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
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
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
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
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
White Sands Road, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Leslie White
Located in Yardley, PA
Storm clouds over White Sands New Mexico :: Painting :: Realism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Signed: ...
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Rhode Island Surfer, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A surfer carrying his board at a Rhode Island beach, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered an...
Category
1960s 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
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
Rhode Island Surfer, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A surfer carrying his board at a Rhode Island beach, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered an...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Hyperreal Green, Pink & Purple Glass Balloon Sculpture Set
Located in East Quogue, NY
Set of 3 hyperreal glass water balloon sculptures by Dylan Martinez. Made of 100% hot-sculpted glass.
Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glas...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Glass, Blown Glass
Rhode Island Surfers, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Surfers off Rhode Island, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aaron...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Private Architecture in 19th Century, Parisian Suburban Villa Floor Plan
Located in Houston, TX
This architectural drawing of a Suburban Villa in the countryside near Paris, France is from a 1872 book titled Private Architecture In the XIX Century Under Napoleon III. Second Series. New Houses Of Paris And Surroundings. This book was dedicated to Baron Haussmann, the name who is credited with transforming Paris' slums into the thriving metropolitan center we know today. The architect listed for this floor plan...
Category
19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Engraving
19th Century Oil, Study for a Portrait of Emile Baron
Located in Cotignac, FR
A late 19th century oil sketch of a society figure. Though not signed the work is by repute and very much in the style of Charles Auguste Émile Durand. Presented in modern gilt and p...
Category
Late 19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil, Board
Hyperreal Green Lagoon Glass Balloon Sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Emerald green glass water balloon sculpture by Dylan Martinez. 100% hot sculpted glass.
Dylan Martinez’s hyperrealistic water balloons are made of solid sculpted glass sandblasted ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Glass, Blown Glass
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
Rhode Island Surfers, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Surfers off Rhode Island, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aaron...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Rhode Island Surfers, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Surfers off Rhode Island, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aaron...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
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
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
Rhode Island Surfer, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A surfer carrying his board at a Rhode Island beach, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered an...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Rhode Island Surfers, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Surfers off Rhode Island, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered and stamped by the Slim Aaron...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Rhode Island Surfer, Slim Aarons Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A surfer carrying his board at a Rhode Island beach, September 1965. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included
Numbered an...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
Crab. 1971, watercolor on paper, 63 x 69, 3 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Crab. 1971, watercolor on paper, 63x69,3 cm
Underwater world
Janis Brekte (1920.15.VIII – 1985.27.XII)
Janis Brekte his first artistic education got in drawing courses of K. Brence...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Winter Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden Winter Stream Snow
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter Stream
oil/canvas 12 x 16 unframed, 18.5 x 22.5 framed
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful winter landsca...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Swedish Gate evening. 1972, paper, watercolor, 60, 5 x 42, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Swedish Gate evening.
1972, paper, watercolor, 60,5x42,5 cm
The central focus of the artwork is on an old town, a historic district known for its antiquated architecture, cobbled s...
Category
1970s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
Autumn landscape. 1966. Watercolor on paper. 33, 5 x 54 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Forest landscape at autumn
1966. Watercolor on paper. 33,5x54 cm
Janis Brekte (1920.15.VIII – 1985.27.XII)
Janis Brekte his first artistic education got in drawing courses of K. Bre...
Category
1960s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
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
Romany Gypsy Caravan at the Round House, Clifton Lane, Wilford, Nottingham.
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Edgar Woollatt.
English ( b.1871 - d.1931 ).
Romany Gypsy Caravan at the Round House, Clifton Lane, Wilford, Nottingham.
Watercolor. Signed.
Image size 10.8 inches x 20.5 inches ( 2...
Category
Early 20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Inner space Contemporary still life Oil Painting by Giulnara Khabibulina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This series of works is based on the artist's impressions and communication with old and new friends. Our future is impossible without the past. We all appreciate old stories about o...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Andean Motmot, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
174
Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan,
Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Year: 2023
Style: Classic Art
Title: Andean Motmot
Size: 12 x 16...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
"First Steps" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Austin Howlett's "First Steps" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a tall female figure walking through a snow covered landscape.
Artis...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
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
"Blue Aura" - Mixed Media Painting by Andrada Trapnell Ethereal Female Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
"Blue Aura" by Andrada Trapnell, a stunning mixed media artwork from 2022, measures 24 x 24 inches and is executed on board. This piece presents an ethereal portrait of a woman, bath...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Mixed Media, Panel
Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting of a River Landscape with Silver Birch Trees
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage 20th Century Oil Painting of a River Landscape with Silver Birch Trees
Art measures 10 x 8 inches
Frame measures 12 x 10 inches
Presented in the original period frame
Category
20th Century Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
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
Buckleys in Switzerland, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
American author and journalist William F. Buckley Jr. and his wife Patricia take a sleigh ride from the Chateau de Rougemont in Switzerland, 1986.
Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certi...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Lambda
New York City Washington Square Spring 5th Avenue Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Washington Square Spring
oil/panel
14 x 11 unframed, 18.5 x 15.5 framed
Washington Square Spring is a plein air oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Mich...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Marsh at Dawn, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Lush greenery and dreamy purple clouds set a tranquil mood over a coastal wetland. At dawn, the scene exudes a serene beauty as a subtle hint of sunlight emerge...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
Moonlight Beach Clouds, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Beneath the moonlit sky and wispy clouds, gentle waves crash upon the quiet shore. The vast expanse of the seascape offers a feeling of serene openness and poss...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art
Materials
Oil
"Find A Balance" - Original Oil of Reflective Woman by Elena Burykina
Located in Denver, CO
Elena Burykina's "Find A Balance" (2023) is a compelling 12 x 12-inch oil on panel painting that captures the introspective moment of a woman in thought. This piece, unframed but rea...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
"Diver" - Original Painting by Elena Burykina, Marine Art, Penguins
Located in Denver, CO
Elena Burykina's "Diver" (2020) is an evocative oil on paper that captures the serene yet mysterious allure of underwater exploration juxtaposed with the natural world above. This 12...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Oil
"Eye of the Storm" - Mixed Media Artwork by Andrada Trapnell, Surreal Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
"Eye of the Storm," an original mixed media artwork by Andrada Trapnell, measures 40 x 30 inches and is rendered on a sturdy board. Created in 2023, this piece showcases Trapnell's d...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Mixed Media
Paternity oil acrylic on canvas painting realism Spain Sitges 70s
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Frameless.
Is born in Madrid on the 21st july 1951.
After attending primary school, he starts to grow an enormous tendency for drawing.
At the age of 14 he begins to work in advert...
Category
1980s Realist Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Noumena" - Original Oil of Woman with Sculpture by Brad Davis, Intriguing Art
By Brad Davis
Located in Denver, CO
Brad Davis's "Noumena" (2024) is a compelling oil on wood panel painting, framed to dimensions of 34 x 26 inches, capturing a unique interplay between a real woman and a sculptural b...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
"Night at the Banks" - Original Oil of Window Reflections by Brad Davis
By Brad Davis
Located in Denver, CO
Brad Davis's "Night at the Banks" (2023) is a unique and captivating oil on wood panels painting, measuring 20.50 x 16 inches, that vividly captures the essence of urban life after d...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
Portal. 1956. Paper, watercolor, 75x55 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Portal
1956. Paper, watercolor, 75x55 cm
The central focus of the artwork is on an old town, a historic district known for its antiquated architecture, cobbled streets, and a sense...
Category
1950s Realist Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
OIL PAINTING 19th Century By Robert E . Roe British old master Gold Gilt Frame
Located in Ferndown, GB
VERY RARE Oil PAINTING Antique 19th Century By Listed artist British old master
OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING BRITISH SCHOOL 19th Century Gold Frame
Description
Late 19th century
“Good...
Category
Mid-19th Century Realist Art
Materials
Oil
"Baby" - Original Acrylic Painting of Woman and Deer by Mary Carroll
By Mary Carroll
Located in Denver, CO
Mary Carroll's "Baby" (2024) is a deeply evocative acrylic painting, measuring 24 x 18 inches, ready to hang even without a frame. This poignant artwork captures a somber yet tender ...
Category
2010s Realist Art
Materials
Panel, Acrylic
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.