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.
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Sky is the Limit
Located in Paris, IDF
Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in the United States and China. His works e...
Oil, Panel
Portrait of an Elegant Young Woman in Warm Grays and Soft Ochers
By Leon Kroll
Located in Miami, FL
Leon Kroll was above all an academician. To him "abstract art was merely the beginning of a picture. Structurally, "Portrait of a Young Woman recalls some of the portraits from the ...
Canvas, Oil
A. Costa Woman original Figurative academician drawing painting
By A. Costa
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 f...
Carbon Pencil
Departure of the Caravan, 19th Century Orientalist Oil Painting on Wood, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Departure of the Caravan, 1834-1887, by Theodore Frere (1814-1888) Oil on wood 10 x 16 inches unframed (25.4 x 40.64 cm) 18 ¾ x 24 ¾ inches framed (47.625 x 62.865 cm) Signed on bott...
Oil
$28,450Sale Price|36% Off
Pair 19th Century French Whimsical Oil on Canvas "Cherubs and Putti Children"
Located in LA, CA
Charles Joshua Chaplin (French, 1825-1891) A Very Fine and Charming Pair of 19th Century French Whimsical Oils on Canvas of Cherubs and Putti, after François Boucher (French, 1703–17...
Canvas, Oil
$24,950Sale Price|47% Off
A Fine and Charming 19th Century Oil Canvas "Children Walking the Baby Goat"
Located in LA, CA
Henry Joseph Campotosto (Belgium, 1833-1910) A Very Fine Oil on Canvas "Walking the Baby Goat", depicting two young dutch girls by the grassy shore of a river bank, one standing holding a wicker basket and a leash to a resting baby goat, the youngest sitting next to her on a pile of branches tucking her pants, a pair of ducks and ducklings swimming by the tree lined river; within a later giltwood carved frame. Signed (l/r): Campotosto Henry. Circa: Brussels, 1870. Note: The artist is also known as Henri Campotosto Henry or Henri Campotosto was born in Brussels in 1833. He studied in Brussels at the Royal Academy des Beaux-Arts and painted some artworks with Eugène Verboeckhoven (Belgium, 1798-1881). He received a 1st Class Medal at the Academy of Brussels and an honorable mention at the Paris Exhibition of 1860. In 1871 he moved to London with his family and remained there for life. He exhibited his work at the Royal Academy Exhibition until 1874 and at the Suffolk Street Gallery from 1878. In 1880 he took part in the Berlin Academy Exhibition. His daughter Octavia also became a painter, visited Italy, and showed her paintings at the Royal Academy from 1871 to 1874. Henri Campotosto died in London in 1910. High Sales: Christie's New York - Property from an American Collection, "The Bird's Nest" - Lot 247 on October 22, 2008, Sold for $37,500 Bonhams London - 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art on 28 September 2016 - Lot 33 "Gathering flowers" Sold for £25,000 ($33,750 USD) Museums: The British Museum - Print of two girls and a lamb and print of two girls by a river bank Literature • E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs by Librairie Gründ - 1976 Edition - Volume 2, Page 488. • Maurice W...
Oil
Stony 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: 2019 Style: Impressionism Title: Stony Beach Size: 24" x 30" x 0.8'' ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$12,500
The Fair Student
By Henry Wyatt
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1835' center right
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art by Pascal Plazanet - Provencale No. 11
Located in Paris, IDF
Rapidography & acrylic on paper + white frame Pascal Plazanet is a French artist born in 1963 who lives and works in Paris, France. For more 30 years, he constantly uses rapidograph pens in his artworks on paper or onto canvas. The rapidograph is a special pen with a capillary tubular tip in which flows a black pigment, an ancient drawing tool...
Paper, Acrylic
Ponte Rialto in Venice Landscape Painting Oil on Canvas with Frame
Located in Rome, IT
Early 20' Century large cityscapes of Venice oil on canvas with a finely carved gilt wood frame. Rialto Bridge painting is beautiful reminder of Venice, Italy's iconic bridge. The...
Oil
"Meeting in the Woods" 19th Century Antique Oil Painting on Canvas
By George Henry
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed. Description: George Henry Boughton: A Master of Narrative and Natural Beauty George Henry Boughton, a distinguished Anglo-American artist of the 19th centur...
Oil, Canvas
Cake Mountain Still Life Painting, Oil on Linen, Framed, 2010-
Located in Greenville, DE
Still life painting by Tina Ingraham, "Cake Mountain." Oil on linen, 27 x 27 inches framed. Ingraham traveled Europe studying Old Master works, mosaics, and contemporary painters tha...
Linen, Oil
A Little Prayer Oil on Canvas Painting, Academic Style, Signed, 1920s
Located in Naples, Florida
Signed lower left “Francis Day” This painting titled A Little Prayer is an oil on canvas work measuring 30 × 36 inches. The stretcher verso bears a pencil inscription re...
Canvas, Oil
Three Men Conversing, Academic Oil Painting on Canvas, 19th Century
By Louis C. Moeller
Located in New York, NY
Signed lower right. Louis Charles Moeller was a master of American genre painting. His meticulously detailed, highly finished paintings of late Victorian interiors received consider...
Canvas, Oil
$95,000
The Charge 19th-century Realism Antique Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed and dated 1894 Description: Eugene Alexis Girardet (1853-1907) was a prominent Swiss painter known for his remarkable attention to detail and his ability to capture vivid and dynamic scenes. Born in Paris, France, Girardet came from a family of artists and received early artistic training from his father, Paul Girardet, and his uncle, Jules Girardet, both respected engravers. He later studied at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he honed his skills and developed a deep appreciation for historical and orientalist subjects. He was interred at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery. In addition to several museums in France, his works may be seen at the Dahesh Museum of Art and the National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers, as well as at museums in Switzerland and New York City. Girardet’s artwork often depicted historical and exotic scenes, particularly focusing on Middle Eastern and North African themes. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to convey a sense of movement and drama made his works highly sought after. One of his most renowned paintings, “The Charge,” exemplifies his exceptional talent and his ability to create a captivating and immersive experience for viewers. In “The Charge,” Girardet presents an army of Arab camel...
Canvas, Oil
Autoretrato del artista - Óleo sobre tela - Firmado y enmarcado
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior El estado en general de la obra es bueno Se presenta enmarcada la obra Medidas obra: 46 cm. De altura x 38 cm. De ancho Medidas marco:...
Oil
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Classical Beauty in Profile by John William Godward
Located in New Orleans, LA
John William Godward 1861-1922 British A Classical Beauty in Profile Signed "J.W. Godward" (center right) Oil on canvas An extraordinary portr...
Canvas, Oil
Rochefort Harbour in early 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Richard FAXON (1816 - 1875) Rochefort Harbour with Galleons Oil on canvas signed low right New golden frame Size canvas 73 X 50 cm Size frame 69 X 95 cm FAXON Richard (1816-1875) ...
Oil
Large & Impressive French 19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Water Carrier Lady"
By Jules Salles-Wagner
Located in LA, CA
Jules Salles-Wagner (French, 1814-1898) A Large and Impressive French, 19th century oil on canvas "The Water Carrier Lady" depicting a standing and posing young peasant girl holding ...
Oil
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Au Feu!
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork located in Los Angeles, USA. Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in th...
Canvas, Oil
Newfoundland with a Kitten by Otto Eerelman
Located in New Orleans, LA
Otto Eerelman 1839-1926 Dutch Newfoundland with a Kitten Oil on canvas Signed “O. Eerelman” (lower right) This monumental painting is by the celebrated Dutch artist Otto Eerelman...
Canvas, Oil
Sitting Pretty (Pomeranian Pups)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1901' lower left
Canvas, Oil
Mother and Child, Academic Oil Painting on Board, Signed, 1920s
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...
Oil, Board
Venice with characters
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
COUSIN Charles (1807-1887) Venice With Characters Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 65 X 54 cm Dim frame : 91 X 80 cm COUSIN Charles (1807-1887) French painter 19th century Portraits, Landscapes, Waterscapes He was a frequent of the Leon Bonnat...
Oil
Czech 19th Century Dalmatian Costume Young Man Orientalist Oil Portrait Kovács
Located in London, GB
Czech 19th Century Dalmatian Costume Young Man Orientalist Oil Portrait Kovács Czech, c. 1870 Canvas: Height 46cm, width 34cm Frame: Height 79cm, width 68cm, depth 10cm This oil por...
Canvas, Oil
A Fine French 19th Century Oil on Board "A Standing Beauty with Spring Roses"
Located in LA, CA
A very fine French 19th century oil on board titled "A Standing Beauty with Spring Roses" by Charles Baptiste Schreiber (French, 1845-1903)...
Wood, Oil
Lady at Dressing Table - Original Painting
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
Portrait (after Stubbs and Anon.)
By Shelley Reed
Located in Bozeman, MT
This Reed piece is of a horse painted on 6 separate sheets of oil paper. It is painted in the influence of the European artist Stubbs. This painting is oil on paper, and is monochrom...
Oil, Archival Paper
$16,000Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Gouache, Illustration Board
$140,000Sale Price|20% Off
Father and children in front of TV - Mid-Century
Located in Miami, FL
John Falter arranges figures and faces in a way that rival the old masters in their compositional perfection. And he makes it look easy. The expressions are captured so the emotions of the story come alive. This Golden Age of illustration artist depicts fathers and children watching...
Oil, Canvas
"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)
Ink, Tempera
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...
Oil
Pair French Franco-Prussian Historical Military War Propaganda Oil Paintings
Located in Portland, OR
A pair of incredibly rare, very large scale historical oil on canvas paintings, Franco-Prussian War, signed and dated 1870, by Charles Louis Lucien Müller (1815-1892). Academic ...
Oil
Cathédrale Saint Pierre Genève by Pierre Duc - Watercolor
By Pierre Duc
Located in Geneva, CH
Watercolor paper Brown wooden frame with plexiglass 85,5 x 65,7 x 2 cm
Watercolor, Pencil
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
La Rentrée du Troupeau en Plaine de Barbizon
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Ferdinand Chaigneau was born in the shipping center of Bordeaux on March 6th, 1830. There he studied drawing under the academic painter Jean-Paul Alaux (1788-1858). In 1847...
Oil, Panel
$4,200
Antique Painting of Jack Russels, Labs, Terriers, and Fox Hounds
Located in New York, NY
Up for sale is a beautiful original painting by Valentine Thomas GARLAND (1868-1914). Garland was a painter of animal and genre subjects, working in both oil and watercolor. He was ...
Oil
$10,000
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Et si Turner avait Raison ?
Located in Paris, IDF
Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in the United States and China. His wor...
Oil, Panel
French religious small paintings Jesus and Virgin Mary Portrait Academic 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Jules Achille LECARON Paris, 1813 – ? Portrait of Jesus and his mother the Virgin Mary Oils on wood 15 x 12 cm (25 x 21 cm with frame) Signed on the back "Painted by Achille Lecaron ...
Oil
Paintings 19th Century Still Life With Fruits
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GODCHAUX Emile (1860) Compositions of Fruits in Pair Oil on canvas signed low right Old Frames gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas (each) : 46 X 55 cm Dim frame (each) : 61 x 79 cm G...
Oil
The Flower Girl - Genre Scene 18th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
LEVIGNE Théodore (1848-1912) The Flower Girl and The Puppy Oil on canvas signed and dated 1883 low left Old Frame regilded with leaves Dimensions canvas : 120 X 70 cm Dimensions frame : 137 X 88 cm LEVIGNE Théodore (1848-1912) French Painter 19th-20th century Lyon School Born 1848 in Noirétable (Loire) - Died 11...
Oil
Marines - Boats are Leaving for Fishing in Brittany
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GILBERT Pierre-Julien (1783-1860) Marines - Boats are Leaving for Fishing in Brittany Two Oils on wood panels in pair signed both low right Old frames re-gilded with leaves Dim wood ...
Oil
Landscape with windmill
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
KUWASSEG Charles Euphrasie (1838-1904) Landscape with Windmill Oil on canvas signed low right New Golden frame Dim canvas : 75 X 108 cm Dim frame : 104 X 140 cm KUWASSEG Charles Euphrasie (1838-1904) French Painter 19th Century born on September 29, 1838 in Draveil (Essonne). Died in October 1904 in Paris Painter, Watercolor Lively landscapes, seascapes, panoramas Charles Kuwasseg...
Oil
$17,554
Pair of Hunting, Game Still Lifes by Ferdinand Hoppe, Oil on Canvas, 1885
Located in Berlin, DE
Impressive pair of large 19th-century game still lifes by the German painter Ferdinand Hoppe (1848–1890), each signed and dated “F. Hoppe 85” at lower left. Both works are oil on can...
Canvas, Oil
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 ...
Canvas, 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
Paintings 19th Century Still Life With Flowers
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GODCHAUX Emile (1860) Compositions of Flowers in Pair Oil on canvas signed low Left Old Frames gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas (each) : 130 X 89 cm Dim frame (each) : 149 x 109 cm...
Oil
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 ...
Oil
Sweet Roses
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and titled lower left
Canvas, Oil
A Very Fine and Large Oil on Canvas "Ashura Rituals in Tangier, Morocco"
Located in LA, CA
Gordon B. Coutts (Scottish/American, 1868-1937) A very fine and large orientalist oil on canvas titled "Ashura Rituals, Tangier" (Arabic: عاشوراء ʻĀshūrā’ - Urdu: عاشورا - Persian:...
Oil
Le pont de Saint Gérmain de Couilly (sur le Grand Morin)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Exhibited: Salon, Société des Artistes Français, Paris, 1879 (no. 647)
Oil, Wood Panel
“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...
Oil, Panel
Dance of the Nymphs
Located in New Orleans, LA
This lyrical landscape entitled Dance of the Nymphs was composed by the French Barbizon painter Paul Désiré Trouillebert. A joyful scene of nymphs dancing the morning fog, the work closely resembles an important work by the great Camille Corot, which is now housed at the Musée d'Orsay (Paris). Renowned for his unique individuality that toed the line between the traditional and modern, Corot and his landscapes helped pave the way for an entire generation of Impressionists who followed him. Trouillebert perfectly captures the poetic atmosphere of Corot’s groundbreaking works, while also imbuing this scene with a freshness and character that is all his own. Trouillebert's oil on canvas is exemplary of the tradition of historical painting. The work perfectly combines a realistic depiction of the natural world with a spirited romanticism as his idealized nymph figures frolic playfully beneath a crisp morning sky. As a whole, it is a lovely composition executed with a level of skill and artistry that proves Trouillebert's exceptional talent in the arts. Born in Paris in 1831, Paul Désiré Trouillebert was a student of the academic painters Ernest Hébert...
Canvas, Oil
"Canoeing on Kezar Lake, Maine" Douglas Volk, Northeast, American Rural Scene
Located in New York, NY
Douglas Volk Canoeing on Kezar Lake, Maine, circa 1910 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 6 x 15 1/2 inches Douglas Volk was the son of Leonard Wells Volk, a well-known American scul...
Oil
"Portrait of a Plains Warrior" De Cost Smith, Native American, Gray Background
Located in New York, NY
De Cost Smith Portrait of a Plains Warrior Signed lower right: De Cost Smith including artist Monogram Gouache and Ink on paper mounted on board 6 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches Provenance Gera...
Paper, Ink, Gouache, Board
$9,500
"Pack Horse, Rose Bud Agency, South Dakota" De Cost Smith, Western Landscape
Located in New York, NY
De Cost Smith Pack Horse, Rose Bud Agency, South Dakota, 1902 Inscribed and dated verso Rosebud Agency, S.D. 1902 Oil on panel 11 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches Provenance Gerald Peters Galler...
Oil, Panel
$35,000
"Portrait of Deaf Bull, Crow Chief" De Cost Smith, Profile, Native American
Located in New York, NY
De Cost Smith Portrait of Deaf Bull, Crow Chief, 1890 Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Provenance Gerald Peters Gallery, New Mexico Private Collection, California Benny and the Bear Fin...
Canvas, Oil
"A Spanish Woman (Dolores)" Thomas Eakins, American, Female Portrait
By Thomas Eakins
Located in New York, NY
Thomas Eakins A Spanish Woman (Dolores), 1870 Oil on canvas 22 x 18 1/4 inches Provenance The artist Mrs. Thomas Eakins, Philadelphia (acquired in 1929) Walter Pach, New York (acqui...
Canvas, Oil
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...
Oil, Panel