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A lively exhibit of paintings, drawings and photography is on view at Fraser Gallery in Bethesda. The careful selection of works by seven gallery artists is a celebration of the varied modes of contemporary realism, styles for which the gallery is especially noted.

Upon entering, the viewer is confronted with two very different approaches to representational painting: the work of Wendy Donahoe and that of Jinchul Kim. Donahoe's extraordinary drawing ability and incredibly sensitive use of colored and graphite pencils result in compelling and elegant images. All three of her contributions are remarkable.

Her "Distant Cousins" is a small drawing depicting a "nest" made of what appears to be a shredded Chinese newspaper holding two eggs, one blue and one white. The detail is astounding, but what's even more important is that the work's aesthetic value does not rest merely upon that fact. The fine composition, the coloring and the mysterious content are major factors contributing to its success.

This is something that could apply to a number of the works in the Fraser show. On my visit, a security guard who had never before entered the gallery was declaiming what "geniuses" the artists were — especially Donahoe, Kim and Michael Fitts — because their work was "so realistic." When asked him why this is so important, it became clear that the skill involved in perfectly representing, or imitating, reality is how many people still value art. On the general level, especially in America where we tend to equate hard work with value, this may never change. But it is feasible to hope that the other virtues of works featuring high realism also might begin to inform aesthetic judgments.

Donhoe's graphite powder and charcoal drawing of her adolescent daughter, "Thirteen," is a tour de force of skill and nuanced handling. The shadow in some places is so subtle that it's reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's "sfumato" (smoky) technique of oil glazes. Still, it's the feeling she captures that is so fascinating. Speaking of Leonardo, the drawing of the tree roots over the lower body of the same girl in "Poster Child" brings da Vinci's botanical and anatomical drawings to mind. Once again, a symbolic reference is embedded in the image, as some kind of analogy between the life of the tree and that of the pubescent girl.

The philosophical depth of Donahoe's drawings is missing from Kim's three large paintings, but a psychological dimension compensates. Of particular note is the painting "Island-Karl you don't know me" in which a young woman, in jeans and a blouse with a print that looks like stars against a blue sky, looks over her shoulder at the viewer. The ambiguous setting could reference the Earth (spider webbing?) or allude to something astronomical. The paper letter in her hands enhances the sense of intrigue. What is perhaps most interesting in Kim's paintings is that they look like portraits — the likenesses of the models are compellingly real — but set the hyper-realist figure against an abstract background as if to enforce the notion that these are not photographs, but are first and foremost works of painting.

While trompe l'oeil, a technique that fools the eye, has a healthy tradition in European art that at least anecdotally dates to antiquity, it is especially important in American painting. Again, this is perhaps because of the American habit of equating craft with accomplishment. Whatever it is, Michael Fitts' paintings are very much a part of that tradition.

Taking old, deteriorating pieces of metal as his supports instead of canvas, Fitts paints a single image in a way that makes the object seem three-dimensional, that is, as if it were placed on the metal. The contrast between the rusted surface and the highly realistic object is similar to the effect in Kim's paintings. Using a thick layer of gesso, on top of which Fitts layers his oils, the artist achieves the sense that the viewer could reach out and pick up his "Spoon on Cooler Lid" or unfold his "White Shirt." Although his ability to reproduce reality is undeniably impressive, what is more admirable is his sensitivity to what the objects against their old metal surfaces suggest.

John Aquilino is represented with a realism based more on the abstraction of form than on its details. His work seems to get more abstract with each new exhibit. While giving the viewer a satisfying view of urban architecture, Aquilino has begun to depart more from local color (for example, "Dormer Window Reflection") even to the point of monotone ("Two Sky Lights"). Moving closer to Henri Matisse-like flatness, Aquilino is evolving towards greater emphasis on all-over visual effect without losing the allure of his subject.

Allyson Weege's two paintings of girls on a sleepover are engaging examples of a more painterly approach to figurative realism.

Two photographs in the exhibit merit mention. Maxwell MacKenzie's "Everts Township Homestead" looks like a painting. The simple composition, unusual format and dense coloration create this effect. And Lawrence Hislop's frankly beautiful "Tree in Fog" is all about the use of the camera in a pictorial way — creating an image based on simple vision, but composed and toned to add to it the magic of art.