Realism

Realism, in which the subject of the painting looks much like the real thing rather than being stylized or abstracted, is the style many people think of as "true art." Only when examined close up do what appear to be solid colors reveal themselves as a series of brushstrokes of many colors and values.

Realism has been the dominant style of painting since the Renaissance. The artist uses perspective to create an illusion of space and depth, setting the composition and lighting such that the subject appears real. Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is a classic example of the style.