Realism is the art style most people regard as "real art", where the subject of the painting looks very much like it appears in real life. It often appears like a photograph, it is so realistic. From a little distance everything looks "real" but up close you will see it's an illusion created by skillful use of paint, of color and tone. The artist uses perspective to create an illusion of reality, setting the composition and lighting to make the most of the subject. If you get close enough, you can see where the artist may have missed a spot on the canvas or the line is not perfectly straight. Yet, form a distance it appears to be perfect.
We are often fooled by illusions and perceptions. We ‘see’ perfection when in reality imperfections exist. We see reality where reality is merely a mirage. The Tao Te Ching teaches us to withhold judgments and to shed perceptions. By doing this, illusions are driven away. This allows us to see the real and not the created.
