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
Modern Marilyn - Original handsigned lithograph - 199ex
Located in Paris, FR
Jean-Baptiste VALADIE
Modern Marilyn
Original lithograph
Handsigned in pencil
Limited /199copies
On vellum 76 x 56 cm (c. 30 x 22 in)
Excellent condition
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph
Almazan Vertical Realistic Still-Life Acrylic Painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Almazan Realistic Still Life Acrylic Painting
MIQUEL was an artist focused on the art of realism. His structured works on his great mastery of drawing, are romantic and translates ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Silent Passage
Located in Colorado Springs, US
Edition #8/30 - Original bronze sculpture by Gerald Balciar.
Signed on bronze sculpture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Bronze
Crow Story Tellers
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original charcoal drawing on paper by Matt Atkinson.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 39.5 X 35.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Charcoal
Sunset Music
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 32 X 43.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Undaunted
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original pastel and colored pencil drawing by Matt Atkinson.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 30.5 X 26.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Pastel, Color Pencil
Above and Below
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 15 X 18
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Crow Maiden
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original charcoal drawing on paper by Brandon Bailey CA.
Signed lower left.
Framed Dimensions: 24 X 20
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Charcoal
Almazan 6 Store Ancient Containers Realistic Still-Life watercolor Painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Almazan Realistic Still Life watercolor Painting
MIQUEL was an artist focused on the art of realism. His structured works on his great mastery of drawing, are romantic and translat...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Solitude
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Brandon Bailey CA.
Signed lower left.
Framed Dimensions: 36 X 30
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Bear Splash
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original charcoal drawing on paper by Matt Atkinson.
Signed lower left.
Framed Dimensions: 26.5 X 32.5
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Charcoal
Rowboats in Maine, Painting, Oil on MDF Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Idyllic, peaceful painting of three rowboats moored on the water in a cove in Maine. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
First Days of Summer
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 31 X 37
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Almazan Realistic Still Life Acrylic Painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Almazan Realistic Still Life Acrylic Painting
MIQUEL was an artist focused on the art of realism. His structured works on his great mastery of drawing, are romantic and translates ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Wood, Oil
On the forest trail. 2023., canvas, acrylic, 90x120 cm
Located in Riga, LV
On the forest trail. 2023, canvas, acrylic, 90x120 cm
"I like to observe nature, animals, birds, landscapes. I depict my observations in paintings. Painting helps me to see, feel an...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
The Dance
Located in Colorado Springs, US
One of a kind, original oil painting on canvas by Michael Albrechtsen.
Signed lower right.
Framed Dimensions: 45 X 47
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Marie Louise Bion (1858-1939) – Portrait of a Young Woman – 19thC Oil Painting
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Marie Louise Bion
(Swiss, *1858 ; † 1939)
• Portrait of a young Woman
• Oil on canvas
• Stretcher ca. 56 x 46 cm
• Original 19thC frame ca. 68 x 59 cm
• Signed and dated ‘ 7/85 ’ ...
Category
1880s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
A portrait with wild flowers
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I embraced the delicate dance of light and shadow, capturing the serene beauty of a woman holding a bouquet of wildflowers. Each stroke reflects a moment of tra...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Sparkling Creek, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
sun sparkling on a fast flowing mountain creek :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Si...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Michael Budden Working Boat The Discovery
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
The Discovery
oil/canvas
11 x 14 image unframed, 16.5 x 20.5 framed
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a study of light hitt...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Lake shore in spring. 2023, acrylic on canvas, 60x80 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Lake shore in spring. 2023, acrylic on canvas, 60x80 cm
"I like to observe nature, animals, birds, landscapes. I depict my observations in paintings. Painting helps me to see, feel ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic, Canvas
Winter road in the forest. 2023, oil on canvas, 60x80 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Winter road in the forest. 2023, oil on canvas, 60x80 cm
"I like to observe nature, animals, birds, landscapes. I depict my observations in paintings. Painting helps me to see, feel...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Amata river in spring. 2024, oil on canvas, 70x90 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Amata river in spring. 2024., oil on canvas, 70x90 cm
"I like to observe nature, animals, birds, landscapes. I depict my observations in paintings. Painting helps me to see, feel an...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Silver Bowl and Apple, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
A traditional still life painted on slim canvas with many layers of acrylic paint creating depth and color in the piece. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official c...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Acrylic
Barack Obama White House portrait print
Located in New York, NY
Kehinde Wiley
Portrait of Barack Obama
Color offset lithograph
Based upon the original painting the artist did of President Obama, the official presidential portrait in the permanent...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Lithograph, Offset
Ancient Mesquite Tree, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
This giant mesquite tree is on the grounds of Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas. This painting shows just a portion of the tree which is the biggest mesquite I've ever seen. I'...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Slender Pines (Hand-printed cyanotype, 18 x 12 inches)
Located in Oakland, CA
Brand-new addition to the Foggy Woods Collection of forests in northern California near San Francisco. New as of May 14, 2024. This is a hand-printed contact photograph using the ant...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Rag Paper, Archival Paper, Paper, Photogram
Still Life with Oranges, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted in a traditional style with numerous glazes in oil, this painting is vibrant and colorful. The sides of the slim canvas have been painted. :: Painting :: Realism :: This pie...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Limited Edition Glass Goldfish Water Bag Sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Inspired by popular demand, these limited-edition hyperreal goldfish cracker glass water bags are a playful nod to the carnival goldfish in plastic bags.
Created with molten glass ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Ceramic, Glass, Blown Glass
Andrada Trapnell's 'Dream Catcher' Original Owl Oil Painting with Ornate Frame
Located in Denver, CO
Andrada Trapnell's "Dream Catcher" is a captivating original artwork created in 2023. This piece measures 6 x 8 x 0.10 inches (15.24 x 20.32 x 0.25 cm) and features a masterful blend...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
The old dam. 1959, cardboard, watercolor, 68x54 cm
Located in Riga, LV
The old dam.
1959, cardboard, watercolor, 68x54 cm
The central focus of the painting is an old town, a historic district known for its antiquated architecture, cobbled streets, and...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
WW1 World War I Trench Art Drawing by Belgian Soldier of Arras, France in 1915
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Leopold Halvoet
Belgian ( d.1918 Adinkerke ).
Trench Art, Arras, France. 1915
Charcoal on paper.
Signed & dated 1915 lower right.
Image size 18.5 inches x 23.8 inches ( 47cm x 60.5cm...
Category
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Charcoal
Tree Shadows on Pool, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Tree shadows making interesting patterns on a pool :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Slim Aarons 'Westin Excelsior, Venice' Mid-century Modern Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Westin Excelsior in Venice
1957
C print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
Slim Aarons, an acclaimed fine art photo...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Laguna Beach Surfers, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A surfer in the sea at Laguna Beach, California, January 1970. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Nu...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
CONTEMPORARY Fine Art Landscape Jungle Spanish Artist Carol Moreno
Located in BARCELONA, ES
For artworks with dimensions, they will be shipped rolled in a tube. If you would like them to be strengthened, please contact us so that we can provide you with a shipping quotation...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Flowing Water, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
abstract patterns and colors of water flowing over rocks in a shallow creek :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the arti...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Old Ford, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
While taking a walk through an old neighborhood, my husband and I came upon this old ford backed into a driveway dug into the side of a hill. Loved the composition and the idea that ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Crape Myrtle Roots Along the San Antonio River, Painting, Watercolor on Watercol
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
The twisting shapes of the crape myrtle roots and the bright colors of the fallen leaves create an abstract pattern :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certif...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Sun Patterns in the Pool, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
bright spot of sunlight reflecting on swimming pool water :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Han...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
French school Drawing pencil and gouache Study Boat in Normandy 19th Monogram
Located in PARIS, FR
French school from the mid-19th century Pencil and gouache highlights 25 x 35 cm (32 x 50 cm with the mat) Located, dated and signed "Holy address / August 15, 45 / H"
Category
1840s Realist Art
Materials
Gouache, Carbon Pencil
"Get Lucky" Oil Painting 24" x 20 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Get Lucky" Oil Painting 24" x 20 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube.
A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine, provocative...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
River. 1960, watercolor on paper, 43x61 cm
Located in Riga, LV
River. 1960, watercolor on paper, 43x61 cm
Janis Brekte (1920.15.VIII – 1985.27.XII)
Janis Brekte his first artistic education got in drawing courses of K. Brencens (1936 – 39).
He ...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
HMS Newcastle. In Sydney Harbor. December 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Royal Navy.
By Eric Erskine Campbell Tufnell
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Commander Eric Erskine Campbell Tufnell RN
English ( b.1888 - d.1979 ).
HMS Newcastle in Sydney Harbor, December 1956.
UK Squadron attending 1956 Olympics, Melbourne, Australia
Water...
Category
Mid-20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Winter day. 1969. Paper, watercolor, 15x21 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Winter day. 1969. Paper, watercolor, 15x21 cm
Janis Brekte (1920.15.VIII – 1985.27.XII)
Janis Brekte his first artistic education got in drawing courses of K. Brencens (1936 – 39).
...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
San Antonio Mission San Jose, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Mission San Jose is part of the mission trail in San Antonio, Texas. The yucca blossoms on the grounds are some of the first signs of spring. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece com...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Hiking Enchanted Rock, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Enchanted Rock in the Texas Hill Country. This granite dome has long been a sacred spot and place of beauty. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Wildflowers Reaching for the Clouds, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
While hiking near Rocky Mountain National park, I noticed some wildflowers growing on a spot higher than the trail. It was an unusual perspective to see the underside of the flowers ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Meet You at the Thistle Blossom, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Close up view of a bumble bee and a moth on purple thistle blossoms :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Re...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Yellow Warbler, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Close up view of a yellow warbler on a tree branch :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Confluence of Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek, Painting, Watercolor on Watercol
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Two colors of water come together yet remain distinct after a spring rain in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Stream at Enchanted Rock, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Enchanted Rock is a beautiful granite dome in the Texas Hillcountry. On a recent hike up I noticed this little creek with clear water that made the granite sparkle. :: Painting :: Re...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Shadows Over White Sands, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Storm clouds shade some dunes at White Sands New Mexico while sun shines bright on another dune. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authentici...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor
Almazan Store Vertical Milkmaids Containers. StillLife Acrylic
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Almazan Realistic Still Life Acrylic Painting. frameD
MIQUEL was an artist focused on the art of realism. His structured works on his great mastery of drawing, are romantic and tra...
Category
Early 2000s Realist Art
Materials
Wood, Acrylic
Poolside Host, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Guests by the pool at Nelda Linsk's desert house in Palm Springs, California, January 1970. The house was designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar J. Kaufmann. At far left is Lita Baron....
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Lido Life, Venice' Mid-century Modern Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Lido Life, Venice
1957
C print
Signature stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the Slim Aarons estate.
A waiter serves fruit to bathers, ...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Baalbek, Temple of Bacchus. Oil on canvas, 51, 5 x 74 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Baalbek, Temple of Bacchus. Oil on canvas, 51,5x74 cm
The Temple of Bacchus was one of the three main temples at a large complex in classical antiquity, at Baalbek in Lebanon. The t...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Story of Red" - Original Painting by Andrada Trapnell, Red Riding Hood Inspired
Located in Denver, CO
Explore the enchanting narrative of "Story of Red" by Andrada Trapnell, a 2023 mixed media creation that invokes the timeless tale of Red Riding Hood. This original artwork, measurin...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Mixed Media, Panel
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.