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Social Realism Print

'Psychopathic Ward' — Socially-Conscious Realism
'Psychopathic Ward' — Socially-Conscious Realism

'Psychopathic Ward' — Socially-Conscious Realism

By Robert Riggs

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

impression, in warm black ink printed over a pale yellow-gray background tint, on off-white wove paper; the

Category

1940s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

'Negro' — California WPA Social Realism – Slavery
'Negro' — California WPA Social Realism – Slavery

'Negro' — California WPA Social Realism – Slavery

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

realistic images of socially conscious subjects, including this empathetic work, ‘Negro’, and a celebrated

Category

1930s American Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Beggar with Children Asking for Alms, Bellangé Social Scene Lithograph, 1828
Beggar with Children Asking for Alms, Bellangé Social Scene Lithograph, 1828

Beggar with Children Asking for Alms, Bellangé Social Scene Lithograph, 1828

Located in Langweer, NL

, social realism print, nineteenth century France print, French genre scene, rural poverty scene, charity

Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Prints

Materials

Paper

1920s Social Realism “Erie R.R. Yards” Lithograph
1920s Social Realism “Erie R.R. Yards” Lithograph

1920s Social Realism “Erie R.R. Yards” Lithograph

By Reginald Marsh

Located in San Francisco, CA

(1898-1954) did the artwork for this lithograph in 1928, subsequently signing and numbering this print

Category

Early 20th Century American Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Golddigger, " Isaac Friedlander, WPA, New York City, Social Realism, 1931
"Golddigger, " Isaac Friedlander, WPA, New York City, Social Realism, 1931

"Golddigger, " Isaac Friedlander, WPA, New York City, Social Realism, 1931

By Isaac Friedlander

Located in Wiscasset, ME

Isaac Friedlander was born in 1890 in Mitau, Latvia. He studied painting and printmaking at the Academy of Rome—the only formal art training he would ever have. After the overthrow o...

Category

1930s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Engraving

The Angelus at Sunset, After Millet, Antique European Chromolithograph, c.1900
The Angelus at Sunset, After Millet, Antique European Chromolithograph, c.1900

The Angelus at Sunset, After Millet, Antique European Chromolithograph, c.1900

Located in Langweer, NL

scene millet inspired artwork faith and labor art print printed in germany lithograph social realism

Category

Antique Late 19th Century German Prints

Materials

Paper

Holy Trinity Enthroned in Heaven, Antique German Chromolithograph c.1900
Holy Trinity Enthroned in Heaven, Antique German Chromolithograph c.1900

Holy Trinity Enthroned in Heaven, Antique German Chromolithograph c.1900

Located in Langweer, NL

scene millet inspired artwork faith and labor art print printed in germany lithograph social realism

Category

Antique Late 19th Century German Prints

Materials

Paper

Recent Sales

Seated Woman Near A Bed, Lithograph by Raphael Soyer
Seated Woman Near A Bed, Lithograph by Raphael Soyer

Seated Woman Near A Bed, Lithograph by Raphael Soyer

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Long Island City, NY

/American Social Realism Painter. Printed using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival Arches

Category

1970s Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

People Also Browsed

Tugs on the Hudson
Tugs on the Hudson

Tugs on the Hudson

By Charles Frederick William Mielatz

Located in Middletown, NY

Drypoint etching with engraving printed in black ink on Japanese mulberry paper, 4 1/2 x 3 3/8 inches (113 x 84 mm), full margins. In superb condition. A beautiful New York City rive...

Category

Early 20th Century American Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Drypoint, Etching

Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA
Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA

Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA

By Thomas Hart Benton

Located in New York, NY

Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975) "Water Story" (Study for The History of Water) Tempera and o...

Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Egg Tempera, Board

"Men in Barracks" WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Realism Gay Modernism WWII
"Men in Barracks" WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Realism Gay Modernism WWII

"Men in Barracks" WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Realism Gay Modernism WWII

By David Fredenthal

Located in New York, NY

"Men in Barracks" WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Realism Gay Modernism WWII. 18 x 24 inches Watercolor on paper. c. 1940s. Signed lower right. BIO David Fredenthal (1914 - 1958...

Category

1940s American Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

1930's California Mountain Trail Landscape
1930's California Mountain Trail Landscape

1930's California Mountain Trail Landscape

By Sidney L. Brock

Located in Soquel, CA

A beautiful 1930's landscape titled "Trail into California Mountains" by Oklahoman artist Sidney Lorenzo Brock (American, 1869-1943). Presented in a rustic giltwood frame. Signed "Si...

Category

1930s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

'Brooklyn Bridge' — Iconic New York City Landmark
'Brooklyn Bridge' — Iconic New York City Landmark

'Brooklyn Bridge' — Iconic New York City Landmark

By Luigi Kasimir

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Luigi Kasimir, 'Brooklyn Bridge', color etching with aquatint, 1927, edition 100. Signed in pencil. A superb impression, with fresh colors, on heavy, cream wove paper; with margins...

Category

1920s American Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

'Dancers' — 1930s American Modernism
'Dancers' — 1930s American Modernism

'Dancers' — 1930s American Modernism

By Charles Turzak

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Charles Turzak, 'Dancers', 1939, wood engraving, edition 100. Signed, titled, and numbered 72/100 in pencil. A fine, richly-inked impression, on off-white Japan paper, with full marg...

Category

Mid-20th Century Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

"Loading the Wagon", Important Regional Scene Ptg, Thomas Hart Benton Colleague
"Loading the Wagon", Important Regional Scene Ptg, Thomas Hart Benton Colleague

"Loading the Wagon", Important Regional Scene Ptg, Thomas Hart Benton Colleague

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This classic example of American Scene painting, depicting a group of four laborers loading the harvest onto a wagon amidst the fields, has the energy and dynamic of Thomas Hart Bent...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA
WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA

WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA

By Gerrit Beneker

Located in New York, NY

WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA Gerrit Beneker (1882-1934) "Constant Driving Will Win the War" 30 x 40 inches Oil on canvas Signed an...

Category

1910s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Manhattan Old and New' — Vintage New York Cityscape
'Manhattan Old and New' — Vintage New York Cityscape

'Manhattan Old and New' — Vintage New York Cityscape

By Samuel Chamberlain

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Samuel Chamberlain, 'Manhattan Old and New', drypoint, 1929, edition 100, Chamberlain and Kingsland 81. Signed, titled, and numbered '81/100' in pencil. Titled and annotated '30.00'...

Category

1920s American Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Drypoint

"6th Avenue El" American Scene Social Realism Mid-20th Century Cityscape Modern
"6th Avenue El" American Scene Social Realism Mid-20th Century Cityscape Modern

"6th Avenue El" American Scene Social Realism Mid-20th Century Cityscape Modern

By Max Arthur Cohn

Located in New York, NY

"6th Avenue El" American Scene Social Realism Mid-20th Century Cityscape Modern Max Arthur Cohn (1903-1998) 6th Avenue Elevated 19 1/4 x 13 3/4 inches Watercolor on paper Signed an...

Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Spire -- New York
The Spire -- New York

Lawrence WilburThe Spire -- New York, 1985

$350Sale Price|58% Off

H 14.5 in W 11 in D 0.5 in

The Spire -- New York

By Lawrence Wilbur

Located in Plano, TX

The Spire -- New York. 1985. Etching and drypoint. 14 1/2 x 11 (sheet 22 1/2 x 18). Trial proof of the second third, prior to the edition of 100. Printed on Rives cream wove paper, ...

Category

20th Century American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

NYC Subway Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism WPA Modern 1930s
NYC Subway Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism WPA Modern 1930s

NYC Subway Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism WPA Modern 1930s

By Daniel Ralph Celentano

Located in New York, NY

NYC Subway Riders Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism WPA Modern 1930s Daniel Celentano (1902 - 1980) Subway Scene, 1930s 8 x 9 inches Ink and wash on paper Singed lower ...

Category

1930s American Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

Ann Nooney, (Loading the Lumber Barge, NYC)
Ann Nooney, (Loading the Lumber Barge, NYC)

Ann Nooney, (Loading the Lumber Barge, NYC)

By Ann Nooney

Located in New York, NY

The dimensions are for the image. There are large margins. Signed in pencil. A native New Yorker, Ann Nooney (1900-1970), recorded the urban scene while on the Works Progress Admini...

Category

1930s American Realist Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism
'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism

'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism

By Howard Norton Cook

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Howard Cook, 'Financial District', lithograph, 1931, edition 75, Duffy 155. A fine, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper, the full sheet with wide margins (2 3/4 to 5 5/8 in...

Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

6th Avenue El at 8th St NYC Cityscape American Scene Social Realism Mid-Century
6th Avenue El at 8th St NYC Cityscape American Scene Social Realism Mid-Century

6th Avenue El at 8th St NYC Cityscape American Scene Social Realism Mid-Century

By Max Arthur Cohn

Located in New York, NY

6th Avenue El at 8th St NYC Cityscape American Scene Social Realism Mid-Century Max Arthur Cohn (1903-1998) 6th Avenue El at 8th Street 13 x 18 inches Watercolor on paper, c. 1930 ...

Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

'The Steps' — WPA Era Graphic Modernism
'The Steps' — WPA Era Graphic Modernism

'The Steps' — WPA Era Graphic Modernism

By Fritz Eichenberg

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Fritz Eichenberg, 'The Steps', wood engraving, 1933, edition 200. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed. 200' in pencil. Initialed in the block, lower right. A superb, richly-inked impr...

Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

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Social Realism Print For Sale on 1stDibs

On 1stDibs, you can find the most appropriate social realism print for your needs in our varied inventory. Find contemporary versions now, or shop for contemporary creations for a more modern example of these cherished works. If you’re looking for a social realism print from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 19th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. When looking for the right social realism print for your space, you can search on 1stDibs by color — popular works were created in bold and neutral palettes with elements of gray, beige, brown and white. Finding an appealing social realism print — no matter the origin — is easy, but (after) Pablo Picasso, Raphael Soyer, Yue Minjun, Arslan Sükan and William Gropper each produced popular versions that are worth a look. These artworks were handmade with extraordinary care, with artists most often working in lithograph, paper and paint.

How Much is a Social Realism Print?

A social realism print can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price for items in our inventory is $1,300, while the lowest priced sells for $65 and the highest can go for as much as $25,000.

Finding the Right Prints-works-on-paper for You

Decorating with fine art prints — whether they’re figurative prints, abstract prints or another variety — has always been a practical way of bringing a space to life as well as bringing works by an artist you love into your home.

Pursued in the 1960s and ’70s, largely by Pop artists drawn to its associations with mass production, advertising, packaging and seriality, as well as those challenging the primacy of the Abstract Expressionist brushstroke, printmaking was embraced in the 1980s by painters and conceptual artists ranging from David Salle and Elizabeth Murray to Adrian Piper and Sherrie Levine.

Printmaking is the transfer of an image from one surface to another. An artist takes a material like stone, metal, wood or wax, carves, incises, draws or otherwise marks it with an image, inks or paints it and then transfers the image to a piece of paper or other material.

Fine art prints are frequently confused with their more commercial counterparts. After all, our closest connection to the printed image is through mass-produced newspapers, magazines and books, and many people don’t realize that even though prints are editions, they start with an original image created by an artist with the intent of reproducing it in a small batch. Fine art prints are created in strictly limited editions — 20 or 30 or maybe 50 — and are always based on an image created specifically to be made into an edition.

Many people think of revered Dutch artist Rembrandt as a painter but may not know that he was a printmaker as well. His prints have been preserved in time along with the work of other celebrated printmakers such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol. These fine art prints are still highly sought after by collectors.

“It’s another tool in the artist’s toolbox, just like painting or sculpture or anything else that an artist uses in the service of mark making or expressing him- or herself,” says International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) vice president Betsy Senior, of New York’s Betsy Senior Fine Art, Inc.

Because artist’s editions tend to be more affordable and available than his or her unique works, they’re more accessible and can be a great opportunity to bring a variety of colors, textures and shapes into a space.

For tight corners, select small fine art prints as opposed to the oversized bold piece you’ll hang as a focal point in the dining area. But be careful not to choose something that is too big for your space. And feel free to lean into it if need be — not every work needs picture-hanging hooks. Leaning a larger fine art print against the wall behind a bookcase can add a stylish installation-type dynamic to your living room. (Read more about how to arrange wall art here.)

Find fine art prints for sale on 1stDibs today.