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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
Peony Study-original modern realism floral still life painting-contemporary Art
Peony Study-original modern realism floral still life painting-contemporary Art

Peony Study-original modern realism floral still life painting-contemporary Art

Located in London, Chelsea

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "Peony Study" by Julie Whitehead is a stunning original still ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Acrylic

Grace Jones for After Dark
Grace Jones for After Dark

Grace Jones for After Dark

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Victor Arimondi (1942-2001). Portrait of Grace Jones, 1975. Period print measures 8.5 x 11.25 inches; 10 x 13 inches framed. Artist studio stamp on ver...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

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

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

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

Northern Hush, Original Painting
Northern Hush, Original Painting

Northern Hush, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In this quietly cinematic winter scene, artist Vic Roschkov captures the faded grace of an old farmhouse beneath drifting snow. Stark trees reach almost lifelik...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

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

Dead tree
Dead tree

Simon KozhinDead tree, 2002

$4,822Sale 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

"Three Blue, White and Gold Cups Stacked"
"Three Blue, White and Gold Cups Stacked"

"Three Blue, White and Gold Cups Stacked"

By Olga Antonova

Located in Wellesley, MA

Olga Antonova’s subject is compositions of extraordinarily elegant and beautiful cups, plates, teapots, and dishes, but there is something humorous and provocative about these paintings that belies formality: stacked teacups are also amusing, having a kind of jaunty and upbeat personality of their own, polka dots are as endearing to adults as to children, and everyone responds to the 'bling' and sparkle of gold and Antonova’s seemingly effortless ability to paint these radiant details: Olga Antonova "Three Blue, White and Gold Cups...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"
Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"

Contemporary portrait "Full Moon"

Located in Zofingen, AG

This artwork captivates with its blend of cultural and surreal elements. The central figure, a poised woman in a traditional East Asian kimono, radiates elegance through intricate fl...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

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

"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

Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)
Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)

Antique Horse Bronze Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901)

By Isidore Jules Bonheur

Located in SANTA FE, NM

Antique Horse Bronze Portrait of a Trotting Stallion Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901) Cast bronze mounted on a rectangular plinth with dark brown patina, Signed: I. BONHEUR 17 x 11 3/4 A brilliant exploration of a stallion in full trot. The patina is a deep, warm walnut brown with honey-colored tones. Isidore Bonheur was best known and the most distinguished of the 19th century French animalier sculptors. Isidore, the younger brother of Rosa Bonheur and older brother of Auguste, began his studies of painting initially with his father, who was friends with Francisco Goya. By 1848 he debuted at the Paris Salon having discontinued animal and landscape painting to concentrate on creating sculptures and in 1849, Bonheur enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He won medals at the Paris Salon in 1859 and did so again in 1865 and in 1869. After entering the Exposition Universelle 1855, he won the Gold Medal in 1889. In the 1870s exhibited in the London at the Royal Academy of Arts where he earned great prestige and won the coveted Medaille d’Or. After winning numerous other medals and prizes, Bonheur was awarded the Legion d' Honneur in 1895 and he was Knighted in Portugal, Spain and France. Bonheur continued exhibiting at the Paris Salon until 1899. Many of his bronzes were fabricated at the foundry owned by Hippolyte Peyrol, Bonheur's brother-in-law by marriage to Isidore’s youngest sister Juliette Bonheur. The Peyrol casts for both Rosa and Isidore are exceptionally well executed which suggests a strong working relationship between the founder and sculptor. There is little doubt that Isidore Bonheur was an acute observer of nature; his animals were not anthropomorphized but modelled to catch movement or posture characteristics of the particular species he was sculpting. He achieved this most successfully with his sculptures of horses which are usually depicted as relaxed rather than spirited. These figures are among his most renowned works and his equestrian models became very popular, particularly among the British aristocracy. An acute observer of nature, his sculptures reflect his commitment to the Realist school - with precise detailing of the movements of animals in their natural habitats. Ultimately, His naturalistic studies of animals are now some of the most highly sought after works by any of the animalier. He was possibly inspired by his many visits to the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show...

Category

1870s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Terriers, Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961)
Pair of Terriers, Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961)

Pair of Terriers, Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961)

Located in SANTA FE, NM

Pair of Terriers Gianni Reggio (Italian, 1898-1961) Circa 1930s Gouache on paper 15 x 14 inches (frame) Signed on the back. Gianni Reggio was an Italian painter and illustrator wh...

Category

1930s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"Paris Rainy Cafe" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, French Cityscape
"Paris Rainy Cafe" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, French Cityscape

"Paris Rainy Cafe" by Christopher Clark, Original Oil Painting, French Cityscape

By Christopher Clark

Located in Denver, CO

Christopher Clark's "Paris Rainy Cafe" is an original, hand made oil and acrylic painting that depicts a night scene of a bustling cityscape in France. Christopher has been an artist since early childhood, when he would watch Bob Ross on PBS and mimic the famed oil painter’s art with crayons. He considers himself a self-educated artist, with his studies ranging from personal training with contemporary masters, to classical academic art technique, with much inspiration from 19th Century art and the Impressionist Movement. Christopher lived in Italy for a time, immersing himself in Italian culture and art, which continues to influence his painting. His fan base has grown considerably since his return to the US, gaining the attention of Lucasfilm and Marvel Fine Art, which both signed him as an officially licensed artist in 2016. Other clients include George Lucas, Major League Baseball, Louisville Slugger, and Fender Guitars. Christopher’s painting skills are not his only talent in the arts. He has won several national swing dance championship competitions, and also studies tango and blues dancing. He has played guitar since the age of 12, and during his time as lead guitarist for a rock band, he opened for Blue Oyster Cult and Eddie Money...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Fruits hidden from autumn
Fruits hidden from autumn

Fruits hidden from autumn

Located in Zofingen, AG

The painting was created after a September trip to Alsace. During a walk, I noticed beautiful green fruits — not yet ripe, framed by dark leaves. They seemed to have been taken from ...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Peach, Oil Painting
A Peach, Oil Painting

A Peach, Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A ripe white peach with dried leaves rests on a wooden surface. Its pinkish-red and yellow skin contrasts with the dark background. Artist Art Tatin used Flem...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Grace Jones for After Dark
Grace Jones for After Dark

Grace Jones for After Dark

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Victor Arimondi (1942-2001). Portrait of Grace Jones, 1975. Period print measures 8 x 11.75 inches; 10.25 x 13 inches framed. Artist studio stamp on ve...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Interweave, Big Sur California Nude Breast

Interweave, Big Sur California Nude Breast

Located in Carmel, CA

Hand printed silver gelatin photograph by the artist. From film photography. Available in other sizes.

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Male Nude Desert Landscape Study
Male Nude Desert Landscape Study

Male Nude Desert Landscape Study

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Roy Dean (1925-20020. Male Nude Study, ca. 1975-80. Original period print with artist studio stamp on verso. Print measures 5.25 x 9 inches; 13 x 17 inches fr...

Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Beautiful Oil On Canvas, Female Nude By V Tsvetkov Sold without frame
Beautiful Oil On Canvas, Female Nude By V Tsvetkov Sold without frame

Beautiful Oil On Canvas, Female Nude By V Tsvetkov Sold without frame

Located in Gavere, BE

"Realistic Oil On Canvas, Female Nude By V Tsvetkov " Original contemporary painting by Bulgarian artist V Tsvetkov, depicting a beautiful female nude Signed lower left V Tsvenkov E...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees) 1928
Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees) 1928

Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees) 1928

By Fritz Lindström

Located in Stockholm, SE

Fritz Lindström (1874–1962) Mountain Landscape (Pyrenees), 1928 oil on panel unframed 15.5 × 24 cm (6.1 × 9.4 in) framed: 26 × 34 cm (10.2 × 13.4 in) signed on the reverse Frame by...

Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Impressionistic Sunrise Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Sunrise Sensation
Impressionistic Sunrise Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Sunrise Sensation

Impressionistic Sunrise Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Sunrise Sensation

By Michael Budden

Located in Chesterfield, NJ

Sunrise Sensation oil/canvas 9 x 12 image unframed, 16.88 x 19.88 framed signed LL Sunrise Sensation is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Cat Therapy
Cat Therapy

Cat Therapy

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this painting, we see a minimalist room with a huge window, beyond which stretches a sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Muted colors dominate—the blue of the sky contrasts beaut...

Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Brown Trout -Late 19th Century Scottish Still Life. Naturalist Oil Painting
Brown Trout -Late 19th Century Scottish Still Life. Naturalist Oil Painting

Brown Trout -Late 19th Century Scottish Still Life. Naturalist Oil Painting

Located in Marco Island, FL

A finely executed late 19th-century still life by John Bucknell Russell (1823-1919) of two brown trout in the foreground, along with a beautiful landscape. Fine example of a period fish still life, popular in Scotland during this period. It is presented in a gilt frame. Unsigned canvas...

Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life
Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life

Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life

By Alzora Zaremba

Located in Soquel, CA

Abundant Harvest - Summer Fruit Still Life Vibrant still life of juicy, ripe fruit on a ceramic tile by Alzora Zaremba (American, b. 1943). Signed by the artist "Alzora 1991" in the...

Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Porcelain, Glaze, 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.