Skip to main content

Realist Art

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.

to
1,746
4,782
2,983
2,561
1,906
1,748
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
331
1,084
5,471
7,119
118
71
123
138
171
584
1,031
1,100
705
291
197
113,878
64,934
54,989
27,140
14,653
9,480
6,541
5,764
4,190
3,064
2,577
2,334
2,233
711
6,872
4,753
1,704
5,588
2,821
2,202
1,845
1,762
1,239
1,236
1,122
947
930
813
804
690
671
661
615
612
557
531
522
7,947
5,609
2,864
2,756
2,573
2,630
98
90
89
67
3,996
3,628
9,114
3,919
Style: Realist
Entangled
Located in Berlin, DE
Willibrord Haas (*1936 Schramberg), Entangled, 2008. etching, 28 cm (height) x 17 cm (width). Signed “Willibrord Haas” in pencil by the artist, dated “2008”, titled “Verschränkt” and...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Art

Materials

Paper

Woman at the Tub (Femme au tub)
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) Woman at the Tub (Femme au tub) lithograph, 213/275, signed in print Image: 48.5 x 62.5 cm Frame: 69.5 x 81.5 cm Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1...
Category

1890s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

1920 s Illustration of a Country Girl
Located in Soquel, CA
Finely detailed figurative illustration of a young woman leaning against a fence. The woman is wearing a plaid dress and bonnet with a black ribbon. Some of the landscape has been il...
Category

1920s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Ink, Gouache

"Bit of Teazle" (2023) by Sheri Farabaugh, Original Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Bit of Teazle" by Shari Farabaugh (United States) is a handmade oil painting that depicts a close up view of green teazle. Sheri Farabaugh began painting after successful careers ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

OIL PAINTING Antique 19thCentury By E.Horton British old master Gold Gilt Frame
Located in Ferndown, GB
FINE ORIGINAL ARTIST E . Horton 19th CENTURY BRITISH OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING Fine Medium Size Original Antique 19th Century British OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING Romantic Scene GOLD G...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Lazarus, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Bright pink petals frame a close-up portrait. For artist David Shepherd, the eye—like a fingerprint—uniquely identifies a person, yet their identity, orig...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

After Ralph Goings Color Pick 1982, First Edition, Vintage
Located in Brooklyn, NY
First edition exhibition poster by Ralph Goings titled Tomato Catsup. Born in 1928, Goings is best known for his highly detailed paintings of diners, hamburger stands, California ban...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Offset

Bullfinch, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
107 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art, Subject: Bullfinch, Size: 12 x...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Symbiosis" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Kierstin Young's (US based) "Symbiosis" is an oil painting that depicts branches and foliage emerging from a female figures nude back and hands with a bright pink background Artist ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

"Denali" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's (US based) "Denali" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a foothill landscape as the morning light hits the mountain range. About the Artist: Ra...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Character vs. Charicature
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
William Hogarth (1697-1764). Character vs. Charicature, 1743. Engraving on laid paper, plate measuring 8.25 x 9.25 inches. Framed measurement: 16.25 x 20.25 inches. Characters and...
Category

Mid-18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

The Picnic
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "The Picnic" c.1990, is an oil painting on canvas board by Irish artist Val McGann, 1928-2016. It is signed at the lower left corner by...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Hurdy-gurdy with Peony and Fruit - 21st Century Classic Style Dutch Still-Life
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Cornelis le Mair (Netherlands, Eindhoven, July 3rd 1944) is a Dutch painter. This Classic painter is famous because of his 17th century paintings. You can see him in his house on o...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Alanís" Original Oil and Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Conrado López's "Alanís" is a handmade original acrylic and oil on canvas artwork. Created in 2023, this piece measures 5 x 5 inches (12.70 x 12.70 cm) and is thoughtfully housed in ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

A Fishing Boat at Sea, Late Mid-Century Gouache on Paper
Located in Cotignac, FR
French gouache on paper of a boat travelling the seas. The work is unsigned but dated 22/11/70. Presented in simple gilt frame with handcut mount. A really engaging and powerful painting. The artist has managed to capture the swell of the sea, the movement of the boat listing gently to one side, the slightly rusty hull, the moody sky filled with all the seagulls following behind, which suggests it might be a fishing boat. They have used a limited but strong colour palette, blues, blacks and greys and then just to highlight and catch the eye a splash of green to represent the starboard or right bow light.
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache, Pencil

Untitled (Man Undressing)
Located in New York, NY
Graphite on paper Signed, c.l. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now live...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Blue Fish Cove, Point Lobos
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Moses" lower left Frame: 18.5" x 15.5" x 1"; Unframed: 14" x 11"
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Dark Still Life Photography Fine Art Print - Natura Morte 1 by Koukouwitakis
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Dark Still Life Photography Fine Art Print - Natura Morte 1 by Koukouwitakis From the series "Natura Morte" still life The photographic image of the withered flowers, rotten fruit,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Giclée, Lithograph

A Man of Mangea 1784 final voyage of Captain Cook by John Webber
Located in Paonia, CO
A Man of Mangea is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. John Webber (1752-1793) was the official a...
Category

1780s Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Joan of Austria / - The luminosity of the print -
Located in Berlin, DE
Gérard Edelinck (1640 Antwerp - 1707 Paris), Joan of Austria, 1707. Copperplate engraving, 51.2 cm x 29.8 cm, inscribed below the image: "Jeanne d'Autriche Grande Duchesse de Toscane...
Category

Early 1700s Realist Art

Materials

Paper

"Eagle with a Snake"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This sculptural work depicts a dramatic scene of a struggle between a mighty eagle and a snake. The eagle, a symbol of strength, courage and victory, has spread its wings wide, demon...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Bronze

Mt Lyell Clouds, Yosemite - Black White California Landscape Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Elegant hand signed black & white photo highlighting the sharp contrast between the Yosemite mountain range of Mt. Lyell and the beautiful clouds above by Charles Cramer (American, b...
Category

1980s Realist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Swanson Crush on Rooti
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Swanson Crush on Rooti', oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches, proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Italian Orientalist Antique Oil Painting Young Woman Well Sunset
Located in Stockholm, SE
Exquisite 19th century Italian orientalist oil painting depicting a romantic sunset scene with a young Middle Eastern woman at an ancient well. The composition features a beautifully...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Wood

"Cloud Composition 4" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 4" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Cuauhtémoc, signed oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Cuauhtémoc, 1982 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 15 x 21.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well listed French marine artist Louis Letouche (1924-2015). The painting portrays the 20th Century ship titled: Cuauhtemoc, 1982. ARM Cuauhtémoc is a sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy, named for the last Mexica Hueyi Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc who was captured and executed in 1525. She is the last of four sister...
Category

1990s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Interior Scene, 1892
Located in Astoria, NY
Gerard Jozef Portielje (Belgian, 1856-1929), Figural Interior Scene, Oil on Wood Panel, 1892, signed, dated and inscribed "Antwerp" lower right, carved giltwood frame. Image: 15.25" ...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Convent of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai: Roberts 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century hand-colored lithograph entitled "Convent of St. Catherine Mount Sinai Looking Towards the Plain of the Encampment" by David Roberts, from his Egypt ...
Category

1840s Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Irises. Floral still life acrylic painting, Classic, Realistic, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary figurative floral still life acrylic on board painting by Polish artist Janusz Szpyt. Artwork style is classic and realistic achieved with wide brush strokes. Janusz S...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Board

"Downtown Run" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Raymond Bonilla's "Downtown Run" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a building in brilliant warm light contrasted by a blue sky. About the Artist: Raymond Bonilla ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Black- throated bush, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
169 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art Title: Black- throated bushtit, Siz...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Contemporary portrait "Here Comes Texas!.."
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork depicts a young woman confidently poised at the Texas state line, symbolizing both a literal and metaphorical crossing. Set against a vibrant blue sky, the scene cente...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Moths and a Lady Bug in a Landscape: A Hand-colored Engraving by Moses Harris
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a hand-colored engraving depicting the natural history of moths and a lady bug, which is plate 22 from Moses Harris' publication "The Aurelian: or Natural History of English Insects; Namely Moths & Butterflies", first published in London in 1766 and this from an 1840 edition. The engraving depicts the natural history developmental stages of the Burnished Brass Moth, the Dark Gothic...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Engraving

Dreams in Distance
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Oil Painting signed by the Artist on the lower right corner.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Charcoal sketch on Linen “Audrey H" by Christina Major 50 x 75
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Original sketch on fabric
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Charcoal, Oil

The Dance Large Antique Orientalist Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 19th Century
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The Painting is Signed Description: Fabbio Fabbi (1861-1946) was an Italian painter renowned for his Orientalist artworks and his ability to capture the beauty and allure of Eastern...
Category

Late 18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Riverbank, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
This piece is focusing in on the foreground showing a close up of a riverbank and detailed grassy embankment with the strong image of a dark barn off in the distance across a field. ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Chaffinch, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
145 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art, Title: Chaffinch, Size: 12 x 1...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Contemporary portrait "The End of the World"
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork combines vintage aesthetics with surreal elements, set against a thought-provoking backdrop. A woman in a black suit and bow tie, holding a cigarette, exudes timeless el...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Glass
Located in Greenwich, CT
Edward Minoff graduated with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Throughout his high school and college years he studied painting and sculpture at the Art Students League of ...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

Three Setters on Point
By Edmund Henry Osthaus
Located in Missouri, MO
Three Setters on Point Edmund Henry Osthaus (German, 1858-1928) Watercolor on Paper Signed Lower Right 18 x 27 inches 24.5 x 33.5 inches with frame Born in Hildesheim, Germany, Edmu...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Ship Leaving the Bay at Sunrise French Seascape 18th century Rococo Oil Painting
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed Charles François Grenier de Lacroix or Charles - François Lacroix de Marseille (1700 - 1782) as signed lower left on the stone “Lacroix”. The scene of the departure of nobles on a ship, somewhere among the Mediterranean landscapes at sunrise. Lacroix's sense of color and attention to detail are particularly impressive: the sea is calm, the sun is rising and as a soft pink hue begins to emerge in the clouds, the morning haze has not yet cleared and the air is clear and clean, large ship...
Category

Late 18th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

"Saint with icons"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Unidentified French Artist (in the Manner of 17th Century Masters) "Saint with Icons" Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 130 x 164 cm Dimensions (Canvas): 114 x 149 cm No sig...
Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Memories of the Year, 1840 Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Note, Remarkable
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Joseph Lavos (Austrian, 1807-1848) Signed: J. Lavos (Lower, Right) " Memories of The Year 1840 ", 1840 (written on the note within the sitter's hand, translated from German) Oil o...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bullfinch, Bird, Watercolor Handmade Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
134 Artist: Artyom Abrahamyan, Work: Original Painting, Handmade artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Year: 2023 Style: Classic Art, Title: Bullfinch, Size: 12 x 1...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Odalisque - Woman in a Harem - French 1900 Orientalist art portrait oil painting
By Lucien Laurent Gsell
Located in Hagley, England
This charming ex Christie's Victorian Orientalist oil painting is by noted French exhibited artist Lucien Laurent Gsell. The painting dates to around 1900 and portrays a beautiful yo...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Art

Materials

Oil

"For This From That Will Be Filled" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ken Cunningham's "For This From That Will Be Filled" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts two women picking apples of green and red with the silhouette of a tree behind...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Beth Parcell, "Soft Spot", 9x12 Golden Retriever Dog Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This animal portrait, "Soft Spot", is a 9x12 oil painting on canvas featuring a deep red golden retriever resting in the light of the sun. About the artist: Beth’s favorite subject...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dark Still Life Photography FIne Art Print - Natura Morte 5 by Koukouwitakis
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Dark Still Life Photography FIne Art Print - Natura Morte 5 by Koukouwitakis From the series "Natura Morte" still life The photographic image of the withered flowers, rotten fruit, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Giclée, Lithograph

Woodland Path - British 19th Century landscape watercolour by Helen Allingham
Located in London, GB
HELEN ALLINGHAM, RWS (1848-1926) The Woodland Path Signed Watercolour on paper 27 by 20 cm., 10 ¾ by 8 in. (frame size 47 by 42 cm., 18 ½ by 16 ½ in...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Richard Haas, The Rookery Courtyard, Chicago, s/n etching architecture and art
Located in New York, NY
Richard Haas The Rookery Courtyard, Chicago, 1974 Etching on etching rag paper Signed, titled and numbered 11/50 in graphite pencil on the front Frame included Etching on etching ra...
Category

1970s Realist Art

Materials

Rag Paper, Etching

DERICKX Louis. Children fishing in a landscape. Oil on panel.
Located in Paris, FR
Children fishing in a landscape. Original ,title 'Le Vesdre à Chaudfontaine' Oil on mahogany panel. Signed and dated 1876 lower left.
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Parisian Café Eiffel Tower Paris France Limited Edition Print by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Parisian Café Eiffel Tower Paris France Limited Edition Print by British Artist. A high quality limited edition print of Angela's European Series, incorporating the Eiffel Tower - on...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Paper, Printer s Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée, Digital

"Genre Scene"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Grand 17th-Century Style Genre Scene – Oil on Canvas A magnificent large-scale oil painting depicting an elegant gathering of noble figures in an architectural setting. This historic...
Category

17th Century Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Winter Sunset with Sheep Farmer in the English Countryside by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Winter Sunset with Sheep & Farmer in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist, Noel Ripley (b.1944). Original, Signed, Oil on Board Art mea...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

A Gentle Breath, Contemporary Original Art, Skyscape Painting, Meditation Art
Located in Deddington, GB
A Gentle Breath is an orignal skyscape painting by Charlotte Elizabeth. Charlotte Elizabeth is available online and in our gallery at Wychwood Art. Charlotte has been working with paint professionally for over fifteen years. A prestigious training in theatre design preceded a busy career as a Theatrical Scenic Artist in London’s West End...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Pear branch laden with ripe fruits on a golden background
Located in Milan, IT
Margherita Leoni's small and precious painting presents all the fullness of thriving nature offering its fruits. As in sacred art, gold has always evoked the divine, the choice of th...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Gold

A Stream in the Forest - British Victorian 1859 art landscape oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
A fine and very detailed large Victorian British landscape painting. Painted in oil on canvas it is by listed and exhibited Victorian artist George Cole, dated 1859. A wonderful larg...
Category

19th Century Realist Art

Materials

Oil

Pocket Pale Blue Sloes 2, Original Painting, Still Life, Sloes Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Pale Blue Sloes 2 is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil pai...
Category

2010s Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Renate Vogel-Stelling "WELCOME" Nude
Located in Winterswijk, NL
WELCOME by Artist RenateVogel-Stelling Expressive Realism: Etablissement Scene. Vogel-Stelling: "I let my hand go, and where the brush becomes heavy, I push." A beautiful artwork t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Realist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Michael Budden, Daniel Pollera, and Su Yu. 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 art, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed