Striking examples of examples of definition of realism in painting

Famous examples of definition of realism in painting you can point to

Let’s start where everyone actually starts: with paintings you can name and recognize. When people ask for examples of definition of realism in painting, they’re usually imagining specific works that feel like paused reality.

Gustave Courbet’s “The Stone Breakers” (1849, destroyed in WWII but heavily documented) is a classic example of realism. Two workers hammer away at rocks on the roadside. No heroism, no idealized bodies, no grand myth. Just labor, dirt, and exhaustion. This is a textbook example of how realism rejects fantasy and focuses on everyday life.

Another early landmark is Jean‑François Millet’s “The Gleaners” (1857). Three women bend to pick up leftover grain after harvest. Their faces are mostly turned away; they aren’t individuals in a drama, they’re stand‑ins for a social class. The muted colors, simple clothing, and low vantage point all support the realist idea: paint what is, not what flatters.

Jump forward, and you get Édouard Manet’s “A Bar at the Folies‑Bergère” (1882). Yes, Manet is often labeled a bridge to Impressionism, but this painting is packed with realist DNA. A barmaid stands before us, expression slightly distant, surrounded by bottles and reflections. The clutter of modern life, the awkward mirror, the sense of social isolation in a crowd—these are all real examples of how realism can mix with modernity.

So if someone asks you for examples of definition of realism in painting, you can already drop a few heavyweight names: Courbet, Millet, Manet. But realism didn’t freeze in the 19th century; it keeps mutating.

How to recognize a real example of realism on the canvas

Before we stack up more examples, it helps to know what you’re actually looking for when you say, “Is this realist?” The best examples of realism in painting often share a few traits:

• Ordinary subject matter: workers, families, streets, kitchens, train stations, bedrooms. If it looks like a slice of unedited life, that’s a strong sign.
• Naturalistic detail: folds in clothes, chipped paint, reflections in glass, believable skin tones. Not hyper‑polished like a fantasy illustration, but grounded.
• Honest mood: no forced drama, no over‑the‑top symbolism. You feel like you walked in on a moment.
• Real space and light: perspective and lighting that feel physically possible. You could imagine standing in that room.

When you combine these things, you start to get examples of definition of realism in painting that feel less like “art about art” and more like a conversation with the real world.

Classic 19th‑century examples of examples of definition of realism in painting

To build a stronger mental library, let’s walk through some concrete works that are often cited in museums and art history courses.

Gustave Courbet – “A Burial at Ornans” (1849–50)
This massive funeral scene shows villagers in Courbet’s hometown. No idealized angels, no dramatic spotlight on a single hero. People stand around, some bored, some distracted, some grieving. It’s almost unflattering. This painting is a perfect example of how realism treats everyday events with the same scale and seriousness as a history painting.

Honoré Daumier – “The Third‑Class Carriage” (c. 1862–64)
Here, tired passengers sit in a cramped train car: a mother with a child, an old woman, anonymous travelers. The setting is blunt and cramped, not glamorous. The way Daumier handles body language—slumped shoulders, heavy hands—is one of the best examples of realism using gesture instead of melodrama.

Thomas Eakins – “The Gross Clinic” (1875)
An American powerhouse of realism, Eakins shows a surgical operation in progress. There’s blood, sharp light, and a very real sense of discomfort. No sanitizing. It’s almost like a 19th‑century documentary frame. If you want a real example of realism confronting science, medicine, and the human body, this is it. (For more context on 19th‑century medicine and surgery, you can browse historical resources from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.)

Ilya Repin – “Barge Haulers on the Volga” (1870–73)
A row of men drag a barge along the river, bodies bent from the strain. The landscape is beautiful, but the focus is the physical toll of labor. This painting is often cited as one of the best examples of social realism before the term became widely used in the 20th century.

Each of these works is a clear example of the realist mindset: paint the world, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Everyday life as the best examples of realism

One of the strongest examples of definition of realism in painting is the way artists treat ordinary routines as worthy subjects.

Think of Johannes Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid” (c. 1658–59). Technically, Vermeer predates the 19th‑century Realist movement, but this painting is a powerful early example of realist tendencies: a woman pouring milk, light falling across bread, the texture of a rough wall. Nothing epic happens, yet it feels important. The realism isn’t just in the detail; it’s in the respect for a quiet task.

Jump to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and you get painters like Edgar Degas focusing on laundresses and ballet rehearsals, and Mary Cassatt painting intimate scenes of mothers and children. Their best examples of realism don’t shout; they observe.

In American painting, Winslow Homer offers strong real examples of realism with works like “Snap the Whip” (1872), showing boys playing outside a rural schoolhouse. The setting isn’t idealized; the kids look like actual children, not polished cherubs. The grass is a little wild, the clothes a bit rumpled.

These paintings answer the question “What do real examples of realism look like?” with a simple message: they look like life when no one is performing for the camera.

Modern and contemporary examples of definition of realism in painting

Realism didn’t stop when photography and abstraction showed up. It adapted. If you’re searching for modern examples of definition of realism in painting, you’ll find several strands: social realism, photorealism, and a kind of quiet, psychological realism.

Edward Hopper – “Nighthawks” (1942)
A near‑empty diner at night, three customers and a server, fluorescent light spilling onto the street. This is one of the most famous American paintings, and a top‑tier example of modern realism. The scene is believable, the light is accurate, but the mood—loneliness in public—is what really sells it.

Andrew Wyeth – “Christina’s World” (1948)
A woman in a pink dress lies in a field, looking toward a distant farmhouse. The landscape is painted with intense detail, but there’s a quiet tension: the viewer later learns Christina had limited mobility, and the painting reflects her physical reality. This is a real example of realism that’s not just about surfaces; it’s about lived experience.

Contemporary figurative realists
In the 2020s, there’s been a noticeable surge of interest in figurative and realist painting, partly through social media and online galleries. Painters like Kehinde Wiley (known for his hyper‑detailed portraits of Black subjects in heroic poses) blend realism with bold pattern and art‑historical references. While his compositions are stylized, the faces, fabrics, and bodies are painted with realist precision.

Other contemporary artists, such as Jenny Saville, push realism into raw territory: large‑scale, unflinching depictions of flesh and the human body. Her work is a modern example of how realism can be emotionally intense without turning into fantasy.

Art schools and museums have noticed this renewed interest. Institutions like the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art highlight realist and figurative works in permanent collections and online features, making it easier than ever in 2024–2025 to find digital real examples of realism from many eras.

Photorealism vs. realism: where the examples overlap

A lot of people scroll past a hyper‑detailed painting on Instagram and comment, “This looks like a photo!” That’s usually photorealism, a late‑20th‑century twist on realism. Understanding the difference helps you sort examples of definition of realism in painting more accurately.

Photorealism aims to imitate a photograph as closely as possible. Artists often work from high‑resolution photos, reproducing lens distortions, reflections, and even digital noise. Think of paintings of chrome cars, glass storefronts, or shiny surfaces where you almost see the camera’s presence.

Traditional realism, on the other hand, is more about how things look to the human eye and mind. An object might be simplified slightly, or the background softened, because that’s how our attention works.

So photorealism gives you examples of paintings that could fool you into thinking they’re photos. Realism gives you examples of paintings that feel like being there. Both are real examples of artists trying to stay faithful to the visible world, but with different tools and goals.

Realism across cultures: more examples beyond Europe and the U.S.

When people list examples of definition of realism in painting, they often default to French and American men in museums. That’s only part of the story.

In Mexico, painters like Diego Rivera brought realism into public murals, showing workers, farmers, and historical figures in a grounded, accessible style. While his compositions can be stylized, the faces and bodies often function as clear, legible real examples of the people he wanted to represent.

In India, artists associated with the Bengal School and later movements experimented with realist portraiture and scenes of everyday life, combining local traditions with European techniques. Their works offer powerful examples of how realism can adapt to different cultural lenses.

In China, 20th‑century socialist realism produced paintings of workers, soldiers, and peasants in believable settings, designed to be readable to a wide audience. Whatever your opinion of the politics, the paintings themselves are strong examples of definition of realism in painting used for narrative and propaganda.

These global examples remind us that realism isn’t one style frozen in Paris. It’s a flexible approach: show people and places in a way that feels honest to a given time and culture.

Why these examples of definition of realism in painting still matter in 2024–2025

So why are we still obsessed with realism when we all carry cameras in our pockets? Because painting does something photos don’t: it selects, interprets, and slows you down.

In 2024–2025, you’ll see:

• Art students using classic real examples like Courbet or Hopper as reference points for learning light, anatomy, and composition.
• Gallery shows featuring contemporary realist painters who tackle topics like climate anxiety, social inequality, or digital alienation—still with recognizable people and spaces.
• Online communities comparing their own realist studies to museum masterpieces, using high‑resolution images from institutions like the National Gallery of Art.

These modern habits show that the best examples of realism aren’t museum fossils; they’re living tools. When you ask for examples of definition of realism in painting today, you’re not just asking about history. You’re asking how artists in 2025 are still using realism to talk about work, bodies, cities, and identity.

Realism, at its core, is the art world’s way of saying: “Look again. This is what it’s really like.”

FAQ: Quick answers using real examples

Q: Can you give a simple example of realism in painting for beginners?
A: A great starter example of realism is Gustave Courbet’s “The Stone Breakers.” Two men breaking rocks by the side of a road, painted without glamor. If your students remember just one painting as their first example of realism, this one works.

Q: Are portraits good examples of definition of realism in painting?
A: Yes, many portraits are strong examples of realism, especially when they show wrinkles, asymmetry, and real personality rather than smoothing everything out. Think of Thomas Eakins’s portraits or contemporary works by Kehinde Wiley—faces that look like actual people, not airbrushed ideals.

Q: What are some modern examples of realism I can show my class?
A: Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World,” and many contemporary figurative works from museum collections are solid real examples. Browse online collections from major museums like the Smithsonian or the Met for accessible digital images.

Q: How do I explain the difference between realism and abstract art using examples?
A: Use a realist painting like “A Bar at the Folies‑Bergère” and pair it with an abstract work (for instance, a non‑representational piece from a modern collection). The realist work shows recognizable people and objects in believable space. The abstract work focuses on color, shape, and rhythm instead of clear real‑world references.

Q: Are there examples of realism in painting that mix with other styles?
A: Absolutely. Manet mixes realism with early modernism, Rivera mixes realism with mural scale and political narrative, and many 21st‑century painters blend realist figures with surreal or symbolic backgrounds. These hybrid works are some of the best examples of how realism can adapt without losing its connection to real life.