photorealism

American  

[foh-toh-ree-uh-liz-uhm] / ˌfoʊ toʊˈri əˌlɪz əm /

Sometimes photo realism

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a style of painting flourishing in the 1970s, especially in the U.S., England, and France, and depicting commonplace scenes or ordinary people, with a meticulously detailed realism, flat images, and barely discernible brushwork that suggests and often is based on or incorporates an actual photograph.

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photorealism British  

/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈrɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a style of painting and sculpture that depicts esp commonplace urban images with meticulously accurate detail

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Other Word Forms

• photorealist
  noun
• photorealistic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of photorealism

First recorded in 1960–65; photo- + realism

Example Sentences

But graphics in many different games have been getting noticeably more sophisticated, arguably approaching what's known as "photorealism" - indistinguishable from photos or videos of the real world.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2023

Early images from this live-action movie, which is based on Norman Bridwell’s beloved children’s book character, have raised the question of whether photorealism suits a large rouge canine.

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2021

But the renderings approach photorealism in shadows and textures while departing from it in design and other ambience to become more evocative, occasionally even incorporating line drawings and what we now call “2D.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2021

There’s also evidence of another “school” or two, populated by artists who emerged in the 1970s with styles that drew on both classicism and photorealism.

From Washington Post • Jun. 2, 2021

On the plus side, Linda was smart to go deliberately abstract here, shunning the attempted photorealism of her peers for something with a little more artistic licence.

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2020