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.
$273
Pocket Fig-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Red Apple-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
Fig - original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
$273
Pocket Pear - original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Oil, Canvas
Pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
The serene ceramic jar anchors the composition, creating a quiet dialogue between matte surfaces and glossy fruit. The carefully draped striped tablecloth introduces rhythm and movem...
Canvas, Oil
$759Sale Price|20% Off
Oval Impressionist Still Life of Flowers by 20th Century Modern Irish Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Oval Impressionist Still Life of Flowers by 20th Century Modern Irish Artist, Frank Fitzsimons Art measures 8 x 10.5 inches Frame measure 9.5 x 12 inch...
Canvas, Oil
An Artist Working in the Studio 1930
Located in Stockholm, SE
This intimate studio interior from 1930 belongs to the more psychologically engaging side of Carlo Hornung Jensen’s oeuvre. A seated woman has paused beside her easel and turned towa...
Oil, Board
Antique European Old Master Style Flower Still Life Framed Interior Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique European still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring: 27 by 21 inches overall, and 22 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Oil, Canvas
Chelsea Hotel, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The Hotel Chelsea has stood on West 23rd Street since 1884, and its facade reflects its long history. Its deep red brick, ornate cast-iron balconies, and layers...
Oil
Giuseppe Faccin (Italian painter) - 19th century view - St. Mark's Basilica
Located in Varmo, IT
Giuseppe Faccin (Schio 1874 - Vicenza 1916) - View of the interior of the Basilica of St. Mark, Venice. 75 x 57 cm (without frame) - 89.5 x 71 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas, in a ...
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Pomegrate-original still life oil painting - contemporary realism artwork
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...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Realist Interior Portrait Signed Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract landscape oil painting by Charles Courtney Curran (1861 - 1942) . Oil on canvas, lain to board. Framed. Measuring: 23 by 27 inches overall, and 18...
Oil, Board
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Fluffy Pomeranian Dog Portrait Wide Gold Frame Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredible signed early American dog portrait painting. Oil on board. Signed. Housed in a period gold giltwood frame.
Canvas, Oil
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Fluffy Pomeranian Dog Portrait Wide Gold Frame Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredible signed early American dog portrait painting. Oil on board. Signed. Housed in a period gold giltwood frame.
Canvas, Oil
Pocket Wild Apple, Original Oil on Canvas Still Life, 15 x 15 cm
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...
Canvas, Oil
$273
Pocket Broccoli - original oil still life painting - Contemporary Realism art
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Oil, Canvas
$13,714Sale Price|20% Off
Vincenzo Colleoni (Venetian master) - 19th century Realist masquerade scene
Located in Varmo, IT
Vincenzo Colleoni (Active in Venice in the second half of the 19th century) - Interior scene with masked figures. 110 x 160 cm (without frame) - 145 x 194 cm (with frame). Oil on c...
Canvas, Oil
$4,000Sale Price|22% Off
Domenico Cantatore, Italian Expressionist - Odalisque, oil painting 1960
Located in Varmo, IT
Domenico Cantatore (Ruvo di Puglia 1906 - Paris 1998) - Odalisque (Homage to Delacroix). 35 x 32 cm (without frame) - 66 x 64 cm (with frame). Oil on panel, in gilt wood frame. Si...
Oil, Panel
Floral
Located in Zofingen, AG
This exquisite painting showcases a vibrant bouquet of bearded carnations, bursting with rich pink-red colors and intricate details. Each flower is depicted with delicate, fringed p...
Canvas, Oil
$6,404Sale Price|25% Off
Still Life with Flowers & Fruit in a French Farmhouse Interior by French Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life with Flowers & Fruit in a French Farmhouse Interior by 20th Century French Artist, Robert Chailloux (1913-2006). Art measures 18 x 21 ...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,481Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage American Modernist Super Realist Trompe L'Oeil Cactus Avacado Still Life
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American realist still life. Oil on canvas. Unframed.
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Fruit and Vessels
Located in Stockholm, SE
Housed in an elaborate late nineteenth-century carved gilt frame lined with deep red velvet, the painting offers a harmonious composition of carefully arranged objects illuminated by...
Oil, Wood Panel
$400Sale Price|46% Off
Girl Sitting On Beach
Located in Atlanta, GA
Item is in excellent condition and has only been displayed in a gallery setting. Item includes frame Vincente Esparza was born in Graus, Huesca in 1946. In 1967 he began his studie...
Oil, Board
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Oil Painting Signed Holly European Tavern Interior Genre Scene, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Original antique oil on canvas signed “Holly” depicting a lively Old World tavern interior with three gentlemen gathered around a table in animated conversation. Executed in the trad...
Oil
$1,668Sale Price|40% Off
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Roosters and Hens in a Barn 19th century E. Binam (Belgian? 19th century) Signed lower left Oil on wood panel 8 1/4 x 5 /12 (10 1/4 x 13 1/4 frame) Though little is known about E. ...
Oil, Wood Panel
Villa Sola Cabiata
By Kenny Harris
Located in Fairfield, CT
Kenny Harris's latest body of work was informed by two recent residencies in Tuscany, at Borgo Finocchieto and Monteverdi. Inspired by the heavy Tuscan light, Harris paints the lands...
Canvas, Oil
Oysters and Lemon Oil on Canvas Still Life, Contemporary, 50x50 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view, strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate texture, and the play of light on the subject matter. The iridescent oysters contrast on a black plate focusing the viewer's eye towards the center of the composition. Color palette in “Oysters and lemon...
Canvas, Oil
$16,500
Saint Mark's Basilica Interior Oil Painting, Realist, Framed, 1911
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Saint Mark's Basilica Venice Oil Painting Signed, lower left dated, titled verso. Romanesque Bizantine Basilica. canvas 35"x45" framed 46.5 x56.5. Frank LeB...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
$271
Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip, Original Painting, Flower, Still Life, Plant
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroqu...
Canvas, Oil
$273
Pocket Yellow Pepper - original oil still life painting - Contemporary Realism
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
$11,888
The Artist's Studio - Scottish 1914 Glasgow Boy art exh interior oil painting
By Alexander Roche
Located in Hagley, England
This superb RSA exhibited Scottish Edwardian interior oil painting is by Glasgow Boy artist Alexander Ignatius Roche. It was painted circa 1914 when Roche was living at 8 Royal Terrace, on Calton Hill, a very prestigious property in Edinburgh, now the Halcyon Hotel. The painting is a view of Roche's studio, quite possibly one of the rooms at the above address. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy the following year, no. 333 entitled The Studio. The painting shows Roche beneath the vast window in his studio against a red wall that meets pale floorboards. Various items and furniture are scattered about. The balance of the white window and pale floorboards with the red wall intersecting is perfect. A really lovely example of this great Glasgow Boy artist's work and a very personal piece showing his inner sanctum. Signed lower right. Provenance. Exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy 1915 no. 333, entitled The Studio. Condition. Oil on canvas, 24 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a gilt frame, 32 inches by 28 inches and in good condition. Alexander Ignatius Roche RSA NEAC RP (1861-1921) was a Scottish artist in the late 19th century and an important figure in the “Glasgow Boys. He was born in the Gallowgate in Glasgow, the son of a milliner, Alexander Roche. He attended St Mungo’s Academy in Bridgeton, Glasgow. He originally trained as an architect, but then changed to art, studying at the Glasgow School of Art and, from 1881, at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Here he studied under Gustave Boulanger and Jean-Leon Gerome. In his time here he befriended William Kennedy, John Lavery, Thomas Millie Dow and William Stott. In the early 1880s he joined a colony of Scots artists in Grez-sur-Loing south of Fontainebleau. On his return to Scotland in 1885 he joined with the Glasgow Boys working on murals for the 1888 International Exhibition. In 1888 he travelled to Capri where he befriended Fabio Fabbi and Harold Speed. In following years he visited both Venice and Florence, and married an Italian girl on the latter trip. This marriage was short-lived and they separated. As both were Catholics there seems to have never been any divorce. In 1896 he moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh and began to distance himself from the Glasgow Boys. His work drifted from largely landscape to portraits. In 1906 he remarried (possibly bigamously), to Jean Alexander, daughter of Robert Alexander. During this period they enjoyed the friendship of Joseph Crawhall...
Oil
Narcissus. Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning spring narcissus are placed in a transparent vase. The bright yellow flowers create a vivid color contrast against the silvery blue background focusing the viewer's ey...
Canvas, Oil, Lacquer
"Lemons" still life oil painting, contemporary realism, signed and framed
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Lemons" is a contemporary realist painting; a still life of fresh cut lemons from the Italian countryside. Lemon's from a lemon tree, still have their leaves, and are hanging on a b...
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
$877Sale Price|20% Off
French Mid Century Still Life, Tablescape, Nature Morte. Oil on Board.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Large scale mid 20th Century French, oil on board, still life, tablescape, interior view, by Claude Barthélémy. Signed bottom left, presented in fine carved wood and gilt frame, with...
Oil, Board
Still life with apples and dragonfly
Located in Zofingen, AG
Experience the vibrant freshness of "Still life with apples and dragonfly," an original oil painting on linen. This medium-sized artwork captures a delightful scene from a unique bi...
Canvas, Oil
$2,596
The Big Apple, Contemporary oil on canvas painting, realism still life 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...
Canvas, Oil
$7,920Sale Price|20% Off
An Old 19th Century Genre Interior Depicting An Afternoon Nap, 1877
Located in Stockholm, SE
Jakob Kulle (1838–1898) Sweden An Afternoon Nap, 1877 signed and dated oil on canvas unframed 61 × 48 cm (24 × 18.9 in) framed 79 × 67 cm (31.1 × 26.4 in) Provenance: Purchased di...
Canvas, Oil
Realistic Still Life Painting, "Seemingly Ordinary #10" 2022
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original painting by southern California artist, Leslie Winokur. Its dimensions are 20" x 10" x 1" (HxWxD). It is oil on linen. ...
Oil
$60,000
"Mother and Child" Important 19th Century Oil Painting
By Paul Alexandre Alfred Leroy
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful depiction of mother and child displayed in a gold round ornate frame with intricate details.
Canvas, Oil
Small garden. Dahlia
Located in Zofingen, AG
This composition suggests a garden gathered and brought inside, captured in a rare moment of perfect balance. The interplay of pinks and golds creates a harmonious, almost musical r...
Canvas, Oil
$1,188Sale Price|20% Off
Victorian Tranquility Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, Early 20th Century
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior y fechado del año 1946 En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado Medidas obra: 81 x 65 cm. Medidas obra: 95 x 80 cm. Se presenta enma...
Oil
Limelight Hydrangea in Vintage Glass - #202, Original painting, Floral
Located in Deddington, GB
Limelight Hydrangea in Vintage Glass - #202 The Limelight hydrangea is known for the subtle green tint within its blooms, although in bright sunlight it often appears almost pure wh...
Metal
$1,350Sale Price|43% Off
Large Surreal Latin American Oil Painting
Located in Rochester, NY
Surreal hyper realistic trompe l'oeil oil painting by Latin American artist Victor Del Castillo. Peaches, grapes and cherries in rich brilliant colors and incredible detail. Measures...
Canvas, Oil
$2,732
Fine French Still Life Interior Scene Fruit & Table Top Items, Beautiful Details
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, mid 20th century Title: Interior Scene still life Medium: oil on board, framed Framed: 17.5 x 22 inches Board: 13 x 18 inches Provenance: private ...
Oil
The Dueling Partners 1850's French Oil, Chateau Staircase Interior Beautiful oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Duel by Alcide Joseph LORENTZ (French 1813-1891) signed and dated 1857 oil painting on canvas, framed framed size: 30 x 25 inches canvas: 25 x 20.5 inches condition: very good an...
Canvas, Oil
23rd Street Sunset, Oil Painting
By Nick Savides
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman walks west along East 23rd Street, catching her reflection in a store window. Farther off, figures cast long shadows toward the pavement. The restrained...
Oil
$273
Pocket Garlic - original oil still life painting - Contemporary Realism art
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Oil
Jacob Binder Signed 1937 Signed American Realist Handsome Male Portrait Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American realist portrait oil painting by Jacob Binder (1887 - 1984). Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 47 by 41 inches overall, and 42 by...
Oil
$9,237Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life with Fruit & Bread Rustic French Farmhouse Interior by French Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life with Fruit & Bread Rustic French Farmhouse Interior by 20th Century French Artist, Robert Chailloux (1913-2006). Art measures 29 x 23....
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Fromage
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting captures a still life scene viewed from above, inviting you to explore its intimate details. At the center, a wooden board showcases a variety of cheeses, ...
Canvas, Oil
$571
SUMMER TIME BLISS Plainair oil painting Nature landscape countryside Sunny day
Located in Zofingen, AG
This art piece was creating in wonderfull summer day on plain air. Will be sent with decorative frame. The artwork are treated with a lightly glossy top coat that seals and prote...
Canvas, Oil
My Coloring Table (Still Life Interior Artist Studio).
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Piero Aversa (1928-1990) My Coloring Table, ca. 1965. Oil and sand on canvas, measuring 20 x 24 inches. Measuring 21 x 25 inches in brass frame. Signed lower right. Piero Avers...
Linen, Oil
Berries in a golden bowl
Located in Zofingen, AG
The scene is set with a quiet reverence—a simple golden bowl, brimming with the last treasures of the season. These are not just fruits; they are memories of sunlight, gathered and p...
Canvas, Oil
El rincón del artista - Óleo sobre tela - Enmarcado
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior (desconozco el artista) Se presenta enmarcada la pintura (el marco presenta alguna leve falta) Medidas obra: 46 cm altura x 38 cm ancho. Me...
Oil
Eighteenth Century British Oil Painting of Rustic Folk and Dog at Village Pub
Located in ludlow, GB
Eighteenth Century English Country Inn Scene with Rustic Figures and Dog, drinking and talking in the Village Pub A signed Oil on Canvas mounted on stretchers and Framed in a Morland...
Oil
The Sitting Room at Castle Ward Co Down. Northern Ireland
By Simon Kozhin
Located in Zofingen, AG
Living room in an Irish castle in the neo-Gothic style with a soaring ceiling as if striving to heaven. The interior itself is flooded with cold light pen...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Apples, c. 1910
By Emma Ekwall
Located in Stockholm, SE
Still Life with Apples is an exquisite still-life painting that captures a quiet moment of abundance and peace. On a humble wooden table lies a cluster of ripe apples, their rosy and...
Canvas, Oil
$6,950
English Mid century oil of a cafe or Pub interior, people seated and drinking
Located in Woodbury, CT
M. Ricket (British, mid-20th century) Café Interior Oil on canvas, signed lower right Presented in a carved gilt frame This engaging mid-century scene by M. Ricket captures the war...
Canvas, Oil
$754Sale Price|40% Off
White lilies" floral still life realism of the Volskya Liliyaily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"White lilies" floral still life realism of the Volsky Lily. The painting is done in oil on canvas. It is written in 3 layers. Flowers look very impressive on a dark background. Lil...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
$1,020Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Trompe L'Oeil Artist Studio Interior Scene Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderfully painted American modernist still life oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 24H by 20L. Finely executed realist school.
Canvas, Oil