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Academic Art

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.  

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Style: Academic
Jean Cocteau by Mario Napoli - Bronze 60x50x28 cm
Jean Cocteau by Mario Napoli - Bronze 60x50x28 cm

Jean Cocteau 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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Amaranthus tricolor: A 17th-18th C. Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
Amaranthus tricolor: A 17th-18th C. Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving

Amaranthus tricolor: A 17th-18th C. Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving

Located in Alamo, CA

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Amaranthus Tricolor", depicting a flowering Amaranthus Tricolor plant from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713. Amaranthus tricolor, known as edible amaranth, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Amaranthus. The plant is often cultivated for ornamental and culinary purposes. Cultivars have a striking yellow, red, and green foliage. It is known as Joseph's coat in some areas, after the biblical figure Joseph, who is said to have worn a coat of many colors. Amaranthus tricolor is one of several species of amaranth cultivated in warm regions across the world. This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thin laid chain-linked paper with very wide margins. There is a short crease in the upper right corner, mild irregularity of the left, right and lower edges and some bleed-through of text from the verso. The print is otherwise in excellent condition with striking hand-coloring. The sheet measures 22.13" high and 17.13" wide. Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was an apothecary and botanist. He was curator of the Willibaldsburg Castle garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop...

Category

Early 18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich
19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich

19th C. German painting of figures at a waterfall in the manner of Friedrich

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

A very romantic and detailed painting of figures enjoying the views of a waterfall in summertime, Europe Circle of Caspar David Friedrich (German, 1774 – 1840) Elegant company at th...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Oil

Academic Study for the Head of an Apostle or Saint
Academic Study for the Head of an Apostle or Saint

Academic Study for the Head of an Apostle or Saint

Located in Firenze, IT

Study for the Head of an Apostle or Saint Artist: Enrico Reffo (1831-1917) Medium: Charcoal and white chalk on colored paper Dimensions: [To be specified] Date: Late 19th - Early 20...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Carbon Pencil

Orson Wells by Mario Napoli - Bronze 60x50x28 cm
Orson Wells by Mario Napoli - Bronze 60x50x28 cm

Orson Wells 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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

“Yellow Crested Parrot”
“Yellow Crested Parrot”

“Yellow Crested Parrot”

Located in Southampton, NY

Hand colored copper plate engraving from “The History of Birds. Plate 117 published in 1776.. “Yellow Created Parrot” Dedicated to Daniele Farsetti, a well known art collector Veni...

Category

Late 18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

19th Century Bronze Sculptures of Muses, Signed, Academic Style
19th Century Bronze Sculptures of Muses, Signed, Academic Style

19th Century Bronze Sculptures of Muses, Signed, Academic Style

By Paul Dubois

Located in New York, NY

A pair of French 19th Century bronze figures of muses by Paul Dubois (1829 - 1905), of standing female classical figures, one holding a mandolin, the other reading a book, both resti...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Escalade Festival in Geneva
Escalade Festival in Geneva

Escalade Festival in Geneva

Located in Genève, GE

Work on canvas This striking painting accurately and lavishly depicts the commemorative parade of the Fête de l'Escalade in Geneva, a historical celebration commemorating the victory...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

MARINA DI NAPOLI - Gouache anonymous artist, Italy 2000s
MARINA DI NAPOLI - Gouache anonymous artist, Italy 2000s

MARINA DI NAPOLI - Gouache anonymous artist, Italy 2000s

Located in Napoli, IT

Gouache, also known in the French form gouache, is a type of tempera color made heavier and more opaque by the addition of a white pigment mixed with gum arabic. The result is precis...

Category

1990s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache

“Man with Magic Show”
“Man with Magic Show”

“Man with Magic Show”

Located in Southampton, NY

China Trade aquatint engraving. The plate was engraved by Dadley in London after drawings by Pu Qua of Canton and published in 1799 by W. Miller of Bond Street in London. Sight size 11.5 by 9.5 inches. Under glass. Silver leaf frame with wear consistent with age. Overall framed measurements are 13.5 by 11.5 inches. Not examined out of frame. Borghese label verso. Provenance: Sarasota collector. Inscriptions read as follows: Pu-Qua. Canton. Delin. Dadley, London, Sculpt. Published May 4, 1799, by W. Miller, Old Bond Street, London. John Dadley...

Category

1790s Academic Art

Materials

Aquatint

Dr Decarie - Archival fine art print, Black white, Montreal, Phillips square
Dr Decarie - Archival fine art print, Black white, Montreal, Phillips square

Dr Decarie - Archival fine art print, Black white, Montreal, Phillips square

Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

An archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta 315 g/m² paper of a photograph of a street corner in Montreal cerca Valentin's day 1925 entitled ' Dr Decarie ' Unframed ...

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Black and White, Giclée, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment

Untitled: Seated Rear Nude 2
Untitled: Seated Rear Nude 2

Untitled: Seated Rear Nude 2

Located in New York, NY

Unknown/Unidentified Artist, "Untitled: Seated Rear Nude 2", Unsigned Figurative/ Nude Watercolor, Charcoal (Mixed Media) Painting on Paper, 18 x 14, Late 20th Century Colors: Brown...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Charcoal, Mixed Media

“Cordes”
“Cordes”

“Cordes”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on board painting of the historic village of Cordes-sur-Ciel in France by the well known American artist, David Buckley Good. Signed lower left by the artist. Titled ...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Boulevard parisino - Dibujo a pastel
Boulevard parisino - Dibujo a pastel

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...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Ernest Howard Shepard,  illustration of Punch magazine, signed, inkpen
Ernest Howard Shepard,  illustration of Punch magazine, signed, inkpen

Ernest Howard Shepard, illustration of Punch magazine, signed, inkpen

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

Ernest Howard Shepard (British, 1879–1976) Laying Breaks on a London Street, an Illustration for Punch Magazine Inkpen and body colour Signed ‘Ernest H. Shepard’ (lower left) 8 1/8 x...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Gentle Evening - Pencil drawing - circa 1914
Gentle Evening - Pencil drawing - circa 1914

Gentle Evening - Pencil drawing - circa 1914

By Georges Conrad

Located in Paris, IDF

Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Gentle evening Original pencil and color pencil drawing Signed with the stamp of atelier On paper 26.5 x 20 cm (c. 10,4 x 7.8 in) Very good condition, pa...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

Woman smoking pencil drawing
Woman smoking pencil drawing

Woman smoking pencil drawing

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Frame size 74x61 cm.

Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Pencil

The Swiss by Otto Vautier - Drawing 31x24 cm
The Swiss by Otto Vautier - Drawing 31x24 cm

The Swiss by Otto Vautier - Drawing 31x24 cm

Located in Geneva, CH

Work on canvas Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1863 in Düsseldorf. He was influenced by a family of artists and developed his style dur...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Crayon, Watercolor

Cowgirl
Cowgirl

Henri Fehr Cowgirl

$288Sale Price|47% Off

Cowgirl

By Henri Fehr

Located in Geneva, CH

Work on paper

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon, Charcoal

“Montalcino”
“Montalcino”

“Montalcino”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on board painting of the historic town of Montalcino in Italy by the well known American artist, David Buckley Good. Signed by the artist lower left. Titled verso. Gr...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

“On the Seine, Paris”
“On the Seine, Paris”

“On the Seine, Paris”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original aquatint engraving of working river barges on the Seine in Paris, France. A horse drawn cart is seen loading or unloading product. Circa 1900. ...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Mezzotint

"Wooden River Bridge"
"Wooden River Bridge"

"Wooden River Bridge"

By Shigesaburo Ishida

Located in Southampton, NY

Circa 1940 Signed lower left Sight size 19 x 26 in Overall 27.5 x 34.5 in original period frame

Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

English Mansion by the Cemetery - Late 1800s Watercolor on Paper
English Mansion by the Cemetery - Late 1800s Watercolor on Paper

English Mansion by the Cemetery - Late 1800s Watercolor on Paper

Located in Soquel, CA

English Mansion by the Cemetery - Late 1800s Watercolor on Paper Dramatic and detailed landscape by Lucy Cooper (British, 1853-1929). A large home is shown on the left, with a red r...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Habenero, " Oil painting

"Habenero, " Oil painting

Located in Denver, CO

Thane Gorek's (US based) "Habenero" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an orange Habanero pepper halved, so that it's seeds and core are ex...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Blaine, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
Blaine, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)

Blaine, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)

By Nell Blaine

Located in Southampton, NY

Lithograph on vélin Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper. Paper Size: 11.937 x 11.937 inches, with centerfold, as issued. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the fo...

Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ready.
Ready.

Ready.

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Classical ballet was my main source of inspiration. Grace and beauty of ballerinas combining with extremely hard work they do. This combination is shocking and inspiring in the same...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Rural Scene Oil Painting of Peasant Couple, 1870s
Rural Scene Oil Painting of Peasant Couple, 1870s

Rural Scene Oil Painting of Peasant Couple, 1870s

Located in Genève, GE

An elegant and evocative example of 19th-century figurative painting, combining narrative charm with timeless decorative sophistication. Monogrammed lower right and dated 1878. A charming and finely executed 19th-century European genre painting, oil on canvas, monogrammed L.A. and dated 1878. The composition depicts a tender rural scene: a young peasant woman pouring a drink for a seated farm worker resting beside a rocky outcrop, his scythe laid across his lap. In the background, a pastoral landscape unfolds with grazing livestock, distant figures, and tall trees, evoking the quiet rhythms of agrarian life. Rendered with academic precision and warm naturalistic color, the painting captures both the dignity of rural labor and the intimacy of everyday moments. The artist demonstrates particular skill in the modeling of the figures, the textures of clothing, and the atmospheric depth of the landscape. Soft light bathes the scene, enhancing the harmonious palette of earth tones, greens, and warm reds. Works of this type were highly prized in late 19th-century Europe, reflecting the period’s fascination with pastoral virtue and traditional country life. The painting offers both historical character and strong decorative appeal, making it suitable for collectors of antique European art as well as refined interior settings. 19th century genre painting, antique oil painting 1878, European peasant painting, rural genre scene painting, antique figurative oil painting, pastoral scene antique, farm worker painting, peasant couple painting, academic oil painting 19th century, Continental school painting...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

'Dancer in Seated Gesture 2, ' by James Cobb, Chalk and Conté on Paper, 2021
'Dancer in Seated Gesture 2, ' by James Cobb, Chalk and Conté on Paper, 2021

'Dancer in Seated Gesture 2, ' by James Cobb, Chalk and Conté on Paper, 2021

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

This 11.25 x 15.25 work on paper features a lone, seated, female dancer viewed from the back. The figure is twisting toward the viewer as she begins to look over her right shoulder. Her legs are pulled toward her body with the left leg crossed over the right. The isolation of the seated figure within the ground of the page lends a vulnerable quality to the work. The 16 x 20 dark brown mat has a window size of 11.25 x 15.25. Bio: Jim Cobb, until recently was hanging his work on Canyon Rd in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One-man shows have been hosted in Taos, New Mexico, Norman, Oklahoma and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. When the Oklahoma Art...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Conté, Paper, Chalk

“Figures on Camelback along the Nile”
“Figures on Camelback along the Nile”

“Figures on Camelback along the Nile”

By Paul B. Pascal

Located in Southampton, NY

Wonderful original orientalist gouache by the well known French artist, Paul B. Pascal. Signed lower right. Circa 1885. Condition is excellent. The scene depicts figures on camelback along the Nile with pyramids in the background. Newly professionally matted and framed in antique style frame. Under glass. Overall framed measurements are 11 by 13 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida estate. Paul B. Pascal (1839–1905) was a French landscape painter. He did landscape paintings of the Middle East and the Mediterranean coast with gouache. After he emigrated to the United States in 1893, he did paintings of the American wilderness...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache, Archival Paper

Academic art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic art 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 art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of purple, blue, orange, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Karen Darbinyan, Owen Jones, Paul Jones b.1921, and Mark Beard. 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 Academic art, so small editions measuring 1.5 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $11 and tops out at $700,000, while the average work sells for $1,444.