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Academic Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

ACADEMIC STYLE

During the Renaissance, the first European fine art academies were established in Italy and would guide the style and standards of visual culture in the following centuries. Academic art became dominant across the continent in the 17th century, with artists coming together to offer instruction in this style of painting and sculpture

The academic art period represented a significant change from the previous era when painters, sculptors and other artists were part of guilds and seen more as artisans than purveyors of culture. While patronage from the elite and the church remained pivotal, young artists were able to support themselves for the first time through academic exhibitions and an independent marketplace. The leading academies included the French Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture founded in Paris in 1648 (which became the Académie des Beaux-Arts after the French Revolution) and the London Royal Academy of Arts formed in 1768 under the inaugural leadership of painter Joshua Reynolds

Academy students sketched drawings based on prints, sculptures and, finally, live models. Movements including neoclassicism and romanticism were particularly popular in these art schools and institutions where the influence of Raphael and Nicolas Poussin was prominent. Beaux Arts architecture and furniture design drew on these movements, too, and, as they also originated at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, the disciplines share common ground with academic painting and sculpture.

Although academic art was a major shift for artistic status when it began, by the middle of the 19th century it was viewed as stodgy and resistant to new ideas, with the subject matter of artists such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Jean-Léon Gérôme generally limited to allegorical or mythological themes. Impressionism, realism and the other movements that engaged with contemporary issues that followed were direct reactions to the academic tradition, although it continued to inform the avant-garde as artists like Gustav Klimt and Pablo Picasso started their practices as academic realists.  

Find a collection of academic paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs. 

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Style: Academic
Period: 1960s
Untitled: Standing Nude
Located in New York, NY
Unknown/ Unidentified Artist, "Standing Nude", Figurative/ Nude Charcoal Drawing on Brown Charcoal Paper, 24 x 20, Late 20th Century, 1968 Colors: White, Blue, Black, Red, Black "S...
Category

1960s Academic Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal, Original Illustration from Oliver
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Marshall Goodman, American XXth Title: Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal (Oliver) I Year: circa 1960 Medium: Watercolor on Paper, signed in ink Size: 17 x 23 inches Frame: 21.5 x ...
Category

1960s Academic Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

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Dusk from the Tomb of Lorenzo di Piero de'Medici - Original Ink Drawing
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This particular drawing is a study of the sculpture at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy. The artist creates a true to life representation of the sculpture in question by incorporating techniques of classical academic drawing such as cross hatching and gesture based mark making in order to create volumes and give the study an overall three-dimensionality. Christopher Ganz Dusk from the Tomb of Lorenzo di Piero de'Medici, by Michaelangelo, in Florence Ballpoint pen 24h x 13w in 61h x 33.29w cm CG0064 -ARTIST STATEMENT- I depict my person in multiplicity with different selves representing dramatis personae. My likeness is both implicit and symbolic in the portrayal of my narrative; the drama involved in creating art and the artist’s role in society. I use realism to invite the viewer into mysterious inner worlds that are layered reflections of the outer. Dehumanizing environments are imbued with art historical references as a critique of power structures. 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21st Century and Contemporary Academic Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

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Academic Drawing. Figure Study of Young Sitting Nude Man. 19th Century.
Located in Firenze, IT
Charcoal drawing on light gray-blue colored paper. The drawing depicts a young man sitting with the hand on forehead. the position is probably meant to express the feeling of regret,...
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Scottish early 20th Century watercolour painting of a sitting girl by Lamont
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
John Charles Lamont ARSA (Scottish, 1894-1948) “The sitting girl” Pencil, watercolour, body colour and pastel Signed ‘LAMONT’ (lower-right) 23. 3/4. X 14. 3/4 in (60.5 x 37.5 cm)
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1980 Fauno e Ninfa Faun and Nymph Pencil on Paper Figurative Drawing
Located in Brescia, IT
This delicate drawing of the dance between a Faun and the Nimph, looks following the Jean Cocteau clean line drawings. We can see in this scene, the grace and simplicity of the Neoc...
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Nude Study, Diana 1948
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Located in New York, NY
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Previously Available Items
Untitled: Seated Nude
Located in New York, NY
Unknown/ Unidentified Artist, "Seated Nude", Figurative/ Nude Charcoal Drawing signed on Paper, 24 x 20, Late 20th Century, 1968 Colors: White, Blue, Red, Yellow, Black, Brown, Green
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"Study for the Racing Form"
Located in Southampton, NY
Harry McCormick is a contemporary American painter noted for his closely observed renderings of shadow, light, and reflections in interior spaces. His paintings often capture one or ...
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Academic figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 20th Century, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple and other colors. Frequently made by artists working with Archival Paper, and Archival Tape and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Academic figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 2.56 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $288,500, while the average work sells for $747.

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