social realism
noun
a style of painting, especially of the 1930s in the U.S., in which the scenes depicted typically convey a message of social or political protest edged with satire.
social realist
-
a word derived from
social realism.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Lanchester is a magnetic writer who combines the skills of a social realist with this penchant for Nabokovian black humor and narrative trickery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Primarily a sculptor and printmaker, Catlett worked in the social realist tradition and her work often celebrates the dignity of Black and brown working people, especially women.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
Created in 1879, it is considered a rare example of the artist painting a social realist scene.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2022
Eleanor Roosevelt toured the Houses in 1940; the great social realist Marion Greenwood painted a fresco for one of the lobbies titled “Blueprint for Living.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2022
His latest, “7 Prisoners,” a scorching social realist drama on modern-day slavery, debuted at No. 2 on Netflix’s weekly list of most watched non-English language films worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
