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Photorealist Paintings

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
'The Tree Surgeon' Photorealist painting of a woodpecker, grey, blue, green
'The Tree Surgeon' Photorealist painting of a woodpecker, grey, blue, green

'The Tree Surgeon' Photorealist painting of a woodpecker, grey, blue, green

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 42" x 28" Ben Waddams’ 'The Tree Surgeon' is a beautifully detailed and characterful portrayal of the great spotted woodpecker, one of Britain’s most recognisable woodl...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Divine Fruit
Divine Fruit

Divine Fruit

By Jesus Navarro

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. Jesús Navarro was born in Jerez, (Cadiz), located in southern Spain, in 1952. By the age of tw...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Waiting Raccoon
Waiting Raccoon

Waiting Raccoon

By Justin Allen

Located in Columbia, MO

Signed verso Craig Albright, an Iowa-based artist with an MFA from Indiana University, brings an impressionistic, painterly style to the subject of Midwestern landscape. His work, wh...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

'Flying Grouse' Photorealist painting of Grouse, orange, grey
'Flying Grouse' Photorealist painting of Grouse, orange, grey

'Flying Grouse' Photorealist painting of Grouse, orange, grey

By Ben Waddams

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 31" x 45" 'Flying Grouse' is a dynamic and beautifully executed portrayal of one of Britain’s most iconic game birds in full flight. In this captivating composition, Be...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Martini Blues - Original Cocktail Painting on Canvas
Martini Blues - Original Cocktail Painting on Canvas

Martini Blues - Original Cocktail Painting on Canvas

By Kathleen Keifer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Kathleen Keifer is a California-based internationally collected artist. She is a leading force of the New California Realism. Kathleen brings a fresh, clean perspective to her colorf...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Historic Street in Sitges Spain oil on canvas painting
Historic Street in Sitges Spain oil on canvas painting

Historic Street in Sitges Spain oil on canvas painting

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Fernando Cobo Arcas (Madrid, 1975) Historic Street in Sitges 2002 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 116 × 73 cm (45.67 × 28.74 in) Framing: Unframed Signature: Signed and dated “F....

Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bag of Marbles - Photorealistic Oil Painting on Canvas
Bag of Marbles - Photorealistic Oil Painting on Canvas

Bag of Marbles - Photorealistic Oil Painting on Canvas

By Stuart Dunkel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Stuart Dunkel has spent decades refining his hyper-realistic style. He paints realistic imagery based on real world inspirations. His paintings show that the everyday object can be f...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Landscape Study 4" - Original Oil Painting on Primed Paper
"Landscape Study 4" - Original Oil Painting on Primed Paper

"Landscape Study 4" - Original Oil Painting on Primed Paper

Located in Denver, CO

The fourth of the heavy impasto small landscape studies About the Artist: Dominic Harman (b. 1974) is a British artist whose practice spans nearly three decades of professional illu...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

"Stoking" (2019) Still-Life Figurative Oil Painting
"Stoking" (2019) Still-Life Figurative Oil Painting

"Stoking" (2019) Still-Life Figurative Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

Russell Harris (b. 1970) earned his BFA and MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He continued his studies at the Schuler School of Fine Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, ...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Complementary III -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art
Complementary III -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

Complementary III -original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

By Alina Huberenko

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Ice & Fire' Photorealist painting of Fox in the snow, red, white, blue
'Ice & Fire' Photorealist painting of Fox in the snow, red, white, blue

'Ice & Fire' Photorealist painting of Fox in the snow, red, white, blue

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 14" x 18" 'Ice and Fire' is a striking celebration of contrast, resilience and natural beauty. In this captivating winter scene, Ben Waddams depicts a red fox emerging ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Badger' Photorealist painting of a badger, black, white, green
'Badger' Photorealist painting of a badger, black, white, green

'Badger' Photorealist painting of a badger, black, white, green

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 19" x 17.5" 'Badger' is a powerful and intimate portrait of one of Britain’s most elusive and beloved native mammals. In this captivating work, Ben Waddams presents the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

At the Edge of Reality V-original realism seascape oil painting-contemporary art
At the Edge of Reality V-original realism seascape oil painting-contemporary art

At the Edge of Reality V-original realism seascape oil painting-contemporary art

By Alina Huberenko

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

'On The Rocks' Photorealist painting of Grouse grey, green, brown
'On The Rocks' Photorealist painting of Grouse grey, green, brown

'On The Rocks' Photorealist painting of Grouse grey, green, brown

By Ben Waddams

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 33.5" x 22" 'On the Rocks' is a beautifully observed portrayal of two red grouse standing proudly amongst a rugged landscape of lichen-covered boulders. In this captiva...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'The Contemplation of Khan' Photorealist painting of a Tiger, orange, white
'The Contemplation of Khan' Photorealist painting of a Tiger, orange, white

'The Contemplation of Khan' Photorealist painting of a Tiger, orange, white

By Ben Waddams

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 43.5" x 35" 'The Contemplation of Khan' is a powerful and intensely captivating portrait that explores the majesty, intelligence and quiet authority of one of nature’s ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Old Brown' Photorealist painting of an Owl, brown, white
'Old Brown' Photorealist painting of an Owl, brown, white

'Old Brown' Photorealist painting of an Owl, brown, white

By Ben Waddams

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 29.5 x 29.5" 'Old Brown' is a wonderfully intimate portrait of a tawny owl, capturing the quiet wisdom and enduring mystery of one of Britain’s most beloved nocturnal b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Energy Drink' Photorealist painting of a skimming swallow, blue
'Energy Drink' Photorealist painting of a skimming swallow, blue

'Energy Drink' Photorealist painting of a skimming swallow, blue

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 28" x 17.5" 'Energy Drink' is a striking and imaginative wildlife study that captures the speed, precision and vitality of one of Britain’s most familiar summer visitor...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Catching the Rays' Photorealist painting of an owl, amber, white, brown
'Catching the Rays' Photorealist painting of an owl, amber, white, brown

'Catching the Rays' Photorealist painting of an owl, amber, white, brown

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 41.5" x 26" 'Catching the Rays' is a captivating portrait of a barn owl, a species long admired for its ethereal beauty and silent mastery of the countryside. In this e...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Mini Macintosh- original Still Life Oil Painting, Impressionism Art , 30x30 cm
Mini Macintosh- original Still Life Oil Painting, Impressionism Art , 30x30 cm

Mini Macintosh- original Still Life Oil Painting, Impressionism Art , 30x30 cm

By James Zamora

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pineapple Red - Playful Food Fruit Contemporary Pop Art Original Painting
Pineapple Red - Playful Food Fruit Contemporary Pop Art Original Painting

Pineapple Red - Playful Food Fruit Contemporary Pop Art Original Painting

By Kathleen Keifer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

'Reflections' Photorealist painting of an otter surfacing, blue, white, grey
'Reflections' Photorealist painting of an otter surfacing, blue, white, grey

'Reflections' Photorealist painting of an otter surfacing, blue, white, grey

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 26.5" x 46" Ben Waddams’ 'Reflections' is a beautifully tranquil study of an otter gliding effortlessly through calm water, capturing a fleeting moment of quiet connect...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'The Joys of Spring' Photorealist painting of as singing wren, green, brown
'The Joys of Spring' Photorealist painting of as singing wren, green, brown

'The Joys of Spring' Photorealist painting of as singing wren, green, brown

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 16.5" x 21.5" 'The Joys of Spring' is a delightful celebration of renewal, birdsong and the quiet beauty of the changing seasons. In this enchanting composition, Ben Wa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

'Woodland Picnic' Photorealist painting of a red squirrel, navy, green
'Woodland Picnic' Photorealist painting of a red squirrel, navy, green

'Woodland Picnic' Photorealist painting of a red squirrel, navy, green

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Framed Size: 18" x 14" Ben Waddams’ 'Woodland Picnic' is a charming and intimate portrayal of a young red squirrel enjoying a quiet moment within the woodland. Perched delicately up...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Hot Cake House
Hot Cake House

Hot Cake House

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

After the Holiday, Balloons Contemporary Art Original oil Painting One of a Kind
After the Holiday, Balloons Contemporary Art Original oil Painting One of a Kind

After the Holiday, Balloons Contemporary Art Original oil Painting One of a Kind

By Anatoly Varvarov Viktorovich

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Artist: Varvarov Anatoly Viktorovich Title: After the Holiday Sise: 45.5x39.5 inches, (115x100 cm) Medium: Oil on Canvas Hand painted, original, one of a kind, This beautiful oil p...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Scale Big Sur Seascape in Oil on Canvas
Large Scale Big Sur Seascape in Oil on Canvas

Large Scale Big Sur Seascape in Oil on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

Large Scale Big Sur Seascape in Oil on Canvas This coastal scene captures Pacific waves crashing against the rugged Big Sur coast. Sunlight lights up turquoise waves as they roll a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Catching the Light-original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art
Catching the Light-original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

Catching the Light-original modern realism waterscape painting -contemporary art

By Alina Huberenko

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Apricity", Oil painting
"Apricity", Oil painting

"Apricity", Oil painting

By Lindsey Kustusch

Located in Denver, CO

Lindsey Kustusch’s (US based) "Apricity" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a Great blue Heron bird with fall colored leaves and designs in the background. Artist S...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Féith", Oil painting
"Féith", Oil painting

"Féith", Oil painting

By Lindsey Kustusch

Located in Denver, CO

Lindsey Kustusch’s (US based) "Féith" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a Great blue Heron bird perched on a fountains with red floral designs in the background. A...

Category

2010s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

HMS Nairana Royal Navy Seaplane Carrier Fleet Air Arm Tasmania & Melbourne Ferry
HMS Nairana Royal Navy Seaplane Carrier Fleet Air Arm Tasmania & Melbourne Ferry

HMS Nairana Royal Navy Seaplane Carrier Fleet Air Arm Tasmania & Melbourne Ferry

By Vincenzo D'Esposito

Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset

Vincenzo D’Esposito. Italian ( b.1886 - d.1946 ). HMS Nairana, Royal Navy Seaplane Carrier. Gouache On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 7.7 inches x 12.2 inches ( 19.5cm x 31cm ). Frame size 13.8 inches x 17.7 inches ( 35cm x 45cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the Italian artist Vincenzo D’Esposito and dates from circa 1918. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic and contrasting contemporary frame to suit the subject coloration (which is shown in these photographs) and behind non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. This antique piece is in superb condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. Vincenzo D’ Esposito was an Italian artist, active in the beginning of the twentieth century. He was a son of Gaetano de Esposito, an artist who lived in Malta. Vicenzo continued the work of his father and another brother, who all painted the various ships that sailed the Mediterranean in their time. Vincenzo D’Esposito is particularly known for his gouache pictures of British warships in Valetta harbour. It is likely that he received orders from merchant captains and naval officers who stopped in Valetta. Such works are now well sought after by British collectors. The HMS Nairana, featured in this artwork, was a vessel with a particularly interesting history. She was originally owned by the Australian shipping line Huddart Parker, who, in 1914, ordered her to be built in Dumbarton, Scotland by William Denny and Brothers. She was designed to be a passenger ship with some cargo capacity to serve in the Australian coastal trade. The name ‘Nairana’ is an Aboriginal name, meaning ‘Golden Eagle’ or ‘Eagle of the Sea’. She was launched in 1915 at the Denny shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland. The launch had been delayed because of the diversion of shipping construction work to military vessels on the outbreak of the First World War. For the first year and a half of her life she remained at anchor. Then in 1917 she was purchased by the Royal Navy and converted into a combined landplane and seaplane carrier. After being commissioned HMS Nairana was assigned to the Battle Cruiser Force of the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, although she was mostly employed for pilot training and ferrying aircraft to ships equipped with flying-off decks. In 1918 HMS Nairana participated in the North Russia Campaign in support of the British intervention in the Russian Civil War, including taking part in what was probably the first fully combined air, sea and land military operation in history when she joined Allied ground forces and other ships in driving the Bolsheviks out of their fortifications on Modyugski Island at the mouth of the Northern Dvina River. In May 1919 HMS Nairana was refitted in Rosyth, then continued to support military operations in Russia until October that year, when she went to Devonport to be decommissioned. Nairana was returned to her former owners in Australia in 1921 and refitted in her original planned configuration, and then spent the next 27 years ferrying passengers and cargo between Tasmania and Melbourne. She was twice struck by rogue waves in the Bass Strait...

Category

Early 20th Century Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

'Funny Money', Hyper-Realism, Trompe-l'œil, Still Life, DW Gallery, Dallas, TX
'Funny Money', Hyper-Realism, Trompe-l'œil, Still Life, DW Gallery, Dallas, TX

'Funny Money', Hyper-Realism, Trompe-l'œil, Still Life, DW Gallery, Dallas, TX

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

Signed, verso, 'Tom Kraa' and dated 1987 on stretcher; bearing original gallery label verso with artist name, date and title, 'Funny Money'. Previously with: DW Gallery, Dallas, Texas An exceptional trompe-l'œil still life showing illuminated party lights, United States currency and a crossword puzzle against the backdrop of a sheet of pegboard. This little known artist exhibited with the prestigious DW Gallery in Dallas in the year before it closed. Along with several other women, Linda Samuels (formerly Linda Surls) started the DW Gallery (DWG) as a small women's co-op at McKinney and Hall streets in 1975. In the first few years, the gallery was staffed by member artists, each of whom worked three days a month and paid a $33 monthly fee toward overhead costs. Throughout its 13-year history, the gallery developed a reputation for recognizing raw talent and eventually became one of the nation's most respected showcases for contemporary regional artists. DWG was the first to exhibit several "new" artists who are nationally recognized today, including Lee N. Smith, David Bates, and Clyde Connell. The gallery was also successful at promoting up-and-coming Dallas artists such as David McManaway, John Hernandez, and Sam Gummelt. In 1978, the gallery was incorporated after receiving backing from founding member Lou Alpert (formerly Frederickson). By 1980, when director Linda Samuels moved to California, the gallery had expanded twice. In 1981, Diana Block succeeded Samuels as DWG director. Under Block, the gallery continued its successful theme exhibits, including a popular Book/Art exhibition. In 1983, DWG expanded to a new space on Main Street in Deep Ellum and opened a bookstore in a renovated warehouse. In 1986, when the gallery again needed to expand, it moved to new space on Canton and Oakland Streets rented from John Tatum, Dallas developer and major stockholder in DWG. After a dispute over the lease, the gallery closed in September 1988. By this time, its operating budget had increased from $24,000 to $100,000 since 1981, with investors contributing less than 25 percent of the annual budget. The closing exhibition, The Last Show, was guest-curated by founding member Linda Samuel. It featured recent works by each of the 28 artists associated with the gallery over the past year. The gallery received postcard tributes from more than 80 artists who had exhibited there through the years, including Bob Wade, Peter Julian, Gilda Pervin, James Surls, Benito Huerta, Dan Rizzie, Danny Williams, Bill Komodore, and Frank Tolbert.

Category

1980s Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Love Letters - Scrabble Coffee Lover Still Life Original Painting Board Game Art
Love Letters - Scrabble Coffee Lover Still Life Original Painting Board Game Art

Love Letters - Scrabble Coffee Lover Still Life Original Painting Board Game Art

By Kathleen Keifer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Kathleen Keifer is a California-based internationally collected artist. She is a leading force of the New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her hyperrealistic ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Photorealist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist paintings 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 paintings 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, green, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Gregory Block, James Zamora, Ian Hornak, and Kathleen Keifer. 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 3.5 inches across are also available. Prices for paintings 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 $125 and tops out at $585,000, while the average work sells for $3,772.