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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
Tigre couché à l'entrée de son antre  (Tiger Lying at the Entrance to its Lair)

Tigre couché à l'entrée de son antre (Tiger Lying at the Entrance to its Lair)

By Eugène Delacroix

Located in Middletown, NY

Etching, drypoint, and roulette on watermarked Hallines cream laid paper, 3 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches (95 x 148 mm), full margins. A very good impression of this charming image, with all of...

Category

Early 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Drypoint, Etching

Fish with garlic
Fish with garlic

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. ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Thermopylae Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting
Thermopylae Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting

Thermopylae Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting

Located in Preston, GB

Thermopylae Clipper Sailing Ship at Sea - Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting by J Bishop. Art measures 25 x 30 inches Frame measures 28 x 33 inches A portrait of the famous tea clip...

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cotton Canvas

"Sunset"
"Sunset"

"Sunset"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This painting was painted outdoors. The beauty of an evening sunset in purple tones. A warm summer evening in a meadow.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Through the glass
Through the glass

Through the glass

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. ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Season of plums" . Realism. Oil on canvas . Still life . Horizontal
"Season of plums" . Realism. Oil on canvas . Still life . Horizontal

"Season of plums" . Realism. Oil on canvas . Still life . Horizontal

Located in Oslo, NO

In this oil painting, I've captured the rich, velvety essence of plums, nestled amidst the gentle drapery that seems to dance with light and shadow. Every brushstroke embodies my dee...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Dead tree
Dead tree

Simon KozhinDead tree, 2002

$4,828Sale Price|20% Off

Dead tree

By Simon Kozhin

Located in Zofingen, AG

An old tree already dead overgrown with moss in the forest thicket. The tree trunk has already been eaten by a bug, and its picturesque texture with a variety of tonal nuances attracted me as a researcher. I watch...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Charcoal, Magazine Paper

Coquelicots by E. Brandt - Oil on canvas 29x68 cm
Coquelicots by E. Brandt - Oil on canvas 29x68 cm

Coquelicots by E. Brandt - Oil on canvas 29x68 cm

Located in Geneva, CH

Oil work on canvas with frame. Total size with frame is 38x78 cm Signed E. Brandt

Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Seashore
Seashore

Seashore

Located in Zofingen, AG

The ocean is a mystery, full of secrets and deep emotions. Its power can be frightening, yet it beckons and offers freedom. In every wave lies a story of fear and love, intertwined i...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

American Indian Navajo
American Indian Navajo

American Indian Navajo

By Ozz Franca

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "American Indian, Navajo" is a offset lithograph on paper by noted Brazilan artist Ozz Franca, 1928-1991. The image size is 21 x 14.75 inches, framed size is 31.25 x 27 inches. Custom framed in a wooden brown/grey frame, with lith purple matting. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Born October 2, 1928, França (pronounced FRON-suh) grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and from an early age showed talent as an artist, as well as exceptional prowess as a competitive swimmer. At 14 he won first prize at the annual Spring Salon Art Competition. At 15, he qualified for the Brazilian Olympic Swimming Team. With two amazing talents, França was unsure what he should do with his life. Fate stepped in, and the Olympic Games were canceled the year França was to compete due to the outbreak of World War II. At that point, he decided to devote his life to art. He held his first one-man show at the age of 18. Following what he would later say was the best advice anyone ever gave him, França came to the U.S, to accept a scholarship in Utah. A year later, he moved to Hollywood and began doing movie illustration for Walt Disney. His projects included Lady and the Tramp and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He moonlighted as a swimmer when movie parts were available. França painted many subjects, but he is best known for his esoteric images of Native American women. França's art enters the world of fantasy and dreams, where the spiritual meets the sensual. His works, with their floating imagery and airy, muted colors, evoke an aura of mystery. França said he always painted his subjects, which primarily were women, either in profile, looking toward the edge of the painting, or looking over her shoulder, "so that anyone could walk into it." Joan Lee, print marketing professional, said that Ozz saw the spirituality and quiet dignity of Native American men and women. "there's a romance surrounding Native Americans that people appreciate seeing," said Lee. Ozz França died in 1991. Ozz Franca’s work is held in the collections of numerous celebrity, including: Jacqueline Onassis Lyndon B. Johnson Patty Duke Jerry Lewis Kim Novak Burt Lancaster Gig Young Tom Bradley Sammy Davis, Jr. Ronald Reagan Red Skelton...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Three Pears
Three Pears

Three Pears

By Thomas Prentiss

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Presenting an outstanding original oil painting by American artist Thomas Prentiss b.1920. Three Pears, is painted in the hyper realistic trompe l'oeil style, viewing this painting ...

Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting
19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting

19th-century Antique Genovese Sailor portrait painting

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Portrait of a Genovese Sailor, ca. 1890. Watercolor on cardboard measuring 4 x 5.5 inches; 9 x 11 inches framed.

Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

"Coherence" Oil Painting
"Coherence" Oil Painting

"Coherence" Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

Austin Howlett's "Coherence" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a close up view of an female model overlaid with the patterning of branc...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat

Mark MorrisonMountain Goat, ca. 1950

$1,950Sale Price|35% Off

Mountain Goat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Mountain Goat, ca. 1950. Carved granite. 6.25" long, 3.25" wide, height is 6.25" Born: Kingfisher, OK Education: University of Missouri John Flannag...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Leslie Peck, "Sunny Bunny", 10x10 Rabbit Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas
Leslie Peck, "Sunny Bunny", 10x10 Rabbit Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas

Leslie Peck, "Sunny Bunny", 10x10 Rabbit Portrait Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

This piece, "Sunny Bunny", is a 10x10 oil painting on board by artist Leslie Peck featuring a beautiful rabbit sitting amongst lush green Grass. The rabbit faces away from the viewer...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

coastal landscape, bohuskusten, c. 1920s
coastal landscape, bohuskusten, c. 1920s

coastal landscape, bohuskusten, c. 1920s

Located in Stockholm, SE

Watercolor on paper signed Axel Hilleström unframed 39.5 x 72 cm (15.6 x 28.3 in) framed 50 x 83 cm (19.7 x 32.7 in) This expansive watercolor depicts a sandy shoreline along the Sw...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Portrait of a Soldier - British 19th century art  military portrait oil painting
Portrait of a Soldier - British 19th century art  military portrait oil painting

Portrait of a Soldier - British 19th century art military portrait oil painting

Located in Hagley, England

This interesting British Victorian military portrait is by artist C Marten. Painted in 1897 it is a three quarter length portrait of a soldier by a brick wall and window with bars. T...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Calm Waters, Original Painting
Calm Waters, Original Painting

Calm Waters, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A gently flowing river reflects the soft glow of a warm summer morning, creating a sense of calm and stillness. A towering tree casts deep shadows over the wa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

October's Cover - painting, oil on board
October's Cover - painting, oil on board

October's Cover - painting, oil on board

By Ciba Karisik

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This oil landscape painting of fall leaves is by Ciba Karisik. The rich tapestry of colour and form found on a forest floor is captured in this faithful portrayal of fall leaves. Ka...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

No Turning Back
No Turning Back

No Turning Back

Located in Zofingen, AG

This contemplative painting features a solitary female figure viewed from behind, set against a dramatic, shifting sky. Her long braided blond hair and distinctive turquoise baseball...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Prepare to Celebrate
Prepare to Celebrate

Prepare to Celebrate

By Mian Situ

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Mian Situ" on lower left Description Charged with uplifting energy, this beautiful oil painting by Mian Situ is ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Manchester Maine #4 Expressionist Landscape
Manchester Maine #4 Expressionist Landscape

Manchester Maine #4 Expressionist Landscape

By Elizabeth Osborne

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Elizabeth Osborne (American/Philadelphia, b. 1936) Manchester #4, 1988. Watercolor painting on paper. Signed and dated l.l. Sight: 8 3/4" x 11 3/4". Frame: 17" x 20". Provenance: Purchased from Jane Haslem Gallery in 1990. From the collection of Nancy Elizabeth Stanley. 1936, born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1959, BFA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1954-58, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania SOLO EXHIBITIONS Berry Campbell, New York, Elizabeth Osborne: A Retrospective, 2022. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reflections: Painting Memory, 2017. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Watercolors: Five Decades, 2017. The Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Delaware, Elizabeth Osborne: The 1960s, 2016. Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., Color Bloc: Paintings by Elizabeth Osborne, 2015. The James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Veils of Color: Juxtapositions and Recent Work by Elizabeth Osborne, 2015. (Traveled to The Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2016.) Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Luminous Gestures: New Works by Elizabeth Osborne, 2013. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Osborne: Watercolors, 2011. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Work, 2011. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Osborne: The Color of Light, 2009. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Figurative ‘60s, 2007. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Floating Landscapes: 1971-1979, 2006. J. Cacciola Galleries, New York, Works on Paper, 2006. The Print Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Recent Prints, 2005. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2004. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Osborne: 30 Years, Works on Paper, 2002. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Vantage, 2000. Old Main Art Museum, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1998. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1997. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1994. Jane Haslem Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1994. North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1993-94. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1992. Arronson Gallery, The University of Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Watercolors, 1991. University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1990. Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1988. Fischbach Gallery, New York, 1988. Fischbach Gallery, New York, 1984. Fischbach Gallery, New York, 1982. Fischbach Gallery, New York, 1980. Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1978. Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1976. Gimpel & Weitzenhoffer, Ltd., New York, 1977. Gimpel & Weitzenhoffer, Ltd., New York, 1974. Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Landscapes, 1972. Makler Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1970. American Consulate, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1969. Peale Galleries, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1967. Perakis Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1967. Perakis Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1963. GROUP EXHIBITIONS Avery Galleries, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, The Women of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Past to Present, 2024. Berry Campbell, New York, Perseverance, 2024. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, From Dusk Till Dawn, 2015. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, “Something Clicked in Philly”: David Lynch and His Contemporaries, 2014. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, It’s Not the Numbers, 2014. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Works on Paper, 2013. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World, 2013. Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Four Visions/Four Painters: Murray Dessner...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper

"Miami Beach"
"Miami Beach"

"Miami Beach"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

A series of paintings created during my studies at the Academy. A second life for academism, mothballs, restrictions, prohibitions, conditions, and laws. I take dry and boring academ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Still life with milk jug and lemon
Still life with milk jug and lemon

Still life with milk jug and lemon

Located in Zofingen, AG

A dark background helps to reveal the shape of jug. The strong light vibrates on lemon and glass. The blue pattern on the jug and multiple reflections from objects make the work more...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Black Swan
Black Swan

Mark MorrisonBlack Swan, ca. 1950

$7,500Sale Price|70% Off

Black Swan

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Mark Morrison (1895-1964) Black Swan , ca. 1950 Carved and polished black pearl granite 7" wide, 11.5" deep, height is 29" Provenance: Estate of Mrs. Mark Morrison. Born: Kin...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Granite

Male nudes, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Male nudes, sketch by Keith Vaughan

Male nudes, sketch by Keith Vaughan

Located in London, GB

Keith Vaughan Male nudes Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the male figure...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

'Tom' - a Brussels Griffon; dog painting; Griffon Bruxellois

'Tom' - a Brussels Griffon; dog painting; Griffon Bruxellois

By Charles Boland

Located in London, GB

Charles H. Boland de Spa (Belgium, 19th Century) 'Tom’ - a Brussels Griffon terrier signed 'Ch. Boland' (lower left) oil on panel 13 x 8 ⅝  in. (33 x 21.9 cm.) frame 18 ½  x 14 in. (...

Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow Side Profile and Face Sketch
British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow Side Profile and Face Sketch

British Chalk Pencil Sketch of a Cow Side Profile and Face Sketch

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

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.