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Realist Art

15,082 Results
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
Echo of the Black Cat
Echo of the Black Cat

Echo of the Black Cat

By Nataliya Bagatskaya

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

Still Life Cabbage
Still Life Cabbage

Still Life Cabbage

By Elizabeth Osborne

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Elizabeth Osborne (b.1936). Still Life Cabbage, 1983. Watercolor on paper, sheet measures 22.5 x 30 inches; 29.5 x 37 inches in custom frame. Original Fischbach Gallery label affixed...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Portrait of a Young Woman with Shawl - British early 19thC portrait oil painting
Portrait of a Young Woman with Shawl - British early 19thC portrait oil painting

Portrait of a Young Woman with Shawl - British early 19thC portrait oil painting

By Thomas Lawrence (circle)

Located in Hagley, England

This lovely British early 19th century female portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence. Painted circa 1800 it is a half length portrait of a beautiful...

Category

Early 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Alta, Utah vintage 1970s skiing poster

Alta, Utah vintage 1970s skiing poster

Located in London, GB

To see our other original vintage posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller." Alta Original vintage poster 67 x 53 cm Printed ...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

19th Century Neapolitan Boat Ride Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed
19th Century Neapolitan Boat Ride Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed

19th Century Neapolitan Boat Ride Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed

Located in New York, NY

Magnificent work by Pietro Gabrini, very striking due to its size and luminosity. Signed and dates P. Gabrini 78. Very good condition. All of our works are covered by our own guaran...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hirschhorn, Germany
Hirschhorn, Germany

Hirschhorn, Germany

By Tana Kasimir Hoernes

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork depicts the town of Hirschhorn, a resort town in Germany on the River Neckar near Heidelberg. It is an original color etching by Austrian/American artist Tana Kasimir Ho...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Etching, Color

A Sunny Day
A Sunny Day

A Sunny Day

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The painting depicts a clear, sunny day. Bright sunlight illuminates a dazzlingly white house. The blue sky contrasts with the silhouette of the white stone house. In the foreground ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Young Scandinavian Woman, Original Swedish Oil Portrait
Young Scandinavian Woman, Original Swedish Oil Portrait

Young Scandinavian Woman, Original Swedish Oil Portrait

Located in Stockholm, SE

Torsten Schonberg (1882–1970) Sweden Portrait of Ingrid Schonberg signed oil on wood panel unframed 40 × 32 cm (15.7 × 12.6 in) framed 50 × 42 cm (19.7 × 16.5 in) Provenance: Priv...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

During the performance
During the performance

During the performance

By Serghei Ghetiu

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this painting, I captured the delicate grace and strength of a ballerina, blending realism with impressionistic emotion. The doves symbolize freedom and purity, enhancing the sere...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

That's Saying Something, Original Painting
That's Saying Something, Original Painting

That's Saying Something, Original Painting

By Emil Morhardt

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A realistic animal painting depicts three great blue herons. Two of the herons are scanning their surroundings, seemingly in search of good fortune, trouble, or...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Study of a Boxer
Study of a Boxer

Study of a Boxer

Located in San Francisco, CA

This is a fabulous study of a boxer. It was done by the British artist Nigel Mould. It is so life like one would think it was painted in oil. But he did this in pastel. It measures 1...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel

An auction at Drouot's in Paris.
An auction at Drouot's in Paris.

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...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Cup of coffee and tangerine
Cup of coffee and tangerine

Cup of coffee and tangerine

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Cup of coffee and tangerine” is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. The style of the painting is inspired by the Holland masters of the 17th cen...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blooming in the Mountains, Impressionist Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas
Blooming in the Mountains, Impressionist Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas

Blooming in the Mountains, Impressionist Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Oleksandr Khrapachov

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Catalog 2018 “Khrapachov O._ Painting.: an album of works.” / – Kyiv. BX[studio], 2018. _ 48 pp. Blooming in the mountains Oleksandr Khrapachov, 2018 Oil on canvas. 80 × 100 cm Th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s
Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s

Venus Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Vintage, 1980s

By Alex Radionov

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this work, the author turned to classical mythology and created the image of the goddess Venus. Goddesses of youth, beauty and love. He created the classical female torso on a marble basement. Кeferring to the classical works of antiquity, the sculptor created his own version of the Venus statue...

Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Character vs. Charicature
Character vs. Charicature

Character vs. Charicature

By William Hogarth

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

William Hogarth (1697-1764). Character vs. Charicature, 1743. Engraving on laid paper, plate measuring 8.25 x 9.25 inches. Framed measurement: 16.25 x 20.25 inches. Characters and...

Category

Mid-18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Golden Ranunculuse
Golden Ranunculuse

Golden Ranunculuse

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This piece is part of an ongoing series of round canvases dedicated to the "portraits of flowers." Instead of treating florals as simple decorative elements, I approach each canvas a...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

III, De la Carpeta Canto General
III, De la Carpeta Canto General

III, De la Carpeta Canto General

By David Siqueiros

Located in New York, NY

Lithograph, 1968. Signed by the artist and inscribed "e'preuve d'artiste" in pencil, lower right. This is an artist's proof, aside from the regular edition of 200. Framed. 23.75 ...

Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

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

Cheval Libre (Free Horse)
Cheval Libre (Free Horse)

Cheval Libre (Free Horse)

By Pierre Jules Mêne

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: After Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1879) Title: Cheval Libre (Free Horse) Year: 1868 Medium: Cast bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Edition: Unknown Size: Inclu...

Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

"The Road Turn to Trogir"
"The Road Turn to Trogir"

"The Road Turn to Trogir"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The work was painted from life in Croatia, on the street where the road turns off to Trogir.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Grace II
The Grace II

The Grace II

By Serghei Ghetiu

Located in Zofingen, AG

n this piece, I captured the delicate strength and elegance of a ballerina lost in her moment. Through soft light and intricate details, I wanted to express grace as both a physical ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nature's Bounty, Oil Painting
Nature's Bounty, Oil Painting

Nature's Bounty, Oil Painting

By Jo Galang

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The vibrant colors in this piece highlight a dynamic interplay of orange and green hues, evoking freshness and vitality. It captures the essence of abundance ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Fromage
Fromage

Fromage

By Irina Trushkova

Located in Zofingen, AG

This original oil painting captures a still life scene viewed from above, inviting you to explore its intimate details. At the center, a wooden board showcases a variety of cheeses, ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Exit
Exit

Exit

Located in Edinburgh, GB

In "Exit", a solitary silhouette steps through a brilliantly illuminated doorway into an expansive, dark, and textured space. Executed through the artist's signature palette knife te...

Category

2010s 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.