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What is the definition of realism in art?

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What is the definition of realism in art?
In art, the definition of realism is work that 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. Realism as an artistic movement usually refers to 19th-century French artists such as Honoré Daumier, who explored social and political issues in biting prints, and Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet, who painted people 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. On 1stDibs, shop a range of realist art.
1stDibs ExpertAugust 26, 2024
Shop for Realist Art on 1stDibs
Summer Landscape and Lake, Oil on Canvas, 1880, Signed
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
A peaceful summer landscape depicting the lake Finnsjön in Järnboås, north of Nora in the historic Bergslagen region of central Sweden. The still lake occupies the foreground, its da...
Category

1880s Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ricardo Bolliger, Italy, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late-1980s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Ricardo Bolliger sitting beside a swimming pool on the island of Capri, Italy, in September 1989. A ma...
Category

1980s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Hyperrealistic Acrylic Painting 'The Missing Move', 90x120 cm, Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
Certain works of art do not describe an event—they preserve its emotional residue. They remind us that the most profound transformations rarely occur in moments of visible drama, but in the quiet intervals that divide life into what existed before and everything that follows. This painting inhabits precisely that elusive territory. The composition presents an interior of remarkable stillness. A young woman, dressed in white and seen only from behind, stands before expansive panoramic windows. Beside her, a black cat quietly shares the moment. In the foreground, an antique billiard table...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Barcelona Beach Night Horizon, Nocturnal Seascape Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Outstanding "Barcelona Beach Night Horizon" shows a nocturnal seascape, taken on the Barcelona beach. Details: + Title: B...
Category

2010s Realist Landscape Photography

Materials

Emulsion, Printer's Ink, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Color, Photogram

Ballerina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I captured the delicate introspection of a quiet moment. Using oil, I aimed to blend fine realism with an intimate, almost tangible stillness. The softness of her skin...
Category

2010s Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Portrait of a Spaniel, " France 19th century
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Portrait of a Spaniel France, 19th century Oil on canvas, original gold leaf frame 15 ¾ x 14 ¼ (21 x 19 ½ frame) inches Signed illegibly, lower left Above the signature reads the not...
Category

1850s Realist Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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