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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
Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mark MorrisonMountain Goat, ca. 1940

$1,000Sale Price|50% Off

Mountain Goat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Mountain Goat, ca. 1940 Carved diorite 3 7/8" wide, 2.5" deep, height is 3" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kingfisher, OK Educatio...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Stone

Saint-Tropez Boucherie, French Riviera, Estate Edition Photograph
Saint-Tropez Boucherie, French Riviera, Estate Edition Photograph

Saint-Tropez Boucherie, French Riviera, Estate Edition Photograph

By Slim Aarons

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Discover the quintessence of French Riviera charm in Slim Aarons' iconic photograph, 'Saint-Tropez Boucherie,' on Rue des Commercants, Saint-Tropez, 1971. This image is a beautiful intersection of fashion, culture, and everyday life in the sun-drenched streets of Saint-Tropez in August 1971. This photograph features a casual yet captivating scene: two women and a young girl, all dressed in vibrant, vintage early '70s attire in shades of mint green, lemon yellow, and pink, enjoying a leisurely conversation outside a classic red French boucherie or butcher shop. A chic gold and white bicycle, representative of the laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle, is parked unassumingly on the sidewalk. Adding depth to the scene, the shop's proprietor, clad in a purple shirt, can be spotted through the window, lending an authentic touch to the photograph. An enchanting Moroccan-style zellige tile...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

Contemporary Dessert Painting by Michael Budden Eclairs
Contemporary Dessert Painting by Michael Budden Eclairs

Contemporary Dessert Painting by Michael Budden Eclairs

By Michael Budden

Located in Chesterfield, NJ

Eclairs Image is 6 x 8 unframed, 11.5 x 13.5 framed. Signed LR An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a pair of eclairs. This is...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Daffodils in a milk jug
Daffodils in a milk jug

Daffodils in a milk jug

Located in Zofingen, AG

These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Absolutely Nothing
Absolutely Nothing

Absolutely Nothing

Located in Zofingen, AG

This surreal artwork captures a stark desert crossroads under a vivid blue sky, where a vintage white convertible takes center stage. Two figures add intrigue: one stands beside the ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Street with Church
Street with Church

Street with Church

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Street with Church" c.1925 is an original color etching by Austrian artist Luigi Kasimir 1881-1962. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist at the lower center. The p...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Etching

The Prophet / - The Burden of the Prophet -
The Prophet / - The Burden of the Prophet -

The Prophet / - The Burden of the Prophet -

Located in Berlin, DE

Wilhelm Gross (1883 Schlawe - 1974 Oranienburg-Eden), The Prophet, c. 1955. Woodcut on thin laid paper, 43 cm x 23 cm (depiction), 61 cm x 43 cm (sheet size), signed “Dr. Wilh.[elm] Gross” in pencil lower right, inscribed “Orig.[inal] Holzschnitt (Handabdruck)” lower left and inscribed “Aus der ”Ecce homo“ Folge” in the center. - The wide margin with traces of pressing due to the impression, the sitter's left foot with a small purple stain, otherwise in vibrant condition. - The Burden of the Prophet - The large-format woodcut shows a prophet figure that takes up almost the entire height of the sheet. However, instead of seeing something in the distance that is still hidden from our eyes - as is usual in depictions of prophets - the figure has raised his hands in a defensive gesture, as if the prophet is trying to ward off what he has seen. At the same time, however, the position of the arms is an acceptance of the inevitable, which only those who recognize what is to come will have to bear for the time being, which is why the figure in the painting - despite its size - appears almost solitary, alone and exposed to the burden of suffering. In a manner reminiscent of the folds of medieval wooden sculptures...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows
Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows

Located in Soquel, CA

Antique English Watercolor - Countryside Landscape with Cows Miniature landscape with two cows in the foreground, signed "J.M. Myall 1910." One cow sits on the ground of a rolling h...

Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Summer morning in the village , Oil on canvas, 45x55 cm
Summer morning in the village , Oil on canvas, 45x55 cm

Summer morning in the village , Oil on canvas, 45x55 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Jēkabs Apinis (1899 in Sloka, Latvia - 1945 in Hamburg, Germany), painter. Jēkabs Apinis was born into a teacher's family. He came to Pleskov as a refugee during the First World War...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Giacomo Guardi (Venetian vedutist) - late 18th century painting - Venice View
Giacomo Guardi (Venetian vedutist) - late 18th century painting - Venice View

Giacomo Guardi (Venetian vedutist) - late 18th century painting - Venice View

Located in Varmo, IT

Giacomo Guardi (Venice 1764 - Venice 1835) - Venice, view of the island of San Francesco del Deserto. 11 x 17 cm unframed, 28 x 34 cm with frame. Tempera on paper, in a wooden fram...

Category

Late 18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Tempera

British Chalk Sketch of A Young Horse with White Markings
British Chalk Sketch of A Young Horse with White Markings

British Chalk Sketch of A Young Horse with White Markings

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

"Call of the Wild" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood (2025)
"Call of the Wild" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood (2025)

"Call of the Wild" - Oil Animal Painting on Wood (2025)

Located in Denver, CO

This painting depicts a majestic elk in profile, captured midbugle with its head raised and mouth open as if calling out. I have emphasized the elks impressive antlers, which spread ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Wood, Oil

Duality, Oil Painting
Duality, Oil Painting

Duality, Oil Painting

By Beth Sistrunk

Located in Denver, CO

Beth Sistrunk's "Duality" is an oil on two translucent acrylic panels featuring a model with red petals. About the artist: Beth's interests in painting the figure, women’s fashion,...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Adoration of the Magi"
"Adoration of the Magi"

"Adoration of the Magi"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Attributed to Frans Francken II (1581-1642) – "Adoration of the Magi" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 136 x 162 cm (unframed), 141 x 166 cm (framed) Provenance: Private collectio...

Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden
Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden

Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden

By Michael Budden

Located in Chesterfield, NJ

Oxford Light 11 x 14 unframed and 17.25 x 20.25 framed signed LR Oxford Light is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beauti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Warm ice. Erotic Photograph, 22.5x16 cm
Warm ice. Erotic Photograph, 22.5x16 cm

Warm ice. Erotic Photograph, 22.5x16 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Warm ice. Erotic Photograph, 22.5x16 cm Erotic woman photograph by Latvian photographer Juris Abramenko. Photo made at winter by the sea at sunny day

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Mickalene Thomas, Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien official COA S/N, Framed
Mickalene Thomas, Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien official COA S/N, Framed

Mickalene Thomas, Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien official COA S/N, Framed

By Mickalene Thomas

Located in New York, NY

Mickalene Thomas Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien, 2012 Pigment print on 100% cotton rag paper Edition 141/150 Frame included with official COA affixed to the back Hand numbered ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Permanent Marker, Digital Pigment

Echo of the Black Cat
Echo of the Black Cat

Echo of the Black Cat

Located in Zofingen, AG

This striking, contemporary painting invites the viewer into a space of quiet mystery and irony. A young woman with auburn hair, dressed in a dark, structured dress, stands confide...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall
"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall

"Kenosha Colors", Plein Air Colorado Landscape by Tracy Wall

Located in Denver, CO

Tracy Wall's (Colorado, US based) "Kenosha Colors" is an original, handmade, mixed media painting that depicts Colorado aspen trees in autumn. As an artist, Tracy Wall sheds new light on everyday life, inviting the viewer to see the familiar as if for the very first time. Working with a variety of subjects, Tracy paints interesting viewpoints with compelling value, color, and shapes. Appealing compositions are everywhere, and they make strong impressions from afar even before the subject matter is recognized. She loves to balance representational impressions with more abstracted compositions. Tracy has studied at the Art Students League of Denver under such influential artists as Michelle Torrez, Ken Velastro, Kevin Weckbach, John Lencicki, and Rob Gratiot while also participated in additional workshops from Sally Strand, Carol Marine...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Canvas

Portrait Of A Young Girl  In A Lilac Dress With A Black Bow. Circa 1860. SIgned.
Portrait Of A Young Girl  In A Lilac Dress With A Black Bow. Circa 1860. SIgned.

Portrait Of A Young Girl In A Lilac Dress With A Black Bow. Circa 1860. SIgned.

Located in Firenze, IT

Portrait of a young girl in a lilac dress with a black bow. Circa 1860. Signature below right, partially visible. Size with frame 59cm x 49cm Size without frame 33cm x 24cm The portrait depicts a young girl with an elegant hairstyle, her hair carefully tied back. Dressed in the fashion of the 1860s, her light lilac dress reflects the synthetic aniline colors, a novelty in fashion at the time. A black bow at the neck and slightly black straps accentuate her attire. Represented at mid-length, with a mysterious and melancholic gaze, suggesting a mourning endured over a year ago. The portrait, executed in pastels, chalks, and charcoals on paper, highlights the mastery and speed of the artist's execution. Framed in a vintage oval frame...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Crayon, Carbon Pencil

The Violin Player, Berlin, German Women Artists
The Violin Player, Berlin, German Women Artists

The Violin Player, Berlin, German Women Artists

Located in Grand Rapids, MI

Elise Brennicke (German, Born 1855) Signed: Elise Brennicke 1909 (Lower, Right) " The Violin Player ", 1909 Oil on Canvas 39 3/4" x 30 7/8" Housed in a 2 5/8" Period Ornamented ...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy
Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy

Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy

Located in Greenville, DE

Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy, 2018 by Tina Ingraham (b. 1947); Oil on linen; 19 x 23 inches; framed 20 x 24 inches. Influenced by Old Master works, mosaics, and cont...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Peter Handel - "Karina In Front Of Porsche" - giclée print - nude - signed
Peter Handel - "Karina In Front Of Porsche" - giclée print - nude - signed

Peter Handel - "Karina In Front Of Porsche" - giclée print - nude - signed

By Peter Handel

Located in Winterswijk, NL

Peter Handel - "Karina In Front Of Porsche". Giclée on Hahnemühle Velvet, handsigned. High-quality art print after the original painting: Peter Handel transforms nude photographs painterly into highly realistic, subjective images. Light and shadow, plasticity and form are modulated with several layers as well as glazing application: The compositions refer to the person depicted and give her an individual presence, so that the person and not the object is accentuated here. A beautiful artwork that looks good in every room and especially in the living room or bedroom. About Peter Handel: Peter Handel is an artist of international format and was born in 1949 in Anklam, East Germany. 1968 - 1971 studied art and sports, 1977 - 1982 teaching position at the GHS Duisburg, since 1979 freelance artist. Handels' art developed out of the American photorealism movement of the 1970s, in which the visual reality of everyday life is depicted realistically, without the intervention of emotion. He transforms his nude photographs into hyper-realistic paintings and graphics that play with the mutual conditionality of reality-representing or reality-simulating images and media art. Through meticulous imitation, Handel thus reflects on the photographic image and its sign-like quality, often on an additional level of reality when there are apparently pasted or hung photographs next to the painted level. The encounter with the painter Peter Handel reveals an old-masterly skill. In the creative process of the highly realistic nudes, light and shadow, plasticity and form are modulated with several layers as well as by glazing application. Handel slowly approaches his painting and in a subjective way arrives at an independent result. Fascinated by the possibilities of painting, Handel confronts and discusses different levels of reality - realistic and idealistic - leaving behind the objective level of pure depiction. Peter Handel's works are represented in numerous exhibitions: 1972 - 1975 Wilhelm Lehmbruck...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Giclée

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.