Modern realism

Modern realism is a term denoting painting and sculpture made after the development of abstraction in modern art, but which continue to depict the visible world in a realistic, recognisable way. Unlike the academic realism of the nineteenth century, modern realism exists in conditions where abstraction has become an accepted and even dominant artistic language, so that a return to the figurative takes on a conscious, sometimes oppositional character. Artists of modern realism combine truthful observation of nature with a modern sensibility, compositional freedom and psychological tension, often depicting everyday life, the urban environment, the portrait or the interior. Among the masters associated with this tendency are Edward Hopper, with his lonely urban scenes, Lucian Freud, with his sharp corporeal portraits, Andrew Wyeth and others. Modern realism demonstrates that realistic depiction is not a relic of the past but remains a living and relevant means of reflecting on humanity and the world in an age that has witnessed the triumph of abstract art.