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.
19th Century Portrait of a Girl with Dog and Flowers, Signed J. Escacena
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
19th Century Portrait of a Girl with Dog and Flowers, Signed J. Escacena - Oil on Canvas - 123 x 72 cm Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower area “J. Escacena”; the identity of the art...
Canvas, Oil
The Popcorn
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting presents a sophisticated visual paradox: a woman dressed in the refined style of a 17th-century portrait — black dress, lace collar, white bonnet — is interrupted by un...
Acrylic
Gazing at the Sky. Limited Edition 1/8 - Bronze Sculpture
Located in Riga, LV
Dimensions: 110 W x 17 H x 26 D cm Weight: 25 kg Material: Bronze, patina, metal Edition: 1/8 + 1 AP, signed on base Condition: Excellent, certificate Free worldwide shipping in a ...
Metal, Bronze
Day Dreaming; Miao Girl
By Mian Situ
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance On consignment to the gallery from a private collector in Newport Beach, California. Signed "Mian Situ" on lower left Artist Statement "Miao people are one of the larges...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
Fish with garlic
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. ...
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Oil Painting Sussex Coast Fishermen Returning Maritime Scene
Located in Stockholm, SE
This captivating mid 19th century oil on canvas depicts a touching maritime scene along England's Sussex coast, renowned for its dramatic white chalk cliffs and centuries-old fishing...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
"Sunset West" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Sunset West" is an original, handmade oil painting of a sunset above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a "barn wood" frame and is ready to hang. ...
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Winter Moonlight Nocturne Snow Scene Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Enchanted Evening oil/canvas 16 x 20 unframed, 22.5 x 26.5 framed signed LL Enchanted Evening is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that sh...
Oil
$6,750
Sunflowers and Stories - original surreal realism seascape floral oil painting
By Luis Fuentes
Located in London, Chelsea
In "Sunflowers and Stories by the Sea," Luis Fuentes captures a serene moment by the coast, inviting viewers to experience the tranquil beauty of the seaside. This original floral an...
Canvas, Oil
Edge of Night, Original Painting
By Vic Roschkov
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Golden and orange light cuts through dark clouds, capturing the fleeting brilliance of sunset. The contrast between the fiery horizon and the brooding sky evoke...
Watercolor
Plow Field at Dawn in Mountain Landscape 18th Century Antique Large Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
The painting captures a serene moment on the foothill plateau, just as the day is beginning to wake up. The mountains are still wrapped in a soft blanket of morning fog, giving the s...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
$420
Venice Beach Seascape, Long Wave, Nautical Scene in Blue Tones, Limited Edition
By Kind of Cyan
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 ...
Paper, Emulsion, Watercolor, Engraving, Etching, Monotype
David Gorodensky. Limited Edition 1/3 - Bronze Sculpture
Located in Riga, LV
Dimensions: 33 W x 45 H x 14 D cm Weight: 11.5 kg Material: Bronze, patina, metal Edition: 1/3 + 1 AP, signed on base Condition: Excellent, certificate Free worldwide shipping in a ...
Metal, Bronze
Sugarbush Skiing, Vermont, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features tourists skiing at Sugarbush, a mountain resort in Vermont, April 1960. This is an estate stamped and h...
Lambda
459. Portrait Oil Painting on Board, Contemporary Wildlife Realism Art
By Paul Jansen
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
Slim Aarons Palm Beach Society (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jim Kimberly and his wife (far left) and friends with his white sports car and white boats moored on Lake Worth. A Palm Beach socialite, Kimberly acts as Honorary Consul of Jordan. A...
Lambda
$112Sale Price|20% Off
Hunting Dog speaking to a bunny "Be Quiet", lithograph signed by aris
Located in Chesterfield, MI
Hunting dog speaking to the rabbit: "Be Quiet". Humor in art is rare! Titled and pencil signed by the artist Paul Wood. Published in France by Paris Etching Society. "Made in Fra...
Lithograph
Catch Up by the Pool, California, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1970s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features former fashion model Helen Dzo Dzo Kaptur (in white lace), Nelda Linsk (in yellow), wife of art deale...
Lambda
$224Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Original Oil Painting on Canvas Still Life, Framed, Signed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale is a vintage original oil painting on canvas depicting Still Life Composition with fruits, yellow bottle and kettle. Overall and impressive-looking medium size paintin...
Oil
"Reflections" - Original Western Landscape Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Andrzej Skorut's "Reflections" is an impressive landscape oil painting piece which rests at 48 x 48 inches on stretched canvas and is ready to hang. Biography and Artist Statement: ...
Canvas, Oil
Smoke Filled Sunset
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Oil Painting signed by the Artist in the lower left corner.
Oil
19th Century European Romantic Moonlit River Landscape Oil Canvas Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This enchanting night landscape in oil on canvas was painted by an Unidentified, presumably German, master "P. JHNEN" or "P. IHNEN", in the late 19th century, and is imbued with a ro...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
$195
Vintage David Hockney Poster Gregory Loading His Camera 1983 in millennial pink
Located in New York, NY
This vintage exhibition poster features a David Hockney photographic collage. A young man with a mop of curls wearing brown leather loafers crouches over his camera, reloading its f...
Lithograph
$5,000
"Enjoy the Apocalypse" - Contemporary Figurative Astronaut Oil Painting, 2025
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (German, b. 1988) Enjoy the Apocalypse, 2025 Oil on canvas 31.5 x 31.5 in (80 x 80 cm) Signed lower right by the artist Unframed, ready to hang A lone figure in a h...
Oil, Canvas
$3,815Sale Price|30% Off
Pair - Ornately framed Oval English River Flower Scenes with Swans, Cows, Sheep
Located in Preston, GB
Pair - Ornately framed Oval English River Flower Scenes with Swans, Cows, Sheep by British Contemporary Artist, David Morgan (Born 1964) Signed Originals, Oil on canvas. Framed in t...
Canvas, Oil, Cotton, Wood, Paint
Antique American Signed Coastal Landscape Hudson River School Framed Seascape
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American coastal seascape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Dated Framed. Measuring: 21 by 25 inches overall, and 12 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to ...
Canvas, Oil
Ephemeral Beauty
By Alex Tabet
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 16" x 20" FRAMED: 21.5" x 25.5" x 1" SIGNED: Lower Right Artist Statement "A bloom is at its peak—fragile, alive, fleet...
Oil, Panel
$3,300
Swimmer in Green, Underwater Figurative Oil Painting, Contemporary Swimming Art
Located in Dallas, TX
A luminous and atmospheric figurative oil painting, Swimmer in Green by contemporary British artist Patsy McArthur captures the quiet poetry of a solitary figure suspended beneath th...
Canvas, Oil
Oriental Figure Study in Red and White
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed to John Arsenius (1818–1903) Sweden Oriental Figure monogrammed lower left JA oil on panel unframed 26.5 × 15.5 cm (10.4 × 6.1 in) framed 34 × 23 cm (13.4 × 9.1 in) Pro...
Oil, Wood Panel
Where the Tall Grass Grows, White Horse Grazing, Colorful Oil Painting on Cotton
Located in Denver, CO
“Where the Tall Grass Grows” is a large contemporary horse painting from 2017, created in oil on cotton. A single white horse stands with its head lowered to graze, its body extendin...
Cotton, Oil
Roses Original Oil Painting, Realist Style, Framed, Circa 1940
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Antonio Vidal Rolland (Barcelona, 1889 - 1970. Artwork signed by the artist. acrylic on canvas Catalan painter. Disciple of José Ruiz Blasco father of Picasso a Lonja and Aleix Clapé...
Oil
$52,990Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of Mrs William Tisdall Elsie Gardiner - British Edwardian oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb large British Edwardian exhibited portrait oil painting is by noted artist George Spencer Watson. It was painted in 1909 and exhibite...
Oil
$2,483Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of Loch in the Scottish Highlands by 20th Century British Artist
By Wendy Reeves
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Loch in the Scottish Highlands by 20th Century British Artist Wendy Reeves. Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 29 x 25 inches (f...
Canvas, Oil
'Children's Ward' — Mid-Century Socially-Conscious Realism
By Robert Riggs
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Robert Riggs, 'Children's Ward', 2-color lithograph, c. 1940, edition c. 50, Beall 11, Bassham 76. Signed, titled, and numbered '12' in pencil. Signed in the stone, lower right. A su...
Lithograph
"An Enchanted Star for Katie" - Whimsical Animal Portrait, Oil on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"There is a legend known among the wee ones of the forest, that near the southeast of the center of the forest, when a new moon sets with the sun, tiny wishing stars fall to the eart...
Oil, Paper
$704Sale Price|20% Off
Forest Silhouette Sunset, Blue Nature Large Triptych, Cyanotype on Paper, 2025
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...
Paper, Lithograph, Monotype
$420
Soft Light in the Woods, Forest Landscape, Blue Tones, Handmade Cyanotype Print
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition of a cyanotype print. This beautiful image shows the subtle afternoon light going through the woods during the summer. Details: + T...
Watercolor
$947
St Ives Porthminster Beach, Angela Gordon-Webb, Original Seascape Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Angela Gordon-Webb St Ives, Porthminster Beach Original Seascape Painting Acrylic Paint on Canvas Canvas Size: H 23cm x W 30cm Framed Size: H 46cm x W 52cm x D 3cm Sold Framed Please note that in situ images are purely an indication of how a piece may look. Porthminster Beach, St Ives through the window, an original seascape painting by Angela Webb. The bright turquoise tones of the sea are dispersed by the faint wisp of the window’s curtains...
Canvas, Acrylic
"“Orientalist Scene"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Unidentified Artist Orientalist Scene Oil on canvas Framed: 162 x 221 cm Canvas: 144 x 200 cm No signatured This striking large-scale oil painting presents a dramatic Orientalist co...
Canvas, Oil
"In Repose" (2025) By Matt Talbert, Original Oil Painting, Portrait
By Matt Talbert
Located in Denver, CO
Matt Talbert's "In Repose" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel that depicts a portrait of a brunette seated at a table in deep contemplation. Artist bio/statement...
Oil, Panel
'Sister, A portrait of the Moon' , Signed Etching c2021
Located in Frome, Somerset
'Sister' , by contemporary printmaker and artist Rosie McLay (British) Edition 59 of 75 in total, handmade etching by the artist. Ink on paper layed on Dutch gold leaf. Hand etched ...
Engraving
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...
Oil, Laid Paper
$1,322Sale Price|20% Off
Heather Budgett English Yorkshire Terrier Dog Portrait Oil Painting Framed
By Heather Budgett
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title Heather Budgett English Yorkshire Terrier Dog Portrait Oil Painting Framed Key Details Artist: Heather Budgett, English, born 1950 Subject: Two...
Oil
$1,538
Contemporary Portrait 'Inhabitants', Realist Acrylic on Canvas, 80x50 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
Once I lived in a private house. We had four cats, and then we accidentally found the fifth. Where he came from and how long he lived with us is unknown). For texture on the primed c...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Culture 9 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Fashion, Eyes
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authent...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
English 20th century portrait of an English Frigate in full sail at sea in oils.
Located in Woodbury, CT
English 20th century portrait of an English Frigate in full sail at sea in oils. A very well painted oil on canvas with great detail of a ship cutting through the sea at I'm sure great speed. The piece is an oil on canvas with I think gouache added to the waves to make them a brighter white. The piece is signed Mason and with some investigation, we are attributing this painting to the talented English painter Barry Mason...
Canvas, Oil
"The Adoration of the Magi"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
18th Century Italian or Spanish School "The Adoration of the Magi" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 109 x 197 cm Dimensions (Canvas): 90 x 170 cm No signatured Provenance: ...
Canvas, Oil
'Venice, Maria della Salute' — Serenissima Impressionism
By Anton Schutz
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Anton Schutz, 'Venice, Maria della Salute', etching, c. 1930. Signed and titled in pencil. A superb, richly-inked impression, with skillfully wiped plate tone, on cream wove paper, ...
Etching
A View from La Jolla
By Calvin Liang
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Calvin Liang" on lower left Description Winner of the Impressionist Award of Excellence, Master Signature Catego...
Canvas, Oil
Hyperreal Light Purple Glass Balloon Sculpture with Droplets
Located in East Quogue, NY
Light purple hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture with glass droplets by Dylan Martinez. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandbla...
Glass, Blown Glass
$420
Malibu Pine Sea View, Blue Tones California Landscape, Handmade Cyanotype, Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Stunning image of a breezy "Malibu Pine Sea View". Details: + Title: Malibu Pine Sea View + Year: 2025 + Edition Size: 50...
Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
Federico Castelluccio, "American Mustang" Equine Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
By Federico Castelluccio
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This equine portrait, "American Mustang" is a 36x48" oil painting on canvas by Italian actor and artist Federico Castelluccio. A beautiful dark horse ...
Canvas, Oil
$7,600
"Leaving Behind the Sail" nautical, sailboats, sails, wooden ships, Edgartown
Located in Edgartown, MA
"Leaving Behind the Sail" is a painting from the perspective of being onboard a wooden sailboat with the sails ready to be hoisted for a beautiful day on the water. In the center of ...
Linen, Oil
"Rocky River 9, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 30" x 30"
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic limited edition print by John Harris captures a highly detailed, cropped view of water lightly rippling over river rocks in a cool blue palette. This Limited Edition...
Digital, Giclée
The Painter of Dreams, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Gardani Art
Located in Yardley, PA
One-of-a-kind Realism Original Oil Painting on canvas by Gardani available for you. Hand signed by the Artist front and back, comes with official Gardani Certificate of Authenticity ...
Oil
Children in a Boat
By Ming Wai
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork, "Children in a boat" 1976 in a color off set lithograph by renown Chinese/American artist Wai Ming A.K.A Lo Hing Kwok, b.1938. It is hand signed and inscribed A.P (Artist Proof) in pencil by the artist. The image size is 21.5 x 28.75 inches, sheet size is 32.5 x 39.5 inches. Custom framed in wood dark brown rustic frame and beige matting. It is in excellent condition About the artist: Wai Ming, was born in Canton, South China on November 11, 1938, the son of a school master with nine children. Extremely poor as a child, he was raised in Hong Kong enduring many hardships amidst a chaotic environment of war and refugee settlements. Wai Ming's love for art flourished and he developed his drawing techniques without any art education, just painting what he saw. In the 1960s, Ming found representation in Hong Kong and also took the unusual step of opening his own gallery to display his work in. His primary interest being to capture images of life in fishing villages, or 'fish-folk', who have retained traditional Chinese culture, his work was at home with the sensibilities of many art buyers in Hong Kong. Crossing the ocean in his mid-30s, Wai Ming arrived in San Francisco from Hong Kong in 1974. There, he experienced initial resistance from galleries and the official art world for a variety of reasons, but was ultimately embraced by dealer Jack Swanson...
Lithograph
$295,000
Station Road
By Andrew Wyeth
Located in Greenville, DE
Original Andrew Wyeth watercolor, "Station Road," 19.5 x 27.5 inches. Painted on Tom Clark's property in Chadds Ford, PA. Thomas "Tom" Clark (1876-1962) was a farmer and resident of ...
Paper, Watercolor
Shiney Red Pomegranate, Original Painting, Still Life, Fruit Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Shiney Red Pomegranate is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her series featuring life size realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque still life painting. T...
Canvas, Oil
$1,487Sale Price|50% Off
Study of a Pointer Running by Léon Espinasse (French 19th/20th)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Study of a Pointer Running" Léon Espinasse (French, c. 1870 to 20th century) Watercolor on paper Signed on right 15 x 11 1/2 (28 1/4 x 23 1/2 frame) inches A stunning exercise in ...
Watercolor, Paper
"Loch Side, " Oil painting
By Judd Mercer
Located in Denver, CO
Judd Mercer's (US based) "Loch Side," is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a wide expanse of water meeting the grassy shore of land as cumulus clouds swirl in the sky. About the Artist: Judd Mercer is a watercolor painter based in Denver, Colorado. After attending art school for industrial design, Judd pursued a career in digital design and user experience and is co-owner of Elevated Third, a Denver-based digital agency. After committing to writing and illustrating a full-length fantasy novel in his spare time, Judd began watercolor painting around 2014, studying with teachers such as Alvaro Castagnet, Joseph Zbukvic...
Canvas, Oil