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Academic Portrait Prints

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
Portrait of a man by Hans Berger - Drawing 44x50 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Ed: 1 /100
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Crayon, Engraving

Louis I of France as a Roman Emperor, in profile to the right
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Louis I of France as a Roman Emperor, in profile to the right Chiaroscuro woodcut, 1631-1633 Unsigned (as usual) After a drawing by Hubert Goltzius (1526-1583)...
Category

17th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

ABS, Woodcut

Tender Innocence print on canvas
Located in Sempach, LU
High quality print on canvas. Made from original oil painting "Tender Innence". Originally created by artist Maria Matveyeva in 2016 year.
Category

2010s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Canvas

George Kellaway After Thomas Stewardson, Lady In Costume Playing The Mandolin
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This early 19th-century stipple engraving by George Kellaway (fl. 1821-1828) is after a painting by Thomas Stewardson (1781-1859). She turns and looks towards the heavens with hair ...
Category

1820s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving, Paper

"Rembrandt Self Portrait, 1636"
By Viktor de Jeney
Located in Southampton, NY
Here is a etching executed by master painter and copyist, Viktor de Jeney. Done circa 1965 using the same techniques employed by Rembrant when he executed his now most famous self portrait etching in 1642. Framed measurements are 15.5 by 12.5 inches in original white mat and one inch wood frame. Sheet size 8.25 by 8 inches. De Jeney was born in Budapest, Hungary and emigrated to the United States in 1962 and settled in St. Louis, Missouri. He was known for his paintings of Native American Indians...
Category

1960s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Etching

Portrait of woman by Gustave François - Engraving 44x54 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper without frame
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving

Engraving Portrait Print of "Boy with a Sword" by Edouard Manet 1861
By Henry Wolf
Located in Houston, TX
Early 20th century engraving of Edouard Manet's "Boy with Sword" by notable artist Henry Wolf. Manet's stepson, Léon Koëlla-Leenhoff, posed for the original work in 1861. Manet dressed him in a seventeenth-century costume, adding a period sword as a prop—a tribute to the great Spanish painters he admired, notably Velázquez. Signed and dated by Wolf in the front lower right corner. Currently hung in a gold frame with a cream matting. Dimensions Without Frame: H 10.25 in. x W 7.5 in. Artist Biography: Henry Wolf was born on August 3, 1852 in Eckwersheim, France. He lived in Strasbourg and studied under Jacques Levy and exhibited in Paris. Henry Wolf moved to New York City in 1871, where he created wood engravings of works by Gilbert Stuart, Enric Serra Auqué, Frank Weston Benson, Howard Pyle, Henry Salem Hubbell, John Singer Sargent, A. B. Frost, Jan Vermeer...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving

"Yellow Thunder" Chippewa Chief Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall
Located in Hallowell, ME
“O-hya-wa-mince-kee. A Chippewa Chief.” [Yellow Thunder.] From McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America. Philadelphia: Rice & Clark, 1843. Folio: image ca. 15 x 12. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. The McKenney & Hall lithographs of Native Americans The McKenney & Hall prints of Native Americans, from their History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1837-1844), document an important part of American history, illustrating the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Indian and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. His legacy was a gallery of portraits of the great chiefs by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King and George Cooke...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"The Presidents of the US, " Original Handcolored Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Presidents of the U.S." is an original hand-colored lithograph by Nathaniel Currier. It features the first eleven presidents of the United States. 14" x 10" art 23" x 19 1/8" frame Nathaniel Currier was born March 27, 1813 to Nathaniel and Hannah Currier in Roxbury, Massachusetts. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to William S. and John Pendleton of Boston who had set up the first lithographic establishment in America. His apprenticeship served him well as he went on to be the largest publisher of lithographs. Mr. Maurer described Nat Currier as being very gentlemanly and liberal. As is evident to the success of the firm of Currier & Ives he was very devoted to his business. Nat Currier had many friends including Horace Greely and P.T. Barnum. He was well known for his sense of humor and Harry T. Peters tells one story about P. T. Barnum. "Currier had heard that one day his friend, the great showman, had rushed into the barber shop of the old Park Hotel, at Beekman and Nassau Streets, to get a shave. Barnum had hurried up to Tom Higginson, the barber, and said, 'Tom, I'm in a hurry.' 'Sorry for it,' said Tom, 'but it's that gentleman's turn next.' 'That gentleman' was an unshaven irshman waiting for a ten-cent shave. Barnum turned to him and said, 'My friend, if you will let me have your turn, I'll pay for what you have done.' The gentleman consented, and, as Barnum found out later, had a full job done - absolutely everything the house had. The check was for a dollar and sixty cents. When Currier heard this story he found the very Irishman and had him pose. The result was the famous cartoon, "The Man that Gave Barnum 'His Turn.'" Nathaniel was married twice; his first wife was Miss Eliza West of Boston. He had one son with Eliza, Edward West Currier. In 1847 he married Miss Laura Ormsbee of Vermont. Laura and Nathaniel are memorialized in the famous N. Currier lithograph The Road Winter...
Category

1840s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Kish-Ke-Kosh-A Fox Brave (Sauk-Fox)" Hand-colored Lithograph by McKenney & Hall
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Kish-Ke-Kosh, A Fox Brave (Sauk-Fox)" is an original hand-colored lithograph by McKenney & Hall. This piece features a Native American man. Reference: Page 200 of The North American Indian Portfolios in the Library of Congress. 13 1/4" x 9 3/4" art 27 1/4" x 22 3/8" frame American lithograph publishers. Most well-known for "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," a collection of 125 images that included biographical sketches and anecdotes of principal chiefs. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Wa-Em-Boesh-Kaa, A Chippeway Chief, " Hand-colored Lithograph by McKenney & Hall
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Wa-Em-Boesh-Kaa, A Chippeway Chief," is an original hand-colored lithograph by McKenney & Hall. It features a portrait of a notable Native American chief, with informational text below. 13 1/2" x 18 3/4" paper 25 5/8" x 20 1/2" frame American lithograph publishers. Most well-known for "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," a collection of 125 images that included biographical sketches and anecdotes of principal chiefs. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Related Items
AUTUMN
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. First edition engraving with color. Edition of 150. Sheet size: 14 x 12.25 inches. Image size 10.43 x 7.95 inches. Custom framed as pictured...
Category

1970s Academic Portrait Prints

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Paper, Engraving

Jan P. Saenredam ( 1565-1607 ) - Taste - The Five Senses - 16thC Dutch Engraving
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Jan Pieterszoon Saenredam (Dutch, 1565 - 1607) Taste - "Dulcia sepe nocent avido gustata palato, Votaq damnose luxurosa gule." (Translation...
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16th Century Academic Portrait Prints

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Ink, Laid Paper, Engraving

Jewish Wedding Judaica Woodblock Print c.1930s WPA Woodcut Print Hand Signed
Located in Surfside, FL
Some of his prints were published by the WPA. it is a wood engraving signed in pencil. From a small edition. Albert Abramovitz (1879-1963), bor...
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1930s Academic Portrait Prints

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Mowhawk Indian Warrior with his Tomax, scalping Knive - 18th Century Engraving
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Anthony Walker (British, 1726–1765) The Mowhawk Indian Warrior with his Tomax, scalping Knive &c. • Mid 18th Century copper plate engraving on laid pa...
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Mid-18th Century Academic Portrait Prints

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Ink, Laid Paper, Engraving

EXPECTATIONS
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed and numbered on front by Pino Edition of 500. Canvas is not stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All ...
Category

Early 2000s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Canvas, Giclée

EXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONS
H 16 in W 12 in
18th C. Portrait of Edward Stanley from Henry VIII's Court after Holbein Drawing
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an 18th century engraved portrait of "Edward Stanley" created by Francesco Bartolozzi (1728–1815), after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497- 1543) in the 16th century. Holbein was the official artist in the court of King Henry VIII. Bartolozzi used both etching and stipple engraving techniques to create the work which was published by John Chamberlaine in London in 1793 in "The Book of Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein in the Collection of His Majesty". Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby...
Category

Late 18th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Wa-Kawn, A Winnebago Chief: An Original Hand-colored McKenney & Hall Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century hand-colored McKenney and Hall engraving of a Native American entitled "Wa-Kawn, A Winnebago Chief, No. 83 (The Snake)", published by Rice, Rutter & ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving

Chittee-Yoholo, Seminole Chief: Original Hand-colored McKenney & Hall Lithograph
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century hand colored McKenney and Hall engraving of a Native American entitled "Chittee-Yoholo, A Seminole Chief, No. 76", published by Rice, Rutter & Co. in 1865. This original McKenney and Hall engraving is presented in a cream colored mat, suitable for framing, with a protective clear sleeve. The mat measures 13.88" x 11.75" and the sheet measures 10.63" x 7.38. The print is in excellent condition. Col. Thomas J. McKenney was Superintendant of The Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1816 until 1830. He was one of a very few government officials to defend American Indian interests and attempt to preserve their culture. He travelled to Indian lands meeting the Native American leaders. He brought with him an accomplished artist, James Otto Lewis, who sketched those willing to participate. A large number of the most influential Indian chiefs and warriors were later invited to come to Washington in 1821 to meet President Monroe. McKenney commissioned the prominent portrait painter Charles Bird King...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving

18th C. Portrait of a Knight in Henry VIII's Court after 16th C. Holbein Drawing
Located in Alamo, CA
This portrait of a nobleman in King Henry VIII's court entitled "N. Poines, Knight" is an etching and stipple engraving, printed in color on light pink-colored paper with hand-coloring in 1795. It is from "The Book of Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein in the Collection of His Majesty" by Francesco Bartollozzi (1728–1815), after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8 - 1543) in the 16th century. It was published in London by John Chamberlaine in 1797. This is a bust length portrait of a noble man (Nicholas Poines (or Poins), who is facing to the left. He is bearded and is wearing a feathered cap and an ornate shirt. Bartolozzi's engraved portrait is after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), the famous artist in the court of Henry VIII. The inscription below the image reads "In his Majesty's Collection". "Published as the Act directs April 6, 1795 by I. Chamberlaine". Below the image on the left it reads: "From the original drawing by Hans Holbein". Below the image on the right it reads: "Engraved by F Bartolozzi RA Historical Engraver to His Majesty". The engraving is presented in an ornate beaded black frame with a gold inner trim and a light peach-colored mat. It is glazed with UV conservation glass. The frame measures "22.25 high, 17" wide and 1.25" deep. There are a few tiny spots, but the print is otherwise in excellent condition. There is a small ding in the the upper right. The original text from the 18th century publication is included in a sleeve on the back of the frame. There are three additional framed Bartolozzi engraved portraits from Holbein drawings that are available on 1stdibs. They are framed and matted identically to this one, other than some differences in frame size. These include portraits of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's son Edward, who succeeded Henry as King and himself was succeeded by Queen Elizabeth I, and M. Souch. These would make for an attractive and interesting display grouping. A discount is available for the purchase of one or more of these portraits, depending on the number. These can be viewed on our Timeless Intaglio...
Category

Late 18th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Toilet
Located in Storrs, CT
Toilet. (After a drawing by Norval Gray.) 1923. Wood engraving on sycamore, end grain. Physick 256. 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 (sheet 5 5/8 x 4 1/8). Proof printed on sturdy Japanese mulberry lai...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Woodcut, Engraving

Toilet
Toilet
H 11 in W 8.5 in D 0.5 in
Original Hand Colored McKenney & Hall Lithograph Wat-Che-Mon-Ne, An Ioway Chief
Located in Alamo, CA
An original 19th century hand colored McKenney and Hall engraving of a Native American entitled "Wat-Che-Mon-Ne, An Ioway Chief, No. 90", published by Rice, Rutter & Co. in 1865. Th...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving

18th C. Bartolozzi Portrait of Brooke Cobham from a 16th Century Holbein Drawing
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an 18th century engraved portrait of Brooke Cobham, a nobleman in King Henry VIII's court, created by Francesco Bartolozzi (1728–1815), after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497- 1543) in the 16th century. Holbein was the official artist in the court of King Henry VIII. Bartolozzi used both etching and stipple engraving techniques to create the work which was then was printed in color on pink paper and hand finished with watercolor. It was published by John Chamberlaine in London in 1793 in "The Book of Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein in the Collection of His Majesty". Sir George Brooke, Baron Cobham (1497-1558) was a prominent member of King Henry VIII's royal court. He became a member of parliament in 1529 and served as a peer in the trial of Queen Anne Boleyn, which resulted in her beheading. He was rewarded for his political and military service to King Henry and Britain with land, castles and former monasteries and was made a Knight of the Garter, a prestigious membership limited to the king and a very limited number of prominent British subjects. As a member of the Privy Council following the death of young King Edward VI (Henry VIII's son), he fell out of favor when he signed a ruling disinheriting both of Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, in favor of Lady Jane Grey...
Category

Late 18th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Previously Available Items
Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Nadia, Etching
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This early 20th-century etching by eminent British artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978) depicts his wife Anäis Folin. It’s a typically alluring piece, which captures an enigma...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Etching, Paper

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Elizabeth (Anaïs), Etching
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This early 20th-century etching by eminent British artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978) depicts his wife Anäis Folin. It’s a typically alluring piece, which captures an enigmatic expression. It’s also referred to as ‘The London Caster Girl’. Imagine you’re Brockhurst, just four years after World War I. Society has altered and you’re seeking to express something greater than simply a likeness alone. You aim to convey strength, emotion, and character - a sense that times have changed immeasurably yet within each of us there’s permanency. You seek inspiration from another time of great artistic renewal, the Italian Renaissance, and depict your dear wife, Anäis, as a modern ‘old master...
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Early 20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

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Paper, Etching

Emil Rosenstand, Young Women With Mirror, Etching
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This sensuous early 20th-century etching by Danish artist Emil Rosenstand (1859–1932) depicts a young lady in her boudoir gazing into a hand mirror. With...
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Early 20th Century Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Etching, Paper

Stig Asberg, Portrait Of Lisa Åsberg, The Artist’s Wife, Etching
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This remarkable etching by Swedish illustrator, Stig Asberg (1909-1968), depicts the artist’s wife Lisa Asberg (1913-2013). She’s wearing a large throw and fur hat, undoubtedly cosy...
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1930s Academic Portrait Prints

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Paper, Etching

"Wooden Ladle" A Winnebago Brave Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall
Located in Hallowell, ME
"Wooden Ladle" A Winnebago Brave Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall “A-mis-quam. A Winnebago Brave.” [Wooden Ladle.] From McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America. Philadelphia: F.W. Greenough, 1838. Folio: image ca. 15 x 12. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. The McKenney & Hall lithographs of Native Americans The McKenney & Hall prints of Native Americans, from their History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1837-1844), document an important part of American history, illustrating the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Indian and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. His legacy was a gallery of portraits of the great chiefs by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King and George Cooke...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

NAH-ET-LUC-HOPIE a Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall
Located in Hallowell, ME
“NAH-ET-LUC-HOPIE” From McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America. Philadelphia: Rice & Clark, 1843. Folio: image ca. 15 x 12. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. The McKenney & Hall lithographs of Native Americans The McKenney & Hall prints of Native Americans, from their History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1837-1844), document an important part of American history, illustrating the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Indian and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. His legacy was a gallery of portraits of the great chiefs by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King and George Cooke...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Buffalo" a Chippewa Chief Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall
Located in Hallowell, ME
"Buffalo" a Chippewa Chief Lithograph Portrait by McKenney & Hall. The McKenney & Hall lithographs of Native Americans. The McKenney & Hall prints of Native Americans, from their History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1837-1844), document an important part of American history, illustrating the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Indian and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. His legacy was a gallery of portraits of the great chiefs by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King and George Cooke...
Category

1830s Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Dr. Samuel Johnson.
By William Doughty
Located in Storrs, CT
William Doughty(1757-1792) after Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (1723-1792). Dr. Samuel Johnson. Mezzotint. Chaloner Smith 2. A previously undescribed sta...
Category

Academic Portrait Prints

Materials

Mezzotint

Academic portrait prints for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic portrait prints 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. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including McKenney & Hall, Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Nathaniel Currier, and Gustave Francois (Barraud). Frequently made by artists working with Engraving, and Lithograph 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 portrait prints, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait prints 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 $165 and tops out at $6,800, while the average work sells for $380.

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