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Realist Art

15,240 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
"Liam" (2025) Oil Portrait Painting on Panel
"Liam" (2025) Oil Portrait Painting on Panel

"Liam" (2025) Oil Portrait Painting on Panel

By Jason Walker

Located in Denver, CO

Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Liam" is a masterful photorealist oil portrait that depicts a middle-aged man, in the midst of deep philsophical thought. Jason Walker’s imagery reflects...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Les deux miroirs" original etching

"Les deux miroirs" original etching

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original etching. Printed in 1906 at the Alfred Porcabeuf atelier and published in Paris by Gazette des Beaux-Arts. Image size: 6 1/2 x 5 7/8 inches (165 x 149 mm). Signed in...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

"Vibrant Landscape with Village"
"Vibrant Landscape with Village"

"Vibrant Landscape with Village"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Franz von Zülow (1883–1963) – Vibrant Landscape with Village Medium: Mixed media on paper (likely gouache or watercolor with ink) Dimensions: Framed: 41 x 53 cm Flat: 30 x 45 cm Si...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Slim Aarons 'Venice Gondolas', Estate Edition
Slim Aarons 'Venice Gondolas', Estate Edition

Slim Aarons 'Venice Gondolas', Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Gondolas moored in Venice, 1957. In the background is the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, on San Giorgio Maggiore island. Captured with the exquisite clarity and charm that epitomizes Slim Aarons's work, this 1957 photograph, "Gondolas moored in Venice," is a timeless window into the serene elegance of Venetian life. The composition, masterfully balanced, draws the viewer's gaze across the tranquil waters, where the iconic gondolas rest gracefully, their reflections a dance of light upon the canal. The intricate ferros — gondola prows — create a rhythmic skyline that leads to the majestic Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, resplendent in the background. Aarons’s signature is his ability to capture the quiet luxury and leisure of his subjects; here, the empty gondolas invoke a sense of anticipation, a pause in the day's luxury. This piece, with its rich marine color palette and detail, offers an almost tactile experience — the gentle lapping of the waves against the wood and feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. Perfect for collectors who appreciate historical depth and the allure of the Italian Riviera, this photograph invokes a world of grace and tranquility, a collectible piece of history that continues to resonate with the sophistication and culture of its time. Slim Aarons Venice Gondolas Chromogenic Lambda print Printed Later Slim Aarons Estate Edition Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Stamped and hand numbered by the Slim Aarons Estate. Certificate of Authenticity included. Collector will get the next number in the edition 60 x 60 inches $5100 48 x 48 inches $4500 40 x 40 inches $3950 30 x 30 inches $3350 20 x 20 inches $2500 16 x 16 inches $2150 Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Over the course of a career lasting half a century, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) portrayed high society, aristocracy, authors, artists, business icons, the celebrated and their milieu. In doing so, he captured a golden age of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure that occurred alongside—but quite separate from—the cultural and political backdrop of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Photograph is unframed Slide show includes a close-up of the Slim Aarons estate's stamp. Collector will get the next number in the edition * We are pleased to offer the entire archive of the Slim Aarons Estate, offering the official Slim Aarons Estate Edition (only offered in this edition of 150). * Undercurrent Projects, New York, is proud to represent Aarons' full collection of negatives and transparencies. Housed at Getty Images Hulton Archive in London, The Slim Aarons Estate has released the limited Estate edition as a Lambda print, which is a modern c-type prints. They have chosen Lambda prints for their sharpness, clarity, colour saturation and quality, compared to archival inkjet prints. Lambda printing gives true continuous tone. Internal: Slim Aarons Venice...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Proud Peacock
Proud Peacock

Proud Peacock

By Ezra Tucker

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original Acrylic painting signed by the Artist on the lower left corner.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Robert Kenneth White "Beneath the Orchard Sky" Large-Scale Realist Oil Landscape
Robert Kenneth White "Beneath the Orchard Sky" Large-Scale Realist Oil Landscape

Robert Kenneth White "Beneath the Orchard Sky" Large-Scale Realist Oil Landscape

By Robert Kenneth White

Located in Miami, FL

ROBERT KENNETH WHITE – "BENEATH THE ORCHARD SKY" ⚜ Oil on Canvas ⚜ Hand Signed Lower Right ⚜ Frameless Display A LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE OF COLOR AND STILLNESS In “Beneath the Orchard Sk...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Young Man Oil Painting
Portrait of a Young Man Oil Painting

Portrait of a Young Man Oil Painting

By Vito Tomasello

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Beautiful double-sided 1937 portrait by American artist, Vito Tomasello. Oil on sized illustration board measuring 6.5 x9.75 inches. Signed and dated July 1937 upper right. A lif...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"The Barber of Seville", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by José Villegas
"The Barber of Seville", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by José Villegas

"The Barber of Seville", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by José Villegas

Located in Madrid, ES

JOSÉ VILLEGAS CORDERO Spanish, 1844 - 1921 THE BARBER OF SEVILLE signed & dated "J. Villegas. / Junio 1913." (lower left) oil on canvas 19-3/8 x 28-3/4 inches (49 x 73 cm.) framed: 27-1/2 x 36-3/4 inches (69.5 x 93 cm.) PROVENANCE Private Collector, Seville, Spain José Villegas Cordero (Seville, August 26, 1844-Madrid, November 9, 1921) was a Spanish painter. He directed the Prado Museum between 1901 and 1918. He was the brother of the painter Ricardo Villegas Cordero. He began his apprenticeship very young with José María Romero, with whom he remained for two years until entering the School of Fine Arts in Seville, where he was under the tutelage of Eduardo Cano. In 1860, when he was only 16 years old, he sold his work Little Philosophy for 2,000 reais at the Seville Exhibition. In 1867 he traveled to Madrid, where he entered Federico Madrazo's studio. There he established friendship with painters Eduardo Rosales and Fortuny. He went regularly to the Prado where he copied Velázquez, from whom he acquired spontaneity and the use of color for his technique. Finally, and out of admiration for Fortuny's orientalist painting, he returned to Seville and organized an excursion to Morocco. At the end of 1868 he decided to travel to Rome accompanied by the painters Rafael Peralta and Luis Jiménez Aranda...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Longing

Longing

By Dan Chen

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Edition #17/75 - Original bronze sculpture by Dan Chen. Signed on bronze sculpture.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Still Life With Cups And Saucers, Realist Oil on Canvas, Framed
Still Life With Cups And Saucers, Realist Oil on Canvas, Framed

Still Life With Cups And Saucers, Realist Oil on Canvas, Framed

By Vitali Miagkov

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Still Life With Cups and Saucers Artist signed, canvas 24hx48w, beautiful custom made silver-gold frame. Mr. Miagkov was born in Ukraine in 1936 and had formal training from the Odes...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Early 20th Century Photograph Landscape --Looking Through The Sky
Early 20th Century Photograph Landscape --Looking Through The Sky

Early 20th Century Photograph Landscape --Looking Through The Sky

By Sigismund Blumann

Located in Soquel, CA

Early 20th Century Photograph Landscape --Looking Through The Sky "Looking Through", a lithobrome photograph by Sigismund Blumann (American, 1872-1956). Signed "Sigismund Blumann" lower right. Unframed. Titled "Looking Through" on verso. Image size, 13.25"H x 11.5"W. Sigismund Blumann (1872–1956) was a prominent tastemaker in Californian photography during the 1920s and 1930s. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area for his entire career, he edited magazines, wrote books, and made creative photographs. From 1924 to 1933 Blumann edited Camera Craft, the leading West Coast photographic monthly. Subsequently he established his own periodical, Photo Art Monthly, which he published until 1940. In these two magazines — for over fifteen years — Blumann found a large audience of mainstream pictorial photographers. In addition, he wrote five instructional books on photography...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Rabbi in Prayer
Rabbi in Prayer

Rabbi in Prayer

Located in Surfside, FL

20th century Judaica realist oil portrait, synagogue interior.

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Gerhart Hauptmann, c. 1912 / - - Pensive stride -
Gerhart Hauptmann, c. 1912 / - - Pensive stride -

Gerhart Hauptmann, c. 1912 / - - Pensive stride -

Located in Berlin, DE

Curt Gitschmann (1876 Breslau - 1933 Berlin), Gerhart Hauptmann, around 1912. Brown patinated bronze mounted on marble plinth, 43 cm (total height), 20 cm (width) x 20 cm (depth) cm,...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Seascape with flag, nautical theme
Seascape with flag, nautical theme

Seascape with flag, nautical theme

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Masterful watercolor painting up Seascape with fence. Naturalistic colors, delicate brush work. With the Frame, this piece measures approximately 18” x 21“ PLEASE NOTE There is no ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

28. Saltatoria Mantis

28. Saltatoria Mantis

By Maria Sibylla Merian

Located in Columbia, MO

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Pigment

"Gipsy Musicians"
"Gipsy Musicians"

"Gipsy Musicians"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Kaspar Waldmann (1657–1720) – "Gypsy Musicians" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 100 x 149 cm (unframed), 102 x 151 cm (framed) Provenance: Private collection Historical Context &...

Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A house in the country, probably near Morristown NJ
A house in the country, probably near Morristown NJ

A house in the country, probably near Morristown NJ

By Frank Waller

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Frank Waller (American, 1842-1923) House in the Country Oil on canvas, 10 1/2 x 20 1/4 inches FRAMED: 16 x 26 inches (approx.) Signed and dated at lower left: "Frank Waller Study 19...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Being There" Original Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display
"Being There" Original Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display

"Being There" Original Oil Painting by Robert White, Frameless Display

Located in Encino, CA

“Being There,” an original oil on canvas by Robert K. White, is a piece for the true collector. White’s careful attention to detail and vivid use of browns and reds project from the painting, immediately capturing the viewer's attention and highlighting the artist's keen ability to capture emotion and life - all in a brushstroke. White's talent for depicting light and shadow provides the foundation for him to deliver subjects and scenes to the viewer's eye. This masterful work would make a great addition to an art collection and enhance most any home, perfect for those who have an affinity for cityscapes, theater, and architecture. In the artist’s own words, “I don’t paint what is inside of me; I paint what I see outside of me. I’m an observer. If I see something and I feel an affinity for it, something just clicks in my head. I’ll make the decision right then and there to paint that particular subject during that particular moment. It’s a perfect moment. Once something has caught my eye and I’ve heard the “perfect” click, it’s like a photograph has been taken in my mind’s eye. I only have a few days of clarity with that image. I have to start the painting quickly or else it will be gone and I will lose that image forever.” Artist: ROBERT KENNETH WHITE...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

High Point

High Point

By Dan Chen

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Edition #12/27 - Original bronze sculpture by Dan Chen. Signed on bronze sculpture.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Lullwater Bridge – Prospect Park
Lullwater Bridge – Prospect Park

Lullwater Bridge – Prospect Park

By Nick Savides

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The setting is an arm of the Prospect Park Lake, known as the Lullwater for its stillness. In the foreground is the Prospect Park Audubon Center in the Boatho...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Industrial Landscape in the Snow
Industrial Landscape in the Snow

Industrial Landscape in the Snow

By Whitney

Located in Soquel, CA

Realistic and detailed landscape by Whitney (American, b. 1945). Signed and dated "Whitney 89" in the lower left corner. Presented in a wood frame with a double mat and glass. Image ...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

''Dawn''
''Dawn''

''Dawn''

By Maryan Besaga

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The work was created in nature under the inspiration of the beauty of the Ukrainian landscape.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary 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.