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.
Portrait of a Lady with Hat and Fan - Marie-Antoinette Style in 1783
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Félix-Henri Giacomotti (1828-1909) Portrait of a Lady - Marie-Antoinette fashion in 1783. Signed low left Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 92,5 X 73,5 cm Dim Oval view : 86 ...
Oil
$2,450Sale Price|30% Off
Love & the Jester - Oil Painting of Sacrifice
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil Painting of a Love and Sacrafice by Cuban Artist Jesus Nordarse. Oil on Canvas. 18 x 18 inches. THE MAN: Jesús Nodarse Valdés was born in Sagua la Grande, Cuba in 1973. He studi...
Canvas, Oil
$10,000
Old Time Football in the 1920s - Football 1920s - Classic Football
Located in Miami, FL
You Got to be a Football Hero to Get Along with a Beautiful Girl. Masterfully composed and dynamic illustration that show a player getting punched in the jaw. During this period, there were no face...
Canvas, Oil
Mother and Son - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E15)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Mother and Son, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 1932, this etching is...
Etching
Jean Coulon - Aegina and Zeus Bronze Statue
Located in New York, NY
Aegina was one of the daughters of the river god Asopus and his wife, the river nymph Metope. The couple had many daughters, and most of them became the object of desire of either Ze...
Bronze
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Coup de Vent
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...
Canvas, Oil
Women Wiping Themselves - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E8)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Women Wiping Themselves, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 1932, this e...
Etching
20th century English pencil nude study of a torso
Located in Woodbury, CT
Ernest Procter Wonderful classical drawing of a nude torso. Ernest Procter ARA was an English designer, illustrator and painter, and husband of the famous British artist Dod Procte...
Handmade Paper, Carbon Pencil
Solitude
Located in New Orleans, LA
Signed “G-Seignac” (lower right) Oil on canvas French Academic painter Guillaume Seignac was renowned for his masterful treatment of the idealized nude. His languishing female subje...
Canvas, Oil
“Knight of the Field”
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is “Knight of the Field” aka “A Man in Armour,” a painting by Edgar Allan Ward (1862–1947). The portrait is of an unknown gentleman in full plate armor, complete with a swor...
Canvas, Oil
Woman Naked on the Sofa - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E4)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Woman Naked on the Sofa, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 1932, this e...
Etching
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
$2,949
Toileting Children in the Garden - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E19)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Toileting Children in the Garden, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 53.5 x 44 cm (c. 21 x 17.3 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 193...
Etching
Flower Painting French Academic Realist Still life DUDAN mid 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Gabriel-Dominique DUDAN (Active from the 1830s to the 1850s) Bouquet of Roses, Foxgloves, Poppies, Violets, and Daisies Oil on canvas 61 x 50 cm (77 x 66 cm with frame) Signed and da...
Oil
Two Naked Women in the Bathroom - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E7)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Two Naked Women in the Bathroom, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 1932...
Etching
Emerald Waves, Impressionism Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Emerald Waves Size: 8.5" x 12" x 0.8...
Canvas, Oil
Stella Maris and Down Patrick Head
Located in Dallas, TX
Eleanor Jones Harvey, Chief Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, writes about Bob Stuth-Wade: “Over the course of his career, Bob Stuth-Wade has examined his responses to...
Paper, Watercolor
The Connoisseur By Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian The Connoisseur Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower right) Oil on panel A Cardinal peers through a magnifying glass at gilded treasures in...
Oil, Panel
$2,005
Mary in the Tub Sponging Herself - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E13)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Mary in the Tub Sponging Herself, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 193...
Etching
$1,120
Animated landscape
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas
Oil
The Musician
Located in New Orleans, LA
Alfred Weber 1859-1922 I Swiss The Musician Signed “Alfred Weber” (lower left) Oil on panel This work by Swiss ecclesiastical genre painter Alfred Weber, best known for his humorous and meticulously detailed paintings, features a cardinal enjoying his leisure time. Weber's talent for rendering opulent interiors and his keen sense of comic narrative are evident in this painting. The cardinal, looking blissfully content, sits in his lavish living space playing the violin, accompanied by a flutist. Alfred Charles Weber...
Oil, Panel
$175,000
Afternoon Tea - 19th Century Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Palm Desert, CA
“Afternoon Tea” is an oil on canvas painting by French painter, Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix. Renowned for his vivid portrayals of affluent 18th-century society, Soulacroix sta...
Canvas, Oil
Paintings 19th Century Flowers Still life
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GODCHAUX Emile (1860) Big Compositions of Flowers in Pair Oil on canvas signed low right Frames gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas (each) : 90 X 129 cm Dim frame (each) : 118 x 159 cm Certificate of authenticity GODCHAUX Emile (1860 - nc) French School - XIXth century Born in 1860 Painter of genre scenes, landscapes, waterscapes, marines, flowers, still lives. He sold his paintings on the public place, and sometimes in Lotteries. He is related to Alfred Godchaux...
Oil
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
“View of Pyramid Cestius, Rome”
Located in Southampton, NY
Brown ink and wash drawing with touches of watercolor and gouache by the French artist, Francois-Marius Granet. Signed lower left. Condition: Good. Provenance: Christie’s London sale 1993. Matted but unframed. The Pyramid of Cestius (in Italian, Piramide di Caio Cestio or Piramide Cestia...
Paper, Watercolor, Ink, Gouache
Seashore, Coastal Original oil Painting, Large Size Ready to hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Coastal Original oil Painting, Large Size Ready to hang Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2019 Style: C...
Canvas, Oil
Venice Panoramic View
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Angelo PISANI (1885-1950) Panoramic View from Venice Oil on canvas signed low right Frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 51 X 100 cm Dim frame : 70 X 120 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
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Zeus and Ganymede - Paula Craioveanu oil canvas Neo Mythology
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Zeus and Ganymede", oil and silver leaf on canvas, 39x39in / 100x100cm Inspired by the legend of Zeus and Ganymede. Part of my NeoMythology project. Shipped as it is, stretched. "Z...
Canvas, Oil
$184Sale Price|44% Off
Portrait of woman by Gustave François - Engraving 44x54 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper without frame
Engraving
Armand Guillaumin au Pendu - Original etching (Venturi #1159)
By Paul Cézanne
Located in Paris, IDF
Paul CEZANNE (1839-1906) Armand Guillaumin Hanged Original Etching Unsigned On laid paper, 32 x 25 cm (c. 13 x 10 in) REFERENCES: - Catalogue Raisonné Venturi #1159 - Catalogue Rai...
Etching
Untitled: Rearview Of a Seated Nude
By Henry Varnum Poor
Located in New York, NY
Henry Varnum Poor (American, 1887-1970), "Untitled: Rearview Of A Seated Nude", Figurative Signed Pen and Ink Drawing, 16 x 10.38, Mid 20th Century Colors: Black and White Henry V...
Ink, Pen
Patinated Bronze Statuette of William Shakespeare
By Frederick William MacMonnies
Located in New Orleans, LA
Frederick William MacMonnies 1863–1937 American William Shakespeare Signed "F. MacMonnies" and foundry-marked "E. Gruet Jeune, Fondeur, Paris" Bronze Frederick William MacMonnies...
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Academic Life Study Male Nude Graphite Drawing
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Alb. Muller. German Mid 19th Century. Academic Life Study Of A Male Standing Nude. Pencil And Charcoal On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Paper size 23.8 inches x 17.1 inches ( 60.5cm x 4...
Paper, Graphite
Taxi Service Ashot, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2014 Style: Figurative Surrealism, Subject: Taxi Service Ashot, Size: 27.5...
Canvas, Oil
“Washing Day”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor on archival paper of a group of local villagers washing their clothes by the sea. Done in an academic style. Great detail. Signed by the artist and dated 1970 lo...
Watercolor, Archival Paper
$15,750
In the Bazaar I, Oil on Wood, Academic Style, 19th Century, Signed
Located in New York, NY
In the Bazaar I, 1834-1855, by Theodore Frere (1814-1888) Oil on wood 7 x 5 inches unframed (17.78 x 12.7 cm) 10 ⅝ x 9 inches framed (26.9875 x 22.86 cm) Signed on lower right Descr...
Oil
$396Sale Price|20% Off
“Flower Seller, Notre Dame”
Located in Southampton, NY
Very nice original hand colored copper plate etching (aquatint) by the Hungarian born artist, Marianne L. Almasy. Depicts a Parisian flower girl selling her bouquets with the iconic cathedral of Notre Dame. Handwritten bottom left in pencil, original etching 136/295. Handwritten in pencil by the artist lower right, L. Marianne. Condition: excellent. Provenance: Sarasota, Florida estate. Professionally matted with a one inch solid oak frame in a medium walnut stain. Overall 24 by 19 inches. Marianne Almasy...
Archival Paper, Etching
Landscape, Paysage aux Bories
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Pierre Lavarenne (French, born 1928) Title: Landscape, Paysage aux Bories Year: Circa 1975 Medium: Oil on canvas Canvas size: 15 x 18.25 inches Signature: Signed lo...
Oil
Village Road, Impressionism, fall, 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: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Village Road Size: 19.5" x 23.5" x 0...
Canvas, Oil
$460Sale Price|20% Off
“Sitting Female Nude”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original conte crayon drawing of a sitting female nude on tinted archival paper by the American artist, Renate Duncan. Signed lower left. Circa 1980. Condition is excellent. The art...
Conté, Archival Paper
Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Fonderia Chiurazzi Life-size Bronze Bust Sculpture
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Grand Tour Bronze Bust of the Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Chiurazzi Foundry, Naples, Italy Early 20th Century This exceptional Grand Tour bronze bust represents the celebrated Arrotin...
Bronze
$707Sale Price|20% Off
Boulevard parisino - Dibujo a pastel
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior Se presenta bien enmarcada la obra (no hay cristal para evitar posibles roturas del cristal en el transporte) y comentar que el marco pre...
Pastel
"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
Naked Woman in the Bath - Original Etching Signed (Petrides #E2)
Located in Paris, IDF
Suzanne VALADON (1865-1938) Naked Woman in the Bath, 1932 Original etching Signed in pencil On BFK Rives vellum 47 x 37 cm (c. 18.5 x 14.5 in) INFORMATION : Printed in 1932, this e...
Etching
Russell Flint watercolour of skiing near St. Moritz, British, 20th Century
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Sir William Russell Flint (British, 1880 – 1969) Winter sports in the Engadine, possibly St. Moritz watercolour on paper signed ‘W RUSSELL FLINT’ (lower right) 12.1/2 x 19.3/8 in. (3...
Paper, Watercolor
Winter Day in Old Yard, 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: Winter Day in Old Yard Size: 18" x 21" x 0.8'' inch, (45x53x2cm), 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, Oil
$780Sale Price|20% Off
Original Le Puy En Velay, SNCF vintage travel poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Admiring the Original "Le Puy En - Velay" Vintage Poster The exquisite vintage poster for the old city of Le Puy En - Velay has inspired many art aficionados. ...
Lithograph
$3,336Sale Price|50% Off
Marlène Dietrich by Mario Napoli - Bronze 50x60x28 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Bronze sculpture by Mario Napoli, Swiss artist from XXth century. His works was sold 12 times in auctions since 2022. Work signed in the bronze. Edition ...
Bronze
An Amusing Thought by Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian An Amusing Thought Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower left) Oil on panel This oil on panel by Belgian artist Georges Croegaert is a rich ...
Oil, Panel
$240Sale Price|20% Off
Young woman Drawing on paper 23x32 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Monogram L.T.C.
Charcoal, Pastel
The Declaration Of Love
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
COLIN François (1798-1864) The Declaration of love Oil on canves signed low left Old frame regilded with leaves Dim canvas : 41 X 57 - Dim frame : 56 X 71 cm COLIN François (1798-1...
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
“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
"Salut Au Soleil"
By Georges Dupre
Located in Southampton, NY
French, 1899 SALUT AU SOLEIL, art medal, in bronze by Georges Dupré, in fine condition, (Dark oxidation spot to right of larger figure, slight surface vertical scratch verso); edge ...
Bronze
$545Sale Price|20% Off
Original French Anatomical Study of a Horse's Hind Legs
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Original French Anatomical Study of a Horse's Hind Legs Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Pencil on paper Size: 20 (Height) x 13.5 (Width) Signed: No Condition:...
Pencil
Nymphs and Cherubs in the Park
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri Paul ROLLAND (1891-1923) Nymphs and cherubs in the Park Oil on Wood panel signed low right Golden frame Size canvas : 70 X 81 cm Size frame : 90 X 100 cm ROLLAND Henri Paul(...
Oil
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Original 1917 Railroad Map of Washington State railway map
Located in Spokane, WA
This is an Original Lithograph Vintage Railroad Map of Washington State; it is not a reproduction. “Railroad Map of Washington, 1917, The Public Servi...
Lithograph
“Portuguese Fisherman”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor on archival paper of a Portuguese fisherman with fishing boats in the background. Done in an academic style. Great detail. Signed by the artist and dated 1971 lo...
Archival Paper, Watercolor
$480Sale Price|20% Off
Still life pear and grape - Oil on canvas 25x30 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on canvas with frame unsigned Total size with frame 31x39 cm
Oil
$3,336Sale Price|50% Off
James Dean by Mario Napoli - Bronze 60x50x28 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Bronze sculpture by Mario Napoli, Swiss artist from XXth century. His works was sold 12 times in auctions since 2022. Work signed in the bronze. Edition ...
Bronze