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.
Between Lessons – A Schoolboy Lost in Thought
Located in Stockholm, SE
Unidentified Artist Schoolboy, Early 1900s century signed lower left oil on canvas unframed 24 × 29 cm (9.4 × 11.4 in) framed 41 × 47 cm (16.1 × 18.5 in) This intimate genre pain...
Canvas, Oil
Mid-19th-Century Munich School, Nocturnal Alpine Scene With Woman Resting
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This calm and reflective mid-19th-century German oil painting depicts a woman reclining, her hand on a zither, before moonlit Alpine scenery. Gazing outwards across the rooftops and...
Oil, Canvas
'Curious Kittens' by Charles Van Den Eycken (1859 – 1923) Romantic painter
Located in Knokke, BE
Charles Van Den Eycken 1859 – Brussels – 1923 Belgian Painter 'Curious Kittens' Signature: signed lower left and dated 'Ch. Van den Eycken 1900.' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions:...
Canvas, Oil
Ionic Column Capital
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Ionic Column Capital Graphite, wash, gouache and gum arabic, 4 Fev 57 (Feb 4 1857) Signed and dated lower right (see photo) Ionic columns are a classical architectural style characte...
Gouache
'Young Girl Knitting' by Guillaume Eberhard (1879 – 1949) signed and dated 1906
Located in Knokke, BE
Eberhard Guillaume 1879 – Maastricht – 1949 Dutch Painter 'Young Girl Knitting' Signature: signed lower left and dated 'G Eberhard 1906' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image siz...
Canvas, Oil
Confrontation, Charles Van Den Eycken, Brussels 1859 – 1923, Belgian Painter
Located in Knokke, BE
Confrontation Van Den Eycken Charles Brussels 1859 – 1923 Belgian Painter Signature: Signed bottom right Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 28 x 21,50 cm, frame size 36 x 30 cm Biography: Van Den Eycken Charles (alias Charles Duchene) was born in Brussels in 1859. He was an animal painter, mainly dogs and cats and interiors. He was the son of Charles Van Den Eycken...
Canvas, Oil
$1,710
French Painting Interior Church Saint Germain Charonne in Paris Troubadour 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Charles BULTEAU Active in the 1870s and 1880s View of the interior of the church of Saint Germain de Charonne in Paris Oil on panel Signed "C. Bulteau" at bottom right 29 x 24 cm (50...
Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life Bouquet with Calla Lilies and Amaryllis in Chinese Vase
Located in Soquel, CA
Elegant still life with calla lilies and amaryllis by an unknown artist. Completed in a classical style, two calla lilies and two amaryllis flowers sit in a vase with Chinese designs...
Canvas, Oil
Woman with Two Children in Red - Dutch Style Interior Scene in Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Woman with Two Children in Red - Interior Scene in Oil on Canvas Lovely interior scene by notable artist Joseph Tomanek (Cech-American, 1889-1974). A woman sits near a window, holding a small child dressed in bright red in her lap. Another child, somewhat older, stands next to her, looking at the young child. Soft lights spills though the window, illuminating the scene in a warm glow. A plant with red flowers sits on the windowsill, and foliage can be seen outside. Signed "Tomanek" in the lower right corner (note that the shape above the signature is a toy train) Presented in a carved wood frame with a linen liner. Frame size: 30.75"H x 26.75"W Canvas size: 24"H x 20"W Tomanek, the son of a carpenter, was born in Moravia. His family discouraged his art talent and wanted him to be a shoemaker. He studied in his homeland of Czechoslovakia at the School of Design in Prague. He emigrated to America around the turn of the century and arrived in Chicago in 1910 and worked as an interior decorator. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and studied with Antonin Sterba. He also studied with Albert Krehbiel and K.A. Buehr. He was a member of the Bohemian Artist Club, Association of Chicago Painters, and Sculptors, and the Chicago Gallery Association. His work is included in the collection of the Vanderpoel Art Association (Chicago). He exhibited from the 1910s-40s, including exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Georgia Museum of Art. Of the difficulty of posing nudes in Chicago, he said, "In Paris you can rent little gardens studios and pose your models there in privacy. Here, if I work out of doors, I have to pose the girls in bathing suits...
Canvas, Oil
$2,359Sale Price|20% Off
Painting french school romantic 19th century oil on canvas Interior of a bakery
Located in PARIS, FR
French school of the first half of the 19th century Oil on canvas 45.5 x 60 cm (59.5 x 74 cm with frame) Beautiful 19th century carved and gilded wooden frame Good condition (a few r...
Oil
'First Steps' by Bernard J. Blommers (1845 – 1914), signed 'B/Blommers'
By Bernardus Johannes (Bernard) Blommers
Located in Knokke, BE
Bernard Blommers 1845 – The Hague – 1914 Dutch Painter 'First Steps' Signature: signed lower right 'B/Blommers' Medium: oil on canvas, ca. 1865 Dimensions: image size 56,5 x 76,5 c...
Canvas, Oil
Figurative painting of noble male portrait on 19th century Florence
Located in Florence, IT
The small but detailed oval painting in watercolor tempera on paper is signed at lower left "E. Niccheri," or Egisto Niccheri, a Tuscan painter active mainly in the late 19th century...
Paper, Tempera
$102,174
A Surprise Visit
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 32 x 45 inches Framed size: 35.5 x 50 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
"Mother and Daughters”, Dutch Interior scene, Romantic style, oil on canvas
Located in Naples, Florida
Bernard Pothast (1882-1966) Although born in Belgium in 1882, Bernard Pothast was the...
Oil, Canvas
"Conversando", 19th Century Oil on Canvas by Artsit Ángel María Cortellini
Located in Madrid, ES
ÁNGEL MARÍA CORTELLINI Spanish, 1819 - 1887 CONVERSANDO signed "Cortellini" (lower right) oil on canvas 13-1/4 x 11 inches (33.5 x 28 cm.) framed: 17-1/4 x 15 (44 x 38 cm.) Ángel María Cortellini. Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz), 27.09.1819 – Madrid, 1887. Painter. Ángel María Cortellini was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda on September 27, 1819, to an Italian father and a Spanish and Sanlúcar mother. Contrary to family opinion, he decided to dedicate himself to painting and already, at the age of nine, he was enrolled in a drawing academy in his hometown. They soon sent him to Seville, where he was a disciple of Joaquín Domínguez Bécquer...
Canvas, Oil
Lovers at the Fountain - Italian 19th Century Figurative Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Rome, IT
Amanti alla Fontana - Lovers by a fountain, painting oil on canvas, Signed left sight. Measures: cm 70 x 100 frame 118 x 145 Faustini Modesto. Brescia, 27 maggio 1839 - Roma, 23 m...
Oil
Mother with Child, Rose, Old Master, Figurative Painting, Love, Christmas Scene
Located in Greven, DE
L. Franssen Mother and child with a rose Oil on wood, 44,5 x 33,5 cm signed The artist of this outstanding painting is completely unknown so far. There is no entry under "L. Franssen" in any encyclopaedia or reference work. There was a Dutch artist, Jan Fransen (1604/5 - ca. 1646), who was mainly based in Amsterdam. According to Thieme/Becker, he created numerous paintings with biblical depictions, study heads and still lifes. However, it could also have been Jan Franssen or Frantzen, who was not born until 1644 but was also active in Amsterdam. However, no confirmed works by either artist are known. Just as interesting as the attribution is the depiction: a young woman holds her child on her lap while she prepares a meal on a hob. At the same time she holds a rose in her hand. Most likely, Mary is depicted here with the young Jesus...
Oil
$9,600Sale Price|20% Off
Voyeur chair. Romantic Couple Kissing and Embracing, Mid Century Illustration
By Alex Ross
Located in Miami, FL
Alexander Sharpe Ross gives us a voyeur view of an attractive couple kissing and embracing on a couch. Sharpe's radical use of composition is on ...
Mixed Media, Oil, Gouache, Board
"Playing hide and seek", 19th Century Oil on Panel by Vicente Palmaroli, Spanish
Located in Madrid, ES
VICNTE PALMAROLI y GONZÁLEZ Spanish, 1834 - 1896 PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK signed "V. Palmaroli" (lower right) oil on mahogany panel 17-3/4 x 13-1/2 inches (45 X 34 cm.) framed: 25-1/4 X 21-1/4 inches (64 X 53.7 cm.) PROVENANCE Leslie Hindman Inc., Auctionners Private Collector, Madrid Oil on table by Vicente Palmaroli...
Oil, Wood Panel
‘Cats Playing around a Mirror’ by Joseph Bail (1862 – 1921), French Painter
Located in Knokke, BE
Joseph Bail Limonest 1862 – 1921 Paris French Painter ‘Cats Playing around a Mirror’ Signature: signed lower right ‘Bail Joseph’ Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 45,5...
Canvas, Oil
UNCONSCIOUS RIVALS- Angelo Granati - Italy Oil on canvas painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Unconscious Rivals- Angelo Granati Italia 2004 - This is his reinterpretation of a greatest old master painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Oil on canvas cm.80x60. The painting is a true form of the romantic style of Alma-Tadema. It is an image of two women; one sitting, the other standing and apparently waiting for someone...
Canvas, Oil
Petrus KREMER Belgian painter Flemish peinter Adriaen BROUWER in prison 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Petrus KREMER Antwerp, 1801 - Antwerp, 1888 Oil on wood panel 72 x 56.5 cm (85 x 72 cm with frame) Not signed Old stamp on the verso Beautiful carved an...
Oil
$21,239
Interior of a Church - Oil Painting by Hermann Corrodi, late 1800
Located in Roma, IT
Interior of a Church is an original painting realized by Hermann Corrodi. Original oil on canvas with a contemporary wooden frame included. Hermann David Salomon Corrodi...
Oil
$991Sale Price|40% Off
Early 20thC Oil on Canvas Still Life, Autumn Harvest, Oranges, Hops and Flowers
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th Century oil on canvas still life of oranges, hops and flowers signed E Pritchard and dated 1904 bottom left, presented in period gilt ...
Canvas, Oil
$12,979
Pompeian Scene 19th century Painting Oil on Canvas Signed Egisto Sarri
By Egisto Sarri
Located in Rome, IT
Egisto Sarri "Pompeian scene" Oil on canvas, measure: cm 30 x 48 with a filly carved gilt - wood frame cm 46 x 64 Signature in the lower left-hand corner: "E. Sarri Egisto Sarri (F...
Oil
'Cutting the Bread' by Gerard Portielje (Antwerp 1856 – 1929 Remich, Luxembourg)
Located in Knokke, BE
Gerard Portielje Antwerp 1856 – 1929 Remich, Luxembourg Belgian Painter 'Cutting the Bread' Signature: signed lower left 'Gerard Portielje', artist’...
Oil, Panel
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
$1,056
J J A Lecomte du Nouÿ (1842-1923) An oriental street, oil sketch
By Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouÿ
Located in Paris, FR
Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouÿ (1842-1923) An oriental street oil on canvas 11.5 x 14 cm no signature In good condition, canvas without stretcher,...
Oil
$42,479
‘Meal Time for all’ by Hermann Werner (1816 – 1905), signed and dated 1870
By Hermann Werner
Located in Knokke, BE
Hermann Werner Samswegen 1816 – 1905 Düsseldorf German Painter ‘Meal Time for all’ Signature: signed lower right and dated ‘H. Werner. 1870 ' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: ima...
Canvas, Oil
P Deltour (?), An artist and his models in the workshop, 1879, oil on canvas
Located in Paris, FR
P Deltour (?) French school of the 19th century The artist with his model and friend in his workshop Oil on canvas Signed "P Deltour" (?) and dated 1879 on the lower, an indistinct i...
Oil
Jesus and Ponce Pilate
Located in Pasadena, CA
Oil on canvas mounted on panel depicting a study from JP Laurens painting. According to the Gospels, Pilate ordered the execution and crucifixion of this Jewish preacher at the end o...
Oil
$27,139
'The Mischievous Little Artists' by Edgard Farasyn (1858 – Antwerp – 1938)
Located in Knokke, BE
Edgard Farasyn 1858 – Antwerp – 1938 Belgian Painter 'The Mischievous Little Artists' Signature: signed middle lower left and dated 'Edg. Farasyn 1881' Medium: oil on canvas Dimens...
Canvas, Oil
Five Wall Decoration 'En Grisaille' by Dufour, Paris, France, 19th Century
Located in Rome, IT
Five papiers peints 'En Grisaille' from the psyche´ series manufactured by Dufour, Paris, after designs by Merry-Joseph Blondel and Louis Lafitte. -'Psyche´ returning from hades.' -'...
Handmade Paper
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Monk
Located in Pasadena, CA
Oil on canvas framed representing a monk reading sitting on a chair in the taste of François Granet.
Oil
$12,979
Pompeian Scene 19th century Painting Oil on Canvas Signed Egisto Sarri
By Egisto Sarri
Located in Rome, IT
Egisto Sarri "Pompeian scene" Oil on canvas, measure: cm 30 x 48 with a filly carved gilt - wood frame cm 46 x 64 Signature in the lower left-hand corner: "E. Sarri Egisto Sarri (Figline val d'Arno 1837 - Florence 1901) Sarri studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Enrico Pollastrini, and was one of Antonio Ciseri...
Oil
"Ofreciendo una copa", 19th Century Oil on Canvas by Ángel María Cortellini
Located in Madrid, ES
ÁNGEL MARÍA CORTELLINI Spanish, 1819 - 1887 OFRECIENDO UNA COPA unsigned oil on canvas 13-1/4 x 11 inches (33.5 x 28 cm.) framed: 17-1/4 x 15 (44 x 38 cm.) Ángel María Cortellini. Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz), 27.09.1819 – Madrid, 1887. Painter. Ángel María Cortellini was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda on September 27, 1819, to an Italian father and a Spanish and Sanlúcar mother. Contrary to family opinion, he decided to dedicate himself to painting and already, at the age of nine, he was enrolled in a drawing academy in his hometown. They soon sent him to Seville, where he was a disciple of Joaquín Domínguez Bécquer...
Canvas, Oil