Realist More Art
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.
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Late 19th Century Realist More Art
Porcelain, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1870s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
In a forest where muted light filters through the trees, two brightly colored birds perch on a mossy branch. One sits calmly facing forward, while the other lea...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The late afternoon light casts a soft glow on the mountain peaks. Purple irises bloom in the foreground, adding a touch of color to the moody landscape. Althoug...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Towering coconut palm trees stretch into a vibrant blue sky, their fronds swaying gently in the breeze. Expressive strokes and texture bring out the details o...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Once a vessel of journeys, now surrendered to the stillness of time. A faded blue car rests among tangled grasses, its open doors whispering of roads long forgo...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Beneath the forest’s quiet breath, pale roots unfurl like ghostly ribbons through the dark earth, reaching, searching, remembering. Each curve speaks of endur...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Fading sunlight lingers across frosted fields and bare trees along a rural path at dusk. Tire tracks guide the eye toward the horizon, glowing with warm amber l...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Evening shadows deepen around a quiet rural home. Surrounding trees and overgrown grass soften the stark outlines of the house. A single pale window holds the d...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A barn stands at the corner of a dirt road, capturing the quiet poetry of rural life. Reflected in the still water below, the structure’s weathered textures a...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Time stands still at a derelict farm nestled in a sweeping valley. A meandering stream adds movement and direction to the scene. Towering mountains rise in th...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A rose blooms quietly, its petals glowing softly in the light. The branches in the distance stretch out, piercing the night sky like steel knives. Painted wit...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A tall, weathered tree stretches toward a colorful sky, its bare branches silhouetted against soft, dreamy hues. Dark green foliage below anchors the scene, whi...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A tall, thin and elegant landscape of a serene coastal scene at dusk. The gradient sky dominates, transitioning from deep teal at the top to a warm, glowing gol...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Kent Sullivan captures the peaceful glow of early evening at a Colorado monument. Warm skies bathe the landscape in soft light, highlighting his admirati...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
In this piece, artist Vic Roschkov captures a peaceful natural landscape. He highlights a river mouth and a winding stream that flows through open green marshla...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A brightly colored parrot perches on a snow-covered rock before a tranquil lake, with snowy mountains rising in the background. Tropical foliage frames the bird...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Golden and orange light cuts through dark clouds, capturing the fleeting brilliance of sunset. The contrast between the fiery horizon and the brooding sky evoke...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A quiet riverbank rests beneath a winter sky, where thawing snow reveals traces of earth and memory. Gentle light drifts across the landscape, softening the edg...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A bluebird rests on an elaborate balcony railing of a villa. Two white windows frame the little creature's tiny body, giving emphasis to its delicate form. Dirt...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A roseate spoonbill opens its wings beside a clear, shimmering river, its gaze fixed on its own reflection. Bright colors create a dreamlike scene. The composit...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The painting features three roses in different stages of growth, from bud to full bloom. Their delicate colors and realistic detail capture their natural beau...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
An expansive sky streaked with ethereal white clouds suggests both movement and depth. In the foreground, textured rocks and lush greenery contrast beautifull...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A wooden basket contains a variety of apples and a World Series baseball. Painted realistically, this still-life watercolor ho...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Emil Morhardt depicts a family of aquatic birds he saw in a northern Iceland lake. "The mother bird saw me and swam across to proudly show off her chick," says Emil. With near-photographic detail, the subjects stand out vividly against a clean white background.
About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Tangled brush in earthy tones borders a worn dirt road. A lone bare tree stands in the left foreground while a group of trees lines the distance. The overcast s...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Andres Lopez captures a mesmerizing scene of glistening water with a vibrant orange reflection. The painting captures the play of light on the ocean's su...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Bare trees rise through autumn’s golden hush, their pale limbs etched against the sky. Shadows and vibrant light weave together, creating a soft and fleeting ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A leafless tree stands amid a serene country landscape. Dark branches stretch upward against an overcast sky, creating a striking silhouette. Beside it, a calm...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Dark silhouettes of bare trees create a quiet, moody landscape at dusk in the countryside. The glowing sunset illuminates the horizon. Deep tones fill a marsh b...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A nocturnal painting depicts Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices and Ice Cream on Avenue A in the East Village. It's a tranquil October night, with the server idly ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A tall palm tree stands against an evening thunderhead, illuminated by the warm glow of the setting sun. Carefully blended colors capture the essence of the dra...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
20th Century Realist More Art
Offset
1890s Realist More Art
Bronze
Artist Comments
Weathered brick facades in varying colors line the main street of historic Ripley, Ohio. The town played an important role in the history of the Underground Rai...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A close-up view of plump red apples, their shiny skins catching the sunlight. Bright green leaves extend from the branches, framing the fruit in a lively contra...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork captures the serenity of the ocean. Painted with oil paint and cold wax, the waves carry a slightly raised texture, adding to the realistic qualit...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Shela Goodman presents a birch tree by the roadside bursting with fall colors. "Birch trees with their white bark, black m...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A gentle stream meanders through a valley, its calm water reflecting the sky and trees. The setting sun cast a soft glow in the distance, leaving the foreground...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
An atmospheric seascape captures a dynamic sunset through vivid gradients of orange and yellow stretching across the sky while the ocean glows in deep red. Brig...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
In this serene study of a cloud-filled sky, artist Jill Poyerd captures a sense of depth through the gradual texture change in the receding horizon. The soft,...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
2010s Realist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Emil Morhardt paints a swooping hawk he observed circling the sky and then landing on a tall nearby tree. The bird inspects the many gopher holes nearby. Emil captures it just as it launches a successful attack—painting the plumage with fine detailed brushwork and intense colors against a pure white background. The piece embodies the essence of this powerful raptor.
About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Palm trees stretch upwards, their tall, slender trunks reaching upwards. Overhead, a yellow pedestrian crossing sign with a curved arrow injects a hint of urb...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Brightly colored brown eggs rest on top of a rustic safe, depicting them as treasures. It is a thought-provoking still-life that questions the price of food in ...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist More Art
Watercolor
