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Academic Art

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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
Bashi-Bazouk Pastel Drawing, Academic Style, Late 20th Century
Bashi-Bazouk Pastel Drawing, Academic Style, Late 20th Century

Bashi-Bazouk Pastel Drawing, Academic Style, Late 20th Century

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Firmado en la parte inferior por el artista Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 61 cm. de altura x 50 cm. de ancho Buen estado de conservación el de la obra ::::::::::...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

“Floral Bouquet”
“Floral Bouquet”

“Floral Bouquet”

Located in Southampton, NY

Beautiful and vibrant oil on canvas painting of a floral bouquet in a vase attributed to the hand of Charles Alfred Meurer. Verified as being painted by Charles Meurer by his daught...

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Misty Morning Gloucester”
“Misty Morning Gloucester”

“Misty Morning Gloucester”

By John Cuthbert Hare

Located in Southampton, NY

Original watercolor of a misty morning on the Gloucester docks by the well known American artist, John Cuthbert Hare. Signed by the artist lower right. Circa 1940. Condition is ex...

Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Untitled: Three Nude Females
Untitled: Three Nude Females

Untitled: Three Nude Females

Located in New York, NY

Unknown/Unidentified Artist, "Untitled: Three Nude Females", Figurative/ Nude Charcoal signed Drawing on Paper, 24 x 18, Late 20th Century Colors: Black a...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

“Flower Seller, Notre Dame”
“Flower Seller, Notre Dame”

“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

Summertime
Summertime

Summertime

By Anne C. Weary

Located in Dallas, TX

“Anne Weary, who grew up as a Texas cowgirl, is at home in the outdoors and knows its ways and its language. There is a sort of very quiet but very powerful mysticism in her work, a ...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Conté

Study of woman in bathing suit - Ink drawing - circa 1916
Study of woman in bathing suit - Ink drawing - circa 1916

Study of woman in bathing suit - Ink drawing - circa 1916

By Georges Conrad

Located in Paris, IDF

Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Study of woman in bathing suit Original India ink and color pencil drawing Signed with the stamp of atelier On paper 26.5 x 20 cm (c. 10.4 x 7.8 in) Ver...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

India Ink, Color Pencil

“Nassau Harbor, Bahamas”
“Nassau Harbor, Bahamas”

“Nassau Harbor, Bahamas”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original watercolor and gouache on archival paper by the American artist, Martin Louis Lindsay. Signed, titled and dated top right. Done in 1944. Condi...

Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper

Two divine women - Pencil drawing - circa 1914
Two divine women - Pencil drawing - circa 1914

Two divine women - Pencil drawing - circa 1914

By Georges Conrad

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

“Innocent Captivation Amusement Pastorale”
“Innocent Captivation Amusement Pastorale”

“Innocent Captivation Amusement Pastorale”

By Anthony Cardon

Located in Southampton, NY

Original stipple engraving on a verge type of hand laid paper. The overall size of the engraving is 15.75 inches by 12.75 inches The image size of the engraving is 14 inches by 12 i...

Category

Early 1800s Academic Art

Materials

Engraving, Laid Paper

The Librarian Portrait, 19th Century, Oil on Canvas, Framed
The Librarian Portrait, 19th Century, Oil on Canvas, Framed

The Librarian Portrait, 19th Century, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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

Fire's Boat

Fire's Boat

By Bob Stuth-Wade

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...

Category

Early 2000s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Graphite

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

“Red Poppies and Grapes”
“Red Poppies and Grapes”

“Red Poppies and Grapes”

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a circa 1920’s still life of red poppies and purple grapes. Oil on artist canvas board . Signed lower right but artis...

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Carl Otto Fey–Decorative ceiling project with allegorical scene, 42.5 × 60 cm
Carl Otto Fey–Decorative ceiling project with allegorical scene, 42.5 × 60 cm

Carl Otto Fey–Decorative ceiling project with allegorical scene, 42.5 × 60 cm

Located in Firenze, IT

JCarl Otto Fey – Decorative ceiling project with allegorical scene, watercolor on paper. Technique: Watercolor on paper Dimensions: Sheet: 42.5 × 60 cm With mounting board: 64 × 48 ...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Seamstresses Figurative Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed
The Seamstresses Figurative Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

The Seamstresses Figurative Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Óleo sobre lienzo de Baldomer Gili Roig – Mujeres cosiendo, firmado, con marco ornamentado. Magnífica pintura al óleo sobre lienzo del reconocido artista catalán Baldomer Gili Roig ...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Secretary in the Subway - Pencil drawing - circa 1913
Secretary in the Subway - Pencil drawing - circa 1913

Secretary in the Subway - Pencil drawing - circa 1913

By Georges Conrad

Located in Paris, IDF

Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Secretary in the Subway Original pencil and color pencils drawing Signed with the stamp of atelier On paper 26.5 x 20 cm (c. 10,4 x 7.8 in) Good conditio...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

“Puerta Bisagra, Toledo”
“Puerta Bisagra, Toledo”

“Puerta Bisagra, Toledo”

Located in Southampton, NY

Oil on artist board painting of the historic city of Toledo by the Australian artist, Robert Camm. Signed lower left and titled and dated verso, 1931. Th...

Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Night Fishing at Saint Maurice

Night Fishing at Saint Maurice

By Emile Noirot

Located in Dallas, TX

signed "Emile Noirot 1893" at lower right overall dimensions, including frame, are 19 3/4 x 23 5/8 inches

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Still-Life Painting of Box and Bag, Oil on Canvas, 1940s, Unframed
Still-Life Painting of Box and Bag, Oil on Canvas, 1940s, Unframed

Still-Life Painting of Box and Bag, Oil on Canvas, 1940s, Unframed

Located in Genève, GE

Modernist Still Life Signed Bovy Lysberg, 1943 – Surrealist Symbolist Oil on Canvas This exceptional oil on canvas signed Bovy Lysberg and dated 1943 presents a striking modernist st...

Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Untitled: Front Nude Watercolor
Untitled: Front Nude Watercolor

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

After the Bath (Edition 19/250)
After the Bath (Edition 19/250)

After the Bath (Edition 19/250)

By Jan De Ruth

Located in New York, NY

Jan De Ruth (American/ Czech, 1922-1991), " After the Bath" Edition 19/250, Figurative Lithograph on Paper signed and titled in Pencil, 30 x 21 (Image: 25 x 15.50), ca. 1970s, Late 20th Century Colors: Blue, Yellow, Red, Grey, White, Purple Jan De Ruth enjoyed special popularity as a portrait artist and has become one of the best known painters of the nude female in the world today. It's a long way from sketching in leftover coffee to painting a portrait of Ethel Kennedy for the cover of Time Magazine, twenty-five years in fact; and during that period, Jan De Ruth's personal experiences have been enough to fill two ordinary lifetimes. Through them all, art has sustained him and been his primary interest. To begin with, De Ruth, a native of Czechoslovakia and now an American citizen, spent the years of World War II being shunted through 5 different concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz. He made four escape attempts and finally made good on his fifth try. De Ruth constantly sought materials with which to draw, but "The only things we had were the few pieces of cloth we wore," he recalls. By chance, he was transferred to Germany as part of a labor detail and managed to sneak a pencil away from the camp supervisor-"I became a perfect thief during those years," he says. Jan drew a mother and child on a scrap of paper he scrounged from the factory where he worked, filled it in with shadings of coffee in various strengths-his finger was his brush. He exchanged the sketch for a piece of bread from a camp guard, and in effect, sold his first painting. In March of 1945, after being transferred to his native Czechoslovakia, he made his successful escape "knowing every step of the way." After the war, De Ruth became the commissar in a small Czech town and remained in the post for one year, just long enough to forge some documents that allowed him to flee to England. He took up residence in London and enrolled at the Ruskin Art School in Oxford University. He arrived in the USA in 1948. There are times in the life of a painter when his dedication to his art is overshadowed by the immediate requirements of self-preservation. This was one of those times! From '48 to 1955 he supported himself by working at night, earning his way painting designs on neckties and bathroom cups; as a fashion designer, illustrator, vacuum cleaner salesman, theatre manager, and actor. In '55 Jan De Ruth made his professional debut as a full-time artist and two years later his first one-man show established him as a serious painter. His work has been acclaimed for combining the technique of the old masters with a modern manner, and has been exhibited in more than 40 one-man shows in galleries and museums across the United States. He has been judged positively by juries in 28 national exhibitions and his numerous awards include the Purchase Prize of the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Gold Medal of the National Arts Club. De Ruth, author of the books "Portrait Painting" and "Painting the Nude," has devoted his entire life to painting the female face and form. He enjoys special popularity as a portraitist and has become one of the best known painters of the nude female in the world today. Often asked why he concentrates on this most demanding of all art subjects he replies: . . . "Each painting of the nude becomes a new experience . . . It (the human figure) is nature's most perfect and most imperfect creation, communicating, even in silence and immobility, the physical and spiritual power-and frailty-of humanity." Articulate, sophisticated, outspoken and well informed, De Ruth has also been a welcome guest on radio and television shows. But, it is painting that gives a purpose to Jan De Ruth's existence: "It is an unending challenge-there is no end, no final result-to be found in painting the human body. I have never seen two gestures that are alike, but so are the possibilities of expression. There will always be painters who will find one more way of saying: "See! This is what I feel about humans." . . . So until a greater challenge and a more profound symbol comes along, it is the human figure I wish to paint." AWARDS Butler Institute of American Art Purchase Prize Oguniquit Art Center Knickerbocker Artist 1964 Audubon Artist, Grumbacher Purchase Prize National Arts Club of America Gold Medal Windsor-Newton Award of the National Arts Club ONE MAN MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS B'nai B'rith Museum - Washington D.C. Florida Gulf Coast Art...

Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Ship at Sea)
Untitled (Ship at Sea)

Untitled (Ship at Sea)

Located in New York, NY

Unknown/Unidentified Artist Signature, "Untitled: Ships at Sea", Landscape/Seascape Pencil Drawing on Paper, 4.50 x 8 (10 x 13.50 Framed), Mid to Late 20th...

Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil

"Habenero, " Oil painting

"Habenero, " Oil painting

By Thane Gorek

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

France early 20th century View of the Grosbois castle and head study, watercolor
France early 20th century View of the Grosbois castle and head study, watercolor

France early 20th century View of the Grosbois castle and head study, watercolor

Located in Paris, FR

French school early 20th century  View of the Grosbois castle and a portrait study. Black ink, black ink wash and watercolor on paper Signed lower right (indistinct, see photo) 27 x ...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Carbon Pencil

Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland
Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland

Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland

By Eugene Schmidt

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: Eugene Schmidt (German/American, 1919-2007) Title: Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland Year: Circa 1970 Medium: Oil on canvas board Board size: 10 x 8 inches Signature...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

1974 oil painting still life of strawberries by British artist George Weissbort
1974 oil painting still life of strawberries by British artist George Weissbort

1974 oil painting still life of strawberries by British artist George Weissbort

By George Weissbort

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

George Weissbort (Belgian / British, 1928 – 2013) Strawberries Oil on canvasboard Signed and dated ‘G Weissbort 1974’ (lower right) 18.1/4 x 20.1/8 in. (46.3 x 51 cm.) George We...

Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Early English watercolour of cottage on lane in Pirbright Constable Contemporary
Early English watercolour of cottage on lane in Pirbright Constable Contemporary

Early English watercolour of cottage on lane in Pirbright Constable Contemporary

By Dr William Crotch

Located in Harkstead, GB

A very attractive view of a rural lane in Pirbright by this highly collectable artist who was a contemporary and friend of John Constable. Dr William Crotch (1775-1847) Mr Pear's House at Pirbright from the Turnpike Signed with initials on reverse and inscribed as title and additionally " Thunder about/ 1 pm" watercolour and pencil 4 x 6½ inches without frame 11 x 13 inches with frame William Crotch (5 July 1775 – 29 December 1847) was an English composer and organist. According to the British musicologist Nicholas Temperley, Crotch was "a child prodigy without parallel in the history of music", and was certainly the most distinguished English musician in his day. Crotch was a professional musician, becoming the first Principal of the Royal Academy of Music...

Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

“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

Seated Woman
Seated Woman

Seated Woman

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

Seated Woman, 1884 Oil on board 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm) Framed dimensions: 15 1/2 x 13 1/4 inches Signed lower right: Thos. P Anshutz. Dated lower left: 1884– Provenance Priv...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

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.