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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
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh– Painting, Serene Pondscape
Located in Denver, CO
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 24 x 36 x 2.50 inches, presented in an elegant frame sized at 25.50 x 37.50 x 3 inches. Ready to hang, this...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Dog Portrait: Grand Griffon Vendéen Hunting Dogs Jules Chardigny
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Double Portrait: Grand Griffon Vendéen Hunting Dogs Jules Chardigny (France, 1842-1892) circa 1870 Oil on canvas, signed 21 3/4 x 18 1/4 (29 1/8 x 25 frame) inches Though pairs of G...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Man of Mangea 1784 final voyage of Captain Cook by John Webber
Located in Paonia, CO
A Man of Mangea is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. John Webber (1752-1793) was the official a...
Category

1780s Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Caleta Beach, Acapulco, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
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...
Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Pocket White Anemone 5 c, Original Painting, Realist, Autumnal art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket White Anemone 5 c is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque st...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Crasher, " Rolled Limited Edition Giclee Print, 48" x 72"
Located in Westport, CT
This coastal seascape limited edition print captures a cropped view of rolling ocean waves. Highly detailed and realistic, it balances the deep blues and sea greens of the ocean with...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Digital, Giclée

Tavern on the Green (New Yorker Magazine cover proposal)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). Tavern on the Green. Watercolor and ink on paper, 9 3/8 x 12 inches. Unsigned. Excellent condition. Provenance: Ethel ...
Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

'Historic English Chapel Interior, ' by Unknown, Watercolor Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed and matted 16" x 19" watercolor painting by an Unknown artist depicts an historic English chapel interior. The interior of the church features the large stained glass window pane...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Raspberry - original realism still life fruit - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. In Raspberry, Dani Humberstone suspends a delicately painted fr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

SCARCE EARLY OROZCO - CABEZA DE MUJER -
Located in Santa Monica, CA
JOSE CLEMENTE OROZCO (1883 – 1949) CABEZA DE MUJER, ( Woman's Head: Mexican Woman) 1929 (Orozco 9) Lithograph, signed and numbered 23/50. in pencil. Pri...
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Zapata, Modern Lithograph by David Siqueiros
Located in Long Island City, NY
Zapata David Alfaro Siqueiros (After), Mexican (1896–1974) Date: Printed 1966 of original: 1913 Lithograph, signed in the plate Image Size: 18 x 13.5 inches Size: 23 x 17 in. (58.42...
Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Across Hope" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Healing Promise" is an original, handmade oil painting of a tranquil sunrise. This piece is framed in a natural float fram...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Coral dreams Watercolor rose boutique
Located in Zofingen, AG
The watercolor painting with roses is a delicate, refined watercolor, made in a charismatic technique without the use of clear graphic lines. Sophisticated roses and peonies in water...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Wish You Were Here - Modern Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Girl Portrait
Located in Salzburg, AT
KAMIL LISEK (born in 1980) Studied under the guidance of prof. Maciej Świeszewski at the faculty of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. He graduated with distinction obta...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands Realist Landscape Vintage Oil Painting
Located in Preston, GB
Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands Landscape Vintage Painting. A beautiful realist oil painting of the Scottish Highlands from a highly respected British Artist. Art measures 36...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Cotton Canvas, Canvas

"Evening is coming soon"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
In “Soon to be Evening,” artist Alexander Khrapachev depicts with subtle sensitivity one of those moments when nature and human activity meet on a common horizon. At first glance, it...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Swedish Hamlet in a Snowy Winter Landscape with Birch Trees by Danish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Swedish Hamlet in a Snowy Winter Landscape with Birch Trees by Danish Artist, Jens Christian Bennedsen (1893-1967). Art measures 38 x 26 inches Frame measures 44 x 32 inches An oi...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Vintage David Hockney Poster Galerie der Spiegel 1970 (Boy in an Egg) with bird
Located in New York, NY
This vintage exhibition poster reproduces The Boy Hidden in an Egg by David Hockney from his Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm, 1969. A shirtless young man curls up inside a d...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Young Boy Fishing in River with Cottage in Wild Meadow in English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Young Boy Fishing in River with Cottage in a Wild Meadow in the English Countryside by British Artist, Les Parson Art measures 16 x 12 inches Frame measu...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cheval Libre (Free Horse)
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: After Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1879) Title: Cheval Libre (Free Horse) Year: 1868 Medium: Cast bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Edition: Unknown Size: Inclu...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Music of the Rain, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Golden autumn leaves blanket the paths of Central Park, setting the stage for a romantic stroll. A couple walks closely, sharing a blue umbrella while leaving a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

The Hugh O'Neill Building, 655-671 Sixth Avenue, NYC, lithograph Signed/N Framed
Located in New York, NY
Richard Haas The Hugh O'Neill Building, 655-671 Sixth Avenue, New York City, 1974 Lithograph on Arches paper Signed, titled and annotated "TP" in graphite pencil on the front Edition...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Richard Haas, Hong Kong, Etching & Aquatint, Signed 26/35, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Richard Haas Hong Kong, 1990 Etching and Aquatint on wove paper Hand Signed, numbered 26/35 and dated on the front Frame included; held in the original vintage hand made wood frame ...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Yin Yang (2022) By Hadley Rampton, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Yin Yang" by Hadley Rampton (United States) is a handmade landscape painting that is unframed, but ready to hang. Hadley Rampton’s paintings are an amalgamation of her love of comp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hoopoe Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
414 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Hoopoe Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Apples and limes. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Apples and limes” is an ode to the simple pleasures of life, inviting viewers to appreciate the inherent beauty in everyday objects. I tried to find the color harmony of yellow - gr...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

PSFS Building (Philadelphia Cityscape Architecture)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Naomi Charles Limont (1929-2010). PFSF Building, Philadelphia, ca. 1990. This piece is a restrike of the following Earl Horter image, using the exact plate created by Horter nearly 6...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

"Healing Promise" by Michael Magrin, Oil Painting, CO Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Healing Promise" is an original, handmade oil painting of a tranquil sunrise. This piece is framed in a natural float fram...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, 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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Pastel

Contemporary portrait "Black ang Gold"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Crafted with acrylics in a symphony of black and gold, this painting captures the essence of strength and elegance. The striking contrast and precise realism convey a sense of intros...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Ocean Beach Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful moonlit sailing evening created in an impressionistic realism style. The image...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Antique Oil on Canvas Orientalist Painting Moorish Spain Gate of The Sun Toledo
Located in Portland, OR
A large & important Orientalist oil on canvas painting, Moorish Spain, by Pollok Sinclair Nesbit (1848-1922) ASRA, "The Gate of the Sun" Toledo, 1872. A member of The Royal Scottish ...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

St Albans Cathedral (1810), engraving by James Basire
Located in London, GB
John Basire & John Carter St Albans Cathedral Engraving 62 x 46 cm This engraving was originally published by the Society of Antiquaries of London, an organisation dedicated to st...
Category

1810s Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Wildlife Collection: Pocket Goldfinch, Original Painting, Animal Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Wildlife Collection: Pocket Goldfinch is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Long Walk Home". Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Original Oil Painting Portrait 1953 large work
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Paul Briscoe, (British), signed & dated 1953 oil painting on board, unframed size: 40 x 30 inches condition: overall very good and presentable. provenance: from a private collection in England we can help arrange a suitable frame if buyers wish, prior to shipping. A magnificent large scale portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Portraits of Her Majesty in private collections are exceedingly rare and adding to the importance of this work is the fact it was painted in the year of her Coronation, 1953. Her Majesty requires no introduction from us, but here is a quick reminder of the basic facts: Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Undergarment Model (1970s Gay Bathhouse Jockstrap Ad)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Vintage jockstrap ad poster, 1975. Offset lithograph on paper measures 18.5 x 12.75 inches. Copyright Winifred Bonney. Original offset period print on perio...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Offset

Fine Quality English late 20th century Still life of wild flowers in a vase
Located in Woodbury, CT
Bennett Oates, Fine Quality English late 20th century Still life of wild flowers in a vase. Oates was an English painter of flower subjects during the last half of the 20th centur...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

'Four Women' from the suite 'The Beggar's Opera'
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Mariette Lydis, 'Four Women' from the suite 'The Beggar's Opera', lithograph, edition unknown but small, 1937. Signed in pencil; initialed in the stone, low...
Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Colossal Statue Luxor, Egypt: Original 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "A Colossal Statue at the Entrance to the Temple of Luxor" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the larg...
Category

1840s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

My Sister, The Moon
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"My Sister, The Moon" by Adeniyi Joshua Adetayo is a captivating artwork that delicately captures a young lady standing at the back of a house, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Pen

Antique Dog Painting; Cavalier King Charles Gustav Lorincz (Austrian, 1855-1931)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Dog Painting of a Cavalier King Charles Gustav Lorincz (Austrian, 1855-1931) Oil on panel, signed 9 1/4 x 6 3/4 (13 3/4 x 11 1/4 frame) inches Gustav Lorincz was a noted painter of animal subjects, mostly portraiture of dogs and cats...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Painting of Highland Cows in Scotland Loch by 20th Century British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Highland Cows in Scotland Loch by 20th Century British Artist Wendy Reeves. Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 24 x 20 inches ...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Toby Rosenthal (German painter) - 19th century figure painting - Male portrait
Located in Varmo, IT
Tobias Edward Rosenthal, known as Toby (Strasbourg 1848 - Munich 1917) - Portrait of a San Francisco gentleman. 123 x 92 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame. - Work ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Watercarrier, Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Is There Anyone Here?..
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cozy café with three visitors: two in dark attire, one figure in a checkered coat. The interior is understated with retro details, and soft blue light filters through the windows. ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Shadow of a Tree on Facade, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Two modern buildings, one raw sienna, and the other white, stand side by side against a deep blue sky. The daylight in the background contrasts with the struc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Himmelstrasse, Austria
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Himmelstrasse, Austria" c.1950 is an original color etching by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir 1881-1962. It is hand signed in pencil at the lower center by the a...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Vintage Oil Painting of River Sunset in the Woods of the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Oil Painting of River Sunset in the Woods of the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist. Painted using warm orange and green colours creating a unique atmosphere....
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"New York City, Jazz" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "New York City, Jazz" is an original, hand made oil painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape.
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Magnolia. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning magnolia placed in a transparent vase. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers and capture the reactions of light with glass. The medium used is oi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Man Walking the Dog at a River Side in the Lush Green English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 25 x 21 inches John Haskins...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"Chien" by Marina Dieul, Original Oil Painting, French Bulldog Trompe L'oeil
Located in Denver, CO
Marina Dieul's "Chien," created in 2024, is a charming oil on panel painting measuring 6 x 6 x 1 inches (15.24 x 15.24 x 2.54 cm) with framed dimensions of 11 x 11 inches. This origi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Hoopoe Bird Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
413 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2025 Style: Classic Art Title: Hoopoe Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Under the old bridge
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting depicts one of the bridges across the Main in Würzburg, the Ludwigbrücke. We look at the motif from the embankment, under the span of the bridge. The age of the bridge i...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peacock Watercolor on Paper Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
360 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2024 Style: Classic Art Title: Peacock Size: 12 x 16 inch, ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

1991 Gretchen Dow Simpson 'Westport, Massachusetts' USA HAND SIGNED
By Gretchen Dow Simpson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This limited edition serigraph titled Westport, Massachusetts by renowned artist Gretchen Dow Simpson is a meticulously crafted piece that captures the serene and picturesque landsca...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Screen

Hubert Henrard - 19th Century Belgian Still Life of wildflowers
Located in London, GB
HUBERT HENRARD (Belgium 1816-1898) Still Life with Cornflower and Harebells Signed l.r.: Hubert Henrard Oil on canvas Framed 25 by 20.5 cm., 10 by 8 in. (frame size 41.5 by 36.5 c...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT - Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italy Painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Still life of Flowers and Fruit - Maximilian Ciccone Italia 2002 - Oil on canvas cm.60x90. This oil on canvas painting is an incredible example of the artist's ability to capture bre...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

BLUE RIBBON COLIN FRASER CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH ARTIST
Located in Pollenca, Illes Baleares
Colin Fraser's remarkable tempera still-life and landscapes have a luminosity that seems to irradiate from them. It’s an effect that conjures a remembering of the timeless moment or mood they seem to captureColin Fraser was born in Glasgow in 1956, studied art in Brighton and currently lives and works in Sweden. Fraser is represented by Mira Godard Gallery...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Egg Tempera

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.

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