Attributive "realistic" is a word linking the artists and writers longing to build new connection between work of art and reality. In the middle of 19th century three directions of realism appeared: landscape realism - school of Barbizon in France, socialistic and academic realism. Painters are going back to folk themes, separated from painting scene for the long time. Courbet painting "The Stone Breakers" marks the beginning of realism. The work of Gustave Courbet lies upon one strict respect of world reality that surrounds the artists. The master of realism declares himself that he wants to represent "real and existing things"...

Complete obedience to "realistic" frequently is used in the case of certain artists like Rosa Bonheur, Jules Breton, Jules Bastien-Lepage, Leon Lhermitte, Hungarian Mihaly Munkacsi is used in photographic way. In the second half of 19th century the whole one part of western arts lives in realism - German painters: Adolf von Menzel, Wilhelm Leibl, Belgium: Constantin Meunier (sculptor and painter), American: Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, in England: Ford Madox Brown, in Russia: Iliya Repin and Vasily Perov...

Realism is present and keeps on in 20th century. Photographic precise hyperrealism (photorealism) appears in USA in the end of the `60s that was announced by Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler. Hyperrealism (photorealism) continues with realistic tradition of Edward Hopper and other 20th century American painters. The most famous representatives of this stream in plastic arts, characterized by almost photographic interpretation of the seen matter are: Malcolm Morley with his huge postcards, Richard Estes with urban shop-windows, Robert Cottingham with light boards, Don Eddy and Ralph Goings with cars, Chuck Close with exquisite magnified photos with personal id regulations.