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Photorealist Art

PHOTOREALISM

A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.

Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.

The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.

Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”

The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.

On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.

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Style: Photorealist
The Beatles Licensed Artwork by J. Scott Nicol Ltd Ed Signed and Numbered
Located in Boca Raton, FL
The Beatles Licensed Artwork by J. Scott Nicol Ltd Ed Signed and Numbered The is a limited edition signed and numbered on canvas with museum quality wood framing. 20" x 30" One ca...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas

JAPANESE KIMONO Signed Lithograph, Blonde Woman White Silk Kimono Gold Cranes
Located in Union City, NJ
Japanese Kimono by the American photorealist artist Douglas Hofmann is an original hand drawn lithograph(not a photo reproduction or digital print) printed using hand lithography techniques on Arches paper, 100% acid free. Print size - 31.25" x 24", unframed, excellent condition, pencil signed by Douglas Hofmann Image size - 24.25" x 18.25" Edition size - 300, plus proofs Year published - 1990 Printer - JK Fine Art Editions Co. Japanese Kimono is a remarkable rendering of a young blonde woman, hair in a chignon, modeling a white Japanese silk kimono, embellished with red edging and elegant gold cranes...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Blue Room
By Jack Mendenhall
Located in New York, NY
DESCRIPTION Bears O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, New York label, verso. SIGNATURE Signed and dated Mendenhall '79, verso
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Located in Brussels, BE
Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 2 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Located in Brussels, BE
Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 2 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Jungle Cadi
Located in West Hollywood, CA
The artwork “Jungle Cadi” beckons the viewer to submerge into an atmosphere of sophistication and mystery, skillfully blending the sleek Cadillac against a verdant backdrop that grad...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 2 - Roma - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Located in Brussels, BE
Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 2 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 2
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series, Félix Mula...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

San Carlo
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the San Carlo Church of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He l...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 8
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 4
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 7
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 3
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series, Félix Mula...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 4
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series, Félix Mula...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Bilhete de identidade, Untitled 6
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Bilhete de Identidade series In this series, Félix Mula...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Magoanine Verde, Untitled 6
Located in MADRID, ES
Analogue photo. Photography, printed on Aluminium Dibond. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. Walnut wood frame, 35 mm depth, 4 mm thickness. Magoanine Verde started in 2023 as a photogr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

"FernLake" Cargo Ship at Sea - Company Chromolithograph on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
"FernLake" Cargo Ship at Sea Chromolithograph on Canvas Original Maiden Voyage of the FernLake Chromolithograph from the painting by Norwegian artist Carl B. Hestman (Norwegian, 19...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Printer's Ink, Stretcher Bars, Canvas, Photogravure, Lithograph

Ancestors Heritage - Cusco, Peru, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The Cusco vase is symbolic of the Peruvian heritage. Included in this still life is a metal stand in the background that is rusted and has a nice corroded patina which gives an Old W...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Master of the city, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
a gargoyle on the top of the Notre dame Cathedral in Paris looking over the city of light :: Digital :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Still Life with Sugars, Photorealist Serigraph by Ralph Goings
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ralph Goings, American (1928 - 2016) Title: Still Life With Sugars Year: 1981 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300; 40 AP's Image Size: 19 x 20 inc...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Family
Located in San Francisco, CA
An excellent example of Molinari's photorealistic technique, the level of detail in rendering the subtle fluctuations of the crumpled surfaces, as well as the play of light and shado...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

72A
Located in San Francisco, CA
An excellent example of Molinari's photorealistic technique, the level of detail in rendering the subtle fluctuations of the crumpled surfaces, as well as the play of light and shado...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Milano Palazzo Reale
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the Royal Palace of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Moss Landing - 1965 Original Black and White Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Moss Landing - 1965 Original Black and White Photograph Original black and white photograph of Moss Landing in 1965 by Al Weber (American, 1930-2016). The photograph shows Moss Land...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Paper

San Maurizio
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken inside the San Maurizio Church of Milan. Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. H...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Dragon Mouth Trip - underwater black&white nude photograph - archival print
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Underwater black and white nude photograph of a model diving in a swimming pool Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival pa...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Ogni Giorno, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Brand new painting entitled Ogni Giorno, Italian for Every Day. Inspired by a trip to Agrigento, Sicily. It shows a man working in a supermarket. :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

"Glass Giants"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Spiral Martini"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

"Star Confetti"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
John Schieffer graduated in 1995 from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The salutatorian entered the world of illustration at Mercer Ma...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Lightness of Being
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Lightness of Being' - depicts a white brick building with warm sunlight and shadows cascading across the facade of the warm bricks with white inset window. Birds flying are reflecte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Deep Anesthesia - underwater nude photograph - archival print 17 x 23.5"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a nude model diving in blue light on a black background. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archiva...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Superhero
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Cesar Santander Superhero Original Oil Painting -- Please watch video in listing 16" x 20" original painting on board. This is a unique, original painting of which no copies have bee...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

San Pietro
Located in Milano, MI
Photo taken at San Pietro - Rome Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works be...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

The landing, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Multiple shots of a blue heron landing on a tree top. The photo is in black and white, emphasizing the grace of those fantastic birds in their flight :: Digital :: Photorealism :: Th...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Stbo097-Contemporary, Abstract, Minimalism, Modern, Pop art, Geometric, Acrylic
Located in London, London
Stq097, 1997 His work has been shown in Reina Sofía Museum of Madrid, Royal Academy of London, Arco Madrid, Pinta Art Fair, London, London Art Fair, The Other Art Fair, London, and...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Pencil

Solar power, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
A beautiful sunflower on a black background :: Digital :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: S...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

A Course in Miracles
Located in Fairlawn, OH
A Course in Miracles Dye transfer photograph, 1978 From: 12 Photographs: 1973-1983, Plate 7 of 12 Signed in ink Edition: 50, this example an Artist's Proof (7/10) Printer: Guy Stri...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Dye Transfer

Pantheon
Located in Milano, MI
Marcelo Soulé (Buenos Aires, 1958) trained at the Artistic Lyceum and the Brera Academy in Milan. He lives and works between Milan and Barcelona. He bega...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Inkjet, Pigment

Coming home, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
A great white egret landing on a tree and one of his (her) chicks is waiting. It is easy to imagine that they are having a conversation together. The photo was featured in the Daily...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital

Beastie Boys Adam Yauch MCA Vintage Darkroom Print by Jake Chessum
Located in Austin, US
Original hand-printed vintage print from photographer Jake Chessum of Beastie Boys Adam Yauch, know as MCA, playing double bass in the studio in 1994. Printed by Jake back in the d...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Time to Save
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Time to Save From: 12 Photographs: 1973-1983, Plate 8 of 12 Dye transfer photograph, 1979 Signed in ink Edition: 50, this example an Artist's Proof (7/10) Printer: Guy Stricherz Pu...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Dye Transfer

Cold Song III - underwater photograph - archival pigment print
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a man diving in the pool with bouquet of flowers Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper w...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Nude Studies 2
Located in Dallas, TX
From Dallas,Texas, Francisco has always had an innate interest in the arts. He began sketching at an early age. A self-taught artist, his influences include many of the early 20th ce...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Charcoal

Tori Amos Vintage Print 12"x16" by Jake Chessum
Located in Austin, US
Original hand-printed vintage 12x16” darkroom print from photographer Jake Chessum of Tori Amos. Printed by Jake in the 90's, at the time of the photo shoot. Jake recalls the sessio...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Blue Mirror - underwater nude photograph - archival pigment print 17.5 x 23"
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater nude photograph of a beautiful young woman diving in the pool. Original gallery quality print signed by the artist. Digital archival pigment print on archival paper w...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Hunter, Mid-Century Photo Realist Drypoint Etching Portrait, Limited Edition
By Gilbert Schoenbrod
Located in Soquel, CA
An incredible photo-realist drypoint etching of a Native American man by Gilbert Adam Shoenbrod (American, 1903-1996), 1937. Titled "The Hunter", this hyper detailed portrait depicts...
Category

1930s Photorealist Art

Materials

Drypoint

Red Hot Chili Peppers by Ebet Roberts
Located in Austin, US
A classic, stunning shot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 by celebrated photographer, Ebet Roberts. Signed limited edition, hand printed sil...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nude Woman in Bathtub w Mirror Reflections Photorealism erotica 1977 watercolor
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
An amazing, 1977 photorealist watercolor painting by Photorealism artist, Hilo Chen, of a nude woman in Bathtub with her reflection seen in the wall m...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Awakening The Inner Glow
Located in Dallas, TX
The works of Mike Dargas elude a clear temporal distinction. Even if the representations can stand as indications of a contemporary Western zeitgeist, the images lose their temporal ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

'Promise of Spring' Contemporary Painting of a blue tit bird on a branch, yellow
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Promise of Spring' by Ben Waddams is a Contemporary Realist Wildlife oil painting of an English Blue Tit bird on a branch. With such incredible detail you almost expect the bird to ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Boats Sailing At Sunset, Santa Cruz - Color Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Boats Sailing At Sunset, Santa Cruz - Color Photograph Color photograph of sailboats at sunset in front of the Breakwater Lighthouse in Santa Cruz, California by John F. Hunter (Ame...
Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Art

Materials

Ink, Photographic Paper

LITHOGRAPHS Greenwich Village NYC, Signed Mezzotint, Art Gallery, Photorealism
Located in Union City, NJ
LITHOGRAPHS Greenwich Village NYC by the American photorealist artist John Baeder is a limited edition mezzotint printed using hand printmaking techniques on archival, cream colored ...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Mezzotint

White peonies in a cold color, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
White peonies in a cold color :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes :...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Henry Miller And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge - 1954 Original Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
"Henry And Eve Miller On Partington Ridge" - 1954 Original Photograph 1954 original black and white silver gelatin photograph of Henry and Eve Miller at their house on Partington Ri...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Ink, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Red roses, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Professional paints, gallery stretch canvas. Such a painting requires painstaking work for several months, the technique of multi-layered painting. The painting will be covered with ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

Iconics by Fabrizio La Torre - Set # 1 - New York - 1956 - Vintage Photographs
Located in Brussels, BE
Artworks sold in perfect condition : Set # 1 composed of 5 Gallery Print 30x40 cm This is an exceptional offer that we are presenting today. For almost four years, here on 1stdibs, a...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Tori Amos 1994 Vintage 12"x16" Darkroom Print by Jake Chessum
Located in Austin, US
Oginal hand-printed 12x16” darkroom vintage print from photographer Jake Chessum of Tori Amos. Printed by Jake in the 90's, at the time of the photo shoot. Jake recalls the session...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Photorealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist 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, red, purple, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Alex Sher, Gregory Block, Lowell Nesbitt, and Ian Hornak. 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 Photorealist art, so small editions measuring 0.79 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $585,000, while the average work sells for $2,404.

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