Culture Famous Realism Artists
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List of famous Realism artists, with images, bios, and information about their notable works. All the greatest artists associated with the Realism movement are included here, along with clickable names for more details on that particular painter or sculptor. Make sure to also check out weird personal quirks of iconic artists and artists who were actually bad humans. These notable Realism period artists are organized by popularity, so the best artists are at the top of the list. If you think the best Realism artist isn't as high as they should be then be sure to give them an upvote.
Realism was an artistic movement that was a direct response to Romanticism. The subjects of Realist paintings were industrial, non-exotic, and often ugly. Less about appearing realistic, Realist artists seeked to show their subject's reality without sugarcoating it. Working class people were often subjects in realist paintings. Ths list of artists includes Rembrandt, Edward Hooper, Gustave Courbet, and many additional artists as well.
This list answers the questions, "Who are the most famous Realism artists?" and "Who are the best Realism artists?"
Almost every well-known or influential figure in this movement is listed below. You can use the artists in this list to create a new list, re-rank it to fit your opinion, then publish it.
Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art and the most important in Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative, and gave rise to important new genres in painting. Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular ...more on Wikipedia
Artworks: The Night Watch, Artemisia, David and Uriah, Self-Portrait, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, + more
Birthplace: Leiden, Netherlands
Associated periods or movements: Dutch Golden Age, Realism, Baroque
Nationality: Dutch Republic
Art Forms: Painting, Printmaking, Drawing
Also Ranked
#90 on The Greatest Minds of All Time
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the Romanticism of the previous generation of visual artists. His independence set an example that was important to later artists, such as the Impressionists and the Cubists. Courbet occupies an important place in 19th-century French painting as an innovator and as an artist willing to make bold social statements through his work. Courbet's paintings of the late 1840s and early 1850s brought him his first recognition. They challenged convention by depicting unidealized peasants and workers, often on a ...more on Wikipedia
Artworks: Young Ladies of the Village, La rencontre (Bonjour Monsieur Courbet), The Stone Breakers, A Burial At Ornans, The Wounded Man, + more
Birthplace: Ornans, France
Associated periods or movements: Realism, Realism
Nationality: France
Art Forms: Sculpture, Painting
Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in American art. Largely self-taught, Homer began his career working as a commercial illustrator. He subsequently took up oil painting and produced major studio works characterized by the weight and density he exploited from the medium. He also worked extensively in watercolor, creating a fluid and prolific oeuvre, primarily chronicling his working vacations. ...more on Wikipedia
Artworks: Breezing Up, The Blue Boat, West Point, Prout's Neck, Prisoners from the Front, + more
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Associated periods or movements: Tile Club, Realism, Realism
Nationality: United States of America
Art Forms: Painting, Drawing
Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While he was most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Both in his urban and rural scenes, his spare and finely calculated renderings reflected his personal vision of modern American life. ...more on Wikipedia
Artworks: Nighthawks, Automat, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait, American Village, + more
Birthplace: Nyack, New York, United States of America
Associated periods or movements: Ashcan School, Realism
Nationality: United States of America
Art Forms: Etching, Painting, Printmaking
