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Realist Art

15,198 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
"Evening at Peconic" Realist oil painting, grassy terrain and water, small scale
"Evening at Peconic" Realist oil painting, grassy terrain and water, small scale

"Evening at Peconic" Realist oil painting, grassy terrain and water, small scale

By Melissa Franklin Sanchez

Located in Sag Harbor, NY

"Evening at Peconic" is a small scale realist oil painting of the Peconic Bay as seen from land. It depicts a grassy landscape and water in the background, with a wisp of clouds in t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Ali Children, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
The Ali Children, Slim Aarons Estate Edition

The Ali Children, Slim Aarons Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

August 1980: In Spanish style riding clothes from l to r; TRH Princess Rajwa Ali, Princess Basma Ali and Prince Bin Ali. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images) Slim Aarons Estate Editi...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Kerr Eby Shepherd and His Flock
Kerr Eby Shepherd and His Flock

Kerr Eby Shepherd and His Flock

By Kerr Eby

Located in San Francisco, CA

Kerr Eby: 1889-1946. Very well listed Canadian American artist. He is best known as a printmaker for his fabulous etchings. He has auction results over $6300 for a single print. This...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

An Original Photograph Sean Scully Pueblo COA Rare Important Mexico coca cola
An Original Photograph Sean Scully Pueblo COA Rare Important Mexico coca cola

An Original Photograph Sean Scully Pueblo COA Rare Important Mexico coca cola

By Sean Scully

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original C-Print from Sean Scully's Pueblo Dzibalchen series (A Suite of 20) created in 2001. This work comes in a fantastic natural wood archival frame presentation. This series was shot by Scully in Campeche, Mexico. Photograph size: 20 x 24 in. Framed Size: 27.5 x 33.5 Painter, photographer, watercolorist, and printmaker Sean Scully roams the world with his camera, capturing its surfaces in places as far-flung as Mexico and the Aran Islands...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print

22. Bangles, Minerals

22. Bangles, Minerals

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

Guy Allen, Horse Study Blue, Bright Art, Etching Print, Contemporary Equine Art
Guy Allen, Horse Study Blue, Bright Art, Etching Print, Contemporary Equine Art

Guy Allen, Horse Study Blue, Bright Art, Etching Print, Contemporary Equine Art

By Guy Allen

Located in Deddington, GB

Guy Allen Horse Study Blue Limited Edition Etching with Screen Print Overlay Edition of 45 Image Size: H 53.5cm x W 56.5cm Sheet Size: H 80cm x W 77cm x D 0.1cm Sold Unframed Please ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Etching, Screen

Watercolor Portrait of a Young Woman in a Blue Hat & Pink dress, antique frame
Watercolor Portrait of a Young Woman in a Blue Hat & Pink dress, antique frame

Watercolor Portrait of a Young Woman in a Blue Hat & Pink dress, antique frame

By Freeman Willis Simmons

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

This watercolor painting with ink accents depicting a young fashionable woman with a confident direct glance is in excellent condition -- no stains, tears, etc to the painting; antiq...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

This is a Real Place! 2: large painting of lake or river w/ blue water & bridge
This is a Real Place! 2: large painting of lake or river w/ blue water & bridge

This is a Real Place! 2: large painting of lake or river w/ blue water & bridge

By Brooke Lanier

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

"In the series “This is a real place!” I was fascinated by how the underside of the pier at Saint Simons Island, GA was like a readymade collage. The way the pilings and rails divide and frame the spaces between them looks artificially imposed on the scene until you notice the way the waves bounce off the pilings and the railings cast shadows on the water. In some iterations, I chose to simplify the structures of the pier and lighten the values so that it would emphasize the detail in the water. Likewise, I omitted a family of starlings and their droppings in favor of highlighting the geometry of the architecture and the colors and patterns of the water. Making paintings in a series allows me to investigate the results of making different decisions about an image. How I crop or stylize it, the manner in which I apply the paint, what gets included or excluded all add shades of meaning to each piece. Additionally, depictions of the same subject in different weather, seasons, times of day, and tides allows me a deeper understanding. I notice more relationships, colors, and details every time I paint the subject. Every painting is a pile of decisions. Playing with removing more and more details to see what is truly important sometimes improves the painting. The fewer elements you include in an image, the more each one means, and the more important it is to get each thing perfect. At times I like to paint every single detail I can find in a scene, and other times I feel like the unadorned components are sufficient to hold each other in a satisfying composition. I often add simplified shapes to my paintings to highlight the presence of absence or to heighten the importance of each area by creating stark visual contrasts. ⁠The physicality of the paint also plays a role. I used highly textured, thickly applied paint to construct the solid structural elements, and luminous layers of thinly glazed paint for the delicate linework and subtle blending of the water." - Brooke Lanier...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral

Located in Santa Monica, CA

A new work by the artist

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Victorian Nottingham City Landscape 1887 - British 19th century art oil painting
Victorian Nottingham City Landscape 1887 - British 19th century art oil painting

Victorian Nottingham City Landscape 1887 - British 19th century art oil painting

By Sir John Arnesby Brown

Located in Hagley, England

A superb British Victorian city landscape oil painting by noted Nottingham born artist John Arnesby Brown, painted in 1887. This rare early work is a product of Arnesby Brown's time ...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Giacomo Mantegazza, Villa La Casinella, Lake Como, Italy, Estate Edition
Giacomo Mantegazza, Villa La Casinella, Lake Como, Italy, Estate Edition

Giacomo Mantegazza, Villa La Casinella, Lake Como, Italy, Estate Edition

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Giacomo and Stefania Mantegazza welcome guests arriving by boat at their villa, La Casinella, on Lake Como, 1983. Brilliant green trees contrast with the vivid orange, reds and turquoise of the architecture. Four boats can are afloat on the deep blue of the lake. Slim Aarons Giacomo Montegazza, Villa La Casinella, Lake Como Slim Aarons Estate Edition Stamped and hand numbered by the Slim Aarons Estate. Chromogenic Lambda print from the original transparency Printed Later Certificate of Authenticity included Collector will get the next number in the edition 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. 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. 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). Please contact us for additional photographs from Slim Aarons * Now in his 70s, Giacomo Mantegazza...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Leslie Peck, "French White", 30x40 Farm Country Cow Bull Oil Painting Landscape
Leslie Peck, "French White", 30x40 Farm Country Cow Bull Oil Painting Landscape

Leslie Peck, "French White", 30x40 Farm Country Cow Bull Oil Painting Landscape

By Leslie Peck

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

"French White", is a 30x40 oil painting on canvas by artist Leslie Peck featuring a majestic white bull standing in a stately, regal pose. A dark background with a grass covered foreground provides drama and mystery. Peck's use of hand-mixed paint provides a silky, buttery finish. About the artist: Leslie Anne Peck is a native of Buffalo, New York. She moved to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology where she received her Bachelors Degree in Fine Art. In 1987 Leslie spent a year studying art in Italy at the Scuola di Lorenzo De Medici in Florence and subsequently apprenticed in Rome with renowned illustrator Alessandro Biffignandi. Leslie began a freelance career in romance book...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Banya, Realist Landscape Painting, Oil on Cardboard, 2015
Banya, Realist Landscape Painting, Oil on Cardboard, 2015

Banya, Realist Landscape Painting, Oil on Cardboard, 2015

Located in Edinburgh, GB

An atmospheric expressionist landscape depicting a rustic wooden cabin sitting right on the shore of a quiet river or bay. Rich impasto textures and earthy tones convey the weathered...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hubert Henrard - 19th Century Belgian Still Life of wildflowers
Hubert Henrard - 19th Century Belgian Still Life of wildflowers

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

Hard Landing, Original Painting
Hard Landing, Original Painting

Hard Landing, Original Painting

By Emil Morhardt

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A black skimmer comes in for a hard landing, kicking up sand with its wings still raised. Its crisp black-and-white plumage, bright orange-and-black bill, and...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Burgundy Iris, Silkscreen by Lowell Nesbitt
Burgundy Iris, Silkscreen by Lowell Nesbitt

Burgundy Iris, Silkscreen by Lowell Nesbitt

By Lowell Nesbitt

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: Burgundy Iris Year: 1980 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Image Size: 30 x 20 inches Size: 36...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Screen

Sundowners at the Carlton, Cannes

Sundowners at the Carlton, Cannes

By Slim Aarons

Located in New York, NY

Two bikini-clad holidaymakers enjoy a glass of wine outside the Carlton Hotel, Cannes, 1958. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from th...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons 'Saint-Tropez Boucherie' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)

Slim Aarons 'Saint-Tropez Boucherie' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A boucherie on Rue des Commercants in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera, August 1971. Slim Aarons St-Tropez Boucherie Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. 60 x 40 inches $3950 40 x 30 inches $3350 30 x 20 inches $3000 Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Chromogenic Lambda print from the original transparency 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. 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. 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). Please contact us for additional photographs from Slim Aarons * Undercurrent Projects offers premium quality photographic prints from the Slim Aarons Archive, owned and housed by Getty Images. All photographs are printed and authorized by the Getty Images Gallery, London. Photographs are printed utilizing the original transparency held at the archive source. Internal: Vintage Saint-Tropez, Vintage French Riviera photography...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

The Fall
The Fall

The Fall

By Serghei Ghetiu

Located in Zofingen, AG

I poured my heart into this oil painting to capture the serene dance of water over rocks in a golden forest. With impressionist brushstrokes, I wanted to evoke the peaceful energy an...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"I Will Take You to Dinner in Sofia"(2021) by Brian Keith Stephens, Original Oil
"I Will Take You to Dinner in Sofia"(2021) by Brian Keith Stephens, Original Oil

"I Will Take You to Dinner in Sofia"(2021) by Brian Keith Stephens, Original Oil

By Brian Keith Stephens

Located in Denver, CO

"I Will Take You to Dinner in Sofia" is an original oil painting by Brian Keith Stephens. It depicts two playful dogs beneath a palm tree. How to capture the past, present and fut...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Wax, Oil, Birch

Boats in Harbor, Realist Oil Painting, Late 20th Century, Unframed
Boats in Harbor, Realist Oil Painting, Late 20th Century, Unframed

Boats in Harbor, Realist Oil Painting, Late 20th Century, Unframed

Located in Chesterfield, MI

Boats are in the harbor which is captured by an unknown artist who is painting in oil. Vibrant colors dominate this original.painting.

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

‘Powerful Desert ' Contemporary Mixed Media Mountains Landscape
‘Powerful Desert ' Contemporary Mixed Media Mountains Landscape

‘Powerful Desert ' Contemporary Mixed Media Mountains Landscape

By Uri Blayer

Located in Carmel, CA

Israeli born artist that works mainly in Hawaii, whose realistic and whimsical landscapes has earned him a vast reputation. Blayer's work was critiqued in the New York Times (see be...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary 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

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.