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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
Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful copy by an unknown artist, of the original painting "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" originally created in 1925 by the great American artist Felicie Waldo Howell (1897-1968)...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Oil on Canvas -Audrey "I Believe” by Christina Major 57 x 84
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Words within painting: Audrey “I believe” Giving is living. If you stop wanting to give, there’s nothing more to live for. I believe in being strong when every thing seems to be goi...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Amsterdam"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The centerpiece is a majestic cathedral with tall spires, towers, and detailed facades indicative of Gothic or Baroque style. The background is a hazy, purple horizon that creates an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Catch Up By the Pool Estate Edition, Modernist Architecture, Palm Springs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Palm Springs, 1970: This coveted photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features midcentury socialites in front of the turquoise swimming pool of the iconic Kaufma...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

"Cloud Composition 3" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 3" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Venice Beach Seascape, Long Wave, Nautical Scene in Blue Tones, Limited Edition
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. This beautiful cyanotype is titled "Long Wave in Venice Beach" and it shows an outstanding wave in one of the most iconic ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Emulsion, Watercolor, Engraving, Etching, Monotype

"Vasyl in a sheepskin coat"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The portrait of a young man is painted in oil. He poses in the center of the frame, facing the viewer. He is wearing a dark blue shirt with a white collar, over which he has thrown ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Deforestation
Located in Paris, FR
Deforestation is a figurative bronze sculpture by French artist Romain Langlois, representing the face of a man wearing a wooden crown – also made of bronze. The sculptor’s figurati...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Portrait of a Girl with a Puppy - Scottish Edwardian art portrait oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning Edwardian portrait oil painting is attributed to Scottish Kirkcudbright School artist William Stewart MacGeorge. Painted circa 1910, The painting shows the influences o...
Category

1910s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lilies in Soft Light
Located in Fairfield, CT
Jeffrey Vaughn, from Alton, Illinois, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978 from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and his Master of Arts degree in 1981, and Ma...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Canvas

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

Zermatt Skiing, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features the apres-ski in Zermatt, Switzerland. This is an estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 ...
Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

"Botany 6" Original floral painting.Small circular canvas. Gift. Home decor
Located in Oslo, NO
This artwork is a striking circular floral composition, depicting a vibrant bouquet against a textured white background. The centerpiece is a lush arrangement of blue and violet blos...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Madre Juchiteca" Large original color lithograph.
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Madre Juchiteca" 1973 is an original colors lithograph on Arches paper by renown Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Some do not (A) R.B. Kitaj erotic nude drawing of nude blonde with man on bed
Located in New York, NY
An erotic dalliance between a nude blonde woman lying down, and nude man, on a bed with white sheets. Subtle shades of peach, tan, yellow, and grey and black shadow behind the couple...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Dog Portrait of a Hunting Dog by Jules Chardigny (1849-1892)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Dog Painting of a Hunting Dog Jules Chardigny (1849-1892) Circa 1870 Oil on paper. 8 x 6 (18 1/2 x 15 1/4 frame) inches In Jules Chardigny's signature style, a beloved compa...
Category

1860s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Laid Paper

Spring Collection: Pocket Bluebells, Baroque Still Life, Flower art, Realism
Located in Deddington, GB
Spring Collection: Pocket Bluebells is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Window with Tulips - original surreal realism seascape floral oil painting
Located in London, Chelsea
Luis Fuentes captures a serene moment by the coast, inviting viewers to experience the tranquil beauty of the seaside. This original floral and seascape painting, rendered in oil on...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Sound Bound, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 30" x 40"
Located in Westport, CT
This traditional seascape Limited Edition print by Daniel Pollera captures a coastal summer scene with swaying grass in what appears to be a bay. Sailboats with white sails are visib...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Digital, Giclée

Dog Portrait of a Great Dane by Jules Chardigny (1842-1892)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Dog Portrait of a Great Dane Jules Chardigny (1842-1892) Circa 1870 Oil on cardboard Signed upper left 9 1/2 x 12 3/4 (17 1/2 x 20 1/2 frame) inches Jules Chardigny was born in L...
Category

1880s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Landscape With Mill at Sunset by Swedish Artist Mauritz Lindström
Located in Stockholm, SE
The small yet stirring painting "Landscape With Mill at Sunset" showcases the remarkable talent of Swedish painter Mauritz Lindström. He was a resp...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Pocket Pale Blue Sloes [2023], Baroque Still Life Painting, Small art, Fruit art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Pale Blue Sloes is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque stil...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gosling (Geese Sculpture)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Gosling , ca. 1960 New Hampshire granite 9.5" by 9 5/8", height is 8 7/8" Awards: Honorable Mention, Henry O. Avery Prize of 1958. Sculpture is sold wi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

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

Snow Track – original realism contemporary landscape art for sale -oil painting
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, Oil

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Located in Zofingen, AG
This sophisticated narrative painting presents a contemporary allegory rooted in timeless symbolism. A woman dressed in black faces seven black cats seated formally at a long white t...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

The Young Stowaways - original realist oil painting-contemporary wildlife 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

Wood, Oil

"Pinienhain" original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. Printed in 1900 and published in Leipzig, Germany for Zeitschrift für Bildende Kunst. This impression is printed on cream wove paper, and the image size is ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Etching

Pacific Sunset Waves, Contemporary Cyanotype on Paper, Navy Blue, Beach House
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Pacific Sunset Waves" is an original cyanotype that abstractly shows the sunset reflections on the sea. Details: + Titl...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...

Maurice Chevalier, Casino de Paris
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Maurice Chevalier, Casino de Paris" created 1925 is a lithographic poster on paper by French noted artist Charles Kiffer, 1902-1...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Portrait of Black Dancer (male nude)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roy Blakey (1930-2024). Portrait of Black Dancer, ca. 1972. Mr. Dennis was immortalized in 1975 as the original Richie "Gimme The Ball" Walters in A Chorus Line, after making his B...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Puppy Dog & Kitten Greeting Card Illustration painting (Children's room decor)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Ferd Sondern (b.1923) Puppy and Bluebird, 1977. Pencil, gouache and watercolor on illustration board. Complete panel measures 7 x 7.5 inches. Signed lower left. Credited on verso...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Illustration Board

Penthouse Pool, Estate Edition, Poolside Landscape with Acropolis, Athens Greece
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons’s Penthouse Pool captures a sunlit moment of casual glamour at the Canellopoulos penthouse pool in Athens, Greece. Taken in July 1961, the photograph shows a group of you...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

"Sticks and Stones" (2022) by Sheri Farabaugh, Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Sticks and Stones" (2024) by Sheri Farabaugh (United States Based) is a beautiful handmade still life oil painting that depicts a closeup of a pond shore, with tree branches laid ac...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Sumatran Tiger" - Original Oil Painting of an Endangered Big Cat
Located in Denver, CO
Lindsey Kustusch's "The Sumatran Tiger" is a stunning handmade original oil on wood panel artwork, with dimensions of 30 x 30 x 1.50 inches. Created in 2023, this piece stands as a p...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Upstate, Green, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Upstate" by Shawn Krueger (United States) is a handmade landscape oil painting that is unframed, but ready to hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Pocket Wild Apple, Dani Humberstone, Contemporary painting, still life art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Wild Apple [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Oil paint on canvas Image size: H:15 cm x W:15 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:5 cm x W:5 cm x D:2cm Frame Size:...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

River Meadow with Cattle & Cottage in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
River Meadow with Cattle & Cottage in the English Countryside by British Artist, Tony Mercier (Born 1945) Art measures 16 x 12 inches Frame measures 20 x 16 inches Signed Vintag...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Flock and Zinnia (Pink Zinnia Still Life Painting w/ Sheep and Cloud Landscape)
Located in Hudson, NY
Flock and Zinnia (Pink Zinnia Still Life with Sheep and Cloud Landscape) Made is 2021, by Berkshire based artist Ann Getsinger oil on linen, 14 x 11 inches Signed, lower left Ann G...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone, Still life, Small Scale Oil Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone [2022] original and hand signed by artist Oil paint on canvas Image size: H:5 cm x W:5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:5 cm x W:5 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:16 cm x W:16 cm x D:3.5cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look. Pocket Persimmon Fruit is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her pocket fruit series.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow with Horns In The Water Loche
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

British Chalk Sketch Horse Munching on Grass On Deep Green Artist Paper
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

Deep Red Apple, Dani Humberstone, Original oil painting, Still life art, Realist
Located in Deddington, GB
Deep Red Apple by Dani Humberstone [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Oil on Canvas Image size: H:15 cm x W:15 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:15 cm x W:15 cm x D:2c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American School Trompe L'Oeil Artist Studio Interior Scene Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderfully painted American modernist still life oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 24H by 20L. Finely executed realist school.
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Reflection" by Casey Childs, Oil Painting, Reflected female figure (2021)
Located in Denver, CO
Casey Childs' (US based) "Last Light" is an oil painting that depicts a female with upswept blonde hair reflected in a mirror. Artist Statement: "My work as a whole encompasses an ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Azure Clouds Diptych, Handmade Cyanotype Print on Watercolor Paper, Skyscape
Located in Barcelona, ES
Exclusive limited edition cyanotype diptych. Details: + Title: Azure Clouds + Year: 2024 + Edition Size: 20 + Stamped and Certificate of Authenticity provided + Measurements : 100x21...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype

'The Shepherd with his Flock' by Cornelis Van Leemputten ( 1841 – 1902 )
By Cornelis van Leemputten
Located in Knokke, BE
Cornelis Van Leemputten Werchter 1841 – 1902 Schaerbeek Belgian Painter 'The Shepherd with his Flock – Le berger et son troupeau' Signature: signed lower right 'Corn. Van Leemputte...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

“A Mulatto Girl, 1879” Portrait Young Mixed Race Girl British 19th Century Oil
Located in Yardley, PA
“A Mulatto Girl, 1879” by Walter Scott Boyd (British, c. 1860-c. 1950) The identity of this young girl is presently unknown; however, the title of the work reveals some information ...
Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The "New York" 1898, Marine, Seascape, Steamer, Ship at Sea, American, Realism
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Milton James Burns was born in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, in 1853. A founding member of the Salmagundi Club in New York, Burns became a highly acclaimed marine painter, one of the few who was...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of A Bull Lying Down
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

Twilight in Venice. sunsets
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting depicts a corner of Venice in the Cannaregio district. The day is fading, the houses standing in the water of the canals are immersed in twilight. The sky closer to the ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century British School
Located in San Francisco, CA
Charming 19th Century painting of a grandmother and grandauughter in front of their thatched cottage. It is an oil on canvas measuring 18 inches by 14. The frame measures 20 3/4 by 1...
Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Kaisergeb, Kaiser Mountains, Austrian Landscape, Moody, Sunset on Mountains
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Alois Arnegger (Austrian, 1879 - 1963) Signed: A. Arnegger (Lower, Right) " Kaisergeb " (Kaiser Mountains) Oil on Canvas 24" 36" Housed in a 3 1/2" Ornamented Frame Overall Siz...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Cat Painting "Cat with Butterfly in a Meadow" Arthur Heyer 1872-1931 Oil on canvas Signed lower right "Heyer A." 25 1/2 x 21 (29 1/4 x 3...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Horse Playing with a Dog (The Good Companions) Pierre-Jules Mene (1810-1879)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Horse Bronze  "Horse  in the Stable Playing with a Dog (The Good Companions)" Jument à l'écurie jouant avec un chien Pierre-Jules Mene (French, 1810-1879) Bronze 19 x 10 inc...
Category

1860s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

"Orange Wrapped in Plastic" Oil Painting by Kelly Birkenruth
Located in Denver, CO
Kelly Birkenruth's "Orange Wrapped in Plastic" (2023) is an original oil painting on panel, measuring 5 x 5 x 1 inches. This captivating still life features an orange wrapped in a tr...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Slim Aarons 'Social Call' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1972—Charley Weaver at the Las Brisas resort in Acapulco, Mexico. Social Call 30 x 40 inches Estate Edition Slim Aarons Estate Edition Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aarons Estate...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

'The Hunting Dog' by Carl Friedrich Deiker (Wetzlar 1836 – 1892 Dusseldorf)
Located in Knokke, BE
Carl Friedrich Deiker Wetzlar 1836 – 1892 Dusseldorf German Painter 'The Hunting Dog' Signature: signed lower right 'C.F. Deiker' Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: image size 29 x 2...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Charcoal with red and white conté crayon on Rives BFK paper Signed and dated, recto This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Charcoal, Wax Crayon, Rag Paper

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.