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.
William Russell Flint mixed media, 'Ray mounted on Pegasus', British
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
William Russell Flint (British, 1880 – 1969) Ray mounted on Pegasus Mixed media Signed ‘W Russell Flint’ (lower right), further signed and titled on the reverse 10.1/2 x 14.1/2 in. (...
Mixed Media
Price Upon Request
Paris
Located in New York, NY
Mixed media on paper Signed This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “When two worlds collide, mayhem or genius can ensue. Consider the freestyle fellowship t...
Mixed Media
Price Upon Request
Miami
Located in New York, NY
Mixed media on paper Signed This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “When two worlds collide, mayhem or genius can ensue. Consider the freestyle fellowship t...
Mixed Media
$5,400
H 58 in W 49 in D 4 in
Combahee 3 Sisters - Large Sculptural Abstract Three-Dimensional Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Atticus Adams' organically composed modern metal sculptures embody the transformative power of art, illustrating the creation of beauty, meaning, and emotional impact from industrial...
Wire
$2,325
H 30 in W 30 in
Time Zone 11 - Original Modern Shiny Resin Minimalist Colorful Abstract Art
By Ricky Hunt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ricky Hunt’s mixed media minimalist wall art is influenced by his tumultuous past that led to a paradigm shift in creativity and life. He covers the wood panel with layers of acrylic...
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Fox, Leaf, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A fox sits atop a bright red geometric plane. Below, a leaf-like pattern fills a blue triangle. Together, the shapes suggest a towering peak. Artist Heejin Sutt...
Mixed Media
Sea Otter, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A small otter floats on a pink geometric plane. Below, intersecting blue planes form a sharp angle and give an illusion of depth. In creating this piece, artist...
Mixed Media
$2,500
H 77 in W 36 in D 3 in
Large Handmade Tapestry Textile Wall Hanging Wool Mixed Media Marlene Richard
Located in Surfside, FL
Eclectic, mixed media wall hanging textile tapestry by Marlene (Marlen) Richard featuring abstract embroidery atop free hanging locks of fabric over a black background embellished wi...
Metal
$10,250
H 32 in W 48 in D 1.5 in
"Evening Falls" - Serene Blue and Earth Tone Mixed Media Color-Field Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Katheryn Holt (American, born 1951) "Evening Falls" 2022 Oil paint and mixed media on cradled wood panel. The artist signed the back of the painting. With Frame: 33" x 49" x 2" “Ev...
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood, Wood Panel
Black Panther, Coral Reef, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This minimalist painting features a black panther poised on a green geometric slope. Beneath it, an angular window reveals coral forms in shades of purple and l...
Mixed Media
The Search for Pure Meaning
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin The Search for Pure Meaning,, 2021 Hand signed and dated on overlap Mixed media on canvas. 138.0 x 127.0 cm Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop c...
Mixed Media
$20,000
H 50 in W 40 in D 2 in
'Untitled' Original Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media On Canvas by Steven
Located in Carmel, CA
Steven is now one of the top emerging artists in the U.S. His works are groundbreaking, bold, and imbued with unflinching disregard for painting conventions. ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$2,900
H 40 in W 59.75 in D 1 in
Karl Age Ruget Brutalist Abstract Mixed Media Painting 1960
Located in Milford, NH
A fine brutalist abstract mixed media painting by Danish artist Karl Age Ruget (1933-2001). Ruget began his career as a painter's apprentice but was largely self-taught as an artist...
Mixed Media
$7,500
H 32 in W 48 in D 1.5 in
"Quarry" by Katheryn Holt - Green and Ochre Tone Color-Field Abstract Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
Katheryn Holt (American, born 1951) "Quarry" 2022 Oil Paint, Mixed Media, Wood Panel, Wood The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Katheryn Holt paints memory....
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood, Wood Panel
$705
H 16 in W 16 in
Eternal Sunsets Mini: Trustworthy - Meditative Abstract Warm Painting on Canvas
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Blood River, 1838
Located in New York, NY
Mixed media on paper Signed This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “John Bailly examines the relationship of place and time in his many multi-layered compos...
Mixed Media