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Academic 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
“The French Cavalier”
“The French Cavalier”

“The French Cavalier”

By Alex De Andreis

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas portrait of a French cavalier by the well known French/Belgian artist, Alex de Andreis. Signed lower right and dated 1924. Condition is very good. Original N...

Category

1920s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Clipper Ship under Full Sail”
“Clipper Ship under Full Sail”

“Clipper Ship under Full Sail”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a clipper ship under full sail. Signed “T. Bailey” lower right. Condition is good. Original gold frame with wear consistent with age. Overall frame...

Category

1920s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse Being Fitted with a Bridle
Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse Being Fitted with a Bridle

Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse Being Fitted with a Bridle

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse Being Fitted with a Bridle Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Pencil and Watercolor on Paper Size: 18.75 (Heig...

Category

20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Pencil, Watercolor

Performance, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
Performance, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting

Performance, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting

By Ashot Yan

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: Surrealism, Title: Performance Size: 23.5" x 23.5" x 1'' inch,...

Category

2010s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Danish Clipper in Twilight”
“Danish Clipper in Twilight”

“Danish Clipper in Twilight”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a Danish clipper ship in twilight by the painter, P. Toft. Signed “P. Toft” lower right and dated 1919. Condition is excellent. Professionally ga...

Category

1910s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lively alley by Pierre Duc - Watercolor
Lively alley by Pierre Duc - Watercolor

Lively alley by Pierre Duc - Watercolor

By Pierre Duc

Located in Geneva, CH

Work on arch paper Black wooden frame with glass pane 87 x 67,5 x 1,5 cm

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Pastel

“Sunset on the River”
“Sunset on the River”

“Sunset on the River”

Located in Southampton, NY

Beautifully painted sunset on the river with a single figure in a punt and cattle crossing by the American artist, George Riecke. Most likely a New Orlea...

Category

1890s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Parade in Geneva, 19th Century European Historical Oil Painting
Parade in Geneva, 19th Century European Historical Oil Painting

Parade in Geneva, 19th Century European Historical Oil Painting

Located in Genève, GE

Signed "A Dovianne" in the lower left corner. A vibrant and highly detailed historical scene depicting a ceremonial procession of mounted figures crossing a grand city square in Geneva, richly adorned with festive banners and flags. The composition is animated by a rhythmic procession of elegantly dressed horsemen, accompanied by soldiers and attendants, creating a dynamic sense of movement and civic pageantry. At the center of the scene, a monumental statue anchors the composition, reinforcing the public and historical significance of the event. The surrounding architecture, carefully rendered, is decorated with numerous flags suggesting a moment of national celebration or official ceremony within the city. The artist demonstrates strong academic training in the rendering of figures, horses, and perspective. The palette is lively yet balanced, combining warm earth tones with vibrant reds, blues, and gold accents, while the softly illuminated sky provides atmospheric contrast. This work belongs to the tradition of 19th century European historical painting, with particular appeal for collectors interested in Swiss subjects, civic celebrations, and narrative compositions. défilé à genève painting, geneva parade painting, swiss historical painting, military parade oil painting, horsemen procession art, 19th century history painting, geneva city scene oil, swiss flags painting, ceremonial parade artwork, cavalry painting...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Antique French 19th Century Oil Canvas Painting "Hearts Awakening" Cherubs
Large Antique French 19th Century Oil Canvas Painting "Hearts Awakening" Cherubs

Large Antique French 19th Century Oil Canvas Painting "Hearts Awakening" Cherubs

By William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Located in Portland, OR

A fine late 19th century oil on canvas painting, circa of William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905). Oil on canvas painting depicting a woman with two cherubs in a garden. After...

Category

1890s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

“Portrait of Jacob Dolson Cox”
“Portrait of Jacob Dolson Cox”

“Portrait of Jacob Dolson Cox”

Located in Southampton, NY

Very well executed portrait of Jacob Dolson Cox. See the sitter’s biography below. Signed top right and dated 1881. Relined canvas, very good condition. The portrait is housed in a contemporary replica of a period frame. Overall framed measurements are 33.25 by 28.25 inches. Provenance: A East Hampton, Long Island collector. Biography George Peter Alexander Healy was born in Boston on July 15, 1813, the first of five children of William Healy, an Irish immigrant and captain of a merchant vessel, and his wife Mary Hicks. Healy showed an early artistic interest: by 1830 the self-taught painter had opened a portrait studio from which he hoped to help to support his family. Although commissions were at first sparse, young Healy received important encouragement from Thomas Sully (1783-1872)) who advised him to make painting his profession. His fortunes also improved in 1831 when Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, a leader in Boston society, granted him permission to paint her portrait and recommended his talents to other potential patrons. In 1834 Healy went to France where he studied with Baron Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1835). A year later he traveled through Italy, visiting museums and churches in the company of Lady and Sir Arthur Faulkner who soon provided his introduction to London society. It was in England that Healy met and, in 1839, married Louisa Phipps. The couple settled in Paris where Healy embarked upon the beginning of a long and happy marriage and thriving career. His diplomatic and affable demeanor, together with his obvious skill, brought him tremendous success throughout Europe and the United States. Prolific, as well as talented, he had by 1867 produced more than six hundred portraits. The constant stream of commissions included dignified, imposing portraits of such celebrated figures as Pope Pius IX and Queen Elizabeth of Romania, the latter of whom developed a warm friendship with Healy and his family. Although Healy, sometimes accompanied by his wife, traveled to the United States several times during the 1840s and early 1850s, it was not until 1856 that the entire family settled in America. They took up residence in the booming city of Chicago, which Healy used as a base for his work in Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and other cities. During the Civil War years he often traveled to Washington to paint military figures and members of the President's cabinet. The family returned to Europe in 1867, but George Healy...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Tipos”
“Tipos”

“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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Illustration Board

“Still Life with Fruit”
“Still Life with Fruit”

“Still Life with Fruit”

By Oliver Clare

Located in Southampton, NY

Very well Victorian still life of fruit by the renowned botanical artist, Oliver Clare. Signed by the artist lower right. Circa 1880. Condition is very good. The painting is housed i...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Mother and Child in the Garden”
“Mother and Child in the Garden”

“Mother and Child in the Garden”

By Edward Percy Moran

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a young woman with child in a garden in the moon light. The artist is the well known American painter, Edward Percy Moran. Signed by the artist low...

Category

1890s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lively Conversation at a Balustrade, 19th Century Oil on Canvas
Lively Conversation at a Balustrade, 19th Century Oil on Canvas

Lively Conversation at a Balustrade, 19th Century Oil on Canvas

Located in Genève, GE

Work on canvas Dimensions with frame : 83 x 101.5 x 3.5 cm This 19th-century painting depicts a genre scene, typical of the academic and romantic art of the period. It shows three fi...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Still Life with Fruit and Melon”
“Still Life with Fruit and Melon”

“Still Life with Fruit and Melon”

By German School

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a still life composed of an open melon, grapes, peaches, plums and berries. Signed illegibly lower right. German school. Circa 1880. Beautiful gol...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Painter's Studio original painting by Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas Framed
The Painter's Studio original painting by Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas Framed

The Painter's Studio original painting by Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas Framed

By Paula Craioveanu

Located in Forest Hills, NY

"The Painter's Studio", oil on canvas, 39x27.5in / 100x70cm The artist's studio and art objects part of artist' life and work. A sculpture, an antique head and a painting that remin...

Category

2010s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mythological scene, study for the Prize of Rome 1864, French academism, Homer
Mythological scene, study for the Prize of Rome 1864, French academism, Homer

Mythological scene, study for the Prize of Rome 1864, French academism, Homer

Located in Norwich, GB

This rare mythological scene depicting the Greek author Homer on the island of Scyros. You will notice the Trojan War being fought in the background. Our painting, dating from 1864, is unsigned, but has a solid attribution to academic artist Henri-Léopold Lévy...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Portrait of Rebecca" Harriet Peale, Early American Female Portrait
"Portrait of Rebecca" Harriet Peale, Early American Female Portrait

"Portrait of Rebecca" Harriet Peale, Early American Female Portrait

By Harriet Cany Peale

Located in New York, NY

Harriet Peale Portrait of Rebecca, 1840 Inscribed verso, “Portrait of Rebecca Greenwood (?)/ Aged 25 years/ Painted by Harriet C. Cany/ May 1840” Oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches...

Category

1840s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Young Boy with Cap and Red Scarf, European Oil Painting
Portrait of a Young Boy with Cap and Red Scarf, European Oil Painting

Portrait of a Young Boy with Cap and Red Scarf, European Oil Painting

Located in Genève, GE

Dimension with frame: 42,5 x 34,5 x 4 cm. A sensitive and finely observed portrait of a young boy shown in profile, wearing a dark cap and a vivid red scarf. The composition is inti...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant
Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant

Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant

By Mark Beard

Located in Hudson, NY

Academic style figurative painting on canvas of a family and red tractor against a classic American farm field "Prosperous Family", painted by Mark Beard under his fictitious persona, Bruce Sargeant 84 x 58 inches unframed, 91 x 65 x 3 inches with a gold painted wood frame Excellent condition, ready to hang as is This Academic style figurative oil painting on canvas was painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant, a pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, and figurative painter, John Singer Sargeant. Here, the artist captures a blue collar American farming family in their field with an old red tractor. The man and woman stand stoically with their young child, dressed in simple white garments, perhaps to symbolize their purity. Rolling mountains...

Category

Early 2000s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Departure of the infantrymen for the war of 14, signed
Departure of the infantrymen for the war of 14, signed

Departure of the infantrymen for the war of 14, signed

Located in Genève, GE

Work on canvas signed lower right Dimension with frame 70 x 80 x 6 cm This striking work captures a group of French soldiers marching determinedly along a dusty road, with the distan...

Category

1910s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Shipping in Southampton Water”
“Shipping in Southampton Water”

“Shipping in Southampton Water”

By Ebenezer Colls

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a large sailing vessel traveling through Southampton waters in England in a dramatic sunset. The artist is the well known British marine artist Ebe...

Category

1850s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Woman in Traditional Dress and Lace Bonnet
Portrait of a Woman in Traditional Dress and Lace Bonnet

Portrait of a Woman in Traditional Dress and Lace Bonnet

Located in Genève, GE

A finely executed 19th-century portrait depicting a woman dressed in traditional regional attire. Presented against a dark background that emphasizes her calm expression and dignifie...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Flower Painting French Academic Realist Still life DUDAN mid 19th
Flower Painting French Academic Realist Still life DUDAN mid 19th

Flower Painting French Academic Realist Still life DUDAN mid 19th

Located in PARIS, FR

Gabriel-Dominique DUDAN (Active from the 1830s to the 1850s) Bouquet of Roses, Foxgloves, Poppies, Violets, and Daisies Oil on canvas 61 x 50 cm (77 x 66 cm with frame) Signed and da...

Category

1850s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Still Life with Strawberries”
“Still Life with Strawberries”

“Still Life with Strawberries”

Located in Southampton, NY

Very nicely executed original still life oil painting on fiberboard of strawberries by an unknown artist. Signed lower right, Charles Burch. I believe this painting is quite possibly the work of Edward Pritchard...

Category

1910s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard

Portrait of a Young Lady in Blue Empire Dress, 19th Century
Portrait of a Young Lady in Blue Empire Dress, 19th Century

Portrait of a Young Lady in Blue Empire Dress, 19th Century

Located in Genève, GE

Dimensions with frame: 43,5 x 38,5 x 8 cm. This refined oil portrait depicts a young woman presented in a graceful three-quarter pose, her soft gaze and subtle smile conveying both ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou
Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou

Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Charcoal on blue paper Size: 20 (Height) x 13.75 (Width) Signed: No Co...

Category

20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Charcoal

“Knight of the Field”
“Knight of the Field”

“Knight of the Field”

Located in San Francisco, CA

On offer is “Knight of the Field” aka “A Man in Armour,” a painting by Edgar Allan Ward (1862–1947). The portrait is of an unknown gentleman in full plate armor, complete with a swor...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of Horse's Head
Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of Horse's Head

Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of Horse's Head

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of Horse's Head Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Pencil on Paper Size: Excluding Mount: 8.75 (Height) x 10.75 (Width), ...

Category

20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Alfred Copestick, Coastal Scene: New York, Oil on Canvas, 1857
Alfred Copestick, Coastal Scene: New York, Oil on Canvas, 1857

Alfred Copestick, Coastal Scene: New York, Oil on Canvas, 1857

Located in Queens, NY

Alfred Copestick (1837–1859) Coastal Scene: New York, 1857 Oil on canvas, in the original giltwood frame 14 ¼ x 20 ⅛ in. (canvas) Signed lower right: A. Copestick NY 1857 Painted at just twenty years of age, Coastal Scene: New York demonstrates Alfred Copestick’s remarkable promise as a marine painter in antebellum America. The scene brims with energy: a single sailboat heels sharply into the wind, its rigging taut against the storm, while foamy waves break against a rugged shoreline. Above, clouds mass and dissolve, illuminated by shafts of storm-lit light. Copestick’s treatment is both romantic and naturalistic, conveying the sublime tension between man, sea, and sky. His confident brushwork captures atmosphere with an immediacy and sensitivity rarely found in so young an artist. The work survives in its original giltwood frame, richly carved in a mid-nineteenth-century American style, which not only underscores its historical authenticity but also heightens the tonal drama of the painting. Alfred Copestick came of age during a fertile moment in American painting, when marine art and landscape were central to cultural identity. Though little is known of his formal training, his works suggest familiarity with and admiration for leading marine painters such as James E. Buttersworth, famed for his racing yachts; Francis Augustus Silva, who later developed a luminist style of coastal painting; and earlier masters like Thomas Birch, whose shipwrecks and storm scenes set a precedent for drama at sea. Copestick also absorbed broader currents in American landscape painting. The Hudson River School, led by Thomas Cole, Asher B...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Apples and Lemons by Edith LUTZ - Oil on Canvas - 64x96 cm
Apples and Lemons by Edith LUTZ - Oil on Canvas - 64x96 cm

Apples and Lemons by Edith LUTZ - Oil on Canvas - 64x96 cm

Located in Geneva, CH

Edith Lutz-Romani (1894-1983) was an Austrian painter active during the 20th century. Although detailed information about her life is limited, she was born in 1894 and developed her ...

Category

1910s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Rough Seas”
“Rough Seas”

“Rough Seas”

By Franklin D. Briscoe

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a very well executed luminous oil on artist board painting by the American artist, Franklin Dullin Briscoe. Signed and dated by the artist lower righ...

Category

1890s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

An 18th-19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Venice" After Paolo Veronese
An 18th-19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Venice" After Paolo Veronese

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...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Beach, Coastal, Impressionism, Original Oil Painting, One of a Kind
Beach, Coastal, Impressionism, Original Oil Painting, One of a Kind

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Academic paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic 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 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, purple, pink, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Karen Darbinyan, Mark Beard, Kyna de Schouël, and Elizabeth Zanzinger. 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 4.14 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $140 and tops out at $700,000, while the average work sells for $4,850.