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Academic Figurative Paintings

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
Seashore, Impressionism, Figures, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind. Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Seashore Size: 31.5" x 39.5" x 0.8'...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley" George Henry Smillie, West, 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley, 1871 Signed and inscribed board verso "Cathedral Rocks-Morning-Yo-semite Valley Aug. 71 Geo. H. Smillie", also inscribed "Yo-se...
Category

1870s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Portrait of Dorothy Thompson (The Wild Rose) - Female Artist
Located in Miami, FL
A charming portrait of a beautiful blue-eyed girl in a pink dress holding flowers in her hand. It's based on Renaissance portraits where the subject is pushed to the foreground and i...
Category

1920s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Las costureras - Óleo sobre lienzo
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Óleo sobre lienzo de Baldomer Gili Roig – Mujeres cosiendo, firmado, con marco ornamentado. Magnífica pintura al óleo sobre lienzo del reconocido artista catalán Baldomer Gili Roig ...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Coastal, Impressionism, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind. Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Coastal Size: 31.5" x 39.5" x 0.8''...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Beach, Coastal, Impressionism, Original Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Impressionism Title: Beach Size: 24" x 30" x 0.8'' inch, ...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sophie Holten (1858-1930), the Parthenon Frieze, London 1901
Located in Greding, DE
Painting based on the Peplos scene (Block V, eastern Parthenon frieze, ca. 447-433 BC) by the Danish painter Sophie Holten (1858 Skuldelev - 1930 Rosk...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Portrait of a Woman" Edward Percy Moran, Early American Portrait, Bucolic
Located in New York, NY
Edward Percy Moran Portrait of a Woman Signed lower right Oil on canvas 30 x 20 inches Provenance: The Madison Gallery, Atlanta Percy Moran was the son of marine painter Edward Mo...
Category

1890s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Classical Seated Female Nude', by Charles G. Bockman, Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 38 x 32 inch painting, is an oil on canvas titled 'Female Nude,' by artist Charles G. Bockmann. The painting depicts a 3/4th portrait of a nude woman wh...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Muse, Portrait, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2018 Style: Portrait, Subject: Muse, Size: 19" x 19" x 1'' inch, 50x50x3cm...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Winter Rapsody Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2018 Style: Figurative Surrealism, Subject: Winter Rhapsody, Size: 27.5" x...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mother and Child - Classic Portrait
Located in Miami, FL
This warm portrait looks like it could have been painted by Corot. Francis Luis Mora paints in that tradition. It's a small painting that invites the viewer to look closer. The art...
Category

1920s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Immaculate Conception oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Immaculate Conception Author: Anonymous Period: 20th Century Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 25.6 x 21.3 in Signature: "Karmel" (lower right) Condition: Good Descr...
Category

1980s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Happy Day, Figurative, Coastal, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Impressionism Title: Happy Day Size: 31.5" x 43" x 1'' in...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“The Potato Peelers”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of a man and a woman intently peeling potatoes at a table. No visible signature. Old gallery label in German verso that is dated 1934 Condition is go...
Category

1930s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Brother Sister
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Pierre Lavarenne (French, born 1928) Title: Brother Sister Year: Circa 1975 Medium: Oil on canvas Canvas size: 15 x 18.25 inches Signat...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

On the Beach, Figurative, Coastal, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Impressionism Title: On the Beach Size: 31.5" x 45" x 1''...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Tipos”
Located in Southampton, NY
Oil paint on heavy illustration board by the Spanish artist, Cecilio Pla. Signed lower right. Titled and signed verso. “Tipos” means types; different type...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Illustration Board

"Habenero, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Thane Gorek's (US based) "Habenero" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an orange Habanero pepper halved, so that it's seeds and core are ex...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

“Return from the Field”
Located in Southampton, NY
Oil on canvas backed onto wooden board of a worker with a scythe returning home from a day of labor. In a picturesque Swiss village. The painting is attributed to the hand of Karl Adolph Weber, the Swiss artist. Signed “K. Weber” lower right. Circa 1935. The painting is a contemporary wood frame in a mahogany finish. Overall framed measurements are 19 by 15.25 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida collector. Karl Adolph Weber was a Swiss artist born in 1899 and died in 1978 known for his rural landscapes and figurative paintings of Switzerland...
Category

1930s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Children in the Beach, Impressionism, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind. Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Children in the Beach Size: 31.5" x...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Asian girl portrait Teddy bear innocence toys pink soft colors fine art classic
Located in Zofingen, AG
Girl with Teddy bear / Tender innocence This is one of my favorite artworks painted from nature. Painting are on stretched canvas come ready to hang. This is the “hidden frame”...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walking Off the Queen, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2018 Style: Figurative Surrealism, Subject: Walking off the Queen, Size: 4...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Summer Coast, Impressionism, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind. Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Summer Coast Size: 31.5" x 39.5" x ...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Anaheim, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Thane Gorek's (US based) "Anaheim" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a green Anaheim pepper halved, so that it's seeds and core are exposed, with an indigo blue back...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

“In the Library”
Located in Southampton, NY
Beautiful, highly detailed original oil on canvas painting of a young maid stopping her work to read a book in the library room. The artist is the Belgian artist, Jean Daniel Stevens...
Category

1890s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled 12, " Charcoal Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Bradley Schwartz's (US based) "Untitled 12" is an original, handmade charcoal drawing that depicts a woman in profile with her long dark hair draped over her right shoulder with...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Stony Beach, Cliffs, Impressionism Original Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Impressionism Title: Stony Beach Size: 24" x 30" x 0.8'' inch, (61x76x2cm), Unframed, Stretched on wooden bar, Ready to Hang, Artist Bio Ara H. Hakobyan is an Armenian artist and art critic, Doctor of Sciences (arts, 2017), professor (2018) and a member of Artist Union of the Republic of Armenia (1999). Ara H. Hakobyan was born in 1973 in Yerevan in the family of art historian Hravard Hakobyan. In 1997 Mr. Hakobyan graduated from the Yerevan State Academy of Arts, Department of Painting. During 1997-2000 Ara Hakobyan...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Antoni Costa Woman original Figurative Academician drawing painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
woman. original figurative academician drawing painting Barcelona, 1904 - Barcelona, 1965 It was formed in Buenos Aires, in the Circle of San Lucas of Barcelona and the FAD. He was ...
Category

1960s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Pencil

“Bavarian Flower Girls”
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a vibrant portrait of a pair of Bavarian flower girls in traditional dress. The painting is unlined and has recently been cleaned. Circa 1875. The pain...
Category

1870s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“French Cavaliers”
Located in Southampton, NY
Oil on wooden panel painting of horse riding French cavaliers in battle. Signed lower left. Not dated. Original period gilded frame in fine condition. Painting has been recently professionally cleaned. Painting and frame circa 1875. Overall framed measurements are 16 by 14 inches. Condition of the painting is very good. Provenance: Saint Petersburg, Florida estate. Charles Michel Guilbert D'anelle was a pupil of Horace Vernet ( known for his military paintings...
Category

1870s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

“French Cavaliers”
“French Cavaliers”
$2,200 Sale Price
31% Off
"Frawg Hollow, Virginia" Corwin Knapp Linson, Southern Country Landscape
Located in New York, NY
Corwin Knapp Linson Frawg Hollow, West Virginia Signed and titled lower left Oil on canvas 24 x 28 inches Provenance The artist Artist's family by descent Corwin Knapp Linson was ...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Red Bell II, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Thane Gorek's (US based) "Red Bell II" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a red bell pepper halved, so that it's seeds and core are exposed...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

“The Swordsman”
Located in Southampton, NY
Exquisite, vibrant original oil on canvas painting of a French swordsman in an interior. Very finely done with exacting detail. Circa 1880. Signed lower left “Jean Lamaire”. Conditi...
Category

1880s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Study for Roses Du Matin
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. Dimensions Framed: 13.5" x 15.5" x 2.5"; Unframed: 7.875" x 10" Exhibited Artist's Choice, American Legacy Fine Arts, P...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Fishing in Autumn" Frederick Dickinson Williams, Early 20th Century Landscape
Located in New York, NY
Frederick Dickinson Williams Fishing in Autumn, 1914 Signed and dated lower left Oil on board 9 1/4 x 6 7/8 inches Frederick Dickinson W...
Category

1910s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

19th Century gouache of a visit to Pompei on the Grand Tour
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Neapolitan school (early 19th Century) A visit to Pompei on the the Grand Tour Gouache on paper Inscribed ‘Porzione del quartiere a Pompei’ and ‘In Nap...
Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

“The Drunk ” 17th Century Dutch Oil Painting On Panel
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The Drunk" is an oil on panel painting created by Dutch school student. This artwork provides viewers with a captivating glimpse into the past, offering a detailed and vivid portraya...
Category

17th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Magnolia Grandiflora, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Magnolia Grandiflora" is an oil painting that depicts a nude figure in the foreground with a bright red backgroun...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Antoni Costa Woman. original figurative academician drawing painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
woman. original figurative academician drawing painting.. frame Barcelona, 1904 - Barcelona, 1965 It was formed in Buenos Aires, in the Circle of San Lucas of Barcelona and the FAD....
Category

1950s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Olivia Unveiling to Viola (from Twelfth Night)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Exhibited: Birmingham Royal Society of Artists, 1879 “Autumn Exhibition of the Birmingham Royal Society of Artists.” The London Times, 25 August 1879. T...
Category

1870s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Greek / Roman Naturalistic Allegory Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Stormy landscape scene in which a Cupid-like figure seen in the clouds appearing to have shot a number of wounded and dying men in the foreground. The men have a number of women and ...
Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Sideways Glance
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed with monogram lower right
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fair Student
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1835' center right
Category

1830s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Torah Scholar, Shimshon Holzman
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Shimshon Holzman (1907-1986) Title: Torah Scholar Year: 1962 Medium: Watercolor and graphite on wove paper Size: 13.75 x 19.75 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed...
Category

1960s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Graphite

"Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution, Painting by Mary Fish
By Mary Fish
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Mary Fish Title: Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution Year: 1980 Medium: Ink and Tempera on Paper, signed Size: 33.5 x 56 in. (85.09 x 142.24 cm)
Category

1980s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ink, Tempera

Party Skull #1, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Party Skull #1" is an oil painting that depicts a human skull in profile with blow outs and party regalia on blue and purple background. Elizabeth Zanzinger is an award-winning painter with an enthusiastic international following. She developed her artistic voice through her studies at the Aristides Atelier and Gage Academy of Fine Art in Seattle. Elizabeth finished her education with a fellowship award (Grand Prize, 2nd Annual Utrecht Art...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Watercolour painting by Henry Ryland
Located in London, GB
This watercolour painting is by the English artist Henry Ryland, celebrated in his day and since for his Neoclassical pictures. Ryland was a contemporary of Lawrence Alma-Tadema and ...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Board, Laid Paper

Brothel, Groovy Harem with Courtesan, Concubine, Paramour, Playboy Magazine
Located in Miami, FL
George Hirsch - He gets his inspiration from the prototype of neo-classic painting for this groovy 1970s brothel. This is a complex figural work with m...
Category

1970s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Leaves I, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves I" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background Elizabeth Zanzinger...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Fossils, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Fossils" is an oil painting that depicts nude forms suspended in air between highway and underpass. Elizabeth Z...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Feedback Loop, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Feedback Loop" is an oil painting that depicts peculiar machine with wiring and red in interior with white background Elizabeth Zanzinger is an awa...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Current, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Current" is an oil painting that depicts a lone figure in a golden field with clouds holding a floral fabric agai...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Rowboat in a Summer Landscape" George Bacon Wood, Pleine Air Landscape
Located in New York, NY
George Bacon Wood Rowboat in a Summer Landscape Signed lower left Oil on wood panel 6 1/4 x 8 inches Born in Philadelphia, landscape painter George Bacon Wood, Jr., studied at the ...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Prism, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Prism" is an oil painting that depicts a woman in the foreground looking into the distance with an atmospheric su...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

A French 19th-20th Century Oil on Canvas "A Good Poker Hand Player Smoking Pipe"
Located in LA, CA
Émile Renard (French, 1850-1930) A Fine and Charming Oil on Canvas "A Good Poker Hand", depicting a joyous seated man, smoking a pipe, showing his Poker hand of cards. Within a carve...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Leaves II, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves II" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background Elizabeth Zanzinger is an award-winning painter with an enthusiastic international following. She developed her artistic voice through her studies at the Aristides Atelier and Gage Academy of Fine Art in Seattle. Elizabeth finished her education with a fellowship award (Grand Prize, 2nd Annual Utrecht Art...
Category

2010s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Faistenau" oil painting of snow covered landscape Salzkammergut steeple
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Plein-air landscape painting of Faistenau, in Austria. A snow covered foreground meets a structure filled horizon, a church tower reaches upward, dissecting the blue sky. Frame opt...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

A Sylvan Toilette -- ca. 1898
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Exhibited: Society of American Artists, New York, 1898 Intimate Revelations: The Art of Carroll Beckwith, Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, 1 December 1999-15 January 2000, no. 49 Li...
Category

1890s Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Girl with Bouquet
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Monogrammed lower right
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Academic figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mark Beard, Kyna de Schouël, Elizabeth Zanzinger, and Delphin Enjolras. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 4.93 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative paintings 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 $280 and tops out at $595,000, while the average work sells for $7,158.

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