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Le Petit Écolier Portrait, Early 20th Century Oil on Board, Signed
Le Petit Écolier Portrait, Early 20th Century Oil on Board, Signed

Le Petit Écolier Portrait, Early 20th Century Oil on Board, Signed

Located in Cotignac, FR

Strongly rooted in European Social Realism, Villain's work shows the influences of Robert Henri and George Bellows, and bears a resemblance to work by his contemporaries, Moses and R...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Martin Wong The New Musueum, 1998 (Martin Wong Bruce Lee announcement)
Martin Wong The New Musueum, 1998 (Martin Wong Bruce Lee announcement)

Martin Wong The New Musueum, 1998 (Martin Wong Bruce Lee announcement)

By Martin Wong

Located in NEW YORK, NY

. _ Martin Wong’s haunting paintings combine the leftist politics of social realism with a cosmic, transcendent symbology; brick walls and constellations are frequent motifs.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art

Materials

Paper, Offset

Composition, Vers un monde volage, Marcel Gromaire
Composition, Vers un monde volage, Marcel Gromaire

Composition, Vers un monde volage, Marcel Gromaire

By Marcel Gromaire

Located in Southampton, NY

He painted many works on social subjects and is often associated with Social Realism, but Gromaire can be said to have created an independent oeuvre distinct from groups and movements.

Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

SEATED SEAMSTRESS Signed Lithograph, 1979, Young Woman, Realist Style Portrait
SEATED SEAMSTRESS Signed Lithograph, 1979, Young Woman, Realist Style Portrait

SEATED SEAMSTRESS Signed Lithograph, 1979, Young Woman, Realist Style Portrait

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

SEATED SEAMSTRESS is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1899...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Casual
YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Casual

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Casual

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism ...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Signed Autograph Postcard
Signed Autograph Postcard

Signed Autograph Postcard

By Renato Guttuso

Located in Roma, IT

In this fervid environment, his social art took shape from a moral and political engagement more and more evident in artworks like “Fucilazione in Campagna” 1937, “Fuga dall’Etna”, “...

Category

1930s Modern More Art

Materials

Postcard

Young Woman With Long Hair, Signed Lithograph, Girl Braiding Her Hair Blue Skirt
Young Woman With Long Hair, Signed Lithograph, Girl Braiding Her Hair Blue Skirt

Young Woman With Long Hair, Signed Lithograph, Girl Braiding Her Hair Blue Skirt

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

Young Woman With Long Hair is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Pain...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Rust, Peach
YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Rust, Peach

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Rust, Peach

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism ...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Latin American Figurative Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media Monoprint Painting
Latin American Figurative Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media Monoprint Painting

Latin American Figurative Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media Monoprint Painting

Located in Surfside, FL

His work bore the influences of abstract expressionist artists, pop art, with strong influences of Basquiat in some of his pieces and social realism. The Chicano Art Movement repres...

Category

20th Century Neo-Expressionist Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

Untitled Neo-Expressionist Oil Painting of Group of Men, 1960s, Framed
Untitled Neo-Expressionist Oil Painting of Group of Men, 1960s, Framed

Untitled Neo-Expressionist Oil Painting of Group of Men, 1960s, Framed

Located in Soquel, CA

Initially influenced by Surrealism and Expressionism, his style later incorporated elements of social realism, neo-Cubism, and abstraction. During the Spanish Civil War and his early...

Category

1960s Neo-Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Stretcher Bars, Linen

RUSSELL'S WAY
RUSSELL'S WAY

RUSSELL'S WAY

By Al Held

Located in Three Oaks, MI

After studying at the Art Students League in New York—where he adopted a figurative style inspired by Social Realism—and at the Académie de la Grand Chaumière in Paris, Held embraced...

Category

1880s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Prints

Materials

Archival Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Charcoal Drawing "Waiting" Pensive Woman Americana WPA Artist
Charcoal Drawing "Waiting" Pensive Woman Americana WPA Artist

Charcoal Drawing "Waiting" Pensive Woman Americana WPA Artist

By William Gropper

Located in Surfside, FL

Gropper fits perfectly into Social-Realism because the style exhibits an illustrative flair with strong lines and simple, bold hues.

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

"Two Women"

"Two Women"

By James Lechay

Located in Lambertville, NJ

In his own oils and watercolors, Lechay eschewed fashionable styles such as Social Realism and Abstract Expressionism. Lechay continued to paint up until a few days before his death ...

Category

20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Edward Burra original watercolour 'Costume design for two young women in Carmen'
Edward Burra original watercolour 'Costume design for two young women in Carmen'

Edward Burra original watercolour 'Costume design for two young women in Carmen'

By Edward Burra

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

Trained at the Chelsea School of Art, his work defied easy categorisation, blending social realism with fantasy and wit. Burra’s paintings are held in major public collections includ...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Abstract Expressionist Symphony in Blue, Follower of Clyfford Still
Abstract Expressionist Symphony in Blue, Follower of Clyfford Still

Abstract Expressionist Symphony in Blue, Follower of Clyfford Still

Located in Cotignac, FR

Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the immediate aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Board, Gouache

AFTER THE BATH Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Interior Scene
AFTER THE BATH Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Interior Scene

AFTER THE BATH Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Interior Scene

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

AFTER THE BATH is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1899-19...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Mediterranean Figurative Painting of Vagabond and Daughter Spanish Modern oil
Mediterranean Figurative Painting of Vagabond and Daughter Spanish Modern oil

Mediterranean Figurative Painting of Vagabond and Daughter Spanish Modern oil

By Albert Roca

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

ARTISTIC CONTEXT This work evokes elements of European social realism and Mediterranean figurative traditions, recalling certain emotional qualities found in the works of Bernard B...

Category

1990s Modern Interior Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

2006 Larry Dinkin, Painting to Silkscreen: An Interpretive Process

2006 Larry Dinkin, Painting to Silkscreen: An Interpretive Process

By Larry Dinkin

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Dinkin, known for his bold color palettes, expressive brushwork, and emotionally resonant figures, draws inspiration from German Expressionism and social realism. His paintings often...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Prints and Multiples

Materials

Offset

Tilted Plates

Tilted Plates

By Carl Morris

Located in Palm Desert, CA

Like many Abstract Expressionists, Morris began his career making figurative paintings; he was interested in social realism in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) spirit.

Category

1990s Post-War Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

"After the Bath Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Portrait, 29x21"
"After the Bath Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Portrait, 29x21"

"After the Bath Signed Lithograph 1979, Realist Nude Portrait, 29x21"

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

AFTER THE BATH is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1899-19...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Turnip"
"Turnip"

Giacomo Ceruti"Turnip"

$40,000Sale Price|20% Off

"Turnip"

By Giacomo Ceruti

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Unlike the refined elegance of contemporary Venetian painters, Ceruti’s approach was raw, unembellished, and deeply humanistic, making his works highly sought after by collectors of ...

Category

18th Century Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Plum Top Blue Skirt
SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Plum Top Blue Skirt

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Plum Top Blue Skirt

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, V-Neck Top
WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, V-Neck Top

WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, V-Neck Top

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

STANDING SEAMSTRESS Signed Color Lithograph, Young Woman, Dress Form, Sewing
STANDING SEAMSTRESS Signed Color Lithograph, Young Woman, Dress Form, Sewing

STANDING SEAMSTRESS Signed Color Lithograph, Young Woman, Dress Form, Sewing

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

STANDING SEAMSTRESS is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 18...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Standing Seamstress, Signed Lithograph Portrait, Realist, 1979
Standing Seamstress, Signed Lithograph Portrait, Realist, 1979

Standing Seamstress, Signed Lithograph Portrait, Realist, 1979

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

STANDING SEAMSTRESS is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 18...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Women)
Untitled (Women)

Untitled (Women)

Located in Cliffside Park, NJ

In 1934 Harris joined the new Secession Gallery, then left a year later to co-found "The Ten", a collective of expressionist painters upholding abstract art at a time when the Whitne...

Category

1930s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sketch of a Man with Mustache and Hat by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch
Sketch of a Man with Mustache and Hat by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch

Sketch of a Man with Mustache and Hat by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch

By Julius Bloch

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Influenced by the Ashcan School artists’ depictions of urban life and concerned about social issues, Bloch became one of the main proponents of Social Realism in America.

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon

Profile Portrait by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch
Profile Portrait by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch

Profile Portrait by Philadelphia Artist Julius Bloch

By Julius Bloch

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Influenced by the Ashcan School artists’ depictions of urban life and concerned about social issues, Bloch became one of the main proponents of Social Realism in America.

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon

Leaves and Loyal Companions: Impressionist Oil on Canvas, 20th Century
Leaves and Loyal Companions: Impressionist Oil on Canvas, 20th Century

Leaves and Loyal Companions: Impressionist Oil on Canvas, 20th Century

Located in Stratford-Upon-Avon, GB

Best known for his evocative paintings of rural life, landscapes, animals and village subjects, Hall developed a distinctive style that evolved from the social realism of the Newlyn ...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled

Untitled

By MORRIS, CARL

Located in Palm Desert, CA

Like many Abstract Expressionists, Morris began his career making figurative paintings; he was interested in social realism in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) spirit.

Category

Mid-20th Century Post-War Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Goat Herder's Wife

Goat Herder's Wife

By George Biddle

Located in New York, NY

Biddle reached an aesthetic high point in this and several other prints he did of Mexico and Haiti in the late ’20’s; later his work was caught up in the social realism of the ’30’s.

Category

1920s Realist Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Joseph Solman, "Girl Reading" Expressionist Interior Figure Painting
Joseph Solman, "Girl Reading" Expressionist Interior Figure Painting

Joseph Solman, "Girl Reading" Expressionist Interior Figure Painting

By Joseph Solman

Located in Rockport, MA

His work bridges American Social Realism and Modern Expressionism, and his paintings are represented in the collections of major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait Sketch by Philadelphia artist Julius Bloch
Portrait Sketch by Philadelphia artist Julius Bloch

Portrait Sketch by Philadelphia artist Julius Bloch

By Julius Bloch

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Influenced by the Ashcan School artists’ depictions of urban life and concerned about social issues, Bloch became one of the main proponents of Social Realism in America.

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon

Small street orchestra with accordion and clarinet
Small street orchestra with accordion and clarinet

Small street orchestra with accordion and clarinet

By Xavier Albert Fiala

Located in Genève, GE

• Maurice Fiala oil on panel • 1938 modernist painting • Street musicians painting • Urban performers artwork • Expressionist figurative painting • Interwar European modernis...

Category

20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Interior Scene
SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Interior Scene

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Interior Scene

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter...

Category

1970s Realist Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Israeli Oil Painting Ruth Schloss Child, Doll, Wagon, Kibbutz Social Realist Art
Israeli Oil Painting Ruth Schloss Child, Doll, Wagon, Kibbutz Social Realist Art

Israeli Oil Painting Ruth Schloss Child, Doll, Wagon, Kibbutz Social Realist Art

By Ruth Schloss

Located in Surfside, FL

She was a realistic painter who focused on disadvantaged people in the society and social matters as an egalitarian. Her realism was thus an “inevitable realism,” motivated by an inn...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

From Bagheria
From Bagheria

From Bagheria

By Renato Guttuso

Located in Roma, IT

In this fervid environment, his social art took shape from a moral and political engagement more and more evident in artworks like “Fucilazione in Campagna” 1937, “Fuga dall’Etna”, “...

Category

1930s Modern More Art

Materials

Postcard

Untitled (Triptych)

Untitled (Triptych)

By MORRIS, CARL

Located in Palm Desert, CA

Like many Abstract Expressionists, Morris began his career making figurative paintings; he was interested in social realism in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) spirit.

Category

Mid-20th Century Post-War Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Portrait of a Black Panther Activist by N. Correa - Oil and Mixed Media - 1969
Portrait of a Black Panther Activist by N. Correa - Oil and Mixed Media - 1969

Portrait of a Black Panther Activist by N. Correa - Oil and Mixed Media - 1969

Located in Dallas, TX

This work would be well suited for collectors of: * Civil Rights–era and Black Power movement art * Political and social realism * Postwar American figurative painting * Museum-quali...

Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Crowd #2

Crowd #2

By Misha Gordin

Located in Phoenix, AZ

Instead, he joined Riga Motion Studios as a designer of equipment for special effects. At this time social realism was an official culture of the country and having little formal kno...

Category

1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of a Seated Woman
Portrait of a Seated Woman

Portrait of a Seated Woman

By Joseph Solman

Located in Wiscasett, ME

A champion of modernism, Solman was elected an editor of Art Front Magazine when its other editors, art historian Meyer Shapiro and critic Harold Rosenberg, were still partial to Soc...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Rare Milk Glass Carved Sculpture Panel Cowboy Indian WPA Artist Americana
Rare Milk Glass Carved Sculpture Panel Cowboy Indian WPA Artist Americana

Rare Milk Glass Carved Sculpture Panel Cowboy Indian WPA Artist Americana

By Abraham Harriton

Located in Surfside, FL

Abraham Harriton was a Romanian-born Jewish modernist artist and social realism painter in the United States. Born in 1893 in Bucharest, then the Kingdom of Romania, Harriton studie...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Glass

The Bannister, Will Barnet
The Bannister, Will Barnet

The Bannister, Will Barnet

By Will Barnet

Located in Fairfield, CT

WILL BARNET (1911–2012) was an American painter, printmaker, educator, and one of the most influential and enduring figures in twentieth-century American art, whose extraordinary car...

Category

1980s American Realist Still-life Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Epicurean, Zest for Life, A Joyful Bohemian, French 19th Century painting
The Epicurean, Zest for Life, A Joyful Bohemian, French 19th Century painting

The Epicurean, Zest for Life, A Joyful Bohemian, French 19th Century painting

Located in Norwich, GB

In spirit, the work recalls the social realism of artists such as Honoré Daumier or Édouard Manet's early Absinthe Drinker, while remaining entirely its own creation.

Category

1870s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Gipsy Musicians"
"Gipsy Musicians"

"Gipsy Musicians"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Collectible Value & Condition A rare example of Baroque genre painting, this work is a significant acquisition for collectors of Old Masters, social realism, and 17th-century Eur...

Category

17th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ragazza con Rose - Lithograph by Domenico Purificato - 1980
Ragazza con Rose - Lithograph by Domenico Purificato - 1980

Ragazza con Rose - Lithograph by Domenico Purificato - 1980

By Domenico Purificato

Located in Roma, IT

In the 1940s and 1950s the artist became one of the most acclaimed painters of the social realist movement and as a living painter, as his art surpassed social realism.

Category

1980s Modern Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Singing Their Songs, For My People, Elizabeth Catlett
Singing Their Songs, For My People, Elizabeth Catlett

Singing Their Songs, For My People, Elizabeth Catlett

By Elizabeth Catlett

Located in Southampton, NY

Catlett's work can be described as social realism because of her dedication to the issues and experiences of African Americans.

Category

1990s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

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Social Realism For Sale on 1stDibs

Find the exact social realism you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. You can easily find an example made in the Expressionist style, while we also have 1 Expressionist versions to choose from as well. If you’re looking for a social realism from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 20th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. When looking for the right social realism for your space, you can search on 1stDibs by color — popular works were created in bold and neutral palettes with elements of gray, black, brown and blue. Finding an appealing social realism — no matter the origin — is easy, but Raphael Soyer, William Gropper, Aaron Bohrod, Daniel Ralph Celentano and Ron Croci each produced popular versions that are worth a look. Artworks like these — often created in paint, lithograph and oil paint — can elevate any room of your home. A large social realism can prove too dominant for some spaces — a smaller social realism, measuring 5 high and 3.44 wide, may better suit your needs.

How Much is a Social Realism?

A social realism can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price for items in our inventory is $3,000, while the lowest priced sells for $465 and the highest can go for as much as $45,000.

Questions About Social Realism

  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    Social Realism is important because it was a major art movement of the 20th century that elevated everyday people as subjects and appealed to the larger public beyond elite cultural circles. While art that fits this description dates back to the 18th century with artists like William Hogarth in the UK, it became especially prominent in the 20th century between the two World Wars. Artists such as Diego Rivera, Elizabeth Catlett and José Clemente Orozco depicted the lives of laborers and working class people, drawing attention to social issues and oppressive social systems. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Social Realist art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    In his artwork, Jacob Lawrence used Social Realism to portray the everyday lived experiences of Black Americans. His most famous work is The Migration Series, a narrative piece of 60 18-by-12-inch hardboard panels focused on the Great Migration of Black Americans from the agricultural South to the industrial North between 1910 and 1940. On 1stDibs, shop a diverse assortment of Jacob Lawrence art.