as in naturalism
realistic depiction in art and literature using ordinary people as models, even when depicting the greatest of saints, Caravaggio brought an unforgiving realism to painting that was unprecedented

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Recent Examples of realism Ultimately, the director worked with White to up the realism, with tweaks like Dewey soundproofing the classroom. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025 Because what matters, what makes Caravaggio so much more than an illustrator, is less the realism of the sacred image than its translation — through the bodies and faces of ordinary people — from the time of the Gospels to now. Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025 As the Scientific Revolution spread across Europe, artists became increasingly devoted to realism in still life paintings of plants and flowers. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025 The series was able to focus on realism in subject matter while pivoting to high-concept formats every once in a while. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
  • But the naturalism had a function that went beyond popular accessibility.
    Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • On the one side stood religious fundamentalism with its insistence on a literal reading of scripture and submission to institutional authority; on the other stood scientific naturalism with its insistence that only empirical methods were valid routes to knowledge.
    Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • His career celebration comes full circle with a return to Pace, which unravels the verisimilitude of his persona and outlook on life, embracing the deep emotions behind his multi-faceted art.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • The film was partly inspired by Holofcener’s own life as the divorced mother of two teenagers, which lends it a particularly gut-wrenching kind of verisimilitude.
    Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

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“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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