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.
Decorative river landscape in romantic style, oil on canvas
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Decorative river landscape in romantic style, Signed lower left 'I Roy', unknown artist, Oil on canvas Dimensions excl. frame: 49 x 65 Dimensions incl. frame: 64 x 80 x 7 cm. In go...
Canvas, Oil
Figurative Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 130x180 cm. Hunting scene
Located in New York, NY
Signed low-left. Large 130x180cm 19th-century French oil painting by Jules-Arsène Garnier depicting an aristocratic hunting scene with mounted horsemen, hounds and a castle landscape.
Canvas, Oil
$3,295Sale Price|20% Off
Golden Sunrise on the Maas – Arthur J. Meadows’ Tranquil Masterpiece (1884)
Located in Stockholm, SE
A Golden Dawn on the Maas In this refined marine painting, Arthur Joseph Meadows captures a tranquil sunrise on the river Maas just below the historic city of Dordrecht (“Dort”). The...
Canvas, Oil
Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat, 1896
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat" is a captivating oil painting by the Swedish artist Erik Abrahamsson. Created in 1896, this work masterfully captures the tranquil beauty of a...
Canvas, Oil
A Lady from Seville, 21st Century Contemporary Classical Portrait Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Tanvi Pathare Una Donna Sevillana (A Lady from Seville) Contemporary Florence Portrait painting 95 x 80 cm oil on linen (frame included in price) size with frame: 104 x 90 cm Tanvi...
Linen, Oil
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses, 1898
Located in Stockholm, SE
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses by August Alvén captures a moment of profound quiet in the Swedish countryside just after sunset. The glowing sky transitions from warm ap...
Canvas, Oil
$3,531Sale Price|25% Off
Orientalist European painter - 19th century Arab city street with caravan
Located in Varmo, IT
Orientalist painter (19th century) - View of an Arab city with caravan. 57 x 47 cm (unframed) - 71 x 62 cm (framed). Original oil on canvas, in a contemporary 19th-century carved a...
Canvas, Oil
Romantic Sunset Desert Dance Oil Painting on Canvas, 19th Century
By Otto Pilny
Located in New York, NY
Otto Pilny was a Swiss Orientalist painter working at the turn of the 20th century. Specializing in exoticized oil paintings of the Middle East, his work often features desert scenes...
Canvas, Oil
Female Oil Portrait Delicate Austria Romantic 1800s Vintage Woman Realism Signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Art: 30" x 24" Frame: 36.50" x 30.50" Oil on canvas signed and dated lower right.
Oil, Canvas
1920s Italian Signed Landscape Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Roma, IT
Emilio Borsa Monza countryside Countryside landscape of Monza park, with a bare willow tree in the foreground. In the background, a glimpse of the stone bridge over the Lambro River,...
Canvas, Oil
Swedish Interior Scene with Woman Sewing by Lamplight – Jon Loman
Located in Stockholm, SE
In Sittande kvinna i interiör, Jon Loman focuses on the poetry of ordinary domestic life, presenting a seated woman absorbed in quiet work at a small table. A lamp forms the emotiona...
Canvas, Oil
Thames Antique Oil Painting, Landscape Scene, Signed, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
Walter Meegan (1859-1944) 'Moonlight on the Thames' Oil on canvas 36 x 51 cm, 44.5 x 59.8 cm (framed) Signed lower left
Canvas, Oil
Norwegian Fjord
Located in Sheffield, MA
Adelsteen Normann Norway, 1848–1918 Norwegian Fjord Oil on canvas 31 ¼ by 41 ½ in, w/ frame 37 ⅛ by 47 ⅜ in Signed lower right Inventory Number: 01...
Canvas, Oil
Elegant Chinese Beauties, after Chen Yifei (1946–2005)
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a recreation of a famed "Romantic Realism" composition by the renowned Chinese master Chen Yifei (1946–2005). The striking piece replicates one work in Chen Yifei's renow...
Canvas, Oil
$1,374Sale Price|20% Off
Painting of a Mountain in Lake District England by 20th Century British Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of a Mountain in Lake District England by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright. Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Prov...
Canvas, Oil
Pair of Hunting Dogs at Rest; artist unknown, French, Mid-19th century
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Pair of Hunting Dogs at Rest; Artist unknown, French, 19th century (monogrammed "JS" Circa 1850 10 x 7 (14 3/8 x 17 1/8 frame) inches This is finely realized portrait of pair of h...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,719
Horse & Figure in the English Countryside by 20th Century Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Horse & Figure in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Proven...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
"Nymphs in a Landscape" Narcisse Diaz de la Peña, 19th Century Idyllic Landscape
Located in New York, NY
Narcisse Diaz de la Peña Nymphs in a Landscape Estate sale seal lower left Oil on board 9 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches Narcisse Diaz de la Peña was born in 1808 in...
Oil, Board
$2,420Sale Price|20% Off
1830's French Romantic Period Large Oil Painting Christ on the Cross
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Crucifixion French School, circa 1830's circle of Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 37.5 x 22.5 inches provenance: private collection, northern France ...
Oil, Canvas
$8,720Sale Price|20% Off
Romantic 19th century oil in period frame, golden light after storm, British
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Dramatic and beautiful, light shines on the bucolic flock of sheep as the village, skies and hills remain in darkness, John Linnell (1792-1882) gives us a metaphor of coming through ...
Canvas, Oil
Venus of the Grotticella Fountain, Giambologna, Mid 19th Century
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Signed: Morrow '65 (Lower, Right) " Venus of the Grotticella Fountain ", 1865 Oil on Paper 14 1/2" x 10" Housed in a 2 3/4" Ornamented Frame Overall Size: 19 1/2" x 15" The f...
Paper, Oil
$1,375Sale Price|20% Off
Painting of Lake & Mountains in England by 20th Century British Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Lake & Mountains in England by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Provenance: Part of the English Heritage...
Canvas, Oil
Lilies, Orange and Pink Pelargonium, Roses, and other Flowers in a Greek Vase
By Johan Laurentz Jensen
Located in New York, NY
From 1833 to 1835 Johan Laurentz Jensen lived in France and Italy; while in Rome, he was considered the most prominent painter in an extensive colony of Scandinavian artists there. I...
Oil, Panel
Golden Sunset Reflections over a Brook in the Evening Silence
Located in Stockholm, SE
In this atmospheric landscape at sunset, Fredrik Lagerström captures a fleeting twilight moment with vivid intensity. The sky is aglow with brilliant gold and amber hues, which are m...
Canvas, Oil
$2,354Sale Price|20% Off
BREDOW Snow landscape moonlight night German Russian school romantic 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Albert BREDOW Germany, 1828 – Moscow, 1899 Oil on canvas Signed lower right "ABredow" 43 cm x 62 cm (67 x 85 cm with frame) Albert Bredow is a German-Russian landscape painter, lit...
Oil
Hudson River Region Painting “Natural Bridge”, listed artist Asa Warren, ca 1880
Located in Baltimore, MD
This is a wonderful antique American landscape featuring a natural stone formation. It certainly looks like it may have been a natural bridge at one time, but perhaps it was the rem...
Oil
$2,500
#5177
By Hiro Yokose
Located in Phoenix, AZ
oil and wax on canvas over wood panel signature on verso Hiro Yokose paints images of nature composed in subtle, sensuous palettes. Playing with the viewer’s perceptions, his work c...
Canvas, Wax, Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait Alfred de MUSSET cigar French Romantic Painting 19th POTTIN
Located in PARIS, FR
Henri POTTIN Paris, 1820 - Paris, 1864 Presumed Portrait of Alfred de Musset Oil on canvas 33 x 25 cm (45 x 36 cm with frame) Signed and dated lower left "h. Pxxxin / 1844" Inscri...
Oil
Birger Hjelm – Våreldar ("Spring Fires"), c. 1935
Located in Stockholm, SE
Birger Hjelm – Våreldar ("Spring Fires"), c. 1935-1938 Oil on board unframed 80 x 84.5 cm (31 ½ x 33 ¼ in) framed 82 x 87 cm (32 ¼ x 34 ¼ in) Signed “Birger Hjelm” lower right; titl...
Oil, Board
French Oil On Panel Rural Landscape, Chickens and Ducks in a Farmyard.
Located in Cotignac, FR
French oil on wood panel view of a sunny farmyard with chickens and ducks by H Tikat. The painting is signed bottom right. A very charming rural view of a hen house in a farmyard wi...
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait d'Homme Barbu German School oil on pannel
Located in Pasadena, CA
Pretty portrait representing a portrait of an old shepherd from the German school in Dusseldorf . Oil on pannel
Oil
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Greek Classical Scene of "Death of Agamemnon" Oil on metal
Located in Soquel, CA
Greek Classical Scene of "Death of Agamemnon" Oil on metal Beautifully detailed oil painting with classical scene with romantic-esque brushwork and details by unknown artist. Painti...
Metal
$1,412
Allegory of Love, Cupid With Beauty in Fine Dress Carrying a Basket of Flowers
Located in Cotignac, FR
A late 18th Century oil on canvas laid on board of a young beauty in period costume carrying a basket of flowers on her head. Presented in a very fine gilt, period 'Directoire' frame...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$169Sale Price|20% Off
Sailing Away From Shore. Oil on Board.
By Boggio
Located in Cotignac, FR
An oil on panel idyllic seascape by Boggio. The painting is signed bottom right. An idealised seascape scene, boats under sail on a tranquil sea moving away from a rocky outcrop all...
Oil, Board
1960s Framed Romantic Oil Painting of the Flower Market and Theatre de Cherbourg
Located in Cotignac, FR
French mid century oil on board painting of a colourful flower market in the square of the Grand Theatre in Cherbourg, northern France by J Lietard. The painting is signed bottom rig...
Oil, Board
Mother and Child, Ecole de Paris, Large Oil on Canvas
By Guy Cambier
Located in Cotignac, FR
Ecole de Paris, mid century oil on canvas portrait of a mother and child by Guy Cambier. The painting is signed bottom left and there is a very faint chalk inscription with date to the back of the canvas. Presented in a fine custom gilt wood frame. This exquisite painting captures a tender, timeless moment between a mother and child, rendered with soft, evocative brushstrokes. The palette of muted earth tones with hints of blue and lavender imbues the scene with warmth and serenity. The mother, adorned in flowing robes, gazes downward with a gentle, contemplative expression, while the child's innocent face exudes calm and trust, resting securely in her embrace. The textured background, a blend of abstract patterns, contrasts with the smooth rendering of the figures, enhancing the ethereal atmosphere. The intricate gold frame adds a classic touch, emphasizing the painting's traditional elegance. This piece masterfully balances realism with expressive elements, capturing the universal essence of maternal love and protection. Its timeless appeal invites the viewer to reflect on the enduring bond depicted with grace and sensitivity. Guy Cambier (1923-2008) was born in Uccle-lez-Bruxelles, Belgium in 1923. He was part of the Post War School of Paris, Ecole De Paris, that included Andre Hambourg, Jean Carzou, Marcel Gromaire and Yolande Ardissone. At the age of nine years old, he lost the use of his legs caused by a tragic accident. An autodidact he studied the techniques and works of those artists he emulated, Corot and Watteau. Cambier started to exhibit in 1942, first in Belgium and afterwards in France on the Cote d’Azur as well as in the United States and in Paris at the Salon des Peintres Temoins de Leur Temps. In 1957, he received the Parisian award, “Le Prix de la Jeune Peintre”. He moved to the South of France in 1950 and resided in Grasse, where he spent most of the rest of his life as did so many famous painters at that time. Cambier became a favourite portrait artist of several celebrities and painted such dignitaries as Princess Grace of Monaco, Winston Churchill, Ingrid Bergman and Edward G Robinson...
Canvas, Oil
"Still Life with Flowers" 19th Century Dutch oil on panel
Located in New York, NY
Dutch School 19th Century Flower Still Life Oil on panel Framed: 13 ½ inches x 11 ½ inches (34 x 29 cm) This charming miniature floral still life—possibly a preparatory study for...
Oil, Panel
Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed to Carl Mattson (1886–1941) Sweden Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925 signed and dated lower left watercolor on canvas unframed 73 × 81 cm (28.74 × 31.89 inches) framed 83...
Canvas, Watercolor
$8,473Sale Price|20% Off
Woman in the garden. Romantic Oil Blue Landscape with beautiful female figure.
Located in Segovia, ES
Woman in the garden. Romantic and full of light landscape with beautiful female figure by the Spanish artist Manuel García Blázquez. Oil on canvas. Dimensions: Unframed: (H) 89 x (W) 116 (D) 2 cm. / 35.04 x 45.67 x 0.79 in. Framed: (H) 109 x (W) 136 (D) 4 cm. / 42.91 x 53.54 x 1.57 in. Light is the protagonist in this landscape with female figure by Manuel García Blázquez; an intense and soft light that interacts with color, and the impressionist technique that defines the work of this painter. The beautiful silhouette of a woman dressed in white and the reflections of the water in the pond at the back of the garden give the scene a certain luminous dreaminess, which contrasts with the strength of the color of the flowers in the foreground. The background landscape, so timeless and lyrical, serves as the setting for a female portrait with classical reminiscences. The work is executed along the lines...
Canvas, Oil
Winter Tree with Crows at Dusk
By Georg Emil Libert
Located in Stockholm, SE
This Romantic winter landscape presents a scene of profound stillness and introspection. Gnarled, leafless trees dominate the foreground, their twisted silhouettes starkly etched aga...
Canvas, Oil
$1,719
Trees & Cottage in the English Countryside by 20th Century Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Trees & Cottage in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Provenanc...
Canvas, Oil
$5,997Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape View Florence 18/19th Century Paint Tuscany school Oil on canvas Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
18th-19th century landscape painter Panoramic view of Florence Oil on canvas 32 x 51 cm In gilded frame 42 x 63 cm Hampel: Paintings 19th/20th Jahrhundert, 21.02.2024, lot 99...
Oil
Kastellet, View of Kastellholmen from Skeppsholmen, Stockholm
Located in Stockholm, SE
signed lower right oil on canvas unframed 37 × 50 cm (14.6 × 19.7 in) framed 51.5 × 63 cm (20.3 × 24.8 in) This painting depicts Kastellholmen as seen from Skeppsholmen, rendered un...
Canvas, Oil
Tree Study & Field in the English Countryside by 20th Century Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Tree Study & Field in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Proven...
Canvas, Oil
$2,235
PORTRAIT OF REBECCA AT THE FOUNTAIN - In the Manner of Guffens - Oil on paint
By I. Di Matteo
Located in Napoli, IT
Portrait of rebecca at the fountain - I. Di Matteo Italia 1998 - Oil on canvas cm. 80x60 This magnificent painting by I. De Matteo is the rein...
Canvas, Oil
Boys Playing Dice - Mid Century Figurative in Oil on Masonite
By R. Hauslar
Located in Soquel, CA
Exceptional detail in this painting of boys playing dice by R. Hauslar (German, 20th Century). A Hausler interpretation of a work by the famous Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-1650) ...
Masonite, Oil
French Romantic school 19th Century The artist's inspiration Oil on canvas
Located in Paris, FR
French Romantic school of the 19th Century The artist's inspiration Oil on canvas transferred on wood It is in good condition, but the material has irregularities due to the canvas...
Oil
$3,246Sale Price|20% Off
Horse Drawn Plough with Two Horses Ploughman and Dog by British Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Horse Drawn Plough with Two Horses, Ploughman and his Dog. Signed, Oil on Canvas, housed in a gilt frame, by British Landscape Artist, James Wright. Art measures 24 x 16 inches Fram...
Canvas, Oil
French Harbor Scene, Le Havre – Alfred Bergström
Located in Stockholm, SE
This refined harbour scene from Le Havre presents a quiet yet vivid impression of a working port along the northern coast of France. Alfred Bergström constructs the composition from ...
Oil, Board
Military Painting Victor ADAM Napoleonic war Soldiers Genre scene 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Jean-Victor, known as Victor ADAM Paris, 1801 – Viroflay, 1866 A Soldiers' Halt by the Sea, or The Courtier Soldier Oil on canvas 33 x 24.5 cm (42 x 34 cm with frame) Signed and date...
Oil
$1,495
Unique Pair Of Vintage Herbarium Displays. A Botanical Flower Press With Frame
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A unique pair of vintage herbarium / botanical displays collected and created by S. Lindwald in June 1946 in Sweden. These botanical specimen are preserved behind glass in a new doub...
Archival Paper
$2,183Sale Price|46% Off
Farm Scene with Haystacks in the English Countryside by Realist Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Farm Scene with Haystacks in the English Countryside by British Landscape Artist, James Wright. Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a gilt frame ...
Canvas, Oil
Flamenco Dancer, Belle Epoque Romantic Pastel Portrait, Conchita de Cadiz
Located in Cotignac, FR
Flamenco Dancer. Romantic French pastel portrait on paper of a Spanish beauty by Louis Fortuney. The work is signed bottom left, and presented in a very fine carved gilt rococo wood ...
Pastel, Paper
Portrait of a Girl in Blue Dress, Signed Pastel, Circa 1922, Elegant
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
An enchanting oval portrait capturing a young girl, curled up in an oversized Louis XIV armchair. She wears a deep blue dress, her dark hair neatly arranged and held in place by two ...
Paper, Pastel
Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta Palatial Oil on Canvas Portrait Isabelle McCreery
By Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta
Located in LA, CA
Raimundo De Madrazo y Garreta (Spanish School, 1841-1920) an exceptional and palatial oil on canvas "Portrait of Isabelle McCreery” depic...
Oil
COUNTRY GIRL- Angelo Granati - Figurative oil on canvas painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Country girl - Angelo Granati Italia 2011 - Oil on canvas cm. 90 x 70. This is his reinterpretation of painting "Young Shepherdess" by gratest old master William Adolphe Bouguereau. ...
Canvas, Oil
'Children Landing a Catfish', 19th Century American School, Large Nocturnal Oil
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
A substantial, mid-to-late 19th century, unsigned, American School nocturnal landscape showing a view of three children, accompanied by their terrier, fishing by lamp-light and start...
Canvas, Oil
'The Beach at Saint Helier, Jersey' by François-Étienne Musin (1820 - 1888)
Located in Knokke, BE
François-Étienne Musin Ostend 1820 – 1888 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Belgian Painter 'La plage de Saint-Hélier, Jersey' Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, between England and...
Oil, Panel
$7,900Sale Price|57% Off
“Orientalist Portrait of an Arab Man” Jean-Horace Vernet (French 1789-1863)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
“Orientalist Portrait of an Arab Man” Half-length, turned to the left, oval Jean-Horace Vernet (French 1789-1863) Circa 1830s Watercolor heightened with touches of white on paper Sig...
Watercolor
$13,650Sale Price|30% Off
Enfants à la plage Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Signed, Circa 1865-1875
Located in Stockholm, SE
Albert Roosenboom was a Belgian genre painter celebrated for his elegant depictions of everyday life in the mid to late 19th century. A pupil of the renowned Constantin Meunier, Roos...
Oil, Wood Panel