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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
Sheep in Landscape (C. 558)
Located in New York, NY
Sheep in Landscape (C. 558), 1974 Lithograph in colors, on wove paper 18 1/8 x 20 1/4 in. (46 x 51.4 cm) Edition of 50 Signed and numbered in pencil, lower margin
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Alpine Haymaking 20th Century Realist Oil Painting by German Landscape Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Alpine Haymaking Harvesting 20th Century Realist Oil Painting by German Landscape Artist, Wolfgang Heinz (1930–2014). Horses, cart, figures in a beautiful sunny mountain setting near...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nocturnes à Giverny by Elger Esser, Water Lily Lake at Sunset, Contemporary Art
Located in Zug, CH
Esser’s Giverny series revisits Monet’s famous garden from an unexpected angle, whereby the common visual memory of this iconic art destination is deconstructed and recreated in an a...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

C Print

1 etching and 1 aquatint of skating youngsters (2010)
Located in Oostende, BE
1 etching and 1 aquatint of skating youngsters, made by illustrator and animator Frederic Marschall. The aquatint is a negative of the etching. Both were put in a new aluminum fram...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Estética (A. Gades)
Located in Barcelona, ES
Figurative work
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Inspiración (Paco de Lucía)
Located in Barcelona, ES
Figurative work of the singer Paco de Lucía
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"Calling for Rain", Robert Fobear, Original Oil on Canvas, 60x48, Wildlife Birds
Located in Dallas, TX
"Calling for Rain" is an original oil on linen painting by Texas Artist Robert Fobear and measures 60x48 inches. This stunning piece captures the essence of autumn with its vibrant g...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

MAT BEETSON - Pelican Heart, Western Australia
Located in PARIS, FR
Limited Edition print of 5 . Mounted on diasec ( acrylic face) About the picture : Pelican Heart, the 'squadron' of pelicans are on the hunt as they work in unison to corral bait fis...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

C Print

OIL PAINTING Small by SALVATORE COLACICCO (NAVY ADMIRALTY 20th CENTURY PIECE
Located in Ferndown, GB
OIL PAINTING SMALL SALVATORE COLACICCO (NAVY ADMIRALTY 20th CENTURY Very good condition for age , (see pictures) FINE RARE MARTINE PAINTING ORIGINAL 20th Century OLD MASTER STYLE OIL PAINTING GOLD GILT FRAME By Similar $3,000 Premier Collection NEW COLLECTION Of RARE PIECES OF OLD HISTORY Description ( 19th century Style ) Salvatore Colacicco is a world-renowned marine artist who was born in 1935 in Bellagio, near Lake Como and studied at Brera Academy, Milan. He has been living in England for over thirty years. Nearly all Salvatore Colacicco's paintings during that time have been exported to the United States and sold through Tonkins of Nantucket Island. These now adorn the walls of many a Board Room and Directors Office throughout the States. Colacicco's style of painting very much reminds one of marine artists throughout the 19th century with an obvious Italian feel. Among Colacicco's achievements were 26 panels illustrating the history and development of the paddle steamer (of which he had made a special study of those used on the Italian Lakes), painted for the Russell Cotes Museum in Bournemouth and most works by Salvatore Colacicco fetch good figures even at auction Nice back story to these pieces , We acquired them from a gentleman that went to school with the artist son in Bournemouth , His Father purchased these ones from the artist roundabout 1960 . Title: Racing...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Marfa Texas Water Tower - Photography by Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Inkjet, Cotton

Cube on Lawn Chair, from: Nine Objects - German Realism
Located in London, GB
This offset Lithograph is hand signed and dated in pencil by the artist "Richter, 1969" at the lower right margins. It was printed by Hoppe & Werry, Mulheim an der Ruhr. and was co-...
Category

1960s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

NEON Lighting Noir Swimming - Vibrant Photograph by Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Cotton, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Powerlines and Reflections
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
A painting done on location on the canal in Scottsdale, AZ. A detailed look at man made structures and line.
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hostility, Female Nude
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Hostility, Female Nude, 20th century, Pencil Technique: Pencil and Charcoal on Paper Inscription: below with estate stamp Date: ...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Anchored sailing ship
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Anchored sailing ship, 20th century, Charcoal Technique: Charcoal over Pencil on Paper Inscription: verso with estate stamp Date...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

"Blue Jay, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Susan McDonnell's (U.S. based) "Blue Jay" is an original, handmade oil painting of a bird (Blue Jay) perched on top of a rock in a body of water. The paintin...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Solitary, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An interesting lone prominent dead tree dramatically present in the foreground of a country feild setting. :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

LE Hand Embellished Giclee on Canvas : Transcendent Achievement Through Transfor
Located in Charelston, SC
Noland Anderson is a self taught portrait artist who strives to create works of art that are a celebration of people of color. He is known for his detailed compositions in oils applied with loose brush strokes. He often features images of Black women and men engaging in everyday life in urban settings. Born in Newport News, Virginia with roots in Sumpter, SC, Noland's passion for figure drawing was formed at an early age. Noland attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where he received an Associate Degree in Advertising. Upon graduating, he went on to work as a freelance illustrator, designing Judaic art throughout the mid 1990s through early 2000s. During this period, Noland's freelance work extended into television where he worked as one of three court artists for the ABC affiliate in South Florida and as an illustrator for Univision (an American media company serving the Latin Market worldwide). Noland is represented by Neema Fine Art Gallery. Neema Fine Art Gallery will donate 15% of the subtotal of each purchase of "Transcendent Achievement Through Transformational Leadership" to the Beta Nu Foundation in an effort to support the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in their efforts to support the needs of the FAMU student body, the needs of the surrounding community, and promote scholarship among Alpha Phi Alpha members and beyond. All limited edition giclees (reproductions) are made to order so please anticipate your artwork to arrive within 14-21 days of your order. All open editions will be shipped within 7 business days.  Orders are shipped via UPS or Fedex; please check your email for all tracking information. Thank you for your support. Keywords: black art Black artist Black art gallery African american art African american artist African american painting African-american art African-american painting African-american artist Ethnic art Ethnic painting Ethnic artist Southern art Southern artist Southern painting African american art gallery African-american art gallery Charleston Charleston gallery Charleston art gallery Atlanta Atlanta gallery Atlanta art gallery Serenbe Serenbe art gallery Chattahoochee hills Georgia Georgia art Atlanta art Neema gallery Neema fine art gallery Giclee Giclee on canvas Harlem Renaissance Library 20's African American male Gentlemann HBCU FAMU Black History...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic, Giclée, Canvas

Fir Grove
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Ethereal painting of a winter landscape. Novikova is a St. Petersburg based artist and graduate of the famous Repin Institute.
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

African Children Suffer Famine and Despair in Hot Colors - Africa is Bleeding
Located in Miami, FL
An intense and powerful study of five undernourished and perhaps starving African children partly superimposed and partly integrated into the silhouette of the African continent...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Graphite

Bookplate for Max Brückner-Rüggeberg
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Bookplate for Max Brückner-Rüggeberg, 1912, Etching Technique: Etching on Paper Inscription: Signed and dated by the artist lower...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Montauk Sunset
Located in Greenwich, CT
American, b. 1933 “Experiencing a painting by Nina Maguire is like catching the scent of a once familiar perfume- evoking memory, filling the viewer with a sense of nostalgia, of a ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Interior with coffee pot
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Leo Primavesi (1871 Cologne - after 1937 ): Interior with coffee pot, 1892, Pen drawing Technique: Pen drawing on Paper Inscription: Signed and dated lower left: "Leo 5. Jan. 1892"...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Geometric Shapes
Located in Greenwich, CT
Still life of boxes and geometric shapes
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Keeping the Ball Rolling
Located in Greenwich, CT
Life-size sculpture of a bare-footed boy balancing himself atop a ball.
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Desire 5, 2011
Located in ATLANTA, GA
Marshall Jones is a realist painter born in Atlanta Georgia, and presently working and living in New York City. From 2008 to 2015 Marshall was the recip...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

ADROGUE II, 2013-2016
Located in ATLANTA, GA
1972-73 Eastbourne College for Art and Design: Fine Art Foundation Course: studies drawing. Works through the South Coast Period of paintings. Studio: South Coast of England. 1974-81 University of Wales: studied painting under Welsh artist Selwyn Jones. Public and private commissions: twenty-five multistory murals in Wales and England: documented by the BBC and British National Newspapers. Studios: Bethesda and Bangor City, Wales. Studies composition and portraiture. Shows at the Royal Exchange, London; Bangor City Museum, Wales. 1981-82 Commission: The Trial of Saint Deiniol: 19-panel, 18 x 21 ft. painting. Studio: Shropshire, England 1982-86 The New York Times send photographer Dith Pran (on whom the movie The Killing Fields was based) to photograph Povey in New York with The Trial of Saint Deiniol painting at Art Expo New York 1986. Povey is advised by George Bush Senior’s former campaign manager Zena Temkin on shaping his public persona. The BBC film Edward Povey with former President of the Royal Academy of Art in London - Sir Hugh Casson KCVO, RA, RDI in which Sir Hugh interviews Povey about his art career. Public and private commissions for collections in the United States, London, Wales, Belgium, West Indies. Studies symbolism and trains in color with Jan de Maere in Brussels and works through the Tapestry Period of paintings Studio: Grenada, West Indies. 1987-91 Studies psychology and narrative in art whilst he builds the extensive Childhood, Illusion and Desire Period of paintings. Studio: Guisborough, England courtesy of the town mayor. Shows in Belgium, London, New York. 1992-93 Public commission: Hall of Illusion mural: 20 X 40 ft. interior oil painting in the Chamber Concert Hall of the University of Wales. The commission is followed by BBC Television, S4C Television; BBC Radio Four and regional and national newspapers. Studios: Guisborough, England; Bangor City, Wales. Designs the Hall of Illusion mural on the island of Grenada, West Indies. 1994-96 Deepens his studies in the relationship between art and the psyche. Researches new ways to evolve concepts with models using theaters...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Plaster, Paper, Oil

Her Majesty's Thunder, original oil on canvas, American realist artist
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
Leigh Murphy This original work of art by the award-winning watercolour and oil painter Leigh Murphy wonderfully illustrates her super realist technique of using thin layers to...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Roses & Lisianthus
Located in Greenwich, CT
Flowers
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

untitled, 2015
Located in ATLANTA, GA
Artist
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Nova Car - Marfa Texas - Vintage Car Photograph
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Lysander
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
Leigh Murphy This original work of art by the award-winning watercolour and oil painter Leigh Murphy wonderfully illustrates her super realist technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

57 Chevy Bel Aire
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
Leigh Murphy This original work of art by the award-winning watercolour and oil painter Leigh Murphy wonderfully illustrates her super realist technique of using thin layers to bui...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Belem´s Tower, Lisbon", 19th Century Oil on Wood Panel by Enrique Atalaya
By Enrique Atalaya
Located in Madrid, ES
ENRIQUE ATALAYA Spanish, 1851 - 1913 BELEM´S TOWER, LISBON signed "ATALAYA" (lower right) oil on wood panel 6-1/4 x 8-1/8 inches (15.8 x 20.5 cm.) fram...
Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Monolithic
Located in Greenwich, CT
American, b. 1972 Edward Minoff Graduated with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Throughout his high school and college years he studied painting and sculpture at the Art ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Paper, Oil

MIKONOS
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

MIKONOS
MIKONOS
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COSTA BRAVA
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pico Garcez - Atacama #1, Landscape Photography
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Smart Couple Sitting
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
Ruth Bloch was born in Israel in 1951 to artist parents. Her father was a musician, while her mother worked in ceramics, Ruth's family were members of a Kibbutz called Alonim, a plac...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Floating Market Asia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Rhine Landscape with Gutenfels Castle
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Rhine Landscape with Gutenfels Castle, 20th century, Charcoal Technique: Charcoal on Transparent paper Inscription: monogrammed l...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

PENISCOLA
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

PENISCOLA
PENISCOLA
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Vibrant Swimming Motion Paris France by Photographer Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paris France - Vibrant aqua blue. Photography Edition Print. Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from chil...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Norwegian Teapot
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
“The success of a realistic painting does not depend merely on copying a subject. I believe it needs to offer the textures, colors, and tones to one’s eye and become something more ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Connection
Located in Nutfield, Surrey
“The success of a realistic painting does not depend merely on copying a subject. I believe it needs to offer the textures, colors, and tones to one’s eye and become something more ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

San Gimignano, Blick zum Palazzo del Podestà
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): San Gimignano, Blick zum Palazzo del Podestà, 1913, Pencil Technique: Pencil and Charcoal on Paper Inscription: dated and monogra...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

"Truth & Beauty", Frederick Hart, Bronze Figurative Sculpture, 8x12x9 in.,
Located in Dallas, TX
"Truth and Beauty" by Frederick Hart is a figurative female figure bronze sculpture with the edition number 39/40. Frederick Hart was an American sculptor. His is best known for his Three Soldiers statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Ex Nihiio (1983) depicting Creation scenes above the doors of the Washington National Cathedral...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

ATARDECER EN COSTA BRAVA
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

RAMBLA DE BARCEONA
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Notre-Dame de Paris
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Notre-Dame de Paris, 1909, Pencil Technique: Pencil on Paper, mounted on Cardboard Inscription: Dated, inscribed and signed "Pari...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

NEON Swimming - Vibrant Noir Abstract Photography
Located in Brooklyn, NY
NEON Swimming - Vibrant Noir Abstract Photography. Swimming Pool - Bright Orange and Black Noir. Photography. Edition Print. This Photography work 23.5 inches by 35.5 inches. Pico...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Arco dei Becci in San Gimignano
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Carl August Walther (1880 Leipzig - 1956 Dresden): Arco dei Becci in San Gimignano, 20th century, Pencil Technique: Pencil on Paper Inscription: lower left with estate stamp Date:...
Category

20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Nova Car - Marfa Texas - Vintage Car Photograph
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Untitled
Located in Barcelona, ES
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fabric Man
Located in Greenwich, CT
American, b.1956 Scott Duce is an international artist working in New York. Duce’s work is included in many corporate, museum, and private collections. Notable collections include ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Pocket Blackbird's Egg 3 (c), Original Painting, Egg, Realism
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Blackbird's Egg 3 (c) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroqu...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La sieste sous le laurier
Located in ATLANTA, GA
Artist
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

October 3:30 PM sketch
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sketch for Minoff's painting October 3:30 PM.
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Gouache, Graphite, Paper

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.

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