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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
Taos (Timeless Ritual) Native American 1939 Indian Portrait Drawing
Taos (Timeless Ritual) Native American 1939 Indian Portrait Drawing

Taos (Timeless Ritual) Native American 1939 Indian Portrait Drawing

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Boleslaw Cybis (1895-1957). Taos (Timeless Ritual), Indian Negro Series, 6 of 18. Conte on paper, sheet measures 18 x 23 inches. Small tear in sheet left margin. Evidence of alteration of image lower left where writing was probably removed before photographs require to create lithograph. The area has oxidized consequently. Signed by the artist some years after its creation in blue ink, lower left, ca. 1950's. the sheet is hinged at top margin, not glued down to backing board. Provenance: Cybis Archive. This original drawing was created in 1939-40 during an extensive visit to the Southwest US. The artist created 18 portraits and titled the series "Indian Negro Serie". Of the 18 images, 9 were selected to be included in a limited edition lithographic series some 30 years after creation. 1000 editions were printed. This is the original drawing upon which one of the images is based, and is thus unique. Of the 18 original drawings, 2 are owned by the polish government, 5 are in our collection and the other 11 are whereabouts unknown. The artist and his wife opened a porcelain factory in the 1950's, Cybis Studios. The only non-porcelain retail offering from the Cybis studio was a 1970s art issue called the Folio One. This was a limited edition reproduction series taken from nine conté drawings of Native Americans made by Boleslaw Cybis in 1939. Conté is the name of a type of crayon made of compressed charcoal or graphite mixed with wax or clay. The artist Georges Seurat was particularly fond of using conté for his drawings. Boleslaw Cybis was fascinated by the Native American (then typically referred to as American Indian) culture and peoples. This may seem odd when you consider that much of his ceramic-based works were distinctly Rococo and/or Old World European in style….a pretty stark contrast, I’d say! But Cybis was nothing if not eclectic in his tastes. The originals were reproduced as color lithographs, in an edition of 1000, in 1970. This meant “1000 of each individual print.” At present its original issue pricing is unknown, but a Spring 1972 dealer price list shows the full set of nine at $500. Individual prints could also be purchased at either $50 (for Comanche, Shoshone, or Apache) or $65 (for any of the other six)… representing a $40 savings when buying the entire folio at once versus singly. The Spring 1981 price list is the final one that shows the Folio One set for sale, still at the same price ($500) as it was a decade earlier. Individual prints are not available on that list. According to the 1979 Cybis catalog text “Each of the 12″ x 20″ prints is hand-numbered on heavy Beckett rag-content paper, with a specially designed validating hallmark in the lower right-hand corner, and carries an accompanying page with a brief tribal history.” The hallmark is blind-embossed, not surface printed. However, the Spring 1972 dealer price list cited above described the prints as being 17″ x 23″ in size. Checking past auction listings for the set, the actual prints are indeed 17″ x 23″, which means that the 12″ x 20″ size probably refers to the image area. The overall size of the set’s burlap-covered box is 18.5″ x 24.5″. These nine portraits represent seven different tribes: the Comanche, Shoshone, Taos, Apache, Hopi, Mohave, and Yuma. A bit of trivia is that only two of those tribes (Apache and Shoshone) were featured within the modern studio’s North American Indians porcelain...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Conté

"Luster" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Female Portrait
"Luster" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Female Portrait

"Luster" (2024) Oil Painting by Karen Offutt, Female Portrait

By Karen Offutt

Located in Denver, CO

Karen Offutt's (US based) "Luster" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a woman on an abstracted background. The painting is framed, with overall dimensio...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Fish with garlic
Fish with garlic

Fish with garlic

By Ihar Sviancicki

Located in Zofingen, AG

Original oil painting on canvas, still life painting made under natural light. This artwork is painted using high-quality fine linen canvas. Signed on the front and back of artwork. ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"In love"
"In love"

"In love"

By Madalena Zampassi

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Self-portrait of the artist, painted at the moment of falling in love. The painting radiates femininity, love, warmth.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stormy Day - original seascape contemporary coastal realism oil painting nature
Stormy Day - original seascape contemporary coastal realism oil painting nature

Stormy Day - original seascape contemporary coastal realism oil painting nature

By Alexandra Velichko

Located in London, Chelsea

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. In this shoreline seascape painting, contemporary realist Alex...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Sailing in the Afternoon" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
"Sailing in the Afternoon" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea

"Sailing in the Afternoon" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea

By George Nemethy

Located in New York, NY

George Nemethy finds his inspiration in moments of quiet and solitude. Where he finds himself one with the sea and the sky and the tranquil world which he freely escapes to. Trained from an early age by his father Albert Nemethy, a world-renowned painter known best for his large scale steamer boats, George found...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Board

Óleo sobre tabla - Bodegón con elementos chinescos - Año 1929
Óleo sobre tabla - Bodegón con elementos chinescos - Año 1929

Óleo sobre tabla - Bodegón con elementos chinescos - Año 1929

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Excepcional obra del prestigioso pintor holandes Albert Boven (Bruselas, act. sig. xix - xx) Se trata de un oleo sobre tabla de gran tamaño y calidad Representando un bodegon con e...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

The Port of Newcastle Upon Tyne - British 1914 marine art oil painting
The Port of Newcastle Upon Tyne - British 1914 marine art oil painting

The Port of Newcastle Upon Tyne - British 1914 marine art oil painting

By Joseph Henry Kirsop

Located in Hagley, England

This lovely historically interesting British marine oil painting is by Newcastle artist Joseph Henry Kirsop. Painted in 1914, the location of the painting is the port of Newcastle up...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Scenic Landscape Painting 'Eastern Sky' by John Beerman
Scenic Landscape Painting 'Eastern Sky' by John Beerman

Scenic Landscape Painting 'Eastern Sky' by John Beerman

By John Beerman

Located in White Plains, NY

John Beerman 'Eastern Sky' 2001. Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. / Frame: 35.5 x 45.5 in. Signed on lower right. John Beerman (b. 1958) has spent more than 35 years creating luminous lan...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Crisp Day, Shark Harbor; Catalina Island
Crisp Day, Shark Harbor; Catalina Island

Crisp Day, Shark Harbor; Catalina Island

By Joseph Paquet

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "J.Paquet" on lower left corner. Artist Statement “Any day at Shark Harbor is a good day.” — Joseph Paquet EXHIBITIONS California Art Club's 103th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition at Autry National Center, March 30- April 20, 2016 Santa Catalina Island...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Ensemble of Austrian artists"
"Ensemble of Austrian artists"

"Ensemble of Austrian artists"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Franz Rotter (1900–1944) – "Ensemble of Austrian Artists" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 176 x 288 cm (unframed), 181 x 295 cm (framed) Signature: Lower left corner Provenance: Pr...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - The Ying-Yang Game in the Age
Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - The Ying-Yang Game in the Age

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - The Ying-Yang Game in the Age

By Su Yu

Located in Paris, IDF

Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives and works in Beijing. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing at Oil Paintin...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still life with apples and dragonfly
Still life with apples and dragonfly

Still life with apples and dragonfly

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

Experience the vibrant freshness of "Still life with apples and dragonfly," an original oil painting on linen. This medium-sized artwork captures a delightful scene from a unique bi...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze
Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Icarus. Llimited edition: 1/5. Sculpture by Sergey Oganov. Bronze

Located in Riga, LV

Undoubtedly, Icarus has become a symbol of the longing for freedom, the desire to feel one’s wings – but also of danger and risk. This work is dedicated to teenagers, no longer child...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Jagellonian Library, Krakau, Poland
Jagellonian Library, Krakau, Poland

Jagellonian Library, Krakau, Poland

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled " Jagellonian Library, Krakau, Poland" 1941 is an original color etching by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir 1881-1962. It is hand signed in pencil at the lower righ...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Blue Reflections - Large Blue Bather Swimmer Pool Original Figurative Painting
Blue Reflections - Large Blue Bather Swimmer Pool Original Figurative Painting

Blue Reflections - Large Blue Bather Swimmer Pool Original Figurative Painting

By Elise Remender

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Elise Remender captures the romantic glamour of a bygone era in her contemporary figurative paintings that blend classical fine art and contemporary pop realism. Fantasy, mid-century fashion, and the glamour of travel and coastal living inform soft brush strokes and abstracted beauty, reminiscent of vintage advertisements and dusted sunlight. This original 56-inch square acrylic on canvas painting evokes a sense of delight and playfully nods at summery vintage aesthetics. It is signed by Remender on the front bottom right corner of the artwork. The sides are painted as a continuation of the front, and it does not require framing. It arrives stretched, wired, and ready to hang. Free delivery within the local Los Angeles area. This artwork includes a certificate of authenticity issued by the gallery. Remender grew up in Arizona and is based in Southern California, but she has traveled all over the world, gaining inspiration for her work. Her most recent series, Bathing Beauties, which captures the human form and abstracts it through light and reflection, was inspired by the vintage elegance and history of Southeast Asia’s historic hotel pools and gardens. It evokes a bygone era when Ernest Hemingway and Jackie O. were among the clientele. “I’m a bit of an old soul, and there is a sense of elegance and beauty that has been lost in modern-day society, and I seek to recapture this essence in my work. I’m creating a sort of fantasy world of luxury, leisure, and old Hollywood glamour.” Her work has appeared in galleries in the US and Asia and in GQ Magazine, Architectural Digest, Dwell, California Home, and People, among many other publications. Her paintings hang in luxury properties including The Ritz Carlton San Francisco, The Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, and Hilton properties across the United States, as well as in the homes of celebrity collectors including Ryan Seacrest and Kylie Jenner. Artplex Gallery has been representing and exhibiting Elise Remender's original artworks in Los Angeles since 2018, presenting her impressive works to an international collector base around the globe. The gallery has been a 1stdibs partner since 2014, with consistently excellent reviews from clients worldwide. The gallery exhibits a well-curated selection of original artworks beyond the ordinary from established and emerging international artists with diverse backgrounds at high standards. Artplex Gallery is known to provide accurate descriptions, images, reliable services, communication, and delivery. The gallery's commitment to customer satisfaction means that clients can invest in art with confidence, knowing they have a reputable and established art gallery backing their acquisition. Artplex Gallery prioritizes our clients' peace of mind by ensuring a seamless and worry-free art-buying experience. REPRESENTATION Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA EXHIBITIONS 2023 Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2021 “The Beauty Myth”, Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2018 “All American Inspired,” Merritt Gallery...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting
19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting

19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Portrait of a Genovese Sailor, ca. 1890. Watercolor on cardboard measuring 4 x 5.5 inches; 9 x 11 inches framed.

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Northern Hush, Original Painting
Northern Hush, Original Painting

Northern Hush, Original Painting

By Vic Roschkov

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In this quietly cinematic winter scene, artist Vic Roschkov captures the faded grace of an old farmhouse beneath drifting snow. Stark trees reach almost lifelik...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Paradise Found, Oil Painting
Paradise Found, Oil Painting

Paradise Found, Oil Painting

By Eric Vanasse

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A Highland cow stands in a grassy field with a dramatic sunset in the background. The animal dominates the foreground, its long hair and large horns clearly vis...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Home of Debose Heyward, Charleston
Home of Debose Heyward, Charleston

Home of Debose Heyward, Charleston

By Elizabeth Verner

Located in Grand Rapids, MI

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner (American, 1883 - 1979) Signed: Elizabeth O'Neill Verner (in pencil, lower, right) " Home of Dubose Heyward, Charleston ", circa 1930 Imp. V 12, (in pencil, Lower, Left) Etching 5" x 3 3/8" plate size 8" x 5 1/2" sheet size Housed in a 2" Period Carved Frame Overall Size: 16 1/2" x 13 1/4" This original print is in excellent original condition. A nice presentation, ready to be hung and enjoyed. DeBose Heyward (Am. 1885-1940) was a native of Charleston. And lived there until the mid-1930s. Author of the novel. " Porgy ", published in 1925. Artist Biography: A leader in establishing Charleston, South Carolina as a dynamic cultural center, Elizabeth Verner...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

"Still Life"
"Still Life"

"Still Life"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Johann Rudolf Feyerabend, called Lelong (1749-1814) – Still Life Medium: Reverse painting on glass Dimensions: 16 x 23 cm Signature: Lower right corner Provenance: Private collection...

Category

18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting
Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting

Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting

By Frank Owen Salisbury

Located in Hagley, England

This striking British Edwardian religious oil painting is by noted artist Francis 'Frank' Owen Salisbury or Frank O'Salisbury as he is largely known. Painted in 1911 it is a figurative landscape of soldiers on the battlefield. The two central characters, the 'Christian Soldiers' from the early crusades have halos and ride through the chaos on white horses. Shafts on light with angels illuminate them and also a crucifix. A very powerful Edwardian religious oil painting and an excellent example of O'Salisbury's work. painted in oil and illuminated in gold leaf. Signed and dated with monogram lower right 1911. Provenance. From Castle of Park, Aberdeenshire. A version of this painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy London in 1911 entitled the Passing of War. Condition. Oil on canvas, 36 inches by 24 inches unframed and in good condition. Frame. Housed a complementary frame, 44 inches by 32 inches framed and in good condition. Francis ("Frank") Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874 – 31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both sides of the Atlantic and was known as "Britain’s Painter Laureate". His art was steadfastly conservative and he was a vitriolic critic of Modern Art – particularly of his contemporaries Picasso, Chagall and Mondrian. His father, Henry Salisbury, described himself as a "plumber, decorator and ironmonger" (his mother was Susan Hawes), yet his son Frank would become one of the greatest society artists of his generation. One of 11 children, Salisbury was such a delicate child that he was educated at home, in the main by his student teacher sister, Emilie. He had only a few weeks formal schooling and began work by repairing bicycles at his father’s Cycle Depot in Harpenden. Uncertain as to his ability to find and maintain a job, the family determined that he be apprenticed, at the age of 15, to Henry James Salisbury, his eldest brother, who managed a major stained glass company in Alma Road, St Albans. He rapidly acquired all the practical skills of a stained glass artist and exhibited exceptional skills in the painterly detail that was applied to glass before its final firing. This led to his brother sponsoring him to attend Heatherley’s School of Art three days a week to further a career in painting. He then won a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools which he attended for five years and where he won two silver medals and two scholarships, including the Landseer scholarship which funded his to travel to Italy in 1896. In due course he would have seventy exhibits accepted for the annual Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions, from 1899 until 1943, though he was never offered membership, which reportedly disappointed him very much. In 1901 he married Alice Maude (d. 1951), daughter of C. Colmer Greenwood, with whom he had several children, including twin daughters Monica and Sylvia. His first Royal Academy exhibit was a portrait of Alice and he often painted pictures of their children. It is for portraiture that he is best known. His speed in producing portraits stemmed from his painting his own twin daughters every morning for an hour and his career began with child portraiture and his painting the Hertfordshire gentry and members of the Harpenden Methodist Church. He had a studio at his home, Sarum Chase. A providential meeting with Lord Wakefield, founder of Castrol Oils and a Methodist philanthropist, saw his introduction to society portraiture. Salisbury’s being selected to paint the Boy Cornwell in the Battle of Jutland then brought him to the notice of Royalty. Lord Wakefield then arranged for him to paint President Woodrow Wilson whilst he was in London, but Wilson departed for Paris and the opportunity was lost. It was to be John W. Davis, American Ambassador to London, who encouraged Salisbury to go to the USA; Davis had met Salisbury at art receptions and had admired his child portraits. Twenty-five members of the Royal House of Windsor sat for Salisbury and he was the first artist to paint HM Queen Elizabeth II. In 1919 he painted a mural for the Royal Exchange, London National Peace Thanksgiving Service on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, 6th July 1919. He painted Winston Churchill on more occasions than any other artist; the two iconic images of Churchill – The Siren Suit and Blood, Sweat and Tears are both Salisbury images. Mayoral regalia was a ready made requisite for the Salisbury style with Councillor Sam Ryder (of Ryder Cup fame) as Mayor of St Albans being the most famous of his civic images. Other significant portraits include those of Richard Burton, Andrew Carnegie (posthumous), Sir Alan Cobham, Sir Robert Ludwig Mond, Maria Montessori...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist
Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist

Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist

By James Wright

Located in Preston, GB

Oil Painting of Horses & Farmer in the English Countryside by 20th Century Modern British Artist, James Wright Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 29 x 23 inches Pres...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Dog Portraits: "The Musicians" Charles Van den Eycken ((1859 - 1923)
Dog Portraits: "The Musicians" Charles Van den Eycken ((1859 - 1923)

Dog Portraits: "The Musicians" Charles Van den Eycken ((1859 - 1923)

By Charles H. Van den Eycken

Located in SANTA FE, NM

"The Musicians" Charles H. Van den Eycken (Belgium, 1859 - 1923) Oil on wood panel with highly ornate original wood, stucco and gilt frame. Signed upper right and dated "1893.' 10 1...

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Mahogany, Oil, Wood Panel

Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Landscape, Framed Art
Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Landscape, Framed Art

Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Landscape, Framed Art

Located in Palm Coast, FL

This atmospheric vintage oil painting depicts a young girl seated quietly on a grassy hillside, gazing across a calm lake surrounded by softly lit trees and distant foliage. The comp...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Jules Pages 1867 - 1946 American Impressionist, California, France Marine Scene
Jules Pages 1867 - 1946 American Impressionist, California, France Marine Scene

Jules Pages 1867 - 1946 American Impressionist, California, France Marine Scene

By Jules Pages

Located in Chesterfield, NJ

Jules Pages, American Impressionist Marine, La Rochelle, France oil/canvas signed LL 13 x 16 unframed, 18 x 21 framed. An oil painting on canvas by Jules Pages showing a French scen...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

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.