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Realist Photography

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
Capote At Home, New York, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features the author Truman Capote (1924 - 1984) relaxing with a book and a cigarette in his clutter...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Truman Capote, Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons Truman Capote Slim Aarons Estate Edition 1970: Author of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'In Cold Blood,' Truman Capote (1924 - 1984) and his dog in Palm Springs, California. 60 x 40 inches $3950 40 x 30 inches $3350 30 x 20 inches $3000 10 x 12 inches $1350 Chromogenic Lambda print Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Estate stamped and hand-numbered edition of 150 with a certificate of authenticity from the estate. Undercurrent Projects is proud to offer this vibrant photograph, printed by the Slim Aarons estate. It is part of the estate's only official limited run, of 150. Estate stamp embossed on recto, hand numbered in ink on recto, with certificate of authenticity from the estate (not a secondary gallery licensing from the estate). Over the course of a career lasting half a century, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) portrayed high society, aristocracy, authors, artists, business icons, the celebrated and their milieu. In doing so, he captured a golden age of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure that occurred alongside—but quite separate from—the cultural and political backdrop of the second half of the Twentieth Century. The Slim Aarons Estate has released the limited Estate edition as a Lambda print, which is a modern c-type prints. They have chosen Lambda prints for their sharpness, clarity, colour saturation and quality, compared to archival inkjet prints. Lambda printing gives true continuous tone. Photograph is unframed Slide show includes a close-up of the Slim Aarons estate's stamp. Collector will get the next number in the edition * We are pleased to offer the entire archive of the Slim Aarons Estate, offering the official Slim Aarons Estate Edition (only offered in this edition of 150). Please contact us for additional photographs from Slim Aarons * Undercurrent Projects offers premium quality photographic prints from the Slim Aarons Archive, owned and housed by Getty Images. All photographs are printed and authorized by the Getty Images Gallery, London. Photographs are printed utilizing the original transparency held at the archive source. Internal: Vintage Literary photography, vintage writers, vintage glamour, vintage breakfast at tiffanys, in cold blood, vintage truman capote, 9150s, 50s, fifties, Brooklyn author, Breakfast at Tiffany's, In Cold Blood, author portrait...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Skiing Waiters, Vermont, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features three skiing waiters on a ski slope, with the man in the foreground carrying a bird on a...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Scone, Madam?
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960, Afternoon tea round the pool on a cold day at the home of interior decorator James Pendleton in Beverly Hills. 48 x 48 inches $4500 40 x 40 inches $3950 30 x 30 inches $335...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Cee Zee Guest
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cee Zee Guest Mrs F C Winston Guest (1920 - 2003) (aka Cee Zee Guest) reclines on a garden chair in front of the Grecian temple pool on her ocean-front estate, Villa Artemis, Palm ...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Surfing Brothers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Freddie and Howard Cushing surfing with friends at Bailey's Beach (the Spouting Rock Beach Association) in Newport. Their father introduced the sport to the club in the 1930's. Comp...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Slim Aarons: Esther Williams In Pool (Limited Edition Estate Stamped)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
American actress and former swimming champion, Esther Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013), in a Florida swimming pool. 40 x 40 inches $3950 30 x 30 inches $3350 20 x 20 in...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Untitled #3557 from "Leaves" series: nature still-life leaf photograph w/ gold
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is an archival pigment photograph by artist Paul Cava depicting a highly detailed autumn leaf in a minimalist arrangement on a textured background. It is printed on Hahnemuhle P...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Untitled #3455 from "Leaves" series: nature still-life leaf photograph w/ orange
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is an archival pigment photograph by artist Paul Cava depicting a highly detailed autumn leaf in a minimalist arrangement on a textured background. It is printed on Hahnemuhle P...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gardenia: black white framed photograph, flower w/ vines leaves in landscape
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Gardenia" is a black & white framed archival pigment print (photograph) of a flower w/ vines & leaves in landscape from artist Jenny Lynn's "Little Rituals" series. It is framed in ...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Borneo 7: urban city architecture landscape in dark night, Southeast Asia
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This photograph is from among Vincent Dixon's series created in Borneo, Myanmar, Paris, Pushkar, Los Angeles, New York, London, Miami, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid,...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Borneo 3: photograph of urban city architecture with graffiti, Southeast Asia
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This photograph is from among Vincent Dixon's series created in Borneo, Myanmar, Paris, Pushkar, Los Angeles, New York, London, Miami, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid,...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Borneo 4: photograph of sleeping man at yellow cafe table, Southeast Asia
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This photograph is from among Vincent Dixon's series created in Borneo, Myanmar, Paris, Pushkar, Los Angeles, New York, London, Miami, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid,...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Original Photography by Cyrille Druart
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Black and white original photography by Cyrille Druart. Edition: I/V Dimensions: 90 x 120 cm Cyrille Druart is a French photograph and architect, a book about his new series w...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Slim Aarons Beauty and the Beast
Located in New York, NY
Lady Daphne Cameron (Mrs George Cameron) on a tiger skin rug in the trophy room at socialite Laddie Sanford's home in Palm Beach, Florida. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition o...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Kneeling Boy: black white photo of Havana, Cuba w/ tree in arched doorway
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This black & white photograph of a child and a tree growing in an open courtyard of Havana, Cuba as seen through an arched doorway is part of artist Ron...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Day into Night, Forsythe Wildlife Refuge: large black white landscape photo
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This large-scale black and white landscape is part of artist Ron Tarver's long-term, ongoing project, " Land, Sea, Air," that explores the wide-ranging system of wetlands in the US ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dinosaur Parade
Located in Miami, FL
Dinosaur , Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on verso, Edition 2 of 15, Printed later. Unframed , Other sizes available Printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper
Category

Early 2000s Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Untitled (Lower West Side Revisited)
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original gelatin silver print by American social documentary photographer Milton Rogovin depicting a resident of Buffalo's Lower West Side in the early 1980's. This work is hand s...
Category

1980s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Avro Lancaster Bomber AU-Q being bombed up original press photograph 1940s
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage warbird aeroplane posters, photographs and paintings, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller". Lan...
Category

1940s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Avro Lancaster R5845 YW-T after crash original 1943 silver gelatin photograph
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage warbird aeroplane posters, photographs and paintings, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "...
Category

1940s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Avro Lancaster Bomber original 1943 silver gelatin photograph de-icing system
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage warbird aeroplane posters, photographs and paintings, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller". Lancaster Bomber...
Category

1940s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Chet Baker, 1953 - Bob Willoughby (Portrait Photography)
Located in London, GB
Chet Baker, 1953 - Bob Willoughby (Portrait Photography) Archival pigment print Printed on 20 x 24 inch paper From an edition of 25 Also available in al...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Slim Aarons Hotel Taormina Pool
Located in New York, NY
The seaside swimming pool at the Hotel Taormina, Sicily, August 1975. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aaro...
Category

1970s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Princess Ruspoli
Located in New York, NY
Princess Lucy Ruspoli stands in front of a colourful wall of old skis in Lech am Arlberg, Austria, February 1979. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking picture...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Bahamas Signpost
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Bahamas Signpost 1964 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. A signpost in Nassau points the way to...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Montana Morning
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Photo printed on Hahnemuhle Baryta paper. Edition of 25. Unframed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Slim Aarons Lido Life, Venice Mid-century Modern Photography
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 ...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Wonder Trailer Marfa Texas Photography by Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Wonder Green Trailer Marfa Texas Photography by Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Freedom
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Photo printed on Hahnemuhle Baryta paper. Edition of 35. Unframed.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Big Jay McNeely, 1951 - Bob Willoughby (Portrait Photography)
Located in London, GB
Big Jay McNeely, 1951 - Bob Willoughby (Portrait Photography) Archival pigment print Printed on 20 x 24 inch paper From an edition of 25 Also available in alternative sizes Bob ...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Joan Collins Relaxes (Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in New York, NY
Film star Joan Collins relaxes with her pink poodle on her pink bed. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aaron...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Westin Excelsior, Venice
Located in New York, NY
Portofino 1957 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. The Westin Excelsior Hotel on the Lido in Venice, 1957. (...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Slim Aarons Lido Life, Venice
Located in New York, NY
Lido Life, Venice 1957 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. A waiter serves fruit to...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lake Tahoe Ladies
Located in New York, NY
Caption:A group of young women in their bathing suits on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and fa...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Joan Collins Relaxes - (Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in New York, NY
Film star Joan Collins relaxes with her pink poodle on her pink bed. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aaron...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Lake Tahoe Ladies
Located in New York, NY
Caption: A group of young women in their bathing suits on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and f...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Verbier Skier
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Verbier Skier 1964 C print Estate edition of 150 A blonde skier on the slopes at Verbier, February 1964. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certific...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Tres Cuentos
Located in New Orleans, LA
For Victoria Montoro Zamorano, the art of seeing consists not in actively looking for the striking or unusual, but in being ever open and receptive to see the world with new eyes. This unguarded, spontaneous approach gives her images a quality of abstract realism that turns undulating sand dunes into a woman’s prone body, and equally captures the emotional content of a crumbling façade or an old woman’s face. An avid world traveler. Cuban born Zamorano has a special sensibility for people and places off the beaten path. Having no preconceived notions of what a photograph should be, Zamorano’s instinctual approach has led her to the poignant remains of the Jewish synagogues...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Cuatro Arcos
Located in New Orleans, LA
For Victoria Montoro Zamorano, the art of seeing consists not in actively looking for the striking or unusual, but in being ever open and receptive to see the world with new eyes. This unguarded, spontaneous approach gives her images a quality of abstract realism that turns undulating sand dunes into a woman’s prone body, and equally captures the emotional content of a crumbling façade or an old woman’s face. An avid world traveler. Cuban born Zamorano has a special sensibility for people and places off the beaten path. Having no preconceived notions of what a photograph should be, Zamorano’s instinctual approach has led her to the poignant remains of the Jewish synagogues...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Massimo Listri Castello di Rivoli III - Torino
Located in New York, NY
Castello di Rivoli III - Torino "What makes his work unique is how he has made interiors look so absolutely vivid, as if they had a secret life of their own that only he knows how t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

C Print

Slim Aarons Verbier Skier
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Verbier Skier 1964 C print Estate edition of 150 A blonde skier on the slopes at Verbier, February 1964. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certific...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Joan Collins Relaxes - (Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in New York, NY
Film star Joan Collins relaxes with her pink poodle on her pink bed. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aaron...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Lake Tahoe Ladies
Located in New York, NY
Caption: A group of young women in their bathing suits on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and f...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Joan Collins Relaxes - (Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in New York, NY
Film star Joan Collins relaxes with her pink poodle on her pink bed. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aaron...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Lake Tahoe Ladies
Located in New York, NY
Caption: A group of young women in their bathing suits on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and f...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Beauty and the Beast
Located in New York, NY
Lady Daphne Cameron (Mrs George Cameron) on a tiger skin rug in the trophy room at socialite Laddie Sanford's home in Palm Beach, Florida. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition o...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Verbier Skier
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Verbier Skier 1964 C print Estate edition of 150 A blonde skier on the slopes at Verbier, February 1964. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certific...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Lake Tahoe Ladies
Located in New York, NY
Caption: A group of young women in their bathing suits on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Slim Aarons worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and f...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Lotta Bull (Medium)
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Edition #4/45 - Original gampi print by Pete Zaluzec. Signed. Framed Size: 26 X 40
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Color

Preening Sparrow (Small)
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Edition #2/45 - Original gampi print by Pete Zaluzec. Signed. Framed Size: 20.25 X 26.25
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Color

Slim Aarons Pool At Porto Rotondo
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Pool At Porto Rotondo 1982 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. A sw...
Category

1980s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Magenta Swimming - Vibrant Noir Photography
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Slim Aarons Skiing Waiters
Located in New York, NY
Three skiing waiters on a ski slope, with the man in the foreground carrying a bird on a tray, the second man carrying a wine in an ice bucket and the third carrying a menu, circa 19...
Category

1960s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Neon Iconic Pool Photograph by Brazilian Photographer
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Slim Aarons Peggy Guggenheim at Palazzo Venier Dei Leoni, Venice
Located in New York, NY
September 1978: Peggy Guggenheim (1898 - 1979) in the Palazzo Venier Dei Leoni, Venice. The palace houses her private art collection, including Picasso's 'On the Beach', pictured to ...
Category

1970s Realist Photography

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons Portofino Harbor
Located in New York, NY
Portofino 1955 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Yachts moored in the Italian fishing village of Portofino...
Category

1950s Realist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Big Sight, Large Scale Limited Photography by Pico Garcez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pico Garcez (b.1963, São Paulo, Brazil) In Love with Photography, Iconography and Painting, exercises his gaze from childhood when he began to play with his first camera. Practicing ...
Category

2010s Realist Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Delos Column #3
Located in New York, NY
Delos Column #3 30 x 20 inches Edition of 10 $1500 Set of three - $3000 20 x 16 inches edition of 20 $900 Set of three - $2000
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Realist photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist photography 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 photography 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, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Pico Garcez, Kind of Cyan, and Massimo Listri. Frequently made by artists working with Digital Print, and Lambda Print 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 photography, so small editions measuring 3.94 inches across are also available. Prices for photography 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 $105 and tops out at $75,000, while the average work sells for $3,000.

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