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.
"Lake"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Oleksandr Khrapachov. “Lake,” 2020 Canvas, oil. 51×76 cm --- Oleksandr Khrapachov invites us into the mysterious world of nature, where time seems to stand still and space is fill...
Canvas, Oil
HARBINGER OF SPRING Signed Lithograph 1976, Realist Farm House Landscape
By Mel Hunter
Located in Union City, NJ
HARBINGER OF SPRING is an original limited edition, hand drawn lithograph(not a photo reproduction or digital print) by the American artist/illustrator Mel Hunter, printed using hand...
Lithograph
Zermatt Skiing, Slim Aarons 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 the apres-ski in Zermatt, Switzerland. This is an estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 ...
Lambda
$400Sale Price|20% Off
'Landscape' by Joseph Fred-Perry Rendell, Watercolor Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 14.25" x 17" watercolor by British artist Joseph Fred-Percy Rendell features a quiet landscape of rolling hills among a cluster of dense white clouds in a summer blue sky...
Watercolor
Kare. Vertical format, graphic design, small size
By Julia Chaduneli Prodiashvili
Located in Oslo, NO
A girl with bare shoulders emerges from a sheet of paper, softly dusted with charcoal haze. Her airy black dress seems to dissolve into the shadows, delicate strokes outlining the tr...
Paper, Charcoal
$7,058
Still Life with Apples - Oil on Canvas by Zhang Wei Guang (Mirror) - 2000
Located in Roma, IT
Original oil on canvas realized by Zhang Wei Guang in the early 2000s. Signed on rear. In excellent conditions, it includes a contemporary black wooden frame. Zhang Wei Guang, als...
Oil
Futile, Original Contemporary Watercolor Painting, Roses, Flowers
Located in AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FR
Work : Original Watercolor Painting, Unique Work. Handmade artwork. Ready to Hang. Medium : Watercolor on Archival paper Artist : Deniz Bayav Subject : Futile (Title) Signature : T...
Watercolor
Adelboden original vintage Swiss skiing poster
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage travel posters, many of which are from Switzerland, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the poster you want. Adelboden Original vintage poster 104 x 63 cm A fantastic original vintage poster advertising the Swiss ski...
Color
$1,762
Companions #2 - original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife 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
All Aboard, Monaco, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1970s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a group of Friends boarding a riva boat in Monte Carlo, Monaco. This is an estate stamped...
Lambda
$2,350
Summer Drink - original still life hyper realism oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is framed, signed & available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. A composition brimming with timeless elegance, Summer Drink for A...
Oil, Board
STILL LIFE - Hyper - Realistic - Oil on Canvas Italian Painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Stil life Maximilian Ciccone Italia 2011 Oil on canvas mis. cm. 60x90. This oil on canvas painting is an incredible example of the artist's ability to capture breathtaking detail a...
Canvas, Oil
Axel Axelson Venice Courtyard 1879 Rare Early Scandinavian Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
This painting, signed and dated “Venezia Maj 79”, belongs to the early and formative phase of Axel Axelson’s career and constitutes a rare and significant example of his work from Ve...
Canvas, Oil
1944 Russian Classical Summer Landscape Oil Study Riverside Church Signed Framed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This intimate yet surprisingly monumental work, painted in oil on millboard in 1944, is attributed to the prominent master of Russian landscape, Nikolai Krymov (1884 - 1958). A class...
Wood, Oil, Cardboard
"Elephant Butte - Monument Valley" Landscape Painting
By David Caton
Located in Houston, TX
Painting of the Elephant Butte rock formation in the Monument Valley of Arizona by David Caton circa 1970s. Artist Biography: David began the study of painting during his high schoo...
Oil
19th Century Oil Painting Sussex Coast Fishermen Returning Maritime Scene
Located in Stockholm, SE
This captivating mid 19th century oil on canvas depicts a touching maritime scene along England's Sussex coast, renowned for its dramatic white chalk cliffs and centuries-old fishing...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
"Starry Sky" (2025) By Rodney O'Dell Davis, Original Oil Painting
By Rodney O'dell Davis
Located in Denver, CO
Rodney O'Dell Davis's (US based) "Starry Sky" is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed at 22.50 x 22.50 inches, and is ready to hang. Rodney O’Dell Davis followed his pa...
Oil
"Landscape with the Baptism of Christ"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Attributed to Pietro Montanini (1626–1689, Perugia) "Landscape with the Baptism of Christ" Oil on canvas Framed: 86 x 44 cm Canvas: 48 x 33 cm No signatured This exquisite Baroque l...
Canvas, Oil
$1,451Sale Price|27% Off
Original Painting of Sweden Norway Fjord Landscape by Danish Landscape Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Original Painting of Sweden Norway Fjord Landscape by Danish Landscape Artist. Art measures 27 x 23 inches Frame measures 33 x 29 inches An oil pain...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil
"Angel Trumpets, Morning Dew" (2025) Egg Tempera Painting on Panel
By Fred Wessel
Located in Denver, CO
Fred Wessel's "Angel Trumpets, Morning Dew" measures 22.5 x 21.25 inches in its elegant frame and is ready to hang. About the artist: A two week trip that I took to Italy in 1984,...
Gold Leaf
$4,000
Be A Part
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --The primary subjects of my paintings are 21st century man's working monuments, which represent our culture's dedication to produc...
Canvas, Oil
"Rocky River 9, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 30" x 30"
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic limited edition print by John Harris captures a highly detailed, cropped view of water lightly rippling over river rocks in a cool blue palette. This Limited Edition...
Digital, Giclée
Road Trip VI, Oil Painting
By Mandy Main
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Mandy Main presents an expansive, glowing landscape with an accentuated perspective that pulls the eye deep into the distance. "The impressive momentum...
Oil
$5,760Sale Price|20% Off
Sacred Writings Religious and Mythological Narratives Florence Academy Oil
Located in Houston, TX
Samuel S.Hoskins Statement on Sacred Writing : I sought to delve into the concept of sacred texts, encompassing both religious and mythological narratives. Unlike conventional books, these sacred texts are dynamic, evolving throughout an individual's lifetime and human history. Reading such a text in childhood carries distinct significance compared to revisiting it in later stages of life. To symbolize our transformative journey, I depicted a path leading into the forest, illustrating how our life experiences influence our connection with these profound literary works. Sacred Writing 26x34 28x36 with Frame As a graduate of The Florence Academy of Art and a devoted oil painter, Samuel Hoskins...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
Caleta Beach, Acapulco, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a couple walking on Caleta Beach holding hands, Acapulco, Mexico, 1968. This is an esta...
Lambda
Persimmons
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Persimmons" 1980, is a colors woodcut on wove paper by noted Korean artist Bong Kyu Ahn, b.1938. It is hand signed, dated, titled, and numbered 10/90 in pencil b...
Woodcut
$2,759Sale Price|20% Off
World War 1 Trench Art Battlefield Framed Drawing Belgian Soldier Arras France
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Leopold Halvoet Belgian ( d.1918 Adinkerke ). Trench Art, Arras, France. 1915. Charcoal On Paper. Signed & Dated 1915 Lower Right. Image size 18.5 inches x 23.8 inches ( 47cm x 6...
Paper, Charcoal
Portrait Sleeping Girl by Danish German Genre Painting Master 19th century
Located in Stockholm, SE
Johann August Frederik Carl Lorange (1833 - 1875) was highly skilled Danish artist of German roots. Not much known on his biography, unfortunately, but most of his works were produc...
Canvas, Wood, Oil, Wood Panel
$5,000
Pink Roses in a porcelain vase 20" x 24" oil on copper Floral Florence
Located in Houston, TX
Pink Roses in a Porcelain Vase 20" x 24" oil on copper Florence Academy Floral Still-life Pink Roses in a porcelain vase 20" x 24" oil on copper Floral Florence "Pink Roses" is...
Copper
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
Alone Together, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A pair of sandhill cranes stand on opposite sides, their intense eyes seemingly watching each other's backs. Their stoic stance accentuates as the pond they inhabit fades into the grayish rainy mist of California's Central Valley in early winter. Rendered with a loose, watercolor-like technique, the birds' portrayal carries an expressive touch.
About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display...
Acrylic
$1,500
Sterling Peonies: framed contemporary oil painting of pink & white flowers
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is a beautifully framed contemporary floral still-life oil painting of pink and white peonies in a sterling vase in a traditional style by Pennsylvania artist Sharon Henderson. ...
Oil, Panel
Catherine Wilke, Capri (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Catherine Wilke joins the topless sunbathers on the island of Capri, 1980. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim A...
Lambda
Ship GLORY OF THE SEAS
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Carl G. Evers was an artist with a very impressive body of work who deserves more attention in the maritime genre. The son of a maritime engineer father and an artist mother, it seem...
Paper, Watercolor
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
Mad River View
Located in Greenwich, CT
Landscape oil painting of a clearing along Vermont's famed and picturesque Mad River. The scene shows a shallow part of the river with sandy shores and a small ford or waterfall by a...
Canvas, Oil
0ctopus Bronze by Sophie Martin 3/8
Located in Pasadena, CA
Animal sculptor Sophie MARTIN creates from inert clay a whole living animal kingdom. She freely observes the animal and captures and interprets a movement; and places it in nature an...
Bronze
Rare Early 20th C. Watercolor -- Pendennis, Captain Costigan and Miss Fothering
Located in Soquel, CA
An fine period watercolor, dated 1910, an illustration by Charles Edmund Brock (English, 1870-1938). This, from a semi-autobiographical novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray, ...
Paper, Watercolor
Bullfinch Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
450 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Bullfinch Size: 12 x 16 inch...
Paper, Watercolor
Cardinal Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
449 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Cardinal Size: 12 x 16 inch,...
Paper, Watercolor
'Still Life with Books' by Fernand Adriaenssens ( 1859 – Antwerp – 1944 )
Located in Knokke, BE
Fernand Adriaenssens 1859 – Antwerp – 1944 Belgian Painter 'Still Life with Books' Signature: signed lower middle left 'F Adriaenssens', on revers signed and placed Antwerp 'F. Adriaenssens Anvers' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 50,5 x 75,5 cm, frame size 62,5 x 87,5 cm Biography: Adriaenssens Fernand...
Canvas, Oil
$1,375Sale Price|46% Off
Still Life Painting of English Bone China Tea Cup & Biscuit by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life Painting of English Bone China Tea Cup, Saucer & Biscuit by Contemporary British Artist Art measures 11 x 11 inches Frame measures 16 x ...
Gesso, Paint, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Board
Émile Louis Vernier (1829-1887), a beachcomber, oil on canvas
Located in Berlin, DE
Émile Louis Vernier (1829-1887), a beachcomber, oil on canvas Signed to the bottom left corner. Frame: 77 x 103 cm Émile Louis Vernier (1829–1887) was a French painter and lithog...
Oil
Koko, with her favourite ball
Located in London, GB
Vivian Evans, circa 1907 Koko, with her favourite ball signed and dated ‘VIVIAN EVANS. 1907.' (lower right) oil on canvas 10 ¾ x 15 ¾ in. (27.3 x 40 cm.) frame 17 x 22 in. (43.2 x 55...
Canvas, Oil
The Big Band Era Stars
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An oil on canvas Illustration of the Big Band Era Stars. The work is extremely finely painted and feautures: Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell, Perry Como, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Ju...
Oil
Contact problem.Welcome to NATO, canvas/oil, 80x150 cm, 1976
Located in Riga, LV
Contact problem.Welcome to NATO, canvas/oil, 80x150 cm, 1976
Canvas, Oil
$7,742Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Gentleman in Crimson Coat - British 19th century art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This fine portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Joshua Reynolds. Painted circa 1800 it is a half portrait of a fine young man in a crimson velvet coat. The detail in h...
Oil
$2,654Sale Price|20% Off
The Train Set - British 20's art interior oil portrait boy playing female artist
By Agnes L Reid
Located in Hagley, England
This charming oil painting is by British female artist Agnes L Reid. Painted circa 1920 the painting is of a little boy playing on the floor with his train set, with balloons and a b...
Oil
That Time It Snowed on the Hollywood Sign, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Jesse Aldana presents an expansive view of Los Angeles, showing the famous Hollywood sign in the distance. The piece captures a dramatic passage from a...
Oil
Two Girls with a Dog - Stone Lithograph - Mourlot, 1928
Located in Paris, IDF
Marie LAURENCIN Two Girls with a Dog (1928) Stone Lithograph Printed in Atelier Mourlot Printed signature in the plate On China paper 42 x 31 cm (c. 17 x 12") Excellent condition
Lithograph
The Prince's Room
By Willy Pogany
Located in Buffalo, NY
Born in Szeged, Hungary, he became one of the better known and successful illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration, completing over 100 books. Among them are "A Treasury of Verse for Little Children," "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam," and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." He is probably best known for pen and ink drawings of mythology subjects geared towards children. He studied at Budapest Technical University and attended art schools in Munich and Paris before moving to London at age 23. In 1907, he began illustrating children's books and did a series of annual gift books...
Gouache, Graphite, Pen, Watercolor
"Glory to Ukraine!"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting is written in honor and memory of the hero of Ukraine, Oleksandr Mitsievsky. He was shot by soldiers of the Russian army after they took him prisoner. His last words wer...
Canvas, Oil
"Ivano-Frankivsk"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Ivano-Frankivsk. Summer glow of the city Oleksandr Khrapachov, 2013 Canvas, oil • 50×70 cm --- In this work, Oleksandr Khrapachov masterfully captures a moment of a summer day in ...
Canvas, Oil
$12,441Sale Price|30% Off
La Boule de Cristal: Hyperrealist Oil Painting, Late 20th Century
Located in CANNES, FR
Jacques Poirier ( 1928 -2002) " La boule de cristal " . 1980' s Jacques Poirier est un peintre du mouvement trompe l'oeil , Hyper-réaliste et un illust...
Oil
Les Danseurs Espagnols Teresa and Luisillo
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Les Danseurs Espagnols Teresa an Luisillo" referring to the famous Flamenco dancers, Teresa Viera Romero and Luis Perez Davila A.KA Luisillo, is a watercolor, on...
Watercolor
$49,500
"Herself", Frederick Hart, Acrylic Female Sculpture, 17x16x6 in., 176/350, white
Located in Dallas, TX
"Herself" by Frederick Hart is an acrylic figurative sculpture of a woman's face numbered 176/350. Hart began to equate light and spirit, the medium itself conveying the meaning, bey...
Resin, Acrylic Polymer
"Evening at the sea"
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...
Canvas, Oil
Pacific Sunset Waves, Contemporary Cyanotype on Paper, Navy Blue, Beach House
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Sunset Waves" is an original cyanotype that abstractly shows the sunset reflections on the sea. Details: + Titl...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...
A Time Not Forgotten
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Oil on Canvas painting by John DeMott. Framed size: 108.5" X 68.5"
Oil