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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.  

Find a collection of academic paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs. 

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Style: Academic
Samantha Haring, "Enough" Oil on paper on panel
Located in New York, NY
Samantha Haring "Enough," 2024 Oil on paper on panel 20 x 20 in. (hari024)
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Oil, Panel

Chartres La Mort de la Viegre X111”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original photo mechanical print handcolored throughout by the French artist, Lucy Garnot. Signed and titled bottom. Circa 1900. Condition is very go...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photogravure

Samantha Haring "Sic Transit" Oil on paper on panel
Located in New York, NY
Samantha Haring "Sic Transit," 2023 Oil on paper on panel 16 x16 in. (hari020)
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Oil, Panel

“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...
Category

1980s Academic Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Etching

Bird and Beetle - Etching and watercolor (Natural History of Birds, 1741)
Located in Paris, IDF
George EDWARDS Bird and beetle ('The Gowry Bird') Original engraving, enhanced with watercolor Printed signature in the plate Dated, 1741 28.8 x 23.3 cm Created for Volume I of the...
Category

1740s Academic Art

Materials

Engraving, Watercolor

In evening dress by Henri Fehr - Sketch 50x70 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Pair of Kate Greenaway original watercolour artworks 'Under the Window', 1879
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Kate Greenaway (British, 1846 – 1901) ‘Prince Finikin and his Mamma sat sipping their bohea..’; and ‘You see, merry Phyllis, that dear little maid, Has invited Belinda to tea..’ Penc...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

Morning moments - Pencil drawing - circa 1914
Located in Paris, IDF
Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Morning moments Original India ink drawing Signed with the stamp of atelier On paper 26.5 x 20 cm (c. 10,4 x 7.8 in) Very good condition, paper lightly y...
Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

India Ink

The Librarian
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas : 61 x 43 cm Golden frame With frame : 70 x 52.7 x 4 cm This 19th-century portrait by an anonymous artist shows an elderly man seated at his desk, engrossed in writing...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Drawing of Putti in the Clouds by Jean-Jacques le Barbier l'Ainé (1738-1826)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Drawing of Putti in the Clouds Jean-Jacques le Barbier l'Ainé (France, 1738-1826) Black pencil on paper Signed and dated lower left "Le Barbier L'ainé 1816" 10 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches ...
Category

1810s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

British, early 20th Century oriental scene by female artist Katie Blackmore
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Katie Blackmore (British, 1890 – 1957) Oriental fantasy Ink and gouache on paper Signed ‘K Blackmore’ (lower right) 9 x 8.3/8in. (22.8 x 21.2 cm.) A Scottish figurative and decorative artist, Katie Blackmore was closely associated with both Jessie Marion King...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

Mexican School Mother and Child
Located in San Francisco, CA
Beautiful Mexican school painting of a mother carrying her child. It is a mixed medium on paper using what looks to be oil paint as well as oil, crayon and or pastel. Wonderfully exe...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil Crayon, Oil

“The Race”
Located in Southampton, NY
Graphite and watercolor attributed to the well known British artist, Henry Thomas Alken. Circa 1825. Unsigned. Condition: Good. Provenance: Christie’s London, 1993. Matted but presently unframed. Alken was born on 12 October 1785 in Soho, Westminster, and baptised on 6 November at St James's Church, Piccadilly. He was the third son of Samuel Alken, a sporting artist. Two of his brothers were George and Samuel Alken the Younger, also an artist. In 1789, the Alken family moved from Soho to 2, Francis Street East, Bedford Square. Young Henry first studied under his father and then with the miniature painter John Thomas Barber...
Category

1820s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Graphite

Two divine women - Pencil drawing - circa 1914
Located in Paris, IDF
Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Two divine women 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, ...
Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

Domingo Alvarez Gómez (1942) - Joven frente al espejo - 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) Medidas obra: 65 cm. de al...
Category

1990s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Anatomy of a Horse by Robert Ladou (French 1929-2014) original drawing stuck on card in blue folder/ thick paper, unframed drawing: 11.75 x 14.5...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Crayon, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil

Portrait pour Torca by Alexandre Blanchet - Charcoal on paper 44x58 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Charcoal on paper without frame
Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal

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

At the market by Jean Ducommun - Drawing 30x42 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper without frame Signed
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Horse and Woman, Abstract Screenprint with Gold Paint by Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Horse and Woman Medium: Screenprint with Gold Paint, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 30...
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

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 Art

Materials

Crayon, Engraving

Portrait of John Torcapel by Alexandre Blanchet - Pastel on paper 27x35 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Pathos
Located in New York, NY
A sensuous and fabulous piece to enjoy in the round as every vantage point is attractive or on a shelf or table. In the 19th century, the Italians and French were in a golden era f...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Horse sketch by Otto Vautier - Drawing on paper 31x37 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on cardboard Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1863 in Düsseldorf. He was influenced by a family of artists and developed his style ...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Chalk, Color Pencil

At Paulette's by M. Opériol - Drawing 32x41 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canton paper
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Sueño entre flores - Dibujo a pastel
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado en la parte inferior por el artista Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 59 cm. de altura x 50 cm. de ancho Buen estado de conservación el de la obra ::::::::::...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

“Le Crepuscule”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original photogravure of a young woman in the garden. Original painting was done by Jean Louis Harmon in 1857. Condition is very good. Le Crepuscule is the French word for twilig...
Category

1850s Academic Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photogravure

Half-lying young woman
Located in Genève, GE
Stamp of the workshop lower right Work on paper Golden wood frame with glass pane 35.5 x 41 x 3.5 cm
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Mrs John Torcapel by Alexandre Blanchet - Sketch 35x47 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Total dimension with the passe-partout: 63 x 48 cm
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Original Leipziger Messe International Leipzig Trade Fair vintage poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original German vintage poster: International Leipzig Trade Fair Leipziger Messe in NYC. Beginning Feb. 28th, 1937. Held in New York City. Th...
Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

19th century engraving figurative landscape Victorian urban city scene signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"SEESAW--Gloucester, Massachusetts" is an original wood engraving after Winslow Homer. The artist initialed the piece in the lower right. This print depicts six children on a seesaw ...
Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

'Rider at Sunset' Equestrian and Horse Oil on Canvas Painting by Chris Brizzard
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
The rapid pace of the ride over a country landscape and the relationship between the rider and horse are felt in this oil on canvas painting by Chris Brizzard...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Children's Book Cover - Mid-Century Blond Girl - Female Illustrator
Located in Miami, FL
Pioneering Female Illustrator Barbara Briggs Bradley was an in-demand illustrator in the 1950s. Merrill Publishers of their famous children's books hired Barbara Briggs Bradley to d...
Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Gouache, Pencil

"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

Button, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper. Paper Size: 11.937 x 8.96 inches. Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the folio, In Memory of M...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Academic Study of Two Feet from Antique Plaster Models. Cm 50 x 32
Located in Firenze, IT
Academic Study of Two Feet from Antique Plaster Models, c. 1850 Pencil on paper, 50 × 32 cm Mid-19th-century academic exercise representing two studies of feet taken from plaster ca...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Carbon Pencil

Still life with apples and channe by Georges Djakeli - Oil on wood 9x11 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Djakeli G. Officier de cavalerie Work on wood Gilded wood frame 13 x 15 x 2 cm
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

"Dressing" by Otto Vautier - Pencil on paper 19x12 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Stamp of the workshop of O. Vautier Dimension of the "passe partout" frame 52.5 x 38 cm Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1...
Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Mettlach Crusaders Drinking Stein
Located in Missouri, MO
Villeroy & Boch Mettlach #2122 Etched 4L. by Heinrich Schlitt (1849-1923). Stamped and Marked on Bottom Signed along Base. Painted Ceramic with Pewter Lid. Roman soldiers and monk wi...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

'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

Portrait of a lady by Stephanie Guerzoni - Pastel on paper 38x51 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper sold with frame (white wooden frame with glass). The total size with frame is 46,5 x 56,5 cm Stéphanie Guerzoni is a Swiss and Italian painter born April 15, 1887 in ...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon, Pastel

Sketch of man by Otto Vautier - Pencil on paper 22x45 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Stamp of the workshop of O. Vautier Dimension of the passe-partout framing 52.5 x 38 cm Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Pensive young woman by Emile Hornung - Pastel on paper 37x29 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Sketch on the back of the work
Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Cactus & Rose of Jericho Plants: A Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
A hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Melocactos" (Turk's Cap Cactus or Mother-in-law's Cushion), "Rosa Hiericontea aperta" (Rose of Jericho Unfolded), "Rosa Hie...
Category

Early 18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

Young woman lying on the sofa
Located in Genève, GE
Stamp of the workshop lower right Work on paper Golden wood frame with glass pane 35.5 x 41 x 3.5 cm
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Untitled: Women in Bath
Located in New York, NY
Unknown/Unidentified Artist, "Untitled: Women In Bath", Signed Figurative/ Nude Watercolor, Charcoal (Mixed Media) Painting on Paper, 14 x 17, Late 20th Century, 1967 Colors: Black,...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Watercolor

A Very Fine Orientalist Oil on Canvas "The Slave Market" a North African Scene
Located in LA, CA
Otto Pilny (Swiss, 1866-1936) A very fine orientalist oil on canvas "The Slave Market", depicting a desert scene with the offering of two female slaves. Signed and Dated (l/r): Otto Pilny, 1910. Canvas height: 31 1/2 inches (80 cm). Canvas width: 47 1/4 inches (120 cm). Frame height: 37 inches (94 cm). Frame width: 52 inches (132.1 cm). Previously offered at Christie's New York, 19th Century European Art, Sale 2521 on October 12...
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Les Voila
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen (Swiss, 1859-1923) Title: Les Voila Year: 1915 Medium: Original lithograph Edition: Numbered 73/100 in pencil Paper: Wove Size image: 16 ...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Rescued - Archival fine art print, Black white, Montreal, City Vintage photo
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
An archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta 315 g/m² paper, a photography of a street scene featuring a man on a Side-car, in Montreal cerca 1930 entitled ' Rescued ' ....
Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

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

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

"L'Infini"
By Pierre Charles Lenoir
Located in Southampton, NY
Circa 1910 bronze cast medal by the French sculptor, Pierre Charles Lenoir. Edge mark, cornucopia. Pierre Lenoir was a French sculptor and medallist and was one of the Breton sculp...
Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

'Studies of a tabby cat', mixed media on paper by British artist John Sergeant
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
John Sargeant (British, 1937 – 2010) Studies of a tabby cat Mixed media Signed and dated ‘John Sargeant 1974 (lower right) 8.7/8 x 12in. (22.6 x 30.5 cm.)
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

VOLTO DI DONNA - Stampa riproduzione Emilio Greco, anni 70
Located in Napoli, IT
Stampa riprodizione del disegno " Volto di Ragazza" realizzato dal disegnatore Emilio Greco.Firmato in basso a destra. Scultore italiano (Catania 1913 - Roma 1995). Trasferitosi a Ro...
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Color

Untitled: Seated Rear Nude
Located in New York, NY
Unknown/Unidentified Artist, "Untitled: Seated Rear Nude", Unsigned Figurative/ Nude Watercolor, Charcoal (Mixed Media) Painting on Paper, 18 x 13, Late 20th Century Colors: Black, ...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Charcoal, Mixed Media

Untitled: Front Nude Watercolor
Located in New York, NY
Unidentified/ Unknown Artist," Untitled: Front Nude Watercolor", Figurative Nude Academic Watercolor Painting on Paper, 18 x 13, Late 20th Century Colors: Black and White A 18 x 13...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

Untitled: Standing Nude
Located in New York, NY
Unknown/ Unidentified Artist, "Standing Nude", Figurative/ Nude Charcoal Drawing on Brown Charcoal Paper, 24 x 20, Late 20th Century, 1968 Colors: White, Blue, Black, Red, Black "S...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal

“The Hunters”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor with graphite tracings of two hunters in the field by the British artist, George Anderson Short. Signed bottom right. Circa ...
Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Graphite

“Bringing Home the Game”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor with graphite tracings of a hunter bring home the fresh game by the British artist, George Anderson Short. Signed top right. ...
Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Graphite

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...
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Pen

“View of Switzerland”
By John William Casilear
Located in Southampton, NY
Beautiful oil on fiberboard painting of a view of Switzerland done by the American artist, John William Casilear. Signed with monogram lower left. Condition is excellent. Circa 1857/1858. The painting is housed in a contemporary frame. Overall framed measurements are 6 5/8 by 8 5/8 inches. lProvenance: Long Island, New York collector. Biography John William Casilear was born in New York City on June 25, 1811. Like his fellow Hudson River School landscapists Asher B. Durand and John F. Kensett, he worked as an engraver before turning to painting. In 1826 Casilear was apprenticed to the engraver Peter Maverick (1780-1831), and at first he primarily executed bank notes. Durand encouraged him to attempt other subjects, however, and during the 1830s he madeengravings after some of the most prominent paintings of the day, including Daniel Huntington's The Sybil (New-York Historical Society). In 1832 he began submitting engravings to the National Academy of Design exhibition and he first showed paintings there in 1836. In 1833 Casilear was elected an Associate of the Academy; he was elevated to full Academician status in 1851. In 1840 Casilear accompanied Durand, Kensett, and another painter, Thomas P. Rossiter (1818-1871), on a trip to Europe. There the artists studied and copied paintings...
Category

1850s Academic Art

Materials

Fiberboard, Oil

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.