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Realist Figurative Paintings

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
"Covenant", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Covenant" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a two lane road stretching into the pastel landscape as rainbows arch overhead. About the artist: When Dianne Massey...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Fluorescent and Starry
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original contemporary oil painting by Amanda Besl from her most recent body of work created in 2017. Throughout her career, Amanda Besl has focused primarily on the inner worlds ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Fondamenta de l Osmarin" (2021), Original Venetian Cityscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "Fondamenta de l'Osmarin" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cityscape of a European City's channel encircled by a historic archit...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Phantasmagorical 1
Located in Denver, CO
"Phantasmagorical 1," is an original oil painting on 2 acrylic panels by Michelle Jader. It is framed and ready-to-hang.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel, Mirror, Digital

Souvenir de la Malmaison
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original contemporary oil painting by Amanda Besl created in 2014.
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"The Red Door" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Daud Akhriev's (EUR and US based) "The Red Door" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an ornate, red door with large doorknobs in a European...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Chalk, Block and Mirror" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
David Cheifetz's "Chalk, Block and Mirror" is an oil painting featuring fruit juxtaposed with blocks. About the artist: David is an internationally acclaimed and collected artist ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Soldier Shooting Gun with Bikini Girls, Mid-Century Mens Magazine War
Located in Miami, FL
The artist tells a whole action-packed story in one picture. A handsome young soldier shoots his pistol at a passing bomb-dropping airplane. The close call splashes water on him and his two sexy girl...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Board, Pencil

Contemporary portrait "New Look for an Old Jacket"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Sometimes you dig into the closet, find a long-forgotten item, and start trying it on in different ways. You try it on, and it seems pretty cool, but then you think: Where am I going...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Prayer Rug 1
Located in Buffalo, NY
A Modern realist “trompe l’oeil” egg tempera painting by American female artist Catherine Catanzaro Koenig depicting a person curled up titled “Prayer Rug #1″. Catherine C. Koenig was born Caterina Catanzaro in 1921 and grew up on the West side of Buffalo, NY. She graduated from Lafayette High School Buffalo in 1939. She exhibited a talent for drawing and painting early on and attended Albright Art School, where she graduated with an Associate's Degree in 1942. Her professional career as an artist began in the 1940s when she started to exhibit her work. From 1946-1956, she taught drawing and painting at the Art Institute of Buffalo. She married Buffalo artist...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Board, Egg Tempera, Tempera, Wood

Prayer Rug 1
$2,800 Sale Price
37% Off
"Untitled" (2012), Original American Realist Female Portrait, Oil Painting
By Brian Busch
Located in Denver, CO
Brian Busch's (US based) "Untitled" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a female model with short hair and a red jacket. This is a secondary market work with one pre...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Prayer Rug 2
Located in Buffalo, NY
A Modern realist “trompe l’oeil” egg tempera painting by American female artist Catherine Catanzaro Koenig depicting a person curled up titled “Prayer Rug #2″. Catherine C. Koenig was born Caterina Catanzaro in 1921 and grew up on the West side of Buffalo, NY. She graduated from Lafayette High School Buffalo in 1939. She exhibited a talent for drawing and painting early on and attended Albright Art School, where she graduated with an Associate's Degree in 1942. Her professional career as an artist began in the 1940s when she started to exhibit her work. From 1946-1956, she taught drawing and painting at the Art Institute of Buffalo. She married Buffalo artist...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Board, Egg Tempera, Tempera, Wood

Prayer Rug 2
$2,800 Sale Price
37% Off
Looking to Paris, Olympics 2024, Emerging Artist, Boxing, Steven Navarro
Located in Houston, TX
Looking to Paris 2024 Steven will most likely be on the USA Olympic Boxing Team. Oil on Canvas 30 x 30 Framed This is an original oil painting from emerging Miami artist Carlos Antonio Rancaño...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Snowy Road To The Barn, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Samantha Buller's (US based) "Snowy Road To The Barn" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a road stretching past a red hued Gambrel Roofed ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Reales Alcázares de Sevilla" Large 20th Century oil on canvas by Liger Hidalgo
Located in Madrid, ES
FERNANDO LIGER HIDALGO Spanish , 1880 – 1945 "INTERIOR REALES ALCAZARES, SEVILLA" Signed & located "F. Liger Hidalgo, Sevilla " (lower right) ...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Over the Pass" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Rob Alexander's "Over the Pass" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an arctic landscape where a mysterious castle perched on a snowy mount...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Contemporary portrait "Together"
Located in Zofingen, AG
The memory of the festive Coca-Cola commercial came to mind, where a truck adorned with holiday lights rushes along the night road. There's no festive truck... Only the night and the...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

"Rainbow Six Pack 3" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Rainbow Six Pack 3" is an oil painting that depicts a half dozen donuts glazed in yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and purple all packed together. **Pl...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Venetian scene", 19th Century oil on canvas laid on cardboard by Antonio Reyna
Located in Madrid, ES
ANTONIO REYNA MANESCAU Spanish, 1859 - 1937 VENETIAN SCENE signed & located "A. Reyna, Venezia" (lower right) oil on canvas laid on cardboard 8 ...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

"Diana" Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jodie Herrera's (US based) "Diana" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a dark haired woman with green and blue patterning that merges her form with the background. A...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

"Ironman, " Mixed media painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Ironman" is an original, handmade mixed media artwork that depicts the Ironman symbol made entirely of aluminum. Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missou...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Metal

"Gardenia on Her Side, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Linda Tracey Brandon's (US based) "Gardenia on Her Side" is an oil painting that depicts a blooming White Gardenia with leaves sitting on a white ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Classic Profile" 32x30", Acrylic and oil on board
Located in Southampton, NY
In this work titled "Classic Profile" Ceravolo has used one of his favorite New York models and has combine oil and acrylic with oil stick to create this timeless subtle and classic ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Board, Oil Crayon

"Chateau" European School, Castle Above Mountainous European Landscape Panting
Located in New York, NY
European School Chateau Oil on wood 9 5/8 x 7 1/2 inches
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

"Sol" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Kierstin Young's (US based) "Sol" is an oil painting that depicts a battered white moth and a black background with organic designs in rust tones. Artist Statement/Bio: (b. The Yea...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Sea. Oil on canvas and cardboard, 60x65 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Sea. Oil on canvas, 60x65 cm,
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

"Cityscape in Green", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Cityscape in Green" is an oil painting that depicts a busy city street lined with cars and buildings, all cast in a cool greenish blue light. ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - Two Girls on the Roadside
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing at Oil Pain...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Plastic Figure 3" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Plastic Figure 3" is an oil painting that depicts a lone orange plastic Native American figure toy aiming his bow and arrow into the darkness. Group ph...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas Titled "Hopeless Romantic IV”
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
"The arrows in the back of the figure symbolizes the amount of times the individual has fallen in love" -Artist Statement Carlos Antonio Rancaño...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Stardust" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Stardust" is an oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a feminine form in profile wearing blue in a blue interior ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Kate In The Barn"
Located in San Antonio, TX
Timur Akhriev Image Size: 31 x 58 Frame Size: 38 x 65 Medium: Oil "Kate In The Barn" Biography Born in Vladikavkaz, the territory where Southern Russia meets...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Champ, oil, ARC Salon Finalist, Portrait Society of America, Florence
Located in Houston, TX
The Champ was painted over several days in the artist studio in Florence, Italy. The painting measures 16 x 12 with a handmade frame from Italy. This is oil on a linen panel which ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

"Plastic Figure 6" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Plastic Figure 6" is an oil painting that depicts a lone red plastic Cowboy figure toy aiming his weapon into the darkness. ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sparks on 3rd, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
David Cheifetz's "Sparks on 3rd" is an oil painting featuring a dramatic city skyline. About the artist: David is an internationally acclaimed and collected ar...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

In a small town. 2011, oil on canvas, 65x81 cm
Located in Riga, LV
In a small town. 2011, oil on canvas, 65x81 cm Juris Germanis (1941) The artist has always had a tendency to catch the most significant features when working in landscape genre, usi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“The Houndstooth Hat” oil painting, poetic realism, two fedora hats with sunset
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Steven J. Levin - (b. 1964) is classical realist oil painter living and working in Stillwater, Minnesota. He grew up painting alongside his father—a commercial artist—and knew he wan...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Embankment. 2017, oil on canvas, 65x81 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Embankment. 2017, oil on canvas, 65x81 cm Juris Germanis (1941) The artist has always had a tendency to catch the most significant features when working in landscape genre, using oi...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stones on the seashore. 1959. Canvas, oil, 50x70 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Stones on the seashore. 1959. Canvas, oil, 50x70 cm In the artist's work, the stones on the seashore are painted with safe strokes. The color of the work is soft and saturated at the same time. Waves are lapping in the distance. The artist has devoted his attention to the depiction of a rocky seashore on the coast of the Vidzeme Sea, which is the eastern shore of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. Aleksandrs Zviedris...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of Christina Patterson, 5 Years Old
By Aaron Shikler
Located in Milford, NH
A fine portrait of a 5 year old Christina Patterson by American artist Aaron Abraham Shikler (1922-2015). Shikler was born in Brooklyn, New York, studied at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, then studied in New York with the abstract painter Hans Hofmann, but he remained a committed realist throughout his life, under the sway of artists like Degas, Vuillard, Sickert and Sargent. To make a living, he painted clowns and ballerinas for a wholesale company, signing the work “Phil I. Steen” to register his disgust. When Leroy Davis, an Army friend, opened the Davis Gallery in Manhattan in 1953, he began showing Mr. Shikler’s work, which included figure studies, still lifes and landscapes. A turning point came in 1959 when Jane Engelhard...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Girl with the Chimera Tattoo
Located in Zofingen, AG
Another wonderful example from a series of morning portraits by Evgeniy Monahov, where subtle realistic detailing of the face is accompanied by a colorful and impressionistically pai...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Skeptic" 2023 oil painting realist portrait of man with long beard - framed
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"The Skeptic" is a realist oil on linen painting. It depicts a man with long golden red hair and beard in a coat. His eyes gaze to the side of the viewer, eyebrows furrowed. Frame ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Chinese Contemporary Art by Su Yu - Pain
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas Su Yu is a Chinese artist born in 1987 who lives & works in Beijing in China. He was an old student of prestigious art teachers as Shi Liang & Chen Danqing at Oil Pain...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Paraje natural I". Contemporary, realism, figurative, oil, landscape, waterscap
Located in MADRID, ES
Quadriptych (30 x 30 cm) x 4 Contemporary, realism, figurative, oil, landscapa, waterscape, pastel colors
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

"Raspberry Greens" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Cole's (Us based) "Raspberry Greens" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a small patch of foliage and leaves with contending light and shadows dotting their form...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Playing with the cruciferous flower
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some time ago Evgeniy Monahov chatted with a good friend about which of the Hermitage Leonardos he like best - the Benois Madonna or the Litta Madonna....
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Tempera, Wood Panel

"A Soft Touch" - Contemporary Realism Figurative Nude Women Artwork - Oil Paint
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "A Soft Touch" 2011 Oil paint on wood panel The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Shana Wilson, born in Edmonton in 1966, ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Street view at spring. Oil on cardboard, 97x130 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Small town view at spring. Oil on cardboard, 97x130 cm
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Birds. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 66 x 96 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Birds. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 66 x 96 cm Seagulls over the sea Zigmunds Šņore was born in 1942 in Latvia. His works has been exhibited since 1969 an...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Resist" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Resist" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman, with straight across bangs, in profile where the bright light from a window casts her s...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

In Search of New Beginnings (The Paintings 1)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
In Search of New Beginnings (The Paintings 1) Watercolor on Arches heavyweight paper, 2021 Signed with the artist's initials in the shadows of the books (see photo) Signed, titled an...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Large Oil Painting Titled: Prince
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
(Designers: Custom framing is available for this item) Christina Major was born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1982. She has lived all over the world including Hawaii, France, New Yo...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Plastic Figure 8" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Plastic Figure 8" is an oil painting that depicts a lone yellow plastic cowboy figure firing his gun into the darkness. Gr...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Plastic Figure 7" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Jason Walker's (CAN based) "Plastic Figure 7" is an oil painting that depicts a lone red plastic Native American figure toy aiming his bow and arrow into the darkness. Group photo...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

It s for You, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Nick Leibee's "It's for You" is an oil painting created in 2019 depicting a contemporary still life of a toy phone. About the artist: Nicholas (Nick) Le...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Tukums 1976, oil on board, 47.5x33.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Tukums 1976, oil on board, 47,5x33,5 cm "Tukums" is an artwork created in 1976 using oil on board as the medium. The dimensions of the artwork are 47.5x33.5 cm. The painting is named after the city of Tukums, which is located in Latvia. The buildings portrayed in the painting vary in architectural style, reflecting the character and charm of Tukums. They are depicted with attention to detail, capturing the unique features of each structure. The artist has used various colors and brushstrokes to convey the textures and character of the buildings, adding depth and visual interest to the composition. Stanislavs Kreics...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

"Starburst" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Starburst" is an oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a feminine form in three quarters view wearing blue in a b...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

The Shame Agent Part II - canvas painting - pop art by Ian Shults
Located in Dallas, TX
"The Shame Agent, Part II" is a commanding large-scale figurative work by acclaimed contemporary artist Ian Shults. This dramatic composition merges the raw emotional tension of cine...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Kid Dynamite, Steven Navarro, PanAmerican Games, Olympics 2024, Team USA
Located in Houston, TX
Kid Dynamite is an oil painting by V...Vaughan of Steve Navarro of California. In late November Steven Navarro is participating in the PanAmerican games in Cali, Colombia after winning the Gold Medal at the PanAmerican Games in Guadalajara. He is ranked #1 in his weight division of 114 lbs.He most likely will qualify for the Paris 2024...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Precipitate, Portrait, Realism, Classical, Florence Academy, Figurative
Located in Houston, TX
Precipitate is painted in the classical style of Realism that he first learned at the Florence Academy of Art. He has painted portraits over the years and is known for showing the expressions in the person's face. He is also know for winning the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo art contest for several years when he was in high school. His paintings sold for over $200,000 with the proceeds going to the scholarship fund. Anton Zhou Painter, Draftsman Anton Zhou is a painter and draftsman whose work operates along the lines of impressionistic realism. Having studied at the Florence Academy of Art and Columbia University in New York City, he paints primarily in oils with elements that span both classical realism and contemporary art. A Houston native, Anton was named a Young Master by the Texas Commission on the Arts and is represented by artist organizations across the states. Artist Statement “Crafted by classical methods and embellished with a vibrant palette, my artistic practice revolves around expressing the ephemeral nature of our surroundings. The transitory state of each happening allows for only brief but pure recollections, so adopting a candid lens is a way of genuinely feeling moments, examining their context and illuminating the beauty woven into this space. A painter of light...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Realist figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist figurative paintings 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 figurative paintings 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, red, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Su Yu, Janusz Szpyt, JC Spock, and Matt Talbert. 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 figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available.

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