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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
Ceramic Wall Sculpture of Crow #12 with Crystal in Beak
Ceramic Wall Sculpture of Crow #12 with Crystal in Beak

Ceramic Wall Sculpture of Crow #12 with Crystal in Beak

By Karla Walter

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Cv upon request Karla Walter is an American artist who explores similarities between the social interactions among crows and that of individuals in our society. Karla Walter went to ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Ceramic, Glaze

"Matilda"
"Matilda"

"Matilda"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The painting depicts a moment from the film “Leon.” The moment when Mathilda placed Leon's flower on the windowsill. At this moment, Mathilda leaned her body on the windowsill, resti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking)
Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking)

Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking)

By Francisco Zúñiga

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking) 1985 is an original colors lithograph on Wove paper by Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated and numbered 72/150 in pencil by the artist. The size is 22.75 x 30 inches. It is in excellent condition, 2 small pieces of hanging tape remaining on the back at the top edge of the sheet from previous framing. About the subject: This print, Juchitecas Platicando (Juchitecán Women Talking), depicts three statuesque women from the city of Juchiteca in the state of Oaxaca in southeastern Mexico. Juchiteca is a largely matriarchal society, in that women control the economy and hold positions of power. It is also home to a large Zapotec population, indigenous to the land that became Mexico. Francisco Zúñiga lived within the community of Juchiteca for a period of time and adopted the women of the area as one of the central motifs of his artwork, both on paper and in sculpture. Through his selective coloring, Zúñiga highlights the women’s clothing, including their recognizable huipiles or tunics, conveying the pride in locally made textile art About the artist: Internationally acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Francisco Zuñiga was born in Costa Rica. He studied drawing, stone sculpture, and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose. Later, in 1936, he studied stone carving at La Esmeralda in Mexico City. He was appointed to the faculty of La Esmeralda where he remained until his retirement in 1970. Zuniga's art reflects a love and respect for Central American people and traditions. In 1972, he created his first lithograph. As a complement to his emotionally powerful sculpture, Zuniga's prints articulate the sensitivity and sensuality of the human figure. He has been the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards. His work is exhibited frequently in prominent galleries throughout the world and may be found in the permanent collections of twenty-nine museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Art Museum. In 1936, Francisco Zuniga left San Jose, Costa Rica, where he had studied drawing at the School of Fine Arts and worked as an assistant in his father's studio, a workshop which produced religious sculpture for the churches and convents in and around the city. His destination was Mexico City. It was from there that he would begin an illustrious career as a sculptor and draftsman. Zuñiga's exploration into the nuances of volume, in line and space, are demonstrated in this, the most complete exhibition of his work to be shown in more than a decade. Mexico City in 1936 was, even then, one of the major art centers of the Americas. As such it witnessed and participated in many of the frenzied and controversial art movements which reflected the political and intellectual climate of the first three decades of the twentieth century. Muralism, the graphic arts, the incorporation of in-ternational movements had produced an artistic climate, which would eventually attract to Mexico international artists and intellectuals such as Sergei Eisenstein, André Breton and Antonin Artaud. Then as now, Mexico City was a major world capital with the infrastructure necessary to exhibit and expose new aesthetic concepts. For all these reasons it was the most obvious destination of choice for Zuñiga. In Mexico he worked with the painter Manuel Rodríguez...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Mad River View

Mad River View

By Frank P. Corso

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Venice Sailboats, Italy
Venice Sailboats, Italy

Venice Sailboats, Italy

By Josef Eidenberger

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Venice Sailboats" c. 1975 is an color etching by noted Austrian artist Josef Eidenberger, 1899-1991. It is hand signed n pencil by the artist. The plate mark (i...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Morning in the Old town  oil/canvas, 70x90 cm, 2019
Morning in the Old town  oil/canvas, 70x90 cm, 2019

Morning in the Old town oil/canvas, 70x90 cm, 2019

By Igor Maikov

Located in Riga, LV

Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Game"
"Game"

"Game"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Reflections on the irony of life

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Arrangement XVII, Realist Oil Painting
Arrangement XVII, Realist Oil Painting

Arrangement XVII, Realist Oil Painting

By Zane York

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Zane York deftly walks the line between playfulness and profundity. Drawing inspiration from the inherent strangeness of the natural world, York imbues quotidian scenes with subtle e...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Shadow Patterns and Lost Thistle
Shadow Patterns and Lost Thistle

Shadow Patterns and Lost Thistle

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original Oil painting signed by the Artist in the lower right corner.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Lady in the mirror"
"Lady in the mirror"

"Lady in the mirror"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Luigi Sorio (1835-1909) – "Lady in the Mirror" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 109 x 84 cm Dimensions (Flat): 84 x 60 cm Signature: Lower left corner Frame: Ornate gil...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Starfish. 2008. Canvas, oil, 50x65 cm
Starfish. 2008. Canvas, oil, 50x65 cm

Starfish. 2008. Canvas, oil, 50x65 cm

By Igor Maikov

Located in Riga, LV

Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Schoolroom" oil painting by Theophile Emmanuel Duverger
"The Schoolroom" oil painting by Theophile Emmanuel Duverger

"The Schoolroom" oil painting by Theophile Emmanuel Duverger

By Théophile Emmanuel Duverger

Located in Mere, GB

"The Schoolroom" by Theo Duverger Theophile-Emmanuel Duverger 1821 - 1886 was a leading French genre painter, exhibitor at the Paris salon and in the Musee D'Orsay. Oil on Panel, sig...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Mercedes W18 - XXI Century, Contemporary Watercolor & Ink Painting, Vehicle, Car
Mercedes W18 - XXI Century, Contemporary Watercolor & Ink Painting, Vehicle, Car

Mercedes W18 - XXI Century, Contemporary Watercolor & Ink Painting, Vehicle, Car

By Mariusz Szałajdewicz

Located in Warsaw, PL

Mariusz Szalajdewicz (b. 1974) Studied at the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology, where he mastered the drawing skill. Architect and urbanist, illustrator. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

In The Tropics, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
In The Tropics, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

In The Tropics, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Anthony Dunphy

Located in Yardley, PA

A cluster of frangipani in a tree. This tropical scene was captured on the island of Guam on my recent vacation there. These flowers are popular in Hawaii as well for making lei. Thi...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

A noble bulldog

A noble bulldog

Located in London, GB

Walter Herbert Wheeler (British, 1868-1960) A noble bulldog signed ‘WH Wheeler (lower right) oil on board 7 ¾ x 7 ¼ in. (19.7 x 18.3 cm.) with frame 10 x 9 ¾ in. (25.4 x 24.8 cm.) ...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

20. Curious shells

20. Curious shells

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

The Pool of London - 20th Century British marine watercolour by William Walcot
The Pool of London - 20th Century British marine watercolour by William Walcot

The Pool of London - 20th Century British marine watercolour by William Walcot

WILLIAM WALCOT (1874-1943) The Pool of London Signed and dated l.r.: W Walcot 1924 Watercolour and bodycolour over traces of pencil on paper Framed 40.5 by 71.5 cm., 16 by 28 ¼ i...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

The King of the World, Painting, Oil on Canvas
The King of the World, Painting, Oil on Canvas

The King of the World, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Hugo Pondz

Located in Yardley, PA

This original artwork is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. - All of my works are hand-painted by me, using the best professional grade oil paints made by Blockx ( ) a...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Persenbeug Castle, Austria
Persenbeug Castle, Austria

Persenbeug Castle, Austria

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Persenbeug Castle, Austria" c.1930 is a color etching and aquatint on watermarked Kasimir Vienna Wove paper by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir, 1881-1962. It is ha...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

French school 1920s Brittany Brittons Village fair Pont-Aven Cornouaille
French school 1920s Brittany Brittons Village fair Pont-Aven Cornouaille

French school 1920s Brittany Brittons Village fair Pont-Aven Cornouaille

Located in PARIS, FR

J. BREYNAT (XXth century) Oil on cardboard 20 x 30 cm (28 x 38 cm with the frame) Signed and dated lower left "J. Breynat / 1921" Beautiful carved wooden frame from the 19th century ...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"
"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"

"Christmas trees. Transcarpathia"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

“Fir trees.Transcarpathia” - the melody of mountain peaks Oleksandr Khrapachov, 2014 The canvas “Fir trees.Transcarpathia” invites the viewer to a journey through the breathtaking ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Beginning of Spring"
"Beginning of Spring"

"Beginning of Spring"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

“Beginning of Spring” (3rd quarter of the 20th century) Oil on canvas 100 × 150 cm Signed lower right Born in Golitsyno in 1916 into the family of Russian painter Konstantin Kirillo...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Coastal Patrol - original surrealist-realism oilpainting-contemporary art
Coastal Patrol - original surrealist-realism oilpainting-contemporary art

Coastal Patrol - original surrealist-realism oilpainting-contemporary 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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Blue Flag Irises
Blue Flag Irises

Blue Flag Irises

By David Wang

Located in Soquel, CA

Clean and detailed watercolor of blue flag irises by David Wang (Chinese-American, 20th Century). Signed in the lower right corner by the artist. Presented in a double mat of cream and light purple, and a wood frame with plexiglass. Image size: 20.5"H x 28"W David Wang is a native of Beijing, China. He gained his education from the Beijing Education College of China in 1984, where he learned various techniques in drawing, watercolor, oil painting, sculpture, graphic design, and Chinese watercolor. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree, he became a fine arts teacher. During his eight years of teaching, he has taught hundreds of quality students, some becoming professional artists and cinematographers. Wang has also accomplished several major art and design projects, such as designing and creating an exhibit of the Terra-Cotta army warriors in the Forbidden City and interior designs for shopping plazas in Beijing. In 1988, David came to the U.S as a visitor scholar and studied at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After his studies in 1992, he continued his profession as a full-time artist. For twelve years, he had a successful career creating visual art for the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida Studio. He worked as a senior background artist doing work from concept development to production final work. His work has achieved him credits on: "Pocahontas," "Mulan," "Tarzan," "Lilo & Stitch," "Brother Bear," and "The Princess and the Frog...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Bermuda Beach,  Estate Edition
Bermuda Beach,  Estate Edition

Bermuda Beach, Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A woman running towards the ocean on a beach in Bermuda, 1957. The bather wears a vintage coral red swimsuit, which provides a pop of color against the sun-dappled turquoise waves. F...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Visit to the Bazaar - 1916 British watercolour on silk by Sheringham

Visit to the Bazaar - 1916 British watercolour on silk by Sheringham

By George Sheringham

Located in London, GB

GEORGE SHERINGHAM (1884-1937) Visit to the Bazaar Signed; inscribed with title on a label on the backboard Watercolour and gold paint on silk 15 by 38 cm., 6 by 15 in. (frame size 34 by 56 cm., 13 ½ by 22 in.) Exhibited: London, Leicester Galleries, Exhibition of Works by George Sheringham, 1916, no.17. Sheringham was born in London and studied at the Slade under Henry Tonks and later in Venice, Brussels, Berlin and Paris where he held his first one-man exhibition in 1905. On his return to London he initially supported himself with poster designs and teaching. His first exhibition of fan designs was held at the Ryder Gallery in 1909 followed by another in the following year. With enthusiastic reviews in Studio he had launched his career as a decorative designer, theatrical designer and illustrator. He illustrated books by Max Beerbohm and Cyrus MacMillan. In 1921 he collaborated with his brother Hugh on a book about fishing, The Book of the Fly Rod. He wrote Drawing in Pen and Pencil (1922), with James Laver, Design in the Theatre (1927) and with Rupert Mason and R Boyd Morrison he edited Robes of Thespis, Costume Designs by Modern Artists (1928). As a decorator, Sheringham designed the music room at 40 Devonshire House...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Church Interior
Church Interior

Church Interior

By Ray Quigley

Located in Buffalo, NY

A modern illustration by American artist Ray Quigley depicting two men inside of a church.

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board, Ink

"Almost sunset"
"Almost sunset"

"Almost sunset"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

In this enchanting work, Ukrainian artist Alexander Khrapachov skillfully captures the moment between day and evening - that special time when nature freezes in anticipation of the s...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Turnip"
"Turnip"

"Turnip"

By Giacomo Ceruti

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Giacomo Ceruti, known as Il Pitocchetto (1698-1767) – “Turnip” Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 204 x 124 cm (unframed) Provenance: Private collection This remarkable painting, “T...

Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Koko, with her favourite ball
Koko, with her favourite ball

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...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Da Tour Boileau (Beauvais)"
"Da Tour Boileau (Beauvais)"

"Da Tour Boileau (Beauvais)"

By François Boucher

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Attributed to François Boucher (1703–1770) – "Da Tour Boileau (Beauvais)" Artist: Attributed to François Boucher (attributed) Title: "Da Tour Boileau (Beauvais)" Medium: Oil on can...

Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Estate Edition
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Estate Edition

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The Piazza Roma, a square in Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Italian Alps, 1962. Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aarons E...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

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.