In emphasizing emotion and imagination, romantic art shifted away from the restraint of classicism and neoclassicism that had dominated art in Europe since the Renaissance. Romanticism achieved its greatest popularity in art, literature, music and philosophy between 1780 and 1830, although its expression of individual experiences ranging from awe to passion informed culture in the decades after.
Landscape painting was especially popular during the romantic period, as were nature studies of wild animals and fantasies of exotic lands. Romanticism varied across Europe as it reacted to the rise of industrialization, a more personal relationship with faith that was distanced from the church and the rationalist thinking of the Enlightenment.
British painters such as John Constable and J.M.W. Turner responded dramatically to the light and atmosphere of the natural world, while William Blake conveyed humanity’s connection to the divine in his visionary art. In Germany, the late-18th-century Sturm und Drang, or Storm and Drive, movement, with its probing of the unconscious, inspired a sense of mystery in work by romantic artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge. In France, where the French Revolution had turned tradition upside down, Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix used lush brushwork to paint monumental canvases with tumultuous scenes of nature and history.
The romantic movement and its subject matter were a significant influence on the Pre-Raphaelites, Symbolists and the American painters of the Hudson River School, as well as on other cultural movements in the 19th and 20th centuries that saw artists build on this perspective in which art was guided by emotion rather than reason.
Find a collection of romantic paintings, sculptures, prints and multiples and more art on 1stDibs.
Scenography for Nutcracker. 1950s. Gouache, tempera, paper, 40x58 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Painted in Soviet Latvia presumably for the State opera. The Scenography and the artist is not known.
Paper, Tempera, Gouache
Durga, Figurative, Acrylic on Canvas, Bengal Artist Dipen Bose "In Stock"
By Dipen Bose
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Dipen Bose - Durga Oil on Canvas 36 x 30 inches Signature in the bottom . ( third image shows the signature) (Framed & Delivered) In this striking acrylic work, Dipen reimagine...
Canvas, Acrylic
$900Sale Price|25% Off
Angel woke up, 90x80cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Angel woke up 90x80 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
August Edouart Silhouette Cut Paper 1840 "Rev & Mrs E H Cumpston"
By August Edouart
Located in Detroit, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "The Rev. and Mrs. E. H. Cumpston" a silhouette cut by August Edouart is in very good condition and cut by the artist sometime between 1839 - 1849. On the lower f...
Paper
$1,350Sale Price|40% Off
Embroidered Fruit Still Life in Romantic Style, Late 19th Century
Located in Soquel, CA
Embroidered Fruit Still Life A beautiful embroidery of a colorful grape vine with rich colors of red, purple and blue. Signed "E. P. S. F." lower right. Presented in a new mat and g...
Fabric, Yarn
Peter Schlemihl’s Wundersame G - Rare Book Illustrated by G. Cruikshank - 1827
Located in Roma, IT
Peter Schlemihl’s Wundersame Geschichte is an original modern rare book written by Adelbert von Chamisso (Châlons-en-Champagne,1781 – Berlin, 1838) and illustrated by George Cruikshank (London, 1792 - London, 1878) in 1827. Published by Leonhard Schrag, Nürnberg. Original First Edition. Format: in 12°. The book includes 213 pages with Six full page Etchings and one Frontispiece. Mint conditions. George Cruikshank (London, 1792 - London, 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend di lui Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached an international audience. For Charles Dickens, Cruikshank illustrated Sketches by Boz...
Paper, Etching
Quien se pondra el cascabel al gato?
Located in New York, NY
Etching and burnished aquatint on laid paper, circa 1824. From the four additional plates for Los Proverbios. Sheet size 11.5 x 16.75 inches. Framed dimension 17 x 21 inches. Prove...
Etching
$26,034
Portrait of a Newfoundland dog, William Smith, British Painting, 1838, Pets Art
Located in Greven, DE
The works of William Smith were regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy in London between 1813 and 1859. Yet little is known about this artist. He lived in Shropshire and was active...
Canvas, Oil
Chrysanthemums. Canvas, oil, 81.6x65.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
HILDA VIKA (married EGLITE) (1879 – 1963) She was born at Riga; her father was a worker at liqueur factory. Her first drawing teacher was a German artist Gerhard Fon Rozen, at Riga ...
Canvas, Oil
Satyr, Hand Printed Work, Woodcut
Located in Yardley, PA
A piece from a fantasy series about fairy characters :: Hand Printed Work :: Romanticism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Read...
Woodcut
Southern Landscape, Ships, Old Master Drawing, 19th Century, by Von Stengel
Located in Greven, DE
Southern Landscape with View of a Castle and Ships passing by Pen and brush in brown and black over pencil, brown and grey wash, 17,5 x 22,7cm Plain black moulding with golden pearl ...
Paper, Gouache
$1,420Sale Price|20% Off
Theatre Scene, Opera, Old Master Drawing, Griselidis, Mallet, French Art
Located in Greven, DE
Unknown Artist, French School 18th Century, Circle of Mallet? Scene taken from the Decamerone. Old Master Drawing
Paper, Cardboard
$1,136Sale Price|20% Off
Circle of Angelika Kauffmann, Venus and Amor, Arrow and Spindle, Oval Drawing
Located in Greven, DE
Fine drawing in pencil, oval format. Circle of Angelika Kauffmann. The subject is not clear. It is Amor with his arrows and perhaps Venus with a sp...
Crayon, Handmade Paper
Antique German porcelain plaque signed 'Haak'
Located in London, GB
Antique German porcelain plaque signed 'Haak' German, late 19th Century Frame: Height 42cm, width 36cm, depth 3cm Plaque: Height 28.5cm, width 22.5cm, depth 0.5cm This fine and detailed German porcelain plaque depicts a man and a woman in medieval dress...
Porcelain, Paint
$3,200
H 21 in W 18 in D 3 in
Boy Sailing Toy Boat in Creek, oil on canvas in gilt frame signed and dated 1897
Located in Hillsborough, NC
A boy wades into the creek preparing to set his sailboat on a journey down the creek in this romantic narrative late Victorian oil painting. This painting tells a story, set in an id...
Canvas, Oil
I'm doing a poor job with life at this moment
Located in Denver, CO
Mychaelyn Michalec is a textile artist and painter working in Dayton, OH. Her work depicts the private, awkward, and mundane moments of family life through a medium traditionally ass...
Wool, Yarn, ABS
$396Sale Price|20% Off
H 16 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Chester Cathedral - Drypoint Etching in Ink on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Chester Cathedral - Drypoint Etching in Ink on Paper Dramatic drypoint etching by J. Alphege Brewer (British, 1881-1946). This composition shows the interior of Chester Cathedral in Brewer's characteristic style - highly detailed and with strong contrast. The scene encompasses the cathedral from floor to ceiling, capturing the immense size of the building. There are several people in the scene which contribute to the sense of scale. Signed by hand "J. Alphege Brewer" in the lower right corner. Titled "Chester Cathedral" in plate, lower left corner. Includes original card with artist's name. Presented in a new black mat with foamcore backing. Mat size: 16"H x 12"W Paper size: 10.75"H x 7.75"W James Alphege Brewer was well known in the early 20th century as a producer of color etchings of European cathedrals and other scenes of church, college, and community. He was born July 24, 1881, in the Kensington section of London, England, the son of Henry W. Brewer, noted artist of historical architecture and prominent convert to the Catholic Church, and the grandson of John Sherren Brewer, Jr., “the brilliant editor of the Calendar of Letters of Henry VIII.” His great uncle was E. Cobham Brewer, the polymath who compiled Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Among his older siblings were the artist Henry C. Brewer and the organist and writer John Francis Brewer. Brewer attended the Westminster School of Art in London, where his brother Henry also trained. In 1910, he married Florence Emma Lucas, an accomplished painter in oil and watercolor, whose father was the noted landscape artist George Lucas and whose great uncle was David Lucas, the famous engraver for John Constable. Florence's brothers Edwin and George assisted Brewer in the printing of Brewer's etchings. Brewer exhibited at the Royal Academy (RA) and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (RI), at the Paris Salon of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and in the shows of the Royal Cambrian Academy (RCA). He became an associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1929 and a full member in the last two years of his life. He was also a member of the Hampstead Society of Artists, the Society of Graphic Art, and the Ealing Arts Club, where he was first Honorary Art Secretary and then Honorary Art Chairman. Most of Brewer's larger etchings were published by Alfred Bell...
Paper, Ink, Drypoint
Watchmen
By Tony Dagradi
Located in New Orleans, LA
[New Orleans, LA ::: b. 1952 - Queens, NY] BIO : TONY DAGRADI is an internationally recognized jazz performer, artist, composer, author and educator. For over three decades he has...
Paper, Varnish
Orientale
Located in New York, NY
Signed, lower right: Fantin Provenance: Gustave Tempelaere (1840–1904), Paris; possibly by descent to his son: Julien Tempelaere (1876–1961) and with F. & J. Tempelaere, Paris, prob...
Canvas, Paper, Oil
$12,000
H 54 in W 66 in D 10.5 in
Summer and Winter, Mid-Century Tapestry, Woven Hanging, Textile Wall Sculpture
By Adela Akers
Located in Wilton, CT
Adela Akers (b. 1933, Santiago de Compostela, Spain) is a Spanish-born textile and fiber artist. She is Professor Emeritus (1972 to 1995) at the Tyler Scho...
Textile, Linen, Thread, Yarn, Fabric, Tapestry
$94,685
H 91.74 in W 82.68 in
Mythological figurative painting of 19th century Italian Romanticism
Located in Florence, IT
The painting depicts "Ossian tells Malvina about the exploits of his son Oscar" and is dated at lower right "Filippo Bellati did the year 1811" and the unframed measurements are 233 ...
Canvas, Oil
$685
H 20 in W 22 in D 0.13 in
A Striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Surrealist Architectural Scene / Set Design
By Andre Delfau
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Surrealist architectural scene / set design by notable French stage, costume and fashion designer, Andre Delfau (1914-2000). Titled "Britannicus...
Paper, Gouache
$1,600
H 54 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
"Hieroglyphics (MS Paint Toolbar)", Nostalgic 90s Wall-Hanging Fiber Art
By Nicole Nikolich, Lace in the Moon
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Hieroglyphics (MS Paint Toolbar)" is a one-of-a-kind original piece by Nicole Nikolich (Lace in the Moon) and is made from crocheted acrylic hanging from a wooden ...
Textile, Yarn, Found Objects, Wood
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses, 1898
Located in Stockholm, SE
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses by August Alvén captures a moment of profound quiet in the Swedish countryside just after sunset. The glowing sky transitions from warm ap...
Canvas, Oil
$295
H 24.5 in W 33.5 in D 0.01 in
Art Nouveau Decorative Panel Design, Italian Green Leaf Tile, circa 1935
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
An original Art Nouveau decorative panel design in gouache, a design for a square tile or framed panel, executed circa 1935 by Marina Astolfoni, a student of the Istituto Magistrale ...
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
$1,600
H 9.25 in W 13 in
Tambien Esto Etching, Romantic Style, Early 19th Century, Excellent
Located in Aventura, FL
Tambien esto / So is this (Disasters of War, plate 43, Harris 163, Delteil 162). Original etching, burnished aquatint, and burnisher, c. 1808-1814. The clergy are running; their floc...
Drypoint, Etching, Paper
Sold
H 38.59 in W 25.99 in
Large Vintage Herbarium Wall Panel, Sweden. Custom Framed Botanical Flower Press
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A large vintage herbarium / botanical display collected and created by S. Lindvald in June 1945 in Sweden. This four-piece collection of botanical specimens is preserved behind glass...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Coral brooch. Naples. XIX century
Located in Firenze, IT
Antique Italian Coral brooch. Naples. XIX century. Total weight 5,60gr. Size 4,2 cm FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Coral engraved and carved in...
Gold
Italian earrings. 19th century
Located in Firenze, IT
19th century Italian Coral earrings.u2028 Gold with French hallmarks (head of eagle=750 gold).u2028 Nineteenth century. Height 2.1cmu2028 Length 2.1cm Earrings in good condition.u202...
Gold
Sold
H 12.21 in W 16.54 in D 0.79 in
Happiness entered the homestead. Paper, watercolor. 31x42 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Hilda Vika (1897 – 1963) Happiness entered the homestead. Paper, watercolor. 31x42 cm. HILDA VIKA (married EGLITE) (1879 – 1963) She was born at Riga; ...
Paper, Watercolor
Sold
H 9 in W 7 in D 2 in
Twentieth Century Figurative Semi Nude Model Conte Crayon Drawing
Located in ludlow, GB
Twentieth Century Figurative Semi Nude of Model Conte Crayon Drawing. One of the most important British Painters of the Twentieth Century, Will...
Conté
"The Grand Canal, Venice - Venetian Cappriccio"
By James Salt
Located in ludlow, GB
James Salt British 1850 - 1903 James Salt was a British 19th century painter who painted almost exclusively romantic scenes of Venice. This enchanting oil on canvas painting is of a ...
Oil
"The Grand Canal, Venice - Venetian Cappriccio"
By James Salt
Located in ludlow, GB
James Salt British 1850 - 1903 James Salt was a 19th Century British Painter known almost exclusively for his romantic depictions of Ven...
Oil
Sold
H 6.66 in W 9.3 in D 0.04 in
Lion Dévorant un Cheval - Original Lithograph by E. Delacroix - 1844
Located in Roma, IT
Lion dévorant un cheval is an original modern artwork realized by Eugène Delacroix (1798 - 1863) in 1844. Original limited edition lithograph signed on plate. Dimensions: 16.9 x 23.6 cm. Very fine print on applied china, from the 4th state (out of 5), the title and date erased, before the Bertauts address and number erased. Tiny redness and dirt on the support. Full margins. Dry stamp: Contemporary Artists (Lugt 36b). Very good conditions. Eugène Delacroix (Charenton-Saint-Maurice, 1798 - 1863) was one of the leading artists of the French Romantic period in the 19th century. He received his artistic training in Paris and became known as a leading figure of the French Romantic era of the 19th century. Inspired by history, literature, and exotic locales, Delacroix painted such famous works as the "Liberty Leading the People...
Lithograph
Sold
H 25.2 in W 21.66 in
19th C, Between Neo-Classicism and Romanticism, Montanious Landscape
Located in brussel, BE
Alessandro Castelli made a name for himself as a painter of landscapes, especially from the area around Rome. Initially trained as an engraver, he worked at the Calcografia Camerale,...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 14.5 in W 8 in
"R.D. Hulin, Clerk of Union Hall", Painted Silhouette, White Pencil Details
By August Edouart
Located in Detroit, MI
"R. D. Hulin, Clerk of Union Hall, Saratoga, Sept 4 1844" portrait silhouette by August Edouart. This is a unique painted silhouette with white pencil d...
Paper, Paint, Pencil
Sold
H 14.5 in W 7.25 in
"Joshua H. Pierce, Lithographer, New York, January 19 1840", Silhouette
By August Edouart
Located in Detroit, MI
"Joshua H. Pierce, Lithographer, New York, January 19 1840" portrait silhouette of Joshua H. Pierce by August Edouart. This is a unique hand painted si...
Paper
Mug
Located in Kansas City, MO
Michael Stumbras Lost Age Mug Year: 2017 Materials: Porcelain, Gold Luster Size: 4.75 x 4.75 inches Michael Stumbras work explores the beauty and horror of our existential uncertain...
Luster, Porcelain