Realist Paintings
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.
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Style: Realist
Artist: Michael Budden
Seascape Oil Painting Venice Nocturne Gondola Ride by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On The Canal, Venice
oil/panel
10 x 8 unframed
Evening On the Canal, Venice is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a d...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Rural Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden Farm Fields
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Farm Fields Study
The image measure 14 x 11 unframed, 17.5 x 20.5 framed
Farm Fields is a plein air oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that sho...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Contemporary Wildlife Art Print by Michael Budden Great Blue Heron painted mat
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Portrait of a Fisherman
A limited edition offset print by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a great blue heron in his natural environment created in a r...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Offset
Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Michael Budden Resting Boats
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
A plein air oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a study of boats resting at the end of the season. Painted near Hancock Harbor i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Sunrise Colors
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Colors Study
oil/panel
The image measures 6 x 8 unframed, 9.63 x 11.63 framed.
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showca...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Cityscape Nocturne Oil Painting Michael Budden American Flags
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On Dover Street is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautifully lit nocturne scene created in an impressionistic ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Winter Moonlight Nocturne Snow Scene Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful winter nocturne landscape. The long foreground shadows accent the effect of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Severn Study I is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautifully lit marine scene at the Severn Marina created in an impres...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Seascape Painting Michael Budden Beach Play V
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beach Play V
oil/panel
image 8 x 10 unframed, 13 x 15 framed
Beach Play V is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beach full...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Winter Boats Oil Painting by Michael Budden Winter Boat Yard NJ
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter at Beaton's Boat Yard is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful winter view of boats at Beaton's Boat yard in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Realistic Wildlife Landscape Painting Bald Eagle Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Autumn Majesty, Bald Eagle
oil/panel 1989
24 x 36 image in an original Walter Skor hand made frame.
I found and purchased back one of my favorite wild life paintings done back in 198...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Landscape Impressionistic Oil Painting Springtime by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Springtime is an oil painting on canvas that showcases the beautiful light of a Spring day painted on location near my home. Painting image measures 18 x 14 and is being sold unframe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Wildlife Landscape Painting by Michael Budden Wolves Animals
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
High Vantage, Wolves is an acrylic painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful pair of wolves over looking their territory. The ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Impressionistic Landscape Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden Late Light
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Late Light is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a unique composition of late afternoon light over the water created in an ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Painting Times Square, Nocturne by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Times Square is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. It is a busy street nocturne in Times Square, NYC that I painted in 2008 and just repur...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Oil Painting Michael Budden 5th Ave Elegence & Bergdorf Goodmans
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Along 5th Avenue Elegance & Bergdorf Goodmans
oil/panel
10 x 16 unframed, 15.38 x 21.38 framed
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Winter Snow Scene Nocturne by Michael Budden Moonlight Shadows
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Moonlight Shadows
oil/canvas
20 x 24 image
Moonlight Shadows is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. It is a quiet scene of a winter stream ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting with Dunes by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Dunes & Beach Path is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionistic realism style ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Summer Landscape Cows Salmagundi Club Award Winning Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Cunningham Road is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful summer landscape with cows in a soft mid day light bathing...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting with jetty by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Magical Moonlight
oil/canvas
8 x 10 image
Magical Moonlight is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting Oxford Md Boat Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Oxford Light is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautifully lit marine scene created in an impressionistic realism style...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Contemporary Seascape Oil Painting Sunrise Series by Michael Budden Jetty
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Study
Image is 6 x 8 unframed, and 11.75 x 13.75 framed.
An study oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a unique composit...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Contemporary Dessert Painting by Michael Budden, Strawberrry Cheesecake
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Strawberry Cheesecake
6x8 unframed, 11.5 x 13.5 framed
An acrylic painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a piece of strawberry cheeseca...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic
NYC Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden Macy's Parade Series Sponge Bob
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Macy's Sponge Bob
Part of a series of 11 paintings.
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases images from the Macy's Thanksgi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Painting Winter Snow Brooklyn Bridge by Michael Budden Ferry Boat
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Brooklyn Bridge Winter
oil/panel
12 x 16 image
Brooklyn Bridge Winter is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. It is a quiet scene of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Evening Theater Painting by Michael Budden Phantom of the Opera
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Mystical Phantom is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden. It is a "play" on "drama" that is unfolding as theater goers line up on a ra...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Light House Boca Grande FL Range Light Oil Painting Seascape by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Here is a triptych oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the Range Light House located in Boca Grande FL...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Diner Realistic Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Transparency & Reflection, A NYC Diner
oil/panel
8 x 10 unframed, 14.5 x 16.5 framed, is a realistic oil painting by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Ocean Beach Triptych Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden Coastal Sunrise
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Here is a triptych oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a romantic coastal seascape sunrise created in an impressionistic r...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
New York City Painting Michael Budden Evening On Broadway St James & Sardis
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Evening On Broadway, St. James & Sardi's
Image is 10 x 8 unframed, 15.5 x 13.5 framed.
An acrylic painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Impressionistic Sunrise Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Sunrise Seascape
oil/canvas
9 x 12 image
Sunrise Seascape is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene cre...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden Beach Jetty
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a romantic moonlit seascape created in an impressionistic realism style with wonderful br...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Off the Coast Seascape Study is an oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach scene created in an impressionist...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Winter Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden Winter Stream Snow
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Winter Stream
oil/canvas 12 x 16 unframed, 18.5 x 22.5 framed
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful winter landsca...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Carousel Central Park Contemporary NYC Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the carousel in Central Park, NYC. The image measures 6 x 8 and 11.5 x 13.5 framed....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Venice Seascape Oil Painting Gondola Ride by Michael Budden Beautiful Light II
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beautiful Light II, Venice
oil/panel
6 x 8 unframed, 12.5 x 14.5 framed
Beautiful Light II, Venice is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden tha...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
NYC Landscape Oil Painting Michael Budden Macy's Parade Series Pikachu
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Macy's Papa Smirf
Part of a series of 11 paintings.
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases images from the Macy's Thanksgi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Marine Oil Painting Michael Budden Working Boat The Discovery
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
The Discovery
oil/canvas
11 x 14 image unframed, 16.5 x 20.5 framed
An oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a study of light hitt...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Venice Seascape Gondola Oil Painting Michael Budden Beautiful Light Venice
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beautiful Light, Venice
oil/panel
12 x 9 unframed, 17.5 x 14.5 framed
Beautiful Light, Venice is an oil painting on panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that sho...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach & Ocean Impressionistic Seascape Oil Painting with Dunes by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Dunes and Beach Access
oil/canvas 16 x 20 image
Dunes & Beach Access is an oil painting on canvas by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a beautiful beach...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Carousel Central Park Contemporary NYC Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the carousel in Central Park, NYC. The image measures 11 x14 unframed and 18.75 x 2...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Carousel Central Park Contemporary NYC Landscape Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
An oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases the carousel in Central Park, NYC. The image measures 6 x 8 and 11.5 x 13.5 framed....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Ocean Beach Southern Sunset Seascape Tryptich Oil Painting by Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Southern Sundown
22.5 x 26.5 x1 framed
Here is a triptych oil painting on canvas panel by award winning contemporary artist Michael Budden that showcases a romantic southern sunset s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Landscape Oil Paintingby Michael Budden Spring Farm Thru Trees
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Colors Of Spring
Oil/Panel
11 x 14 image unframed
Colors Of Spring is a plein air painting of Kirby's Mill done on location near my studio. I was intrigued by the complementary color...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Impressionistic Realism Ocean City Beach Seascape Oil Painting Michael Budden
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Original Summers Point Bridge to Ocean City, NJ
oil/canvas
20 x 28 image size 26 x 34 framed (frame shows some age with marks, etc. on sides but shows well front on)
An oil painting ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Realist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Realist 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Michael Budden, Su Yu, Olga Antonova, and Mark Hunter. 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available.