Skip to main content

Eric Zener Paintings

American, b. 1966

Eric Zener is a self-taught Photorealist artist recognized for his figure paintings of lone subjects often submerged in swimming pools.

Zener employs water as a metaphorical tool to express renewal and personal transformation. It speaks to the collective desire in all of us to retreat from the noise of the world, challenging the shallow, surface-level questions and concerns that frame our daily lives. Additionally, Zener works across a broad spectrum of materials, including paint, silver leaf, and resin, to create texture, depth, and dimensionality in his work.

Zener’s work has been exhibited in the United States, and internationally, for over 25 years. His solo exhibition history has largely been with his long-standing dealers in San Francisco and New York. Additionally, Zener has had numerous shows in Asia, Australia and Europe. Eric’s work has been featured and reviewed extensively in art magazines and other publications. Apart from gallery representation his work has also been included in museum shows and international residency programs.

Find original Eric Zener art on 1stDibs.

to
2
1
6
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
7
7
3
3
1
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
7
7
7
7
9
757
757
744
674
1
4
7
Artist: Eric Zener
SELF - Contemporary Realism / Swimmer / Waterscape / Male Figure
SELF - Contemporary Realism / Swimmer / Waterscape / Male Figure

SELF - Contemporary Realism / Swimmer / Waterscape / Male Figure

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ETHEREAL- Blue Water / Female Swimmer / Floating Free / Photorealism
ETHEREAL- Blue Water / Female Swimmer / Floating Free / Photorealism

ETHEREAL- Blue Water / Female Swimmer / Floating Free / Photorealism

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

HOW TO BE HAPPY - Underwater Photorealism / Female Swimmer / Large Portrait
HOW TO BE HAPPY - Underwater Photorealism / Female Swimmer / Large Portrait

HOW TO BE HAPPY - Underwater Photorealism / Female Swimmer / Large Portrait

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SUMMER RIPPLE - Contemporary / Figurative / Swimmer
SUMMER RIPPLE - Contemporary / Figurative / Swimmer

SUMMER RIPPLE - Contemporary / Figurative / Swimmer

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original Painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a qu...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

PATHWAYS - Abstract Landscape / Branches and Tree / Blue and Brown
PATHWAYS - Abstract Landscape / Branches and Tree / Blue and Brown

PATHWAYS - Abstract Landscape / Branches and Tree / Blue and Brown

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original Oil Painting by Eric Zener Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ABOVE IT ALL - Contemporary Realism / Male Figure Swimmer / Ladder Journey Sky
ABOVE IT ALL - Contemporary Realism / Male Figure Swimmer / Ladder Journey Sky

ABOVE IT ALL - Contemporary Realism / Male Figure Swimmer / Ladder Journey Sky

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original Painting by Eric Zener Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a que...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

NIGHT PLUNGE II - Contemporary Realism / Water / Ocean / Deep Blue
NIGHT PLUNGE II - Contemporary Realism / Water / Ocean / Deep Blue

NIGHT PLUNGE II - Contemporary Realism / Water / Ocean / Deep Blue

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Related Items
Mother & Child Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Figurative, 2016
Mother & Child Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Figurative, 2016

Mother & Child Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Figurative, 2016

By Christopher Mudgett

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Mother & Child, 2016 By Christopher Mudgett This powerful and emotive original oil painting from the artist's 2016 "Mother & Child" series encapsulates a profound moment of ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Painting / Photorealism / Figurative Art / Human Figure /Museum

Oil Painting / Photorealism / Figurative Art / Human Figure /Museum

By Bruce Adams

Located in Buffalo, NY

Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State College. Adams’s work is includ...

Category

1990s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Woman & Dog, Monumental Oil Painting, Signed, 60x48 Inches, 2017
Woman & Dog, Monumental Oil Painting, Signed, 60x48 Inches, 2017

Woman & Dog, Monumental Oil Painting, Signed, 60x48 Inches, 2017

By Christopher Mudgett

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Woman and Dog Christopher Mudgett Oil on canvas 2023 48 x 36 in (121.9 x 91.4 cm) Signed by the artist Certificate of authenticity included Available from the artist’s studio In W...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

View of Rome - Oil Paint by Pino Romanò - 2000
View of Rome - Oil Paint by Pino Romanò - 2000

View of Rome - Oil Paint by Pino Romanò - 2000

Located in Roma, IT

Oil on canvas realized by Pino Romanò (1934) in 2000. Hand signed. Titled on rear. Very good condition.

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait
Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait

Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait

Located in Paris, IDF

Oil on canvas Nino Tolomashvili is a Georgian painter born in 2003 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. After completing her schooling, she pursued her studies at the Tbilisi St...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Woman Oil on Canvas Portrait, Grayscale Abstract, Contemporary, 2015
Woman Oil on Canvas Portrait, Grayscale Abstract, Contemporary, 2015

Woman Oil on Canvas Portrait, Grayscale Abstract, Contemporary, 2015

By Christopher Mudgett

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Woman, 2015 Christopher Mudgett Woman (2015) is a striking portrait that distills the essence of the female face into an elegant interplay of line, form, and tone. Executed in oil o...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Woman with Clasped Hands, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, 48x36, 2017
Woman with Clasped Hands, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, 48x36, 2017

Woman with Clasped Hands, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, 48x36, 2017

By Christopher Mudgett

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Woman with Clasped Hands, 2017 by Christopher Mudgett A striking embodiment of strength and introspection, Woman with Clasped Hands (2017) challenges traditional portrayals of the f...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)
Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)

Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)

Located in New York City, NY

CAROLINA GOMEZ Emerald from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr) 60 x 48 inches - Unique OIL ON CANVAS Carolina Gomez’s works have become known for the powerful...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait
Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait

Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait

Located in Paris, IDF

Oil on canvas Nino Tolomashvili is a Georgian painter born in 2003 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. After completing her schooling, she pursued her studies at the Tbilisi St...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Distant Dreams-Charlotte Aiken, Horizon, gold leaf, Original, Oil, sea, 22 carat

Distant Dreams-Charlotte Aiken, Horizon, gold leaf, Original, Oil, sea, 22 carat

By Charlotte Aiken

Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh

Distant Dreams is an oil painting created using oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on canvas by British artist Charlotte Aiken. Aiken responds to her environment through her use of paint, w...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Swimmers I, Maria Filopoulou, Greek, Water, Natural World, Expansive, Lagoon
Swimmers I, Maria Filopoulou, Greek, Water, Natural World, Expansive, Lagoon

Swimmers I, Maria Filopoulou, Greek, Water, Natural World, Expansive, Lagoon

Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh

Water & Light are two main components that make the Greek landscape unique and irresistible. Greek painter Maria Filopoulou takes up these two clichés unashamedly and transforms thei...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Previously Available Items
LOOKING AHEAD, man in water, photorealism, underwater, swimmer
LOOKING AHEAD, man in water, photorealism, underwater, swimmer

LOOKING AHEAD, man in water, photorealism, underwater, swimmer

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psych...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Resin, Mixed Media

EPHEMERA I, Swimmer, Blue Water, Pool, Bubbles, Female Form
EPHEMERA I, Swimmer, Blue Water, Pool, Bubbles, Female Form

EPHEMERA I, Swimmer, Blue Water, Pool, Bubbles, Female Form

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic oil paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in the water. A self-taught artist, Zener manipulates li...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Unbound, Contemporary Realist Painting, Oil, Figurative, Swimmer, Ocean, Blue
Unbound, Contemporary Realist Painting, Oil, Figurative, Swimmer, Ocean, Blue

Unbound, Contemporary Realist Painting, Oil, Figurative, Swimmer, Ocean, Blue

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

In this painting, a large female swimmer comes into close-view as she rises from under the blue pool water towards the surface. The painting is similar to a large selfie or an underw...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Where I End and You Begin
Where I End and You Begin

Where I End and You Begin

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psych...

Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Deep Voyager

Eric ZenerDeep Voyager, 2012

Sold

H 72 in W 84 in

Deep Voyager

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologically ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Clear Opening Ahead

A Clear Opening Ahead

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, Oregon) is an American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools. Zener is a self-taught ar...

Category

2010s Realist Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Breaking the Surface Tension

Breaking the Surface Tension

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologically ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Thin Line Study II

Eric ZenerThin Line Study II

Sold

H 16 in W 13.5 in

Thin Line Study II

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic oil paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologica...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Resin

Blissful Descent
Blissful Descent

Blissful Descent

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologically ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Letting Go
Letting Go

Eric ZenerLetting Go, 2015

Sold

H 60 in W 70 in

Letting Go

By Eric Zener

Located in New York, NY

Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, Oregon) is an American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools. Zener is a self-taught artist. His new series turns to large scale, bright yet enigmatic canvases based on amusement park water slides...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Oil

Eric Zener paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Eric Zener paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Eric Zener in paint, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Eric Zener paintings, so small editions measuring 24 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Ligare, Thelma Appel, and Chris Gwaltney. Eric Zener paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,000 and tops out at $90,000, while the average work can sell for $46,000.