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Ulm on the Blau, Germany
Ulm on the Blau, Germany

Ulm on the Blau, Germany

By Josef Eidenberger

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Ulm on the Blau, Germany" c.1950 is a color etching by noted Austrian artist Josef Eidenberger, 1899-1991. It is hand signed n pencil by the artist, inscribed "T...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

"Evening at the sea"
"Evening at the sea"

"Evening at the sea"

By Oleksandr Khrapachov

Located in Edinburgh, GB

“Evening at Sea” Oil on canvas The golden hour of tranquility: when day turns into evening Alexander Khrapachov captures the most poetic moment of a day at sea—that magical moment wh...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Ficus, Cat, and She...
The Ficus, Cat, and She...

The Ficus, Cat, and She...

By Nataliya Bagatskaya

Located in Zofingen, AG

The woman sits as if she’s just signed a decree to cancel all problems. Her sunglasses have slid down her nose, revealing a gaze that radiates calm while subtly asking, "What now?" T...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

The Exerciser
The Exerciser

The Exerciser

By Justin Allen

Located in Columbia, MO

Justin Allen Springfield, MO Justin Allen brings extraordinary technical mastery to oil painting, rendering everyday objects with precision so striking they verge on the surreal. A...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Peony 2"
"Peony 2"

"Peony 2"

By Iryna Iskra

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Delicate, fragrant, spring flowers of late spring.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Justin Head Study

[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Justin Head Study

By Mark Beard

Located in New York, NY

Oil on canvas Signed in red, u.r. 9 x 8 inches, canvas size 9.5 x 8.5 inches in distressed black painted wood frame This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf

By Josef Eidenberger

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf" c.1975 is a color etching on Wove paper by noted Austrian artist Josef Eidenberger, 1899-1991. It is hand signed n pencil by th...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Below Ceide Fields

Below Ceide Fields

By Bob Stuth-Wade

Located in Dallas, TX

Eleanor Jones Harvey, Chief Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, writes about Bob Stuth-Wade: “Over the course of his career, Bob Stuth-Wade has examined his responses to...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Panel

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Oil on Canvas, Signed, Realist
The Great Pyramids of Giza, Oil on Canvas, Signed, Realist

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Oil on Canvas, Signed, Realist

By Andrew McCallum

Located in New York, NY

Andrew Mac Callum (British, 1821-1902) Title: The Great Pyramids of Giza Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 36 in x 52 in Markings: Signed lower right and dated 1878 Andrew MacCallum was b...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Amalfi Coast, Estate Edition
Amalfi Coast, Estate Edition

Amalfi Coast, Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Windsurfing on the waters off the Amalfi Coast, Italy, in September 1978. Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aarons E...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Snowy evening Watercolor painting Winter landscape
Snowy evening Watercolor painting Winter landscape

Snowy evening Watercolor painting Winter landscape

By Irina Pronina

Located in Zofingen, AG

Watercolor painting depicting a sunny winter sunset sky and a snow-covered forest. A light painting filled with light and air, made in delicate winter tones.The painting of a winter ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Water Carrier
The Water Carrier

The Water Carrier

By Louis Buisseret

Located in Stamford, GB

Binche is in the Belgian province of Hainault and it was here that Louis Buisseret was encouraged to pursue his love of painting and drawing by his parents. He began his studies at t...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Figures and horses by a country tavern"
"Figures and horses by a country tavern"

"Figures and horses by a country tavern"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Unidentified Dutch Artist (17th Century) "Figures and Horses by a Country Tavern" (1618) Oil on canvas Framed: 69 x 82 cm Canvas: 52 x 64 cm No signatured This exquisite 17th-century Dutch painting masterfully depicts a bustling village scene with figures and horses gathered outside a country tavern. The composition is rich in detail, featuring travelers, merchants, and townspeople engaging in lively interactions, while a Dutch flag waves above the rustic inn, reinforcing the national identity of the scene. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting showcases warm earthy tones and delicate use of light and shadow, capturing the golden glow of a late afternoon or early evening setting. The finely rendered architecture, expressive figures, and atmospheric depth are reminiscent of the works of Isaac van Ostade, Jan Steen, or Adriaen van de Velde...

Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Framed 1930s Realist Oil Painting of Lilies, 50x35.5 cm
Framed 1930s Realist Oil Painting of Lilies, 50x35.5 cm

Framed 1930s Realist Oil Painting of Lilies, 50x35.5 cm

Located in Genève, GE

Work on wood Dimensions with frame : 63.5 x 49 x 3 cm This work of art features a bouquet of lilies elegantly arranged in a clear glass vase. The flowers, delicately painted in shade...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Mexican Girl Returning from the Market
Mexican Girl Returning from the Market

Mexican Girl Returning from the Market

By Diego Rivera

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

Diego Rivera (Mexican 1886-1957) Mexican Girl Watercolor on paper, behind glass 11 x 16 inches Signed and dated lower right, ‘Diego Rivera 1954’ Provenance: Sold as “Mexican Girl” M...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Bahamas
The Bahamas

The Bahamas

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A swimming pool, seen through the fronds of a palm tree, with two people swimming and a group of people sitting at tables at the poolside in the Bahamas, May 1967. Beyond the pool is...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

"Antonio and Kleopatra"
"Antonio and Kleopatra"

"Antonio and Kleopatra"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Unidentified Artist – "Antonius and Kleopatra" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 91 x 75 cm Dimensions (Flat): 77 x 59 cm Signature: Monogrammed “LE” lower left, indistin...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by British Artist
Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by British Artist

Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands by British Artist

By Andrew Grant Kurtis

Located in Preston, GB

Mountain Lake Oil Painting of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands with two boys fishing with their dog, by British Artist, Andrew Grant Kurtis M.A.(Lon) B.Des.(Hons) L.S.I.A.D. Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 27 x 21 inches As an artist of both classical and traditional style, Andrew Grant Kurtis excels in his paintings of english landscape...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Villa Vera
Villa Vera

Villa Vera

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The bar at the Villa Vera Hotel Spa and Racquet Club in Acapulco, January 1968. Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Undercurrent Projects is proud to offer thi...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

C Print

A farmstead on Long Island
A farmstead on Long Island

A farmstead on Long Island

By Frank Waller

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Frank Waller (American, 1842-1923) Farmstead, Long Island Oil on canvas, 13 x 21 inches FRAMED: 18 x 26 inches (approx.) Note: while this work is unsigned, it relates to a number o...

Category

1910s 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.