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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
Windsor Castle North Aspect
Windsor Castle North Aspect

Windsor Castle North Aspect

Located in Bournemouth, Dorset

HM King Charles III (b.1948) Windsor Castle North Aspect 1995 Limited Edition Lithograph Printed by the Curwen Press Image: 23.0 x 41.0 cm Frame: 39.0 x 55.5 cm King Charl...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Charles St, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Charles St, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Charles St, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Ellen Bradshaw

Located in Yardley, PA

A cold snowy day after a major snowstorm on Bleecker St at dusk with the setting sun! Lone figures out for a snow stroll or digging out their car! Winter Beauty! Transforms New York ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

White sailboat. Paper, pastel 27x33 cm
White sailboat. Paper, pastel 27x33 cm

White sailboat. Paper, pastel 27x33 cm

Located in Riga, LV

White sailboat. Paper, pastel 27x33 cm Victor Karnauh (1950, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR – 2012, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) – a painter, ...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Wensleydale From Moorcock
Wensleydale From Moorcock

Wensleydale From Moorcock

Located in Bournemouth, Dorset

HM King Charles III (b.1948) Wensleydale From Moorcock Limited Edition Lithograph Printed by the Curwen Press Image: 24.0 x 38.0 cm Frame: 40.0 x 51.0 cm King Charles III i...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Coffee Pot with Glass Balls and Flowers, Original Painting
Coffee Pot with Glass Balls and Flowers, Original Painting

Coffee Pot with Glass Balls and Flowers, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster illustrates a dramatic still life in high contrast realism. A vintage blue campfire coffee pot sprouts a dynamic arrangement of colorful fl...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Leap Fail Leap

Leap Fail Leap

By Robert Flemming & Mizin Shin

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original mixed media Photo Etching, Aquatint and Drypoint Printed on Arches Cover titled Leap Fail Leap, created by the artistic collaboration of Robert Flemming and Mizin Shin. ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint

Vintage Floral Still Life Oil Painting Roses Signed Framed Classic Bouquet
Vintage Floral Still Life Oil Painting Roses Signed Framed Classic Bouquet

Vintage Floral Still Life Oil Painting Roses Signed Framed Classic Bouquet

Located in Palm Coast, FL

A beautifully composed original oil painting on canvas, depicting a classic floral still life with a full bouquet of roses arranged in a warm-toned vase. Deep red blooms contrast wit...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Self-portrait - Homo nudus -
Self-portrait - Homo nudus -

Self-portrait - Homo nudus -

Located in Berlin, DE

Bruno Paul (1874 Seifhennersdorf - 1968 Berlin). Self-portrait, c. 1895. Pencil on paper, mounted on cardboard, 53.5 x 35 cm, signed 'Paul' at upper left. - Homo nudus - About the artwork In a mirrored situation, Bruno Paul looks at himself in the picture. While his body, which is the size of the format, is shown in profile parallel to the picture, he turns his head into the picture in order to become aware of himself there, whereby the lighter use...

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Pencil

Eduardo León Garrido, "An Elegant Dance", 19th C. Oil on Mahogany Wood Panel
Eduardo León Garrido, "An Elegant Dance", 19th C. Oil on Mahogany Wood Panel

Eduardo León Garrido, "An Elegant Dance", 19th C. Oil on Mahogany Wood Panel

By Eduardo Leon Garrido

Located in Madrid, ES

EDUARDO LEÓN GARRIDO Spanish, 1856- 1949 AN ELEGANT DANCE signed "E. L Garrido" (lower right) oil on mahogany wood panel 25-1/8 x 32 inches (63.5 x 81 cm.) framed: 31 x 38 inches (78.5 x 96 cm.) PROVENANCE Private Spanish Collector Eduardo León Garrido (Madrid, 1856 - Caen, 1949) was a Spanish painter. He began his training at the Higher School of Painting in Madrid and as a disciple in Vicente...

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

By the lake. Oil on cardboard, 40x50 cm
By the lake. Oil on cardboard, 40x50 cm

By the lake. Oil on cardboard, 40x50 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Landscape by the lake. Oil on cardboard, 40x50 cm Arnolds Pankoks (born 1914.21.IX - 2008.) Graduated Art Academy of Latvia (1937 – 43, 1945 – 47) with diploma work "Restoration of ...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching
New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching

New York City Skyline Modern Print Chrysler State Building Framed Unique Etching

By Katherine Gallagher

Located in Buffalo, NY

Limited edition aquatint etching of the New York City skyline by Katherine E. Gallagher. This piece features the famous Chrysler Building prominently in the background along with a M...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Sea  1989. Paper, watercolor, 15x20 cm

Sea 1989. Paper, watercolor, 15x20 cm

By Nikolai Uvarov

Located in Riga, LV

Sea 1989. Paper, watercolor, 15x20 cm Landscape with sea and clouds The watercolor painting depicts a serene seascape, showcasing the artist's interpretation of the sea and clouds. The artist skillfully uses watercolor...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"The Whispers in the Shadows, " Oil on Canvas
"The Whispers in the Shadows, " Oil on Canvas

"The Whispers in the Shadows, " Oil on Canvas

By Bruno Surdo

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Dutch Vase

Kenny HarrisDutch Vase, 2023

$1,760Sale Price|20% Off

Dutch Vase

By Kenny Harris

Located in Fairfield, CT

Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired by the heavy Tuscan light, Harris paints the lands...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Finca Naranja" Oil Painting

"Finca Naranja" Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "Finca Naranja" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a sunny ledge with blooming glowers with a blue pool in the background. Artist ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour Silk applied Handmade Paper. La Roche Laffitte
Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour Silk applied Handmade Paper. La Roche Laffitte

Study of a Butterfly, Watercolour Silk applied Handmade Paper. La Roche Laffitte

By La Roche Laffitte

Located in Cotignac, FR

One from a set of four watercolours of butterflies on silk, applied to handmade paper, with hand cut edges, by French artist La Roche Laffitte. Signed bottom left. (The other 3 items are available separately) A beautifully observed and detailed study of a butterfly painted...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Silk, Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper, Carbon Pencil

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

Freefall, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Freefall, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Freefall, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Abi Whitlock

Located in Yardley, PA

Sunlight streams down from above the water's surface. Below, in the cool depths, the swimmer is skin is illuminated by the blazing light. This work is painted on a gallery wrapped...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Horse is Out of the Barn

Horse is Out of the Barn

By Greg Kelsey

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original Bronze sculpture etched with the Artist's signature and an edition number. 5/25

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

This is a Real Place! 3: large painting of lake or river w/ blue water & bridge
This is a Real Place! 3: large painting of lake or river w/ blue water & bridge

This is a Real Place! 3: 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

Polish Judaica Portrait of Hasidic Rabbi Shtetl Tailor Oil Painting
Polish Judaica Portrait of Hasidic Rabbi Shtetl Tailor Oil Painting

Polish Judaica Portrait of Hasidic Rabbi Shtetl Tailor Oil Painting

Located in Surfside, FL

Older, realistic portrait of an older Jewish shtetl tailor by Polish artist. Here the artist conveys a sense of quiet grandeur through the eyes of his subject and the way it's rendered. Part of a distinguished European lineage of Jewish genre...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Study for Venice Canal II
Study for Venice Canal II

Study for Venice Canal II

Located in CAMPO REAL, ES

This work is an initial exploration of the iconic Venice canal, conceived as a preliminary study with the intention of developing it into a larger format in the future. In this study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Hockey, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Hockey, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Hockey, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Iryna Kastsova

Located in Yardley, PA

A dynamic picture of sports. Two skaters from different teams glide quickly across the ice in a fight for the puck. Red, white, blue paints are expressively applied to linen with a s...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Light Waves" Oil Painting
"Light Waves" Oil Painting

"Light Waves" Oil Painting

By Kirsten Savage

Located in Denver, CO

"Light Waves" by Kirsten Savage is an elegant, original oil painting featuring a nude female model with her hands raised above in a graceful pose. This handmade masterpiece is framed...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Flower. Paper, pastel 33x27 cm
Flower. Paper, pastel 33x27 cm

Flower. Paper, pastel 33x27 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Flower. Paper, pastel 33x27 cm Victor Karnauh (1950, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR – 2012, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) – a painter, a monume...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Moonlit Saguaros, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Moonlit Saguaros, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Moonlit Saguaros, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Konnie Kim

Located in Yardley, PA

Thank you for your interest in my work. This painting was created using professional quality oil paints on a 100% cotton canvas board. It is singed on the front and back and comes wi...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow with Horns Side Profile
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow with Horns Side Profile

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow with Horns Side Profile

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

John Rabone Harvey ( 1966 - 1922) graphic and chalk deep green artist paper , unframed artist paper : 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition Ha...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Chalk, Graphite

Sailboats. Watercolor on paper, 24x18 cm
Sailboats. Watercolor on paper, 24x18 cm

Sailboats. Watercolor on paper, 24x18 cm

By Zigmunds Snore

Located in Riga, LV

Sailboats. Watercolor on paper, 24x18 cm Zigmunds Šņore was born in 1942 in Latvia. His works has been exhibited since 1969 and are held in private collections in Latvia, USA, Swed...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

'Beauty', a mischievous terrier

'Beauty', a mischievous terrier

Located in London, GB

Jean Matet (French, 1870-1936) 'Beauty' - a mischievous terrier signed and dated ‘J. Matet' (lower left) and inscribed and dated 'BEAUTY. 1898’ (lower right) oil on canvas 13 x 9 ⅞ i...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Yellow (C3H4)n. 570-590

Yellow (C3H4)n. 570-590

Located in Columbia, MO

Born in Jefferson City Missouri in 1976 Justin Allen attended Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri where he studied filmmaking before studying painting at the Art Students Leagu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Won't Be There

Won't Be There

Located in Columbia, MO

Born in Jefferson City Missouri in 1976 Justin Allen attended Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri where he studied filmmaking before studying painting at the Art Students Leagu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

I'm Not Sorry

I'm Not Sorry

Located in Columbia, MO

Born in Jefferson City Missouri in 1976 Justin Allen attended Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri where he studied filmmaking before studying painting at the Art Students Leagu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Donut Pile" Oil Painting
"Donut Pile" Oil Painting

"Donut Pile" Oil Painting

By Jason Walker

Located in Denver, CO

Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Donut Pile" is an oil painting that depicts a pile of varied glazed and powdered donuts all sitting together in the dark.

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Bit of Sun

Bit of Sun

By Gerald Balciar

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Bronze sculpture engraved with the Artist's signature and edition number. 25/45

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Bulldog with a bone

Bulldog with a bone

Located in London, GB

This striking mid-century oil painting captures the essence of the bulldog with remarkable character and presence. Seated on a lawn, he exudes a sense of sturdy confidence, his powe...

Category

Mid-20th Century 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.