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Photorealist Art

PHOTOREALISM

A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.

Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.

The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.

Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”

The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.

On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.

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Style: Photorealist
George Harrison by Robert Whitaker
Located in Austin, TX
George Harrison of The Beatles taken by Robert Whitaker in Chiswick Park, London, 1965. All limited edition prints in this collection are hand numbere...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

Blue Iris, Photorealist Etching on Paper by Lowell Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Lowell Blair Nesbitt was an American painter and printmaker who’s work consists of unique and vivid depictions of flowers. Blue Iris Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933–1993) Date:...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Etching

Ian Hornak, Homage to Redon, 1997
Located in Fairfield, CT
IAN HORNAK (1944–2002) Title: Homage to Redon Date: 1997 Medium: Oil on Panel Dimensions: 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.64 cm) Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by art...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

1960 s Hollywood Photography by Lawrence Schiller Marilyn Monroe
Located in White Plains, NY
'Marilyn Monroe, 1962' by American photographer, Lawrence Schiller. Archival digital pigment, AP 3/5. Image: 12.5 x 19 in. / Paper: 16 x 20 in. From the set of the film 'Something's ...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

"Becoming" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Becoming" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a blue fish leaping from dark water as a lit candle appears in its mouth. Mia Bergeron's int...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Eiffel Tower, Tokyo ( 1957 ) - Japan - Large size Black White Fine Art Print
Located in Brussels, BE
Artwork # 1 on 5 sold in limited edition in perfect condition Eiffel Tower, Tokyo - Japan This photo was made in 1957, the negative was digitized during the artist's lifetime and th...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Transparent Barricades: Variation II, Ian Hornak - Painting
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Transparent Barricades: Variation II Year: 1974 Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 48 x 72 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed recto; ...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

United States - New York, 1955 - Contemporary Black White Photography
Located in Brussels, BE
Artwork sold in perfect condition, print on baryta paper 310 grs pigment inks of museum quality, limited edition of 5 copies New-York, January 1956. "United States" Docked at the wharf reserved for its company, the liner United States loads and unloads its passengers who use this means of transport to cross the Atlantic or reach South America. Born not yet knowing the competition of the plane, the liners, (United States, Queen Elizabeth, France), showcases prestigious in their country, fight to seduce a wealthy clientele. During the 15 year period in which Fabrizio La Torre...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Triptych "Cook" (from "PWF" series)
Located in Zofingen, AG
The triptych “Cook” includes three drawings: “Cook I,” “Cook II,” and “Cook III.” The triptych “Cook” is from the “Portraits Without Faces” series. This series is a tribute to peop...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Paper, Pencil

Antique American Southern School Signed Moonshine Corn Whiskey Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American realist still life of corn and a bottle of corn whiskey. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Image size, 5L x 7H.
Category

1890s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fratello Sorella, 1961 Limited Edition Photorealist Black White Photography
Located in Brussels, BE
Print called "Art 2014", format 42 x 60 cm. SERIES OF 5 PRINTS + 2 AP Artwork sold in perfect condition During the 15 year period in which Fabrizio La Torre dedicated himself to phot...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Hunter, Mid-Century Photo Realist Drypoint Etching Portrait, Limited Edition
By Gilbert Schoenbrod
Located in Soquel, CA
An incredible photo-realist drypoint etching of a Native American man by Gilbert Adam Shoenbrod (American, 1903-1996), 1937. Titled "The Hunter", this hyper detailed portrait depicts...
Category

1930s Photorealist Art

Materials

Drypoint

"Strawberry Glaze" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Strawberry Glaze" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a pink glazed donut. Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1986 and moved t...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Friedrich‘s Window: Variation IV (Water and Mist) 1981, Ian Hornak — Painting
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Friedrich‘s Window: Variation # 4 Year: 1981 Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 36 x 48 inches Condition: Good Provenance: Fischbach Gallery, New Y...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Immersed, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Light is shattered into thousands of twinkling points by the swirling currents. It seems to illuminate the drifting form of the swimmer from both above and below. This work is pai...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

DaNico
Located in Fairfield, CT
Glenn Ness is recognized for his photorealistic oil paintings of vacant backyards, landscapes, urban streets, and interiors. Ness’s compositions are flooded with his signature warm l...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Photo Realistic Diptych Hand Paintings
Located in Washington, DC
Exceptional pair of paintings by Manon Cleary (1942-1911). Paintings are oil on canvas. Dated 1980 and signed in the front lower right corner and on reverse. Manon Cleary's work is ...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pink Rose, Realist Flower Painting by Lowell Nesbitt 1976
Located in Long Island City, NY
A beautiful realist painting of a rose by American Artist, Lowell Nesbitt who was great inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, Ameri...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Parrot Tulip III, Photorealist Floral Screenprint by Lowell Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: Parrot Tulip III Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Im...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Rose Monochrome, Photorealist Screenprint by Lowell Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: Rose Monochrome Year: circa 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Image Size: 27 x 27 inche...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

"Repose" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Emma Hirst (US based) "Repose" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a black and yellow butterfly perched on a white background peacefully. ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Tulips II, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
My work "Tulips II" is part of a new series of paintings inspired by different types of flowers, it is an opportunity to deeply study their textures and colors. During my career a...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

The Angel Concert, Variation II
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: The Angel Concert, Variation II Year: 1979 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 36 x 48 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed, dated, and t...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Her Majesty - underwater nude photograph - archival print 16.8” x 23.5”
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
An underwater photograph of a naked young woman wrapped in bright tulle. Original gallery quality archival pigment print on archival paper signed by the artist. Limited edition of 2...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Robert Cottingham Don t Walk Unique Trial Proof, Signed Inscribed Photorealist
Located in New York, NY
Robert Cottingham Don't Walk, 1985 Three color Linoleum Cut on Paper Pencil signed, inscribed to Bryan and annotated TP Published by Chip Elwell Fine Prints Trial Proof (unique) This...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linocut

"Allegheny Cemetery", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Adrienne Stein's (US based) "Allegheny Cemetery" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an angel statue in a cemetery at dawn. About the artist: Adrienne Stein (b. 198...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Vintage American School Realist Trompe L Oeil Kitchen Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredibly well painted American realist still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed verso.
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Lockheed", photography by Dimitri Bourriau (31x47 ), 2016
Located in Paris, France
Print mounted on aluminum with plexiglas, framed. Edition of 15. Dimitri Bourriau is a French photographer, he has always been interested in history...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Plexiglass, Color

"Atlantis Theatro", photography by Dimitri Bourriau (31x47 ), 2020
Located in Paris, France
"Atlantis Theatro", photography by Dimitri Bourriau. Print mounted on aluminum with plexiglas, framed. Edition of 15. Dimitri Bourriau is a French ph...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Plexiglass, Color

"Flowers with Vessel 4" (2024), Original Oil Portrait by Megan Elizabeth Read
Located in Denver, CO
Megan Elizabeth Read's "Breath" is an original, handmade oil painting created in 2024 depicts a still-life of dark red carnations balanced in a small vase, cast in shadows. Megan El...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Reina, Photorealist Lithograph by John Kacere
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: John Kacere, American (1920 - 1999) Title: Reina Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300, 40 AP Image Size: 15 x 25.5 inches Size: 22 in. x ...
Category

1970s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Ritual" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Ritual" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts the glow of a lit candle glowing red against a dark background. Mia Bergeron's interest in art...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Wax, Oil, Panel

George Barris, "In Her Car Montage, " photolithograph, hand signed
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Photographed in her car at the Hollywood Hills home of Tim Leimert, this black and white photolithograph was created from the original negatives in 1962 and printed in 1987. Publishe...
Category

Mid-20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Gold sparks on the water., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Gold sparks on the water. Warm water, waves, serene views, ocean shine, evening sun glare on the water create an atmosphere of relaxation and romance. Made in the style of realism, a...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

European Canal Fisherman Early Black and White Photograph
Located in Houston, TX
Early black and white photograph of a fisherman fishing in what appears to be a European town setting. The photograph is matted to a board to prevent bendi...
Category

20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Chlorine Dreams, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Shattered light, rainbows and bubbles give this piece an dream like feel. The water almost looks like glass made liquid. I wanted to capture the same feeling one gets when submerged ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

BEYOND THE PALE - Photorealism / Still Life / Glass and Light
Located in New York, NY
Steve Smulka creates hyperrealistic and photorealistic still life paintings that capture glass bottles in natural light and interprets the illumination in dramatic compositions. Ori...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Little Italy, Gumball Machine - Photorealist Screenprint by Charles Bell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Charles Bell, American (1935 - 1995) Title: Little Italy Year: 1981 Medium: Screenprint on White Somerset Satin, signed and numbered in pencil Edi...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Yellow and Blue Cattleya Orchid, Photorealist Screenprint by Lowell Nesbitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: Yellow and Blue Cattleya Orchid Year: 1981 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200, AP 40 Image Si...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Screen

Lucent ocean waters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Dealing with depression, PTSD and anxiety, painting is a form of therapy for me. In this painting I create a peaceful and safe space for the child and adult in me both, a place to ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

NYC Biz
Located in Paris, FR
Jerome Romain lives in Montpelier, France Classic Painting for Contemporary History He defines his painting as " The world as a representation " His oil on canvas paintings are born ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Glass and Lemons - original realism still life oil painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Window, Contemporary Art, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Varvarov Anatoly Viktorovich Title: Window Sise: 61x53 inches, (155x135 cm) Medium: Oil on Canvas Hand painted, original, one of a kind, "Window" is an oil painting that ca...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1980s Vintage American Street Scene Painting, Landscape with Taxi Cabs
By Val Lewton
Located in Surfside, FL
Val Edwin Lewton (May 23, 1937 – April 24, 2015) was a painter and museum exhibition designer. As an artist, he created Realist acrylic paintings and watercolors of urban and suburban scenes, predominantly in the Washington, D.C., area, where he lived and exhibited. Val Lewton was born May 23, 1937, in Santa Monica, California. His father, also named Val Lewton, produced a string of successful and influential B movies for RKO Pictures, including Cat People (1942) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943). His mother, Ruth Knapp, was a painter and teacher of autistic children. He graduated in 1959 from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and earned a master's degree in fine arts from Claremont University in 1962. After moving to Washington, D.C., he served on the staff of the Smithsonian American Art Museum for 32 years, simultaneously maintaining a career as a painter in his own right. Lewton died in 2015s oon afterwards, exhibitions of his paintings were planned for the Katzen Arts Center (June 17 – August 13, 2017) and Addison/Ripley Fine Art (June 3 – July 8, 2017). Chiefly known for his landscapes, Lewton generally depicted cities and suburbs with a detached, impersonal sensibility. Writing about his watercolors in Arts magazine in 1980, Harry Rand observed, “Either by implication or statement, personalities are absent from Lewton’s work; there is hardly a sense of the lives that move through those spaces he describes.” The critic compared the artist to Fairfield Porter, Edward Hopper, and Charles Sheeler. Lewton painted from a young age. On a family trip to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, he discovered the work of Henri Matisse, an encounter that permanently influenced his artistic vision. In the early 1960s, Lewton lived in southern California and taught art classes at the University of California Riverside. During this period, he was inspired by the paintings of Roger Kuntz...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

"Blue Sprinkle" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Blue Sprinkle" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a donut covered with blue glaze and rainbow sprinkles. Gregory was born in Kansas City...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Snowy Woods, photorealist graphite landscape drawing, 2023
Located in New York, NY
In this work, the artist returns to a favorite spot in Alley Pond Park, Queens, to memorialize the ever-evolving carved names and glyphs in this majestic trunk. She is documenting no...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Martin Heade’s Window, Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Martin Heade’s Window Year: 1980 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 48 x 36 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed recto; signed, dated, and titled by the artist, verso. Provenance: Fischbach Gallery, New York, NY; Private Collection, MI Notes: A seminal example of Hornak’s Photorealist multiple exposure landscape...
Category

1980s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Non-Vitruvian Man" oil painting, hyperrealist, batman comic, pop-culture
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting realistically depicting a paper cutout of batman with wings spread upward and encased in a boundary of tape. However no paper cutouts or tape are collaged onto the ca...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Orange Pumpkin Photorealist painting of pumpkins, on a blue, teal cloth
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Orange Pumpkin' Still Life painting with pumpkins on a blue and teal table cloth. Amazing in any interior setting. Lijftogt was born in Amsterdam and at the age of 19 decided to p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Contemporary watercolor photorealist car closeup painting reflection signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Yellow Cadillac" is an original watercolor painting by Bruce McCombs. The artist signed the piece lower right. It reatures a shiny yellow car with its doors open sitting on a suburb...
Category

1990s Photorealist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Led Zeppelin by Robert Knight 30x40” signed limited edition black white print
Located in Austin, TX
Signed limited edition print of Led Zeppelin by legendary rock photographer, Robert M Knight, taken in Hawaii at Honolulu airport on 12th May 1969, holding the master tapes to Led Ze...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

C Print

"Yellow Ferrari", Oleg Turchin, Oil on Canvas, 36" x 54", Photorealism Painting
Located in Dallas, TX
Oleg Turchin's "Yellow Ferrari" is an oil on canvas that measures 36" x 54". The painting is a beautiful photorealistic depiction of Ferrari 599 GTO outsi...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Red peonies on a turquoise background, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Red peonies on a turquoise background , 2022 :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil

"Still Life of White Eggplants and Olive Oil" Modern Photography Still-Life Food
Located in Wellesley, MA
"I am a professional food and still life photographer with over 30 years experience based in New York City. My attention to detail and strong sense of composition has allowed me to ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Elton John Takes Flight, special co-signed limited edition print
Located in Austin, TX
Elton John by photographer Ed Caraeff, taken on-stage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California, November 15, 1970. This special edition. print is co-signed by Elton John a...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Black_and_White_Ver4
Located in New York, NY
Bob Tabor is a well-established, New York based, photographer best known for his exquisite large scaled portraits of subjects ranging from horses to seascapes. It is his unique appro...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Digital, Photogram, Archival Pigm...

Switzerland (Valais, Church of Rarogne) Photographic Travel Poster Mountains
By Philipp Giegel
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage travel posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find th...
Category

1960s Photorealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

White Rabbit Yellow
By Paul Urzica
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Born in Transylvania, Romania and of Hungarian origin, Paula Urzica lives and works in London, England. She is known for her hyperrealist paintings depicting large-scale macaroons.
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

White Lady
Located in Kraków, Województwo małopolskie
"White Lady" is a limited-edition black white photograph by contemporary artist Tadeusz Zych from the series entitled Gifts of the seas and oceans. Edition number 1/5. Prints ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Chocolate Cruller" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Chocolate Cruller" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a cruller pastry covered with a chocolate glaze. Gregory was born in Kansas City, ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Photorealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist 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, red, purple, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Alex Sher, Gregory Block, Lowell Nesbitt, and Ian Hornak. 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 Photorealist art, so small editions measuring 0.79 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $11 and tops out at $585,000, while the average work sells for $2,404.

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