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.
Two Hounds 20th century oil, canvas on board with mahogany frame
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Two white and tan hunting dogs, contemporary 20th century work, painted in older period style, presented on canvas with oil paint attached to board in a wooden mahogany toned frame. ...
Oil, Board, Canvas
An auction at Drouot's in Paris.
By René Francois Xavier Prinet
Located in Paris, FR
An auction at Drouot's in Paris. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Around 1900-1910. René François Xavier Prinet (31 December 1861, Vitry-le-François – 26 January 1946, Bourbonne-les-Bains) was a French painter and illustrator who drew his subjects from middle-class society. He was born to Henri Prinet, an Imperial Prosecutor in Vitry-le-François. A promotion led to him being posted in Paris, where they lived in a home not far from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His father painted as a hobby and was supportive of his desire to study art, having him seek the advice of Louis Charles Timbal [fr], a well-known church painter and friend of the family. Around 1880, he began his studies in earnest, in the studios of Jean-Léon Gérôme; remaining with him until 1885. That year, his painting "The Infant Jesus" was accepted for display at the Salon. This was followed by studies at the Académie Julian. At this time, he also became associated with a group of young artists known as the Bande Noire (Black Stripe), which included Lucien Simon, André Dauchez...
Oil
$9,368
'A Flemish Countryside' by Ferdinand de Prins (1859 – 1908)
Located in Knokke, BE
Ferdinand de Prins Brecht 1859 – 1908 Reet Belgian Painter 'A Flemish Countryside' Signature: signed lower right 'F. De Prins' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 80,5 x 6...
Canvas, Oil
$236Sale Price|20% Off
"L'intrus" - Satirical French Illustration - Hand Colored Lithograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Comical illustration by Gaston Hoffmann (French, 1883-1977). A doctor is giving a shot to a female patient, while a nurse tries to prevent a man from barging in. Pencil signed "G Ho...
Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph
$7,425
"Roses" Contemporary Dutch Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Pink Roses
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Oil, Panel
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
New York City Brooklyn Bridge PLein Air Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Brooklyn Bridge oil/panel 11 x 14 unframed, 16.63 x 19.63 framed signed LL Here is beautiful plein air painting done on location in Brooklyn of the Brooklyn Bridge back in 2011. It...
Oil
$480Sale Price|20% Off
'Brentor, ' by Andrew Douglas, Watercolor Painting
By Andrew Douglas
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This late 19th century framed 14" x 27" watercolor painting by artist Andrew Douglas depicts an ominous landscape in a dark and neutral palette of browns, gray, and yellow. In the fo...
Watercolor
$1,020Sale Price|20% Off
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.
Canvas, Oil
“Pears” Contemporary Fine Realist Still-Life Painting of Pears, Fruit
Located in Utrecht, NL
During his successful career as a goldsmith the desire to paint grew on Dutch artist René Smoorenburg (1954). The attention to detail, which was of great importance in his work as a ...
Oil, Panel
$787Sale Price|45% Off
Realist Portrait, Mid-Century Oil On Card, The Babushka. Oil.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid-Century realist oil on card of a peasant woman, dated 1963 to the reverse. Artist unknown. Presented in gilt and painted wood frame under glass. A charming, grounded painting of...
Oil, Cardboard
$2,000Sale Price|60% Off
Dove
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Dove, ca. 1960 Carved and polished stone 10" wide, 6.25" deep, height is 12" Tail exhibits a small area of loss. Our conservator can repair this at no ex...
Stone
British Chalk Pencil Sketches of a Different Cows in Profiles In Field
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...
Chalk, Graphite
After American Painter Hugh Bolton Jones 1848-1927 New England Landscape
By Hugh Bolton Jones
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
In the style of Hugh Bolton Jones 1848-1927 New England Landscape oil/canvas board signed LR 16 x 24 unframed, 21 x 29 framed Painting looks and feels lined and in good condition in...
Oil
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...
Lithograph
"Colombo"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Ludwig Hans Fischer (1848–1915) – "Colombo" (1889) An exceptional original watercolor by Austrian artist Ludwig Hans Fischer (1848–1915), titled "Colombo" (1889). This vibrant and m...
Paper, Watercolor
$6,000
Let Go 3, Male Nude, Original Oil Painting on Panel, Realist Style, 21st Century
Located in Chicago, IL
Let Go 1, 2, 3 (Series) In these paintings, Zdrale depicts multiple figures—often iterations of the same man—locked in a cycle of struggle. The ropes that coil around or extend from ...
Oil, Panel
A rough collie
Located in London, GB
A charming and sensitively rendered late 19th-century oil portrait of a Rough Collie, this work captures the breed's intelligence and gentle temperament with remarkable clarity. Indi...
Canvas, Oil
Christ Church, Oxford 1675 hand-coloured engraving by David Loggan
By David Loggan
Located in London, GB
To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the ...
Engraving
"Return of the Prodigal Son" Realist Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captures a quiet yet emotionally charged moment where symbolism gently emerges from everyday life. A woman embraces a black cat whose direct gaze creates an immediate p...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
'Young Girl with a Jug' by Léon Gérard Crépy (Lille 1872 – 1944) French
Located in Knokke, BE
Léon Gérard Crépy Lille 1872 – 1944 French Painter 'Young Girl with a Jug' Signature: signed top left 'LG. Crepy' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 46,5 x 38,5 cm, frame...
Canvas, Oil
$7,500Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of an Edwardian Lady - British American art portrait oil painting
By John Singer Sargent
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely British Edwardian portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of John Singer Sargent. Sargent was born in America then trained in Paris before coming to London. Painted...
Oil
$640Sale Price|20% Off
“Flowers in a Vase and Peach” - Oil on Canvas - 87x63 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (76.5 x 100 x 5 cm)
Canvas, Oil
$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...
Stone
Old Times House Interior Scene with Naughty Boy 19th century Genre Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
The painting captures a wonderfully amusing family moment set in the 16th century. In the center of the painting we see the father, exhausted by worries and dozing in his chair in fr...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
"Love Being Hitched" (2019) By Lindsey Bittner Graham, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Love Being Hitched" (2019) by Lindsey Bittner Graham is an original handmade oil painting that depicts a horse drawn carriage in a snowy landscape. This Painting measures at 30.5 x ...
Oil, Board
$9,800
Aida
Located in New York, NY
GASTON LEROUX "Aida" Modeled scantily clad in a robe and head garment seated on a sculpted head of an Egyptian Pharoah, with a tambourine in her hand, with a green and brown patina, ...
Bronze
Romantic British painter - 19th century landscape painting - Fisherman
Located in Varmo, IT
English painter (19th century) - River landscape with fisherman receiving a letter. 123 x 99.5 cm unframed, 128 x 104.5 cm framed. Oil on canvas, in a giltwood frame. - Work signe...
Canvas, Oil
The Victorious David / - The melancholy of the radiant hero -
Located in Berlin, DE
Henri Honoré Plé (1853 Paris - 1922 Paris), The Victorious David, around1890. Red-brown and brown patinated bronze with terrain plinth mounted on a round base. 42 cm (total height) x...
Bronze
Bright Crabapple Blossoms
Located in Fairfield, CT
Jeffrey Vaughn, showing at George Billis Gallery is from Alton, Illinois, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978 from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and his M...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The ballet fairy
Located in Zofingen, AG
Through this oil painting, I captured the delicate strength and grace of a ballerina mid-movement. The realism and soft light embody her ethereal spirit and relentless passion. I wan...
Canvas, Oil
Hyperreal Dark Purple Glass Balloon Sculpture with Droplets
Located in East Quogue, NY
Dark purple hyperreal glass water balloon sculpture with glass droplets by Dylan Martinez. Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblas...
Glass, Blown Glass
Sea Drive, Nassau, Estate Edition Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features film producer Kevin McClory taking his wife Bobo Sigrist and their family for a drive in an 'Amphica...
Lambda
1857 Swedish Romantic Oil Seascape Sailing Fishing Boats Signed by Marcus Larson
Located in Stockholm, SE
This seascape oil painting was created in Paris in 1857 by the renowned Swedish master Simeon Marcus Larson (1825-1864). It dates from the artist's most accomplished period and offer...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
$1,825Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape With Blue Mountains by Albert Liedbeck, Oil on Canvas, Free Shipping
By Albert Liedbeck
Located in Stockholm, SE
Albert Liedbeck (1881 - 1955) Sweden Landscape With Blue Mountains oil on canvas canvas dimensions 22.04 x 30.70 inches (56 x 78 cm) frame 24.40 x 31.67 inches (62 x 83 cm) signed ...
Canvas, Oil
Philip Pearlstein 'View Over Soho, Lower Manhattan' NYC signed, print
Located in San Rafael, CA
Philip Pearlstein (1924-2022) View Over Soho, Lower Manhattan, 1977 Aquatint in colors on wove paper Edition 7/41 Signed, editioned and titled in pencil lower left Printed by the Orl...
Aquatint
$2,306Sale Price|20% Off
Expressive High Fire Glazed Ceramic Painted Old Man Bust and Forged Iron Glasses
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Expressive ceramic bust with high-fire glazes, oil-painted head and forged iron glasses exploring identity, learning and the aging body. This expressive ceramic bust belongs to Os A...
Iron
$54,650Sale Price|30% Off
"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...
Oil, Canvas
Signed Antique American 19th Century Realist Still Life Nicely Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 21 by 25 inches overall and 14.5 by 18.5 painting alone.
Canvas, Oil
$3,400Sale Price|38% Off
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh– Painting, Serene Pondscape
Located in Denver, CO
"The Lily Pond" by Sheri Farabaugh is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 24 x 36 x 2.50 inches, presented in an elegant frame sized at 25.50 x 37.50 x 3 inches. Ready to hang, this...
Canvas, Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape OilPainting Michael Budden Mystical Monlight
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Moonlight oil/panel 8 x 10 unframed 13.25 x 15.25 framed. An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful moonlit ...
Oil
"Sailing at Sunset" Realist Oil Painting on Canvas Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
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 and nurtured his passion for miniature sailboats...
Oil, Board, Canvas
Saint-Tropez Beach, Estate Edition Photograph, French Riviera
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons' Saint-Tropez Beach, an Estate Edition photograph, is a vintage scene of sunbathers on the French Riviera, August 1971. Colorful coral red and mint green umbrellas shelte...
Lambda
$991Sale Price|20% Off
Oil Painting of Mountain and Forest Landscape by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of Mountain and Forest Landscape by 20th Century Artist, W Ward Art measures 20 x 16 inches Frame measures 24 x 20 inches
Canvas, Oil
Great Tit, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
245 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2024 Style: Classic Art Title: Great Tit Size: 12 x 16 inch...
Paper, Watercolor
$2,000Sale Price|60% Off
Ram
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Ram, ca. 1940 Carved diorite 9" long, 6" wide, height is 7.5" Rusty band on hind quarter is a naturally occurring iron ore occlusion in stone, which bot...
Granite
$25,463Sale Price|20% Off
The three graces. 2022. Oil on canvas, 146x110 cm
Located in Riga, LV
The three graces. 2022. Oil on canvas, 146x110 cm Normunds Braslinsh (1962) Born 1962 in Riga, Latvia 1980–1986 Latvian Academy of Art, Painting Department 1973–1980 Janis Rozentāls Riga Secondary School of Art Has participated in photo exhibitions since 2002 A professional photographer for art editions since 1989 Has participated in exhibitions since 1980 Pedagogical Experience Since 2004 Professor at the Latvian Academy of Art 1998 Associate Professor at the Latvian Academy of Art Since 1997 a teacher at the Master Studio of Figurative Painting, Latvian Academy of Art Since 1988 a teacher at the Drawing Department, Latvian Academy of Art Solo exhibitions 2008 Normunds Brasliņš...
Canvas, Oil
"Winter Solace" by Devin Michael Roberts, Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Devin Michael Roberts' ( US based) "Winter Solace" is an oil painting depicting a snowy landscape with a small river fork and a bright orange sunset above. Artist bio/statement: Dev...
Oil, Panel
$3,000Sale Price|25% Off
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...
Oil
$9,927Sale Price|20% Off
Artist in his Studio - French 19th century art figurative interior oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely French 19th century figurative Impressionist oil painting is by Adolphe Monticelli. Painted circa 1870 the painting depicts a group of seven figures amusing themselves in...
Oil
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...
Paper
20th Century Solid Bronze Nude Ballet Dancer 'Preparation' by Benson Landes
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Preparation' is a 20th Century Solid Bronze ballet Dancer by Benson Landes. For Benson Landes, sculpture was most definitely a passion. His oeuvre of cast bronzes is populated wit...
Bronze
$7,206Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Paper, Tempera
"Cloud Composition 9" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 9" 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 ...
Oil, Panel
'Mac', a favourite terrier
Located in London, GB
Signed and inscribed ‘Mac/WH Wheeler’ (lower right) This striking portrait by Walter Herbert Wheeler presents a dignified black terrier in crisp profile, its wiry coat and alert ears...
Canvas, Oil
"Sailing in the Afternoon" Realist Oil Painting on Board of Sailboat in Open Sea
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...
Oil, Canvas, Board
Fortune Favors the Bold by Ginny Williams Still Life Oil Paintig, Black
Located in Atlanta, GA
Fortune Favors the Bold by Ginny Williams is an intimate contemporary still life painted in oil on panel, measuring 16 x 16 inches. This original artwork pairs vibrant florals with g...
Oil, Panel
Great Tit, Bird, Watercolor artwork Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
33 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2022 Style: Realism, Title: Great Tit...
Paper, Watercolor
$13,236Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of Mary Haggie - British 1925 art portrait landscape oil painting
By Charles Buchel
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely British 1920's Art Deco vibrant portrait oil painting is by Charles A. Buchel. Painted in 1925 and signed and dated it is a seated portrait of a young woman, Mary Haggie,...
Oil
Robin, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
43 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2022 Style: Realism, Subject: Robin, Size: 12 x 16 inch,...
Paper, Watercolor
$44,122Sale Price|20% Off
Cornish Family in an Interior - British 1912 Newlyn School art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb British figurative interior oil painting is by noted Newlyn school artist Harold Harvey. Painted circa 1912 the composition is a Cornish family, bathed in golden light, s...
Oil