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Glite Dictionary
superrealism

superrealism

8.2
A style of art that shows objects with very exact detail like a photograph
  • noun
  • /ˌsuːpərˈrɪəlɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : superrealismo
  • The artist's mastery of superrealism amazed the viewers, who felt as if they were looking at real objects rather than art.

Examples

  • Keith was into superrealism, and his studio looked like Doctor Frankenstein's workshop.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The exhibition featured stunning works of superrealism, making every object look remarkably lifelike.

  • Many artists today experiment with superrealism to achieve a photographic level of detail in their paintings.

Synonyms

illusionism
vssuperrealism
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A way of making paintings or stage shows look real to the viewer

is a specific style showing extreme photographic detail rather than broader reality tricks

Antonyms

Impressionism
6 7.9

An art style in painting that uses quick brush strokes to show light and color

abstract art
3 3.9

Work made with shapes and colors that does not show real things

How Realistic

superrealism
  • Specialized
8.2
realism
12 6.1

Surface Forms

superrealism singular
superrealisms plural

Morphology

superrealism = realism (transparent) = super + real + ism

The word is built by adding the productive prefix 'super-' to 'realism', giving the sense of an intensified or extreme realism.

Etymology

Superrealism combines super- ('above' or 'beyond') and realism (from real, 'real life'), so a helpful way to remember it is that this art shows things 'more than real' — paintings made with tiny, lifelike detail that often look like a photo.