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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
Study for Roses Du Matin
Study for Roses Du Matin

Study for Roses Du Matin

By Adrian Gottlieb

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. Signed "AG" on lower left corner Dimensions Framed: 13.5" x 15.5" x 2.5"; Unframed: 7.875" x 10" Exhibited Artist's Ch...

Category

2010s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

“Bavarian Flower Girls”
“Bavarian Flower Girls”

“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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting
Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting

Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting

Located in Genève, GE

Monogrammed in the lower right corner. Dimension with frame : 49.5 x 67.2 x 5 cm. This monogrammed oil on canvas depicts an evocative Orientalist pastoral scene, featuring two figur...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Two Landscapes in Pair
Two Landscapes in Pair

Two Landscapes in Pair

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Paul ARMANDI (19th Century) Wood Landscapes by the river Oils on canvas in pair signed low right New golden frames Canvas : 65 X 40 cm Frame : 83 X 58 cm Paul ARMANDI is one of ...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops
Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops

Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops

By Julius von Blaas

Located in London, GB

Julius von Blaas (1845-1923) At The Gallops circa 1905 Oil on canvas Signed and dated “Julius von Blass / 1905” (lower left) 110 x 200 cm (140 x 230 cms framed ish) This enormous and grand depiction of horses exercising is an iconic image not only of the edwardien era but also of today’s racing elite. Julius von Blaas was taught by his father Carl von Blaas (1815-1994) and trained in Venice, Florence and Rome. He was also influenced by his celebrated brother Eugen von Blaas...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Misty Morning Gloucester”
“Misty Morning Gloucester”

“Misty Morning Gloucester”

Located in Southampton, NY

Oil on artist board painting of a misty morning in Gloucester Harbor by the Provincetown artist, Kay Kellogg. Signed lower left. Circa 1935. The painting d...

Category

1930s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink
Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink

Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink

By Lyubena Fox

Located in Sofia, BG

"Memento Mori " Oil on canvas Unframed 25 x 16,5 cm Framed 50,5 x 42,5 cm The frame Handmade from wood and plaster, water gilded with genuine gold leaf over rouge burnishing bole and patinated. Exhibited in the “Memento Mori” art show in Manhattan, New York with Sugar Lift in the beginning of 2021 The symbolism: Memento Mori (Latin for 'remember that you have to die) is an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity, and it was reflected in the artistic genre of Vanitas, where symbolic objects such as hourglasses and wilting flowers signified the impermanence of human life. Memento Mori The Painting’s Qualities Lyubena Fox...

Category

2010s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Red Poppies and Grapes”
“Red Poppies and Grapes”

“Red Poppies and Grapes”

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a circa 1920’s still life of red poppies and purple grapes. Oil on artist canvas board . Signed lower right but artis...

Category

1920s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady

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...

Category

1850s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Gypsy Girl”
“Gypsy Girl”

Leon Herbo“Gypsy Girl”, 1885

$4,800Sale Price|26% Off

“Gypsy Girl”

By Leon Herbo

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on mahogany wooden panel of a young gypsy woman in a colorful headdress and costume. Signed middle right and dated 1885, Brussels. Original inscription paper label vers...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

The Little Ballerina
The Little Ballerina

The Little Ballerina

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Alphonse PELLET (1853-1926) The Little Ballerina Oil on wood panel signed low right Old frame regilded with leaves Size panel : 30 X 43 cm - Size frame : 40 X 55 cm Alphonse PELLET...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Floral Still Life with Roses, 19th Century Spanish Oil Painting
Floral Still Life with Roses, 19th Century Spanish Oil Painting

Floral Still Life with Roses, 19th Century Spanish Oil Painting

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Floral Still Life with Roses, 19th Century Spanish Oil Painting Artist: José María Murillo Bracho Birth / death: Seville, 1827 – Málaga, 1882 Title: Floral Still Life Technique: Oil on canvas Artwork size: 34 × 45 cm / 13.4 × 17.7 in Framed size: 56 × 67 cm / 22 × 26.4 in Signature: Signed lower left Frame: Yes, ornate gilded frame included Condition: Good overall condition, with normal signs of age and conservation consistent with a 19th-century painting. The frame shows wear consistent with age. Subject: Floral still life Style: 19th-century Spanish painting, floral realism, Andalusian school Description Elegant 19th-century floral still life painted in oil on canvas by José María Murillo Bracho, a Spanish artist from Seville especially known for his refined flower paintings, fruit compositions and still lifes. The work presents a horizontal bouquet of flowers arranged on a neutral surface, with white roses, vivid red blossoms, mauve flowers, golden yellow accents and deep green leaves. The composition combines naturalistic precision, delicate color and a carefully balanced sense of light, creating a serene and highly decorative image. The contrast between the luminous white flowers at the center, the intense red blooms and the sober blue-grey background gives the painting great visual richness. The brushwork is detailed and sensitive, particularly in the petals and foliage, where the artist’s almost botanical attention to form and texture can be clearly appreciated. This painting is especially attractive within Murillo Bracho’s production because floral still life was one of the genres most closely associated with his work. The piece also retains an ornate gilded frame, enhancing its classical presence and making it highly suitable for a refined interior. A charming antique Spanish flower painting, ideal for collectors of 19th-century Spanish art, floral still lifes, academic realism, Andalusian painting and decorative European oil paintings. A bouquet that does not fade, which is already more than can be said for most modern enthusiasm. Artist Biography José María Murillo Bracho was a Spanish painter born in Seville in 1827 and died in Málaga in 1882. He is also sometimes referenced as José María Murillo y Bracho or José María Bracho Murillo. He trained at the Academy of Fine Arts of Santa Isabel de Hungría in Seville, one of the most important artistic institutions in Andalusia during the 19th century. His work developed within the Spanish academic tradition, with a particular focus on still lifes, flowers and fruit compositions. Murillo Bracho was connected to both Seville and Málaga, and his painting reflects the refined bourgeois taste of 19th-century Andalusia. His works are appreciated for their careful realism, elegant composition, delicate chromatic range and meticulous treatment of floral subjects. Floral still lifes are among the most representative and desirable aspects of his production, combining decorative beauty with technical precision and a distinctly classical Spanish sensibility. Artistic Inspiration This painting belongs to the long European tradition of floral still life, connecting 19th-century Spanish academic painting with the broader history of flower painting. It may appeal to collectors interested in artists and traditions associated with Henri Fantin-Latour, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Rachel Ruysch, Juan de Arellano and classical European botanical painting. With its serene composition, precise floral detail and elegant color harmony, the work is well suited for collectors of antique still lifes, Spanish School paintings, Andalusian art, academic realism and refined decorative interiors. Spanish 19th Century Painting, Floral Still Life, Antique Flower Painting...

Category

1860s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Solitude
Solitude

Solitude

By Guillaume Seignac

Located in New Orleans, LA

French Academic painter Guillaume Seignac was renowned for his masterful treatment of the idealized nude. His languishing female subjects based on Greco-Roman prototypes were and rem...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich
19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich

19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

A very romantic and detailed painting of figures enjoying the views of a waterfall in summertime, Europe Circle of Caspar David Friedrich (German, 1774 – 1840) Elegant company at th...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Oil

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero
Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Firmado en la parte inferior (desconozco el artista) Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de la pintura es aceptable Medidas obra: 58 x 48 cm.

Category

Early 1900s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art
Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art

Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art

By John Whorf

Located in Marco Island, FL

A masterful example of John Whorf at the height of his powers, this large and luminous watercolor depicts three fishermen on a calm, silver-blue lake or bay, their figures rendered w...

Category

20th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Mythological Painting begining 19th oval Bacchus Apollon children
Mythological Painting begining 19th oval Bacchus Apollon children

Mythological Painting begining 19th oval Bacchus Apollon children

Located in PARIS, FR

Italian school from the beginning of the 19th century ? Oil on canvas (2) 99 x 65 cm (103 x 78 cm with the frame) Old frames with gadroons and palmette decoration Very good condition...

Category

Early 19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Stil life with Lobster"

"Stil life with Lobster"

By Martha A. Brockway

Located in Southampton, NY

Oil on canvas still life painting of a wine bottle along with a lobster. Signed lower left. Circa 1880. The painting is housed in its original monumental wood gesso and gilt Victoria...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chickens in the Farmyard in pair
Chickens in the Farmyard in pair

Chickens in the Farmyard in pair

By Claude Guilleminet

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

GUILLEMINET Claude (1821-1860) Chickens in the Farmyard Oils on wood panels in pair signed low New golden frames Dim wood panel (each) : 27 X 20 cm Dim frame (each) : 47 X 40 cm GU...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Paire Flower Arrangement

Paire Flower Arrangement

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

MARTIN DES AMOIGNES, Elisabeth (1858-1936) Paire Flower Arrangement Oil on canvas signed New golden Frames Dim canvas : 110 X 32 cm Dim frame : 125 X 47 cm MARTIN des AMOIGNES, E...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

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

Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega
Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega

Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega

By Martin Rico y Ortega

Located in New Orleans, LA

Martin Rico y Ortega 1833-1908 Spanish Venetian Scene Signed "Rico" (lower left) Oil on canvas Spanish artist Martin Rico y Ortega captures a charming view of a canal in Venice ...

Category

19th Century Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original Painting, One of a Kind
Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original Painting, One of a Kind

Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original 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: Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Impressionism Title: Chinese Monastery Size: 16" x 20...

Category

2010s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Antique British Oil Painting of the Alhambra by Thompson
Antique British Oil Painting of the Alhambra by Thompson

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...

Category

1870s Academic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nymphs Dancing
Nymphs Dancing

Nymphs Dancing

By Henri-Pierre Picou

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

PICOU Henri Pierre (1824-1895) Nymphs Dancing Oil on canvas signed and dated 1881 low left Old frame regilded with leaves Dim canvas : 62 X 82 cm Dim frame : 80 X 100 cm PICOU Henri Pierre (1824-1895) French Painter 19th century Born on February 27th, 1824 in Nantes - Died on July 17th, 1895 in Nantes Painter of History, allegorical subjects, genre paintings, Symbolist. Pupil of Paul Delaroche...

Category

1880s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

The walk in Luxembourg Garden in Paris, also called "The Privileged"
The walk in Luxembourg Garden in Paris, also called "The Privileged"

The walk in Luxembourg Garden in Paris, also called "The Privileged"

By Antoine-Victor-Edmond-Madeleine Joinville

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

JOINVILLE Antoine Victor Edmond Madeleine (1801-1849) From Ludwig Knaus (1829-1910) The Walk in Luxembourg Garden" in Paris, also called "The Privileged" Preserved at The Louvres M...

Category

1870s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Hunting scene with Dogs and Deer

Hunting scene with Dogs and Deer

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

SCHOUTEN Henri (1864-1927) « Hunting scene with Dogs and Deer » - Oil on canvas signed low left - Dim canvas : 60 X 90 cm - Dim frame : 85 X 124 cm SCHOUTEN Henry (or SHOUTEN) P...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Paintings

Materials

Oil

“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”
“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”

“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a bustling marketplace in Strasbourg, France. Signed by the artist lower left “P. Denarie”. Circa 1875. Condition is very good. The painting is ...

Category

1870s 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.