Skip to main content

Romantic Paintings

ROMANTIC STYLE

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.

to
125
175
120
115
74
79
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
12
273
153
125
7
4
10
3
9
6
10
13
20
11
42,364
38,447
23,302
8,556
4,826
3,531
3,185
2,701
1,238
1,188
922
907
404
272
307
236
19
363
216
89
88
81
71
63
58
37
30
28
26
22
20
20
18
15
15
14
14
538
455
280
266
50
21
8
7
6
369
47
359
194
Style: Romantic
French Romantic school 19th Century The artist's inspiration Oil on canvas
French Romantic school 19th Century The artist's inspiration Oil on canvas

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...

Category

1850s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gouache Of A Shipwreck In A Storm With Gothic Ruins. Early 19th Century
Gouache Of A Shipwreck In A Storm With Gothic Ruins. Early 19th Century

Gouache Of A Shipwreck In A Storm With Gothic Ruins. Early 19th Century

Located in Firenze, IT

Gouache of a Shipwreck in a Storm with Gothic Ruins, Early 19th Century Technique: Gouache on paper Period: Early 19th century Description: This romantic painting depicts a dramatic ...

Category

Early 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Gouache

Dreamer (Mid-Century Impressionist European Nude Man Portrait Painting)
Dreamer (Mid-Century Impressionist European Nude Man Portrait Painting)

Dreamer (Mid-Century Impressionist European Nude Man Portrait Painting)

Located in New Orleans, LA

A beautiful painting I acquired when I was buying things from Russia and Ukraine maybe 7 or 8 years ago. It's painted on very heavy cardboard, as I'd say the majority from the Soviet...

Category

Mid-20th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Venus of the Grotticella Fountain, Giambologna, Mid 19th Century
Venus of the Grotticella Fountain, Giambologna, Mid 19th Century

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...

Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Australian Gum Trees Landscape
Australian Gum Trees Landscape

Australian Gum Trees Landscape

By John Sharman (b.1947)

Located in Soquel, CA

Beautiful landscape of gum trees by listed Australian artist John Sharman (Australian, b. 1947), c.1990. These lovely iconic trees appear in the foreground, while the Australian landscape sprawls out into the distance. Signed "John Sharman" lower right. Displayed in a silver tone giltwood frame. Image size, 21"H x 23"L. Born in Sydney in 1947, John Sharman turned to full time professional art practice in 1980. He became part of a group of artists that included Bob Simpson, Doug Sealy, Robert Wilson, Warwick Fuller...

Category

1980s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Christ Falls on the Way to Calvary, Dutch-Italianate School, c.18th-19th Cent.
Christ Falls on the Way to Calvary, Dutch-Italianate School, c.18th-19th Cent.

Christ Falls on the Way to Calvary, Dutch-Italianate School, c.18th-19th Cent.

Located in Soquel, CA

Expressive depiction of Christ being aided by Simon of Cyrene by an unknown artist, Italiante School style of 17th-century Northern European painters principally Dutch, c.1700s-1800s. This piece is composed of oil on linen, laid down on fiberboard. Presented in a giltwood frame. Image size: 42"H x 33"W. Italianate painters, group of 17th-century northern European painters, principally Dutch, who traveled in Italy and, consciously adopting the style of landscape painting that they found there, incorporated Italian models and motifs into their own works. Chief among the Italianates were Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Andries and Jan Both, Nicolaes Berchem, and Jan Asselijn...

Category

18th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Fiberboard

Rare neoclassical historical figurative painting Roman antiquity of the 19th century
Rare neoclassical historical figurative painting Roman antiquity of the 19th century

Rare neoclassical historical figurative painting Roman antiquity of the 19th century

By Luigi Ademollo

Located in Florence, IT

Oil painting on canvas ( 43 x 53.5 cm; with 59 x 70 cm with gilt wood frame), Title: King Amulius, in the presence of Rea Silvia, orders to kill Romulus and Remus as children Ancien...

Category

Early 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Italian Landshaft"
"Italian Landshaft"

"Italian Landshaft"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

"Italian Landscape at Sunset" Materials & Technique Medium: Oil on canvas Framed Dimensions: 35 x 27 cm Painting Dimensions: 20 x 15 cm Frame: Giltwood with intricate decorative ...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ionic Column Capital
Ionic Column Capital

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...

Category

1850s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Romantic French painting Italy Como lake monks Mid 19th
Romantic French painting Italy Como lake monks Mid 19th

Romantic French painting Italy Como lake monks Mid 19th

Located in PARIS, FR

Jules SANSON Active in the 1830s and 1840s The arrival of the young girl at the monastery on the shores of Lake Como Oil on canvas 27 x 35.5 cm (31.5 x 39.5 cm with the frame) Signed...

Category

1840s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

'The Little Donkey' by Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven (1798 – 1881), dated 1856
'The Little Donkey' by Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven (1798 – 1881), dated 1856

'The Little Donkey' by Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven (1798 – 1881), dated 1856

By Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven

Located in Knokke, BE

Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven Waasten 1798 – 1881 Schaarbeek Belgian Painter 'The Little Donkey' Signature: signed lower left and dated 'Eugene Verboeckhoven 1856' Medium: oil on pan...

Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel

French Romantic School, 19th Century, Portrait of a man, oil on paper
French Romantic School, 19th Century, Portrait of a man, oil on paper

French Romantic School, 19th Century, Portrait of a man, oil on paper

Located in Paris, FR

French Romantic School, 19th Century Portrait of a man, a selfportrait ? oil on paper 17.5 x 12 cm oval Framed under glass : 43 x 34.5 cm This rather mysterious portrait is perhaps a self-portrait of the artist who painted it. This is suggested by the three-quarter pose and the gaze fixed on the viewer. What this man seems to be staring at is himself. Similarly, the model's appearance is reminiscent of the image of the romantic, bohemian, tortured artist. It's also very interesting that he used a range of dark colours to reinforce this idea of melancholy. It has been suggested that this small oil on paper is close to the art of François Bonvin (1817-1887) and Théodule Ribot...

Category

1860s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

Figurative Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 130x180 cm. Hunting scene
Figurative Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 130x180 cm. Hunting scene

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.

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique Swedish Oil Canvas Painting Romantic Interior Family Scene Monkey 1883
Antique Swedish Oil Canvas Painting Romantic Interior Family Scene Monkey 1883

Antique Swedish Oil Canvas Painting Romantic Interior Family Scene Monkey 1883

Located in Portland, OR

A fine & large antique oil on canvas painting by Bengt Nordenberg (1822-1902), Sweden, dated 1883. Nordenberg is recognized as one of Sweden's most celebrated 19th century artists, his work epitomizes Swedish Romanticism and this painting is a wonderful representation of that style. The painting depicts an interior scene of a mother holding an infant in front of an open heath, with a fire burning in the grate, above the fire there are racks of meat hanging and above that are hams hanging. The infant has evidently just woken from a nap and his cradle sits next to his mother's chair, his brother sitting on the floor with his monkey & the carrying case he transports the animal to beg for money, the monkey humorously sits with his begging plate outstretched to the boy's mother, much to her consternation! The painting is signed and dated lower left, it is in very good condition and is housed in the original gilded composition and limewood frame, Nordenberg's record for a painting at auction is over $91,500, this is a fine example of the artist's work and is ready to hang on your wall. Bloomsbury Fine Art & Antiques ship globally, very well packed & insured to ensure safe delivery. Bengt Nordenberg (1822-1902) was a master of Swedish Romanticism. He belonged to the Düsseldorf school of painting & is best known for his genre paintings with everyday life scenes from the Dalarna, Skåne and Blekinge areas of Sweden. He moved to Düsseldorf in the 1850s. Nordenberg was born at Jämshög in Blekinge County, Sweden, he was one of nine siblings born to Per Jönsson Nord (1785-1854) and his wife Sissa Bengtsdotter (b. 1792). He grew up in poverty and became an apprentice to a painter in Sölvesborg. In 1843 he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm, In the autumn of 1851 he went to the Düsseldorf Academy, where first Theodor Hildebrandt and then later, Adolph Tidemand...

Category

1880s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pompeian Scene 19th century Painting Oil on Canvas Signed  Egisto  Sarri
Pompeian Scene 19th century Painting Oil on Canvas Signed  Egisto  Sarri

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...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

'Mother and Child' by Edward Portielje (1861 – Antwerp – 1949) Dutch-Belgian
'Mother and Child' by Edward Portielje (1861 – Antwerp – 1949) Dutch-Belgian

'Mother and Child' by Edward Portielje (1861 – Antwerp – 1949) Dutch-Belgian

Located in Knokke, BE

Edward Portielje 1861 – Antwerp – 1949 Dutch-Belgian Painter 'Mother and Child' Signature: signed lower left 'Edward Portielje' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 65,5 x 51 cm; frame size 79 x 64,5 cm Biography: Edward Portielje – Belgian genre painter from an Antwerp artist family. Edward Portielje was born in Antwerp on February 8, 1861, and passed away there on December 18, 1949. He came from a distinctly artistic family that had been involved in painting for multiple generations. His works are now held in public collections and museums in Antwerp, Chicago, Melbourne, Sydney, and Bordeaux. The Portielje family had its roots in the Netherlands. Edward’s grandfather owned a bookstore in Amsterdam specializing in luxury engravings. His father, Jan Portielje, however, chose a career in painting and studied at the Antwerp Academy. From the 1850s, Jan gained recognition for his refined portraits of the affluent bourgeoisie: barons, baronesses, and elegant ladies, often with a Spanish or Oriental touch. He even painted a portrait of King Leopold II. After marrying the Antwerp native Eulalia Lemaire, he settled permanently in Antwerp. The couple had five children, including Gerard...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Surprise Visit
A Surprise Visit

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

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mother Hen
Mother Hen

Mother Hen

Located in Sheffield, MA

Antonio Barone American, 1889-1971 Mother Hen Oil on canvas 22 ½ by 30 in, w/ frame 29 ⅞ by 37 ⅝ in Inventory Number: 01880

Category

Early 20th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fishing Boats Off the Coast in Bass Rock, Scotland
Fishing Boats Off the Coast in Bass Rock, Scotland

Fishing Boats Off the Coast in Bass Rock, Scotland

By William Bradford

Located in Fredericksburg, VA

This luminous maritime scene by American painter William Bradford captures a fleeting moment of daily life along the rugged coast of Bass Rock, Scotland. Known for his vivid Arctic e...

Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pair of Oil on Canvas Early 19th Century Portraits of a Man and Woman
Pair of Oil on Canvas Early 19th Century Portraits of a Man and Woman

Pair of Oil on Canvas Early 19th Century Portraits of a Man and Woman

Located in Palm Beach, FL

A pair of early 19th century French oil on canvas paintings of a man and woman, probably husband and wife. Neoclassical and Napoleonic in style, these paintings are very well execute...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

In the Stables

In the Stables

By Wouterus Verschuur l

Located in New York, NY

Wouterus Verschuur l (Dutch, 1812 - 1874) In the Stables Oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches (45.72 cm x 60.96 cm) Signed lower left This painting depicts what is by far Verschuur's favor...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Nils And Stina Tirén Reading Kring Granen och Brasan
Portrait of Nils And Stina Tirén Reading Kring Granen och Brasan

Portrait of Nils And Stina Tirén Reading Kring Granen och Brasan

Located in Stockholm, SE

This intimate watercolour depicts the artist’s children, Nils Tirén and Stina Tirén, they reading the Christmas annual Kring granen och brasan. The image served as the original illus...

Category

1890s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Board

Girl in Elegant Dress oil painting by Ferdinand Wagner II
Girl in Elegant Dress oil painting by Ferdinand Wagner II

Girl in Elegant Dress oil painting by Ferdinand Wagner II

Located in Hudson, NY

Canvas measures 21.25" x 19.5" and the frame measures 30.5" x 25.5" x 3" Ferdinand Wagner II studied art initially with his father, a vocational art teacher. Later he attended the Munich Academy of Arts working closely with Karl von Piloty. Much of Wagner's career focused on commissions as a decorative painter. He did ceiling frescos...

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait d'Homme Barbu German School oil on pannel
Portrait d'Homme Barbu German School oil on pannel

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

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

1852 oval Portrait of Marie Potonie (Sievers), Oil Painting
1852 oval Portrait of Marie Potonie (Sievers), Oil Painting

1852 oval Portrait of Marie Potonie (Sievers), Oil Painting

Located in Berlin, DE

Ornate, decorative oil painting. Illustration of Marie Potonie (born Sievers). Marie was the daughter of the royal Prussian court painter Johannes Sievers. Extremely fine painting....

Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Romantic Oil Portrait of Woman and Child, Late 19th Century
Romantic Oil Portrait of Woman and Child, Late 19th Century

Romantic Oil Portrait of Woman and Child, Late 19th Century

Located in Fredericksburg, VA

Edwin Howland Blashfield was born in New York and as he grew up, he prepared for a life as an engineer: studying at Harvard, Boston, and MIT. He later grew into a love of art and beg...

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Romantic Oil Painting: The Departing Caravan, Late 19th Century
Romantic Oil Painting: The Departing Caravan, Late 19th Century

Romantic Oil Painting: The Departing Caravan, Late 19th Century

Located in New York, NY

C. Calusd (1860-1936) Signed lower right An American painter specializing in Marine night paintings and Orientalist Scenes, he lived in Constantinople and had a studio at 225 5th Ave...

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique oil Painting, atmospheric Seascape. 19th Century. Oil on canvas.
Antique oil Painting, atmospheric Seascape. 19th Century. Oil on canvas.

Antique oil Painting, atmospheric Seascape. 19th Century. Oil on canvas.

Located in Berlin, DE

Antique oil painting, atmospheric seascape. 19th century. Oil on canvas. Unsigned. Dimensions without frame 80 cm x 122 cm. The painting and the frame are in an age-appropriate co...

Category

19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Landscape with Shepherds and Animals' by Louis - Pierre Verwée ( 1807 – 1877 )
'Landscape with Shepherds and Animals' by Louis - Pierre Verwée ( 1807 – 1877 )

'Landscape with Shepherds and Animals' by Louis - Pierre Verwée ( 1807 – 1877 )

Located in Knokke, BE

Verwée Louis-Pierre Courtrai 1807 – 1877 Brussels Belgian Painter 'Landscape with Shepherds and Animals by the Water' Signature: signed lower right and dated 'L. P. Verwee 1851' Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: image size 43 x 52 cm, frame size 58 x 66 cm Biography: Louis-Pierre Verwee (also spelled Verwée) was born on March 19, 1807, in Kortrijk, Belgium, and died in Brussels in November 1877. He is widely regarded as the leading representative of the Romantic school in Belgian landscape painting, particularly known for his evocative winter scenes and rural landscapes with cattle. Verwee left school at an early age to pursue his passion for art. He enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kortrijk, where he studied under Jan Baptiste de Jonghe, a prominent landscape and animal painter. He later continued his artistic training with Eugène Verboeckhoven in Ghent, who would not only become his mentor but also a lifelong friend and collaborator. The two artists often worked side by side, and Verboeckhoven occasionally painted the figures and animals in Verwee’s landscapes, to such a degree that their early works are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Verwee followed Verboeckhoven to Brussels and established himself as a successful landscape and animal painter. His preferred subjects were winter and summer scenes, typically populated with figures and animals. His style, particularly in his early work, was closely aligned with that of Verboeckhoven. Over time, he became known for landscapes that reflected the romantic tradition, with compositions echoing the work of Andreas Schelfhout, Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, Frans Keelhoff, and Johann Bernard Klombeck. His depictions of forests and rivers often employed a dreamy, atmospheric quality that captured the mood and light of nature. In his later career, Verwee sought artistic innovation but found himself increasingly focused on variations of winter landscapes after 1837. These scenes, popularized by Koekkoek and Schelfhout, were characterized by low-hanging snow clouds, icy waterways, and a cool palette of light blue and metallic grey, creating a moody and intimate ambiance. Occasionally, other artists such as Florent Willems...

Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Jean Philippe George-Julliard (1818 – 1888) Landscape with a traveler, oil
Jean Philippe George-Julliard (1818 – 1888) Landscape with a traveler, oil

Jean Philippe George-Julliard (1818 – 1888) Landscape with a traveler, oil

Located in Paris, FR

Jean Philippe George-Julliard (1818 – 1888) A landscape with a traveler Oil on paper Signed HG lower right 19.5 x 29 cm The four corners are cut Framed under glass 27 x 47 cm Jean Philippe George-Julliard (1818–1888) or Henri Philippe Julliard was born on 1 january 1818 in Geneva (Switzerland) from french parents. He first studied art in Nantes in France, but later he came back to Geneva where he became pupil of Alexandre Calame...

Category

1860s Romantic Paintings

Materials

Oil

‘Meal Time for all’ by Hermann Werner (1816 – 1905), signed and dated 1870
‘Meal Time for all’ by Hermann Werner (1816 – 1905), signed and dated 1870

‘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...

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

An Autumn Landscape
An Autumn Landscape

An Autumn Landscape

By Arnold Marc Gorter

Located in Sheffield, MA

Arnold Marc Gorter Dutch, 1866-1933 An Autumn Landscape Oil on canvas 26 ¼ by 33 ¾ in, w/ frame 35 ¾ by 43 ¼ in Signed "A.M. Gorter" lower right Inventory Number: 01927 Arnold Mar...

Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Romantic paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Romantic 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 and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Hiro Yokose, Dipen Bose, William Oxer F.R.S.A., and Sheila Querre. 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 Romantic paintings, so small editions measuring 4.5 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 $178 and tops out at $1,300,000, while the average work sells for $3,061.