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.
Family scene, children dog and pup, French painting by Delacroix' prodigy friend
Located in Norwich, GB
A sweet and intimate family scene by the rarest of artists: French early 19th Century child prodigy Henri-Louis-Hippolyte Poterlet (1804-1835). Poterlet was a close friend and confi...
Canvas, Oil
$59,850Sale Price|33% Off
An 18th-19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Venice" After Paolo Veronese
By Paolo Veronese
Located in LA, CA
A very fine and Large Italian 18th-19th century oval-shaped oil on canvas titled "The Triumph of Venice" After the original work by Paolo Veronese (Venice, 1528-1588). The original of this painting hangs in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice. The 'Ricci' coloration suggests a late 17th-early 18th century date. In 1715 Charles de la Fosse advised Ricci to paint only "Veroneses and no more Riccis", Venice, circa 1800. Measures: Height: 45 1/4 inches (115 cm). Width: 29 inches (73.7 cm). Frame height: 58 1/4 inches (147.9 cm). Frame width: 43 1/4 inches (109.9 cm). Frame depth: 5 1/4 (13.3 cm). Provenance: Royal Academy of Scotland. Paolo Veronese (Born 1528, Verona, Republic of Venice - died April 9, 1588, Venice) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at...
Oil
A Very Fine Oil on Canvas Interior Palatial Scene Titled "Game for the Cardinal"
By Charles Edouard Edmond Delort
Located in LA, CA
Charles Edouard Edmond Delort (French, 1841-1895) oil on canvas "Game for the Cardinal", depicting a seated cardinal behind an ornate French Louis XV roll-top Bureau du Roi, after th...
Oil
Cats in interior
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
LE ROY Jules Gustave (1853 - 1922 ) Cats in Interior Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Size canvs : 41 X 33 cm Size frame : 51 x 63 cm LE ROY Jules Gustave (1853 - 1922 ) 19th-20th century - French painter Jules Le Roy or Jules Leroy was born the 22th of December 1853. Dead in 1922 according to the Roubaix Museum Wildlife artist. He mainly painted cats...
Oil
A Very Fine Danish 19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Sewing Room" (Systue)
Located in LA, CA
Wenzel Ulrik Tornøe (Danish, 1844-1907) A very fine and large oil on canvas titled "Systue" ("The Sewing Room"). The finely executed artwork depicting the interior of a sewing room w...
Oil
$960Sale Price|61% Off
Mother and Child
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful original painting by French artist, Alexandre de Valentini (1787-1887). Pencil and gouache on paper, 14 x 18.5 inches; 19 x 23.5 inches matted. Signed and dated with Paris...
Gouache, Pencil
$7,327
Painting 19th century French School Genre Scene Interior Portrait
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
French School 19th century Close to François Xavier FABRE (1766-1837) The Princess and The Chaperone Oil on canvas One can read on the reverse "Fabre Fecit" and the name and address of the canvas dealer shop...
Oil
Emile Vernon (French, 1872-1919) Pink Roses Belle Epoque Oil Painting .
By Emile Vernon
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite genre painting showcases a darling slice of life for a young woman in the Belle Epoque era. Dressed in a frilly frock made of detailed lace, and wearing a v shaped pin...
Canvas, Oil
"A Pompeiian Love Song" 19th Century Realism Antique Oil on Canvas
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Provenance: Sold: Jackson's Auctioneers & Appraisers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, December 8, 2009, Lot 4 A Pompeiian Love Song" by Antonio Rivas (Spanish, 1845-1911) transports viewers back ...
Canvas, Oil
$48,000
"A Surprising Visit" 19th Century Antique European Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Jacksonville, FL
A Surprising Visit" by Eduardo León Garrido (Spanish, 1856-1949) invites viewers into a sumptuous journey through 19th-century European luxury. Eduardo León Garrido, a distinguished Spanish artist born in 1856 and leaving an artistic legacy until 1949, displayed a remarkable ability to capture the essence of his time through his brushstrokes. This antique masterpiece, rendered in oil on panel and measuring 22 1/2 x 29 3/4 inches, unveils a world of opulence within a Royal European...
Canvas, Oil
A Very Fine Danish 19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Sewing Room" (Systue)
Located in LA, CA
Wenzel Ulrik Tornøe (Danish, 1844-1907) A very fine and large oil on canvas titled "Systue" ("The Sewing Room"). The finely executed artwork depicting the interior of a sewing room w...
Oil
Silent Interior in the Manner of Vilhelm Hammershøi
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rikard Lindström (1882–1942) Silent Interior oil on canvas mounted on board signed lower right framed: 50 x 58 cm (19.69 x 22.83 inches) unframed: 39 x 47 cm (visible image) (15.35...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$48,500Sale Price|24% Off
Charming 19th Century Oil on Canvas Triptych of Cherubs 'An Allegory to Spring'
Located in LA, CA
Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) A very fine and charming triptych group of three oil on canvas laid on board titled "An Allegory to Spring" each panel depicting different pla...
Oil
"Music in the Parlor" 19th century antique realism oil painting on, Signed
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed Description: Frederico Andreotti (1847-1930) was an Italian painter celebrated for his exquisite genre scenes and historical subjects. Born in Florence, Andreo...
Canvas, Oil
A Party To The Castle in 18th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A Party To The Castle in the 18th Century Oil on canvas with a signature G.Weiss low left Old frame regilded Dim canvas : 46 X 38 cm Dim frame : 66 X 58 cm
Oil
Painting animals interior cats
By Alfred Arthur Brunel De Neuville
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Alfred BRUNEL NEUVILLE (1852-1941) Interior with cats Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 54 X 75 cm Dim frame : 74 X 85 cm Alfred BRUNE...
Oil
HERMMANN LEON - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of a Dog in Interior
By Charles Herrmann-Léon 1
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
HERRMANN LEON Charles (1838-1908) Portrait of a Dog in interior Oil on canvas signed low left Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 56 X 46 cm Dim frame : 69 X 59 cm HERRMANN LEON Charles (1838-1908) French painter 19th century Born 22 july 1838 in Le Havre. Died 1...
Oil
Portrait of a Lady
By Alexandre-François Caminade
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Alexandre François CAMINADE (1789-1862) Portrait of a Lady Oil on wood signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Wood size : 22 X 15 cm Frame size : 40 X 30 cm Alexandre-Françoi...
Oil
Cardinal with Elegant Company by Angelo Zoffoli
Located in New Orleans, LA
Angelo Zoffoli 1860-1910 Italian Cardinal with Elegant Company Signed "A. Zoffoli Roma" (lower right) Oil on canvas A sumptuously dressed cardinal enjoys the company of a fabulou...
Canvas, Oil
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
By Victor Marais-Milton
Located in New Orleans, LA
Victor Marais-Milton 1872-1948 French Cardinals Playing Cards Signed "V. Marais-Milton" (lower right) Oil on canvas Two red-robed cardinals engage in a friendly game of cards in ...
Canvas, Oil
Antique British Oil Painting of the Alhambra by Thompson
Located in London, GB
Antique British oil painting of the Alhambra by Thompson British, 1876 Canvas: Height 45cm, width 35.5cm Frame: Height 69cm, width 61cm, depth 6cm This serene Orientalist oil painti...
Canvas, Oil
A Very Fine Italian Oil on Canvas Titled "The Solo Violinist or Violin Teacher "
Located in LA, CA
A very fine Italian oil on canvas titled "The Solo Violinist" by Luigi Da Rios (Italian, 1844-1892), depicting an interior 18th century room scene of a single violinist player; withi...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Oil
$29,850Sale Price|39% Off
A Fine & Large 19th Century Oil on Canvas "New Year's Day at The Grandfather's"
Located in LA, CA
Friedrich Ortlieb (German, 1839-1909) A fine and large oil on canvas titled "New Year's Day at The grandfather's". The joyful indoor family scene depicting a Christmas and new year's...
Oil
Portrait of an Elegant Lady 1897
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GENTY Emmanuel (1830-1904) Portrait of an Elegant Lady Oil on canvas signed low right and dated 1897 Old Frame regilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 100 x 81 cm Dim frame : 120 x 10...
Oil
Feeding the Young
By Edmund Adler
Located in Mc Lean, VA
A rural interior scene by Austrian artist Edmund Adler. The scene is typical of Adler's paintings of Austrian culture and rural life. It is full of gemütlichkeit.
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Japanese Woman wearing Traditional Kimono
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Portrait of a Japanese Woman wearing Traditional Kimono Oil on wood panel signed upper right with a japanese ideogram Signature unread Other portrai...
Oil
Table Settings With Orchids, Painting 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
DESCHIENS – ASTRUC (1861) Table settings with Orchids Oil on canvas signed down right Frame gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 82 X 116 cm Dim Frame : 107 X 141 cm DESCHIENS – ASTRUC Pauline Hélène (1861-NC) French school 19th - 20th century Born the 25th of August 1861 in Angers Painter of flowers and marines. Pupil of Pierre Bourgogne...
Oil
$38,000
"Mephistopheles and the Faust" Mid 19th c, Antique Oil Painting on Wood Panel
By Alfred Jacomin
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is dated and signed on the bottom left side. Description: Alfred Jacomin was a landscape and genre painter. He was a student of his father, Jean-Marie Jacomin, the Swiss...
Oil, Wood Panel
Still-Life With Roses and China Jewel Box
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Hortense DURY-VASSELON (1860-1924) Still Life with Roses and China Jewel Box Oil on canvas signed and dated 1905 low left DIm canvas : 63 X 50 cm Di...
Oil
The Connoisseur By Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian The Connoisseur Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower right) Oil on panel A Cardinal peers through a magnifying glass at gilded treasures in...
Oil, Panel
The Musician
Located in New Orleans, LA
Alfred Weber 1859-1922 I Swiss The Musician Signed “Alfred Weber” (lower left) Oil on panel This work by Swiss ecclesiastical genre painter Alfred Weber, best known for his humorous and meticulously detailed paintings, features a cardinal enjoying his leisure time. Weber's talent for rendering opulent interiors and his keen sense of comic narrative are evident in this painting. The cardinal, looking blissfully content, sits in his lavish living space playing the violin, accompanied by a flutist. Alfred Charles Weber...
Oil, Panel
Baroque Interiors of Castel
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
PURRMANN, Karl (1877-1966) Baroque interiors of Castle Oil on wood panel signed and dated 1947 Low left Framed by Gault (Paris) Dim wood : 52 X 66 cm PURRMANN, Karl (1877-1966) Ger...
Oil
The Morning News Early 19th-century Realism: Antique Oil Painting on Wood Panel
By William Wallace Gilchrist
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Provenance: Exhibited at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1911 #229 Description: William Wallace Gilchrist (1879-1926) was an American painter known for his captivating depictions of everyday life scenes and his ability to capture the ambiance and aesthetic of the late 19th century. Born in Philadelphia, Gilchrist showed an early passion for art and pursued his artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Gilchrist’s artwork often revolved around intimate domestic settings, where he skillfully portrayed the beauty and tranquility of ordinary moments. His painting “The Morning News...
Oil, Wood Panel
“Waiting for his Arrival” Oil on panel, Signed
By Ferdinand Victor Leon Roybet
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed and dated 1872 in Algiers Description: Ferdinand Victor Léon Roybet (1840-1920) was a French painter renowned for...
Oil, Panel
The first time model: the enigmatic young bohemian girl in traditional dress
Located in Norwich, GB
I love the feisty attitude of the girl depicted! With her hand on her hip, she seems to be saying to the artist: "Whatya looking at anyway?" She looks like she has a good head on he...
Canvas, Oil
Basket of pansies Flowers - painting 19th century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
BIVA Paul (1851 - 1900) Basket of Pansies Oil on canvas signed low left Framed by Gault (Paris) Dim canvas : 60 X 80 cm Dim frame : 80 X 100 cm BIVA Paul (1851 - 1900) French Pain...
Oil
$2,210
The Librarian
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas : 61 x 43 cm Golden frame With frame : 70 x 52.7 x 4 cm This 19th-century portrait by an anonymous artist shows an elderly man seated at his desk, engrossed in writing...
Oil, Canvas
small oil landscape "Village 3"
Located in Zofingen, AG
small oil landscape on cardboard “Village 3”, drawn by Natalya Shiporina, signed to the verso. The painting is part of a series of three paintings...
Cardboard, Oil
All day breakfast cafe
Located in Roma, IT
John Madu Contemporary Figurative Work - A Dialogue with Modern Art History This work by John Madu belongs to the series developed through a direct engagement with Vincent van ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Lady at Dressing Table - Original Painting
By Delphin Enjolras
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Lady at dressing table" Oil on canvas signed and dated right below 1929 Old original frame gild with leaves Dim canvas : 72 x 56 cm Dim frame : 92 X 80 cm ENJOLRAS Delphin (1857-...
Oil
Pretending (Lunch from the Café)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1910' lower right
Canvas, Oil
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...
Oil
Divertimento in the Music Salon
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GUIDI Giuseppe (1881-1931) Divertimento in the Music Salon Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 70 X 100 cm Dim frame :...
Oil
Pretending (The Great Performance)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1890' lower right
Oil
The Letter By Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian The Letter Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower right) Oil on panel A cardinal pauses while composing a letter in this oil on panel by Belg...
Oil, Panel
Portrait at the Painter's workshop
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Francesco Brunery (1849–1926) Portrait at the Artist's Workshop Oil on wood panel Old frame gilded with leaves Dim panel : 30 X 24 cm Dim frame : 54 X 46 cm Francesco Brunery (1849...
Oil
Jules TOULOT (1863-nc) Painting 19th century soldier uniform interior
By Toulot Jules
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Toulot Jules (1863-nc) Pianist officer in the Second Empire period Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame regilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 65 X 43 cm Dim frame : 90 X 67 cm TOULOT Jules (1863-nc) French painter 19th century Born 11th November 1863 in Champeinx (Puy de Dôme...
Oil
Edgard CUGNOTET - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of Two Children
By Edouard Ferdinand Ludovic Cugnotet
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
CUGNOTET Edgard (19th Century) Portrait of two Children Oil on canvas signed low left and dated 1884 Frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 138 X 100 cm Dim Frame : 162 X 122 cm CUGNOTET Edgard Ferdinand Ludovic (19th Century) French painter 19th Century born in Dijon Figures, Portraits, Landscapes He was taught by François Édouard PICOT (1786-1868) royal Academy of Anvers. He exhibited at the Salon de Paris between 1868 and 1884. Museum : Langres « the hurdy gurdy...
Oil
The Musical Performance oil on panel by Antonio Ermolao Paoletti
Located in New York, NY
The Musical Performance by Antonio Ermolao Paoletti An italian genre painting showcasing two boys playing a trumpet and a guitar for their sist...
Oil, Wood Panel, Board
Reception at the Salon
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
STEVENS Agapit (1848 – 1924) Reception at the Salon Oil on wood signed low left New Golden Frame Dim wood panel : 24 X 39 cm Dim Frame : 49 X 63 cm STEVENS Agapit (1848 – 1924) Be...
Oil
Calligraphy 1
Located in Atlanta, GA
Born in 1969 1991, Graduated top of his class at Iranian Society of Calligraphy, Tehran 1993, Graduated from the Wood Industry & Paper-making, Tehran Sol...
Oil
Calligraphy 2
Located in Atlanta, GA
Born in 1969 1991, Graduated top of his class at Iranian Society of Calligraphy, Tehran 1993, Graduated from the Wood Industry & Paper-making, Tehran Sol...
Oil