What Does Realism Mean When Referring To Paintings and Art?

Updated: May 12, 2023
Realism is a movement in painting that began in the mid-19th century and strove to portray scenes from everyday life in a realistic and objective manner.
Detailed answer:

Realism is an aesthetic style and approach to painting and art that seeks to represent the subject matter as accurately as possible.

The term can be used to describe both a 19th-century art movement and a general approach to painting and art-making. Realist painters and artists often sought to depict the everyday life and surroundings of their subjects, as well as to capture accurate likenesses.

The Realist aesthetic also encompasses a certain fidelity to the actual appearance of things, as opposed to an idealized or abstracted vision. While many Realist painters and artists used traditional techniques and media, others experiment with new approaches in order to more accurately capture their subjects.

The Realist approach has been adopted by artists working in a wide range of genres, including portraiture, landscape painting, still life, and even abstraction. Realism has also been a significant force in the development of photography as an art form.

While the exact definition of Realism can be somewhat elusive, the style and approach continue to exert a strong influence on the world of painting and art.

Realism is often contrasted with other styles and approaches, such as Impressionism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. Ultimately, Realism is a complex and nuanced aesthetic

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