Realism in the art world is just what it says: the portrayal of a subject exactly like it is. This type of art that focused on truth and accuracy was born soon after the invention of the camera in 1850, when people began to compare fine art with the photograph. The works of painters like Winslow Homer and Georgia O'Keeffe capture the essence of realism. However, nobody has done it better than American artist John Singer Sargent, who was known for his true-to-life portraits (among them President Theodore Roosevelt). Sargent's work was so accurate that at first glance his paintings appear to be photographs.
The realist painters and their true-to-life works captured the history and essence of the mid 19th century, and their work continues to be admired, intriguing, and quite collectible.
