This is an interesting discussion about artist’s approach to photorealism. Often times, they don’t strongly target and follow it because… it is tedious and boring. Commercial advertisements and Hollywood special effects industry are the main proponents that have put in an extreme pursuit of photorealism.
20200626/https://blenderartists.org/t/do-artists-have-the-tendency-to-avoid-photorealism-cause-its-too-difficult/1235998/11