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Realist Portrait 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
Portrait of Girl with Flowers by Andrei Belichenko Maria Boohtiyarova
Located in Uppingham, GB
A Wonderful Oil on canvas by Andrei Belichenko & Maria Boohityarova. Two excellent Russian artists who have been exhibiting in France, their works are centred around exquisite detail...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled 021 (Cocktail dyptych)
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Oil Painting / Photorealism / Figurative Art / Human Figure /Museum
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State College. Adams’s work is includ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Vanessa Paradis" - Contemporary Realism Portrait of a Woman in Pink Clothing
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Vanessa Paradis" 2015 Oil paint, canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Shana Wilson, born in Edmon...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

"Clint Eastwood" - Contemporary Realist Figurative Portrait with Earth Tones
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Clint Eastwood" 2015 Oil paint on cradled wood board The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Sh...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Stretcher Bars

Tuscan historical figurative painting of the 20th century
Located in Florence, IT
The author of this painting is unknown, but it is a direct derivation of Raffaello Sorbi's "The Grand Duke's Stagecoach," now housed in a private collection in Milan, as can be seen ...
Category

20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil painting / Portrait / Figurative/ Museum/ Interior/ Expressive/ Text
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State College. Adams’s work is includ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil painting / Portrait / Figurative/ Museum/ Interior/ Expressive/ Text
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State College. Adams’s work is includ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Time with Mom
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original oil painting on canvas by artist Mian Situ. Framed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tears of Joy – Contemporary Realist Acrylic Eye Portrait Painting, Blue, Yellow
Located in Lahti, FI
David J. S. Holbrook is a multi-faceted artist whose work bridges the realms of fine arts and music, creating a powerful narrative of human connection and emotional depth. His visual...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Meditation Self Portrait – Contemporary Realist Acrylic Portrait Painting
Located in Lahti, FI
David J. S. Holbrook is a multi-faceted artist whose work bridges the realms of fine arts and music, creating a powerful narrative of human connection and emotional depth. His visual...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Her Big Brother
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original oil painting on canvas by artist Mian Situ. Framed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Manuel Avila Camacho, Time magazine cover, - Journalist Portraiture
Located in Miami, FL
Journalist Portraiture. Gouache on board Signed Lower Right matted to 17.75 x 16.75 inches. Archivally Matted Not Framed 
 He illustrated more than 300 covers for Time magazine a...
Category

1940s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Tribal History", John Berry, Oil on Canvas, 24x30 in., Native, Wolf, Pictograph
Located in Dallas, TX
John Berry is a well-known English artist who painted portraits of the royal family. During his career, he discovered Edward Curtis's photographs of Native ...
Category

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Red Umbrella" - Contemporary Impressionist Woman Portrait
Located in New Orleans, LA
A delightful portrait of a young lady in motion, umbrella in hand, with sure brushstrokes and wonderful mastery of color. Proudly presented by Guy Lyman Fine Art...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

End of Winter Sun – Contemporary Realist Acrylic Portrait Painting, Yellow Tones
Located in Lahti, FI
David J. S. Holbrook is a multi-faceted artist whose work bridges the realms of fine arts and music, creating a powerful narrative of human connection and emotional depth. His visual...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

1990s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Muchacha
Located in Barcelona, BARCELONA
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Category

1940s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait painting of Diana Spencer
Located in Oostende, BE
Oil on canvas portrait painting of Diana Spencer as a child (Lady Di, ex of King Charles of England).
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Maya Devi" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 39" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Maya Devi" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 39" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine, p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Armenian Contemporary Art by Kamsar Ohanyan - Victoria
Located in Paris, IDF
Watercolor on paper
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Handmade Paper

Armenian Contemporary Art by Kamsar Ohanyan - Warm Day on September
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Youth" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Youth" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 39" x 39 "inch by Dmitriy Krestniy ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, femini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Young Patriot" Portrait American Folk Figural Oil Painting Contemporary Flag
Located in Wellesley, MA
Charlotte Gibbs recently had the distinct honor of being awarded First Prize in The Roddy Compeition held at the Concord Center for Visual Arts in Concord, MA where she was singled ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Addict
Located in Sofia, BG
Painting's name "Addict" (The painting is unframed!) “The impressions of Diana's paintings on the viewer is so mighty, mesmerizing, grand, that it paralyzes the imagination with ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

WOMAN #18 - Contemporary Realism / Female Portrait / Jeweled Headdress
Located in New York, NY
Original Painting by Jacob Hicks Jacob Hicks (b. 1985, Midland, TX) completed his BFA in 2010 at Southern Methodist University and his MFA in 2012 at the New York Academy of Art. He...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Small Room" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 39" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Small Room" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 39" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

George McGovern Presidential Campaign ( Alt ) - Che Guevara Poster Artist
Located in Miami, FL
From the artist who created the famous Che Guevara poster comes another powerful political portrait. With the same graphic boldness, Paul Davis depicts the presidential candidate George McGovern...
Category

1970s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait par Edmond Theodor VAN HOVE (1853-1913)
Located in Gent, VOV
Portrait of a man. Oil painting on canvas, signed and located "Roubaix, 1906". In this portrait, all attention is focused on the face, which is intrusively and self-consciously looking ahead. Except for the white collar and pocket handkerchief...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vanitas IV : artwork in the genre of narrative realism
Located in New York, NY
Painting by a contemporary artist Audrey Ushenko. Audrey Ushenko works in the genre of narrative realism. Her works are rich, complex figurative and still life paintings. They are stories of recurring human issues often prompted by a twisted reality. Ushenko’s earlier works where primarily mythological and allegorical. Her later works are focused on depicting human situations and interactions of people who are both living and dead. These paintings represent social situations, timeless stories and enduring issues that are rendered with a contemporary twist. Always a significant element in Ms. Ushenko’s work is her integration of Venetian Renaissance methods of paint application with Impressionist color and light theory. The combination of the old masters’ technique of glazing the canvas and carefully layered surfaces of paint enhance the luminosity of Ushenko’s work. Audrey Ushenko has exhibited her work extensively throughout the United States including several shows at Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC; the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IN; The National Academy of Design, NYC; University Museum, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau...
Category

1970s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

To Know My Fate : artwork in the genre of narrative realism
Located in New York, NY
Painting by a contemporary artist Audrey Ushenko. Audrey Ushenko works in the genre of narrative realism. Her works are rich, complex figurative and still life paintings. They are s...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Witchcraft" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 59" x 47" in by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Witchcraft" Portrait Figurative Oil Painting 59" x 47" in by Dmitriy Krestniy ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine, provocative yet sensual style influenced by his natural Ukrainian exuberance. He understands and respects the art’s body which continuously is at the center of his paintings. His preference goes by drawing with pastels, oil and charcoal to create innovative paintings among which are such style as photorealism where the artist writes such paintings as the pictorial art...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Victorian Elegance: 19th Century Watercolor, Mounted on Canvas, Dated 1885
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Step back in time to the opulence of the Victorian era with this stunningly detailed and realistic portrait of an elegantly dressed gentleman. Painted by the skilled artist Tymon, this masterpiece is a testament to the artistry and attention to detail of the late 19th century. Executed in watercolor on paper and mounted on canvas, the technique employed by artist adds an extra layer of delicacy to the portrayal. The subtleties of color and the fine nuances of the gentleman's attire and expression are brought to life with a level of precision that speaks to the mastery of the artist. The indistinct signature of artist...
Category

19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Watercolor

Newsweek Cover , Visitor from the Kremlin, Russia - Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan
Located in Miami, FL
The work is in excellent condition and meticulously rendered in a photo-realistic style. It showcases the artist's high-level sense of design. Newsweek could hire any artist in the...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Question" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 47" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy
Located in Culver City, CA
"Question" Figurative Oil Painting 47" x 47" inch by Dmitriy Krestniy 2020 ATTENTION: Painting ships rolled in a tube. A look through Dmitriy’s designs reveals a glamorous, feminine, provocative yet sensual style influenced by his natural Ukrainian exuberance. He understands and respects the art’s body which continuously is at the center of his paintings. His preference goes by drawing with pastels, oil and charcoal to create innovative paintings among which are such style as photorealism where the artist writes such paintings as the pictorial art...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Bart Lisa. (diptych).
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
The diptych offers a unique interpretation of two iconic pop culture characters, Bart and Lisa Simpson. Both are depicted using plastic figurines, giving them a nostalgic and three-d...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel

Oil Painting / Photorealism / Figurative Art / Human Figure /
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Painting / Photorealism / Figurative Art / Human Figure /Museum
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bruce Adams was a painter, art educator, and writer. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1952, he received a B.S. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1983 from Buffalo State ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Michael Paraskevas Protests Acrylic on Paper, 1986
Located in Astoria, NY
Michael Paraskevas (American, b. 1961), Protests in New York City, Acrylic on Paper, 1986, signed and dated to lower border, unframed. Image: 19" H x 12" W; sheet: 23" H x 14.5" W. P...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Crystal Ball – Contemporary Realist Acrylic Hand Portrait Painting
Located in Lahti, FI
David J. S. Holbrook is a multi-faceted artist whose work bridges the realms of fine arts and music, creating a powerful narrative of human connection and emotional depth. His visual...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Among My Souvenirs : artwork in the genre of narrative realism
Located in New York, NY
Painting by a contemporary artist Audrey Ushenko. Audrey Ushenko works in the genre of narrative realism. Her works are rich, complex figurative and still life paintings. They are stories of recurring human issues often prompted by a twisted reality. Ushenko’s earlier works where primarily mythological and allegorical. Her later works are focused on depicting human situations and interactions of people who are both living and dead. These paintings represent social situations, timeless stories and enduring issues that are rendered with a contemporary twist. Always a significant element in Ms. Ushenko’s work is her integration of Venetian Renaissance methods of paint application with Impressionist color and light theory. The combination of the old masters’ technique of glazing the canvas and carefully layered surfaces of paint enhance the luminosity of Ushenko’s work. Audrey Ushenko has exhibited her work extensively throughout the United States including several shows at Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC; the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IN; The National Academy of Design, NYC; University Museum, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Red handmade thread glamour portrait, Hollywood-Inspired, by Nemo Jantzen
Located in Singapore, SG
* Exclusive Original Artwork : A one-of-a-kind artwork by Nemo Jantzen * Innovative Nail and Thread Technique: Handmade artwork with nails and thread on wood. Each nail is carefully ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Thread, Wood Panel

Perfect Symmetry and beauty in a Red handmade String portrait by Nemo Jantzen
Located in Singapore, SG
* Exclusive Original Artwork : A one-of-a-kind artwork by Nemo Jantzen * Innovative Nail and Thread Technique: Handmade artwork with nails and thread on wood. Each nail is carefully ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Thread, Wood Panel

Night Train
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery of astronauts and space-related media, crea...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Doodle This
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres create a multi-layered composition. Nemo’s hyper-realist ...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Non-Fungible
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery to create a multi-layered composition. Ne...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Pulp Fiction
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery to create a multi-layered composition. Ne...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Vogue
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery of astronauts and space-related media, crea...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Vogue
Vogue
Price Upon Request
Hello
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery to create a multi-layered composition. Ne...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Hello
Hello
Price Upon Request
BOOM
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery to create a multi-layered composition. Ne...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

BOOM
BOOM
Price Upon Request
Woman with Dog
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Size with frame: 34 x 28 Inches Reza begun studying art seriously at age 15 and was studying at the institute of art in Iran where he graduated with highest honors. He also studied...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blue Blood II
Located in New York, NY
Nails & Thread on wood, Comes in plexiglass box Thread is expertly wrapped around embedded nails to create a beautiful portrait of a woman. The medium of thread necessitates the use...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Thread, Plexiglass, Wood, Plywood

Space Odyssey
Located in New York, NY
Glass spheres on wood Unique glass spheres are arranged to create a dynamic portrait of a young woman. The glass spheres contain imagery of astronauts and space-related media, crea...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Glass, Resin, Wood, Plywood, Color

Blue Blood
Located in New York, NY
Nails & Thread on wood, Comes in plexiglass box Thread is expertly wrapped around embedded nails to create a beautiful portrait of a woman. The medium of thread necessitates the use...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Thread, Plexiglass, Wood, Plywood

Like A Star
Located in New York, NY
Nails & Thread on wood, Comes in plexiglass box Thread is expertly wrapped around embedded nails to create a beautiful portrait of a woman. The medium of thread necessitates the use...
Category

2010s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Thread, Plexiglass, Wood, Plywood

Fauste and Margarite Leaving Church
Located in Austin, TX
"Fauste and Margarite Leaving Church", a 19th century oil painting by French Realist painter Adolphe-René Lefevre (1834 - 1886). The painting mea...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Frank O Hara and Stevie Rivers
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas Signed and dated, l.r. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City Born in California, John Button (1929-1982) was educated at University of California, Berkeley. After moving to New York City in the early 1950s, he became friends with Fairfield Porter and Frank O’Hara...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Realist portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist portrait 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 portrait 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Matt Talbert, Chikako Okada, Mark Beard, and Bruce Adams. 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 portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings 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 $180 and tops out at $885,000, while the average work sells for $3,600.

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