Artists American Realism
Bo Bartlett is an American Realist painter working in Columbus, Georgia and Wheaton Island, Maine.
Bartlett is an American realist with a modernist vision. His paintings are inspired by American Realism as defined by artists such as Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, Norman Rockwell, and Andrew Wyeth. He paints in the Grand Manner of academic painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, integrating figure painting, portraiture, landscape, and still life into his scenes.
George Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter, renowned for his vivid portrayals of urban life in New York City. Born on August 12, 1882, in Columbus, Ohio, Bellows moved to New York in 1904, where he became a central figure in the Ashcan School of painting. This group was known for its realistic and often gritty depictions of everyday city life. Bellows captured dynamic scenes ranging from boxing matches to bustling street views, applying vigorous brushwork that conveyed movement and emotion.
One of Bellows' most celebrated series was his boxing paintings like "Stag at Sharkey’s," which encapsulate the raw, dynamic energy of illegal prizefights in early 20th-century New York. Beyond the ring, his works such as "New York" and "Pennsylvania Excavation" reflected the rapid transformations of urban landscapes. His adaptation of lithography also marked a significant contribution to American art, offering a new medium for expressive possibilities.
Bellows' art is preserved in major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His ability to depict the vibrancy and complexity of urban life makes his work a valuable part of American art history.
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Ernest Leonard Blumenschein is an American painter, member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is known for his paintings of the American Southwest. He studied at the Cincinnati Academy of Art and the Julian Academy.
Ernest Leonard Blumenschein often depicted Native Americans and landscapes of the Southwest in his paintings. He was known for his masterful use of colour and light, and his works had a strong sense of realism. Blumenschein also worked as an illustrator and writer, and his book Navajo War Dance is considered a classic of Native American literature.
Thomas Calloway Lea III was an American muralist, illustrator, painter, war correspondent, writer and historian. Much of his fiction and literary work has focused on Texas, north-central Mexico, and his World War II experiences in the South Pacific and Asia. Two of his most popular novels, The Brave Bulls and The Wonderful Country, are considered classics of Southwestern American literature.
Carroll James Cloar was an American artist whose work focused on surreal views of the US South and on poetic depictions of childhood memories. He often worked with old photographs found in family albums.
Carroll James Cloar's paintings often depicted rural landscapes, small towns and ordinary people of the South. He was influenced by the regionalist movement of the 1930s and 1940s, which sought to capture the unique culture and traditions of different regions of the United States.
William Herbert "Buck" Dunton was an American artist and illustrator born in 1878 and passed away in 1936. He was one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists, a collective of artists in New Mexico that was considered one of the most influential art groups in the United States in the early 20th century. Dunton was known for his works dedicated to the life and culture of Native Americans, as well as many Western landscapes. In his paintings, he conveyed the beauty and power of nature, as well as the life of Native Americans in their natural environment. Buck Dunton was a recognized master of his craft, and his works remain popular and sought after in the world of art.
Martin Johnson Heade was an American painter known for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes, and depictions of tropical birds (such as hummingbirds), as well as lotus blossoms and other still lifes. His painting style and subject matter, while derived from the romanticism of the time, are regarded by art historians as a significant departure from those of his peers.
Ernest Martin Hennings (Jr.) was an American artist and member of the Taos Society of Artists. In 1901 that Hennings began taking classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which was largely based on the great European art schools and made particularly emphasis on the importance of drawing. Hennings took up work as a commercial artist, mostly painting murals and portraits around Chicago. Hennings' primary interest was in portrait painting, with his primary subject being the Native Americans living in and around Taos Pueblo. In 1922 he was awarded the Clyde M. Carr Prize from the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Institute's Fine Arts Building Prize. By the 1920s, the now established painter was building his reputation on the national scene, with exhibitions and awards including. Many art collectors throughout America sought out his paintings. Today paintings by Hennings are housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Stark Museum of Art, Booth Western Art Museum etc.
William Victor Higgins is an American artist. He is known for his landscape paintings and is considered one of the most important representatives of the Taos Society of Artists. He studied painting at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and at the Académie Julian in Paris with Robert Henri, René Menard and Lucien Simon.
William Victor Higgins often depicted the rugged landscapes and Indians of the American Southwest in his paintings. He was particularly interested in Native American culture and often painted portraits of them. His work is characterized by bold strokes and vivid colours.
Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and printmaker, renowned for his mastery of marine subjects and considered a preeminent figure in 19th-century American art. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1836, Homer was largely self-taught, starting his career as a commercial illustrator before venturing into oil painting and watercolors.
Homer's art evolved significantly over his lifetime. During the American Civil War, he worked as a correspondent, creating sketches that conveyed both the immediacy and the human cost of the war. This experience deeply influenced his later work, particularly his powerful oil paintings depicting war and its aftermath. After the war, Homer's focus shifted towards scenes of nature and rural America, reflecting a national nostalgia for simpler times. His works from this period, such as "The Cotton Pickers" and "Snap the Whip," showcase his ability to capture everyday life with poignant realism and emotional depth.
Later in his career, Homer became renowned for his watercolors and seascapes, such as "Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)" and "The Gulf Stream," which are celebrated for their dynamic composition and vivid portrayal of human interaction with nature. His late seascapes, which often depicted the rugged coastlines of Maine, are particularly noted for their dramatic intensity and hint at modernist abstraction, capturing the formidable power and timeless beauty of the sea.
Homer's works are held in high regard and continue to be featured in major museums and galleries, providing inspiration and insight into the American experience of the 19th century.
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Edward Hopper was an American painter renowned for his skill in depicting the solitude of modern life with evocative uses of light and shadow. Born in 1882 in Nyack, New York, Hopper's early exposure to art came from his supportive parents who nurtured his talents. He began formal art studies at the New York School of Art, learning under influential teachers like William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. Henri, in particular, encouraged his students to paint personal significance into their works.
Hopper’s style, characterized by its emphasis on solitude and the mundane aspects of American life, often featured settings such as diners, gas stations, and apartment interiors. One of his most famous works, Nighthawks, depicts patrons sitting in a brightly lit diner at night, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts—a perfect example of his theme of urban isolation.
Throughout his career, Hopper enjoyed considerable success and influence, culminating in several retrospectives, including a prominent one at the Museum of Modern Art. His approach to depicting light and his stark, realist views on everyday scenes influenced generations of artists and continue to captivate audiences today. His works are pivotal in understanding American realism and are held in high esteem in museums across the United States.
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Peter Hurd was an American painter whose work is strongly associated with the people and landscapes of San Patricio, New Mexico. He is equally acclaimed for his portraits and his western landscapes. His large egg tempera paintings earned him national recognition. During World War II, Hurd worked for Life magazine as a war correspondent attached to the US Air Force. He covered almost all the fronts of the far-flung battle line, creating hundreds of "War Sketches" that range from poignant to comic. Some of Hurd’s most well-known portraits were of his neighbors, family, and friends at Sentinel Ranch. He loved to paint people who were deeply connected to the land, and always showed them outdoors, against the hills and sky. Many of Hurd's works can be seen at the Hurd-La Rinconada Gallery in San Patricio, New Mexico.
Luigi Lucioni was an Italian-American painter known for his still-lifes, landscapes and portraits. He emigrated to the United States in 1911 and studied art at Cooper Union in New York.
Luigi Luccioni's style was influenced by Renaissance painting techniques, and he often used the glazing method to create vivid and detailed images. He was a member of the National Academy of Design and won many awards during his career.
Thomas Moran was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains. Moran and his family, wife Mary Nimmo Moran and daughter Ruth took residence in New York where he obtained work as an artist. He was a younger brother of the noted marine artist Edward Moran, with whom he shared a studio. A talented illustrator and exquisite colorist, Thomas Moran was hired as an illustrator at Scribner's Monthly. During the late 1860s, he was appointed the chief illustrator for the magazine, a position that helped him launch his career as one of the premier painters of the American landscape, in particular, the American West.
Moran along with Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Hill, and William Keith are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Rocky Mountain School of landscape painters because of all of the Western landscapes made by this group.
Frederic Sackrider Remington, an American artist born in 1861 in Canton, New York, is celebrated for his vivid portrayals of the American West. Specializing in painting, sculpture, and illustration, Remington captured the essence of Western life through dynamic scenes of cowboys, Native Americans, and the U.S. Cavalry, evoking a nostalgic era that was quickly vanishing by the late 19th century.
Remington's early experiences in the West, which included ventures into sheepherding and prospecting, profoundly influenced his artwork. Despite initial business failures and personal setbacks, his first-hand encounters with the rugged landscapes and frontier characters provided authentic material for his art. By the mid-1880s, Remington’s work began to gain recognition, and he quickly established himself as a significant figure in Western art, contributing illustrations to popular magazines like Harper’s Weekly.
In his later years, Remington's style evolved, displaying a notable shift towards impressionism and atmospheric mood in his "Nocturnes" series. These paintings are characterized by a dramatic use of light and shadow to convey the mystery and tension of nighttime in the West. Despite his own critical self-view, these works were highly regarded and marked a significant contribution to American art history. Remington’s art is featured in major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, New York, preserving his legacy as an icon of American culture.
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Norman Rockwell was an American illustrator and painter, renowned for his vivid and humane portrayal of American life. Born in New York City in 1894, Rockwell showed artistic promise from an early age, which led him to leave high school and pursue art full-time at prestigious institutions like the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League.
Rockwell's career blossomed early; by the age of 22, he had painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, a relationship that would last nearly five decades and produce 323 covers. His depictions of everyday life and pivotal American moments captured the spirit of the nation.
Perhaps his most significant works were the "Four Freedoms" series, inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's vision of a world founded on four essential human freedoms. These paintings not only graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post but also played a crucial role in the U.S. war effort during World War II, raising over $130 million through the sale of war bonds.
In his later years, Rockwell did not shy away from addressing social issues. His move to Look magazine allowed him to focus on subjects such as civil rights and poverty, marking a significant shift from his earlier work. "The Problem We All Live With," depicting Ruby Bridges integrating a New Orleans school, remains a powerful symbol of the Civil Rights Movement and showcases Rockwell's ability to engage with contemporary social issues through his art.
For those interested in exploring Rockwell's extensive body of work, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, holds the largest collection of his original art, providing insights into his artistic journey and the historical context of his works.
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Carl Clemens Moritz Rungius was a leading American wildlife artist. He was born in Germany though he immigrated to the United States and he spent his career painting in the western United States and Canada. Active primarily in the first half of the 20th century, he earned a reputation as the most important big game painter and the first career wildlife artist in North America.
Rungius was an avid sportsman, and spent more time in the wilderness than other artists. By direct observation in nature, he was able to gain an exceptional insight into the animals and their environment. Rungius painted both landscapes and wildlife, often with both into a single picture. He situated animals in their natural environment, a practice that was new to painting in early twentieth century North America. His paintings are highly romanticized, and represent an Eden-like world without any signs of a human impact.
Among other places, his works are featured at the American National Museum of Wildlife Art (which has the largest public collection of Rungius work), the Dutch Rijksmuseum Twenthe, and Calgary's Glenbow Museum. His work was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Joseph Henry Sharp was an American artist and one of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists. He painted portraits, landscapes as well as paintings of Native American cultural life.
Joseph Henry Sharp began his career as an artist in the 1880s, working in New York and Paris. His colourful and emotional paintings were characterised by a high degree of realism and detail.
Hale Aspacio Woodruff is an American artist known for his murals, paintings and prints. He studied painting at the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis and at the Academy of Art Nouveau in Paris.
Hale Aspacio Woodruff was a prominent figure on the Harlem art scene in the 1920s and 1930s, where he worked alongside other influential artists such as Aaron Douglas and Jacob Lawrence. He was also a professor at Atlanta University, where he taught from 1931 to 1946. One of Woodruff's most notable works is his series of murals depicting the history of African Americans in America, which he painted for Talladega College in Alabama in the 1930s. The murals were later restored and are now in the college's David Hall Fine Arts Center.
Andrew Newell Wyeth, an American visual artist, is renowned for his mastery in realism and regionalism. Born in 1917 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Wyeth was primarily a realist painter, deeply influenced by his father, N.C. Wyeth, a notable artist himself. Andrew's artwork, characterized by its clear, razor-sharp technique and a hauntingly eerie atmosphere, often depicted the land and people around him in rural Pennsylvania and Maine.
Wyeth's most celebrated work, Christina's World (1948), is housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This painting illustrates a woman lying in a field, looking toward a distant farmhouse, an image that has become an icon of American art due to its emotional depth and simplicity of composition. The work encapsulates Wyeth's ability to invoke profound personal and emotional landscapes through the meticulous depiction of physical settings and figures.
Andrew Newell Wyeth continued painting almost up until his death in 2009, leaving behind a vast legacy that has influenced many artists. His works remain highly valued by collectors and are often featured in major museums and galleries worldwide. To stay updated on exhibitions and sales of Andrew Wyeth’s art, sign up for our newsletter—ensuring you're informed about the latest auction events and product sales related to this profound artist.
Henriette Wyeth Hurd was an American artist noted for her portraits and still life paintings, the eldest daughter of illustrator N.C. Wyeth. Deeply influenced by her father's unique realistic style, she rejected early 20th-century painting styles such as Impressionism and Cubism. She was also socially and politically conservative. As a result, later in life she rejected the progressive movements of the 1960s and 1970s, including the women's movement. Her work spanned portraits of adults and children, still lifes, and floral landscapes. Her most widely known work is the official White House portrait of First Lady Pat Nixon.