Skip to main content

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. 

to
297
436
305
222
137
192
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
50
448
472
320
37
46
29
43
25
15
17
19
16
27
30
114,338
64,897
56,475
26,899
14,686
8,598
5,873
5,732
4,220
3,039
2,497
2,279
2,236
672
596
552
41
816
409
262
237
176
161
141
136
121
92
90
68
64
57
56
53
50
50
48
45
815
642
369
367
180
66
39
17
15
13
603
122
692
591
Style: Academic
Blaine, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
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

Conversation, figurative, Impressionism, 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: Conversation Size: 19" x 23" x 0.8''...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Roses, Flowers, Impressionism, 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: 2020 Style: Impressionism Title: Roses Size: 19.5" x 23.5" x 0.8'' in...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Early 20th Century French crayon drawing of a group of young people
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Edmund Dulac (French, 1882 – 1953) A welcome refreshment Black crayon with a touch of white chalk Signed ‘E Dulac’ (upper right) 8.7/8 x 11 in. (22.5 x 28...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Crayon

19th Century gouache of a visit to Pompei on the Grand Tour
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Neapolitan school (early 19th Century) A visit to Pompei on the the Grand Tour Gouache on paper Inscribed ‘Porzione del quartiere a Pompei’ and ‘In Nap...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

British mid century watercolour and pen drawing of children at a zoo with monkey
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Mona Alizon Edmonds (British, 1911 – 1983) Unfinished monkey business, 1944 Pen and watercolour 11.3/8 x 11.3/8 in. (28.7 x 28.7 cm.)
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Pen

Sir Stanley Spencer 'Portrait of Hilda, Stanley's wife', 1924, drawing
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Sir Stanley Spencer, CBE RA (British, 1891 – 1959) A Portrait of Hilda, the artist’s wife Pencil on paper Signed and dated ‘Stanley spencer 1924’ (lower right) 8 x 9.3/4 in. (20.3 x ...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

French School 19th Century, Studies of horses, two drawings
Located in Paris, FR
French School 19th Century, Studies of horses, two drawings in the same frame 7 x 11 cm (oval) and 7 x 9.8 cm pencil on paper Condition : The oval one on the left with foxings (see...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Pencil

Set of Four Italian Stone Statues Representing the Four Arts 1920'
Located in Rome, IT
Rare set of sculptures composed by a set of the four female figures representing The Arts. 1920' Music, Painting , Architecture ,Sculpture. Measures: Height cm 150 Very good origin...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

Untitled [Modern Interior]
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print made by Berenice Abbott Signed in pencil by Berenice Abbott, verso 10 x 8 inches, sheet size 9.25 x 7 inches, image size This artwork is offered by ClampArt, l...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Beehives, 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: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Beehives Size: 12" x 17" x 0.8'' inc...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A.Bachman (1863-1956), painting view of Venice
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
BACHMANN Alfred Félix August (1863-1956) Lively view of Venice Oil on wood panel signed low left Old frame regilded with gold leaves Dim wood : 24 X 34 cm Dim frame : 38 X 48 cm BA...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Current, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Current" is an oil painting that depicts a lone figure in a golden field with clouds holding a floral fabric agai...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Silence, Contemporary Art, 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: 2012 Style: Expressionism Title: Silence Size: 22" x 28" x 0.8'' inch...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antoni Costa Woman. original figurative academician drawing painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
woman. original figurative academician drawing painting.. frame Barcelona, 1904 - Barcelona, 1965 It was formed in Buenos Aires, in the Circle of San Lucas of Barcelona and the FAD....
Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de dama con tocado floral
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra no va firmada Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de la pintura se puede ver, está bastante craquelada y está reentelada Medidas de la obra: 59 x 45 cm.
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Paire de dessins d'après Roméo et Juliette
Located in BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, FR
"Juliette et sa servante" & "Juliette au balcon" Paire de dessins à la mine de plomb, encre, aquarelle et gouache 23,5×10,5 cm et 25×14 cm respectivement / 33,6×41,6 cm encadrés Sign...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Ink, Watercolor, Gouache

Alice Liddell and sisters, inspiration for Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
By Lewis Carroll
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
This is a beautiful drawing, brimming with the unique personalities of Alice Liddell and her beloved sisters, Lorina and Edith. Dating back to the late 19th Century, this captivatin...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Éclaircie
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 Unite...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

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

Portrait of Bertold Brecht
By Josef Breitenbach
Located in New York, NY
Silver print Stamped in black ink, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Josef Breitenbach (1896-1984) was a German photographer and member of the Su...
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Black and White

British early 20th Century pastel drawing of Puck, Midsommers Night Dream
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Herbert James Draper (British, 1863-1920) Puck Pastel Inscribed ”PUCK” (middle left) and further inscribed and signed `Study for Puck/ Herbert Dra...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

British 19th Century watercolour of haystacks near the Cuckmere vallery, Sussex
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
An exquisite and tranquil portrayal of haystacks amidst the idyllic 19th Century Sussex countryside in the southeastern region of England. This enchanting watercolour captures the es...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

20th Century drawing of William Docker Drysdale by Gilbert Spencer
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Gilbert Spencer RA, RWS, NEAC (British, 1892-1959) Portrait of William Dockar Drysdale pencil Signed and dated `Gilbert Spencer/ 1949’ (lower right) 15...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Elegancia en París - Dibujo a pastel
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado en la parte inferior por el artista Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 55 cm. de altura x 42 cm. de ancho Buen estado de conservación el de la obra ::::::::::...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Retrato de un Militar - Dibujo a pastel
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado en la parte inferior por el artista Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 55 cm. de altura x 46 cm. de ancho Buen estado de conservación el de la obra ::::::::::...
Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Fossils, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Fossils" is an oil painting that depicts nude forms suspended in air between highway and underpass. Elizabeth Z...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

17th Century map of Cumberland, UK by Robert Morden
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Robert Morden (British, circa 1650 – 1703) A map of Cumberland with hand colouring An engraving 14.1/4 x 16.5/8 in. (36.5 x 42.5 cm.)
Category

17th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

Nu feminin, 1937 - watercolor, 24x41, framed
Located in Nice, FR
Aquarelle sur papier, signée et datée 1937. Dimensions avec le cadre: 51x68 cm. Odilon Roche est né le 3 octobre 1868 à Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. Mort le 27 août 1947 à Six-Fours (Var...
Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

“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...
Category

17th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Torah Scholar, Shimshon Holzman
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Shimshon Holzman (1907-1986) Title: Torah Scholar Year: 1962 Medium: Watercolor and graphite on wove paper Size: 13.75 x 19.75 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Graphite

Two Horses and Flowers Gold Screenprint by Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Two Horses and Flowers Medium: Silkscreen, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 31 x 47 in. (78.74 x 119.38 cm)
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Screen

Richard Wagner
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Richard Wagner Etching, c. 1880 Signed in the plate (see photo) Edition: c. 200 impressions Condition: mint Image/Plate size: 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches Sheet size: 14 3/8 x 10 7/8 inches ...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Etching

Orientalist View With Characters - Gouache 1894
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
PASCAL Paul (1832-1903) Orientalist View With Characters Gouache on card signed low right and dated 1894 New golden frame Dim gouache : 42 X 58 cm Dim Frame : 61 X 78 cm PASCAL Paul...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache

19th century color lithograph hares animal nature print wildlife
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Townsend's Rocky Mountain Hare" is an original color lithograph by John James Audubon. This artwork features two gray hares in a muted, cool-colored landscape. 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" art...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Horse and Woman, Abstract Gold Leaf Screenprint by Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Horse and Woman Medium: Silkscreen, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x...
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Sons and Lovers" Drill Drawing, #2
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed by artist "M. O'KEEFE 2013" at lower left. Media is graphite on clay-coated panel. Overall dimensions including the frame are 18 x 15 inches.
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Clay, Panel, Graphite

"Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution, Painting by Mary Fish
By Mary Fish
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Mary Fish Title: Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution Year: 1980 Medium: Ink and Tempera on Paper, signed Size: 33.5 x 56 in. (85.09 x 142.24 cm)
Category

1980s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Tempera

"View of Chequers Court, " Pencil & Ink by F. Trotman from Rothschild estate
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"View of Chequers Court" is an original pencil, pen, and ink drawing by Fiennes Trotman. This drawing was part of the Rothschild collection, and it fea...
Category

Early 1800s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Pen, Pencil

Still Life, Flowers and Fruit
Located in New York, NY
A stunning and dramatic still life by noted Belgian 19th century artist, David De Noter. Framed in a complimentary Empire style 22 karat hand carved frame....
Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Amour Celeste
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork located in Los Angeles, USA. Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in th...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Brothel, Groovy Harem with Courtesan, Concubine, Paramour, Playboy Magazine
Located in Miami, FL
George Hirsch - He gets his inspiration from the prototype of neo-classic painting for this groovy 1970s brothel. This is a complex figural work with m...
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache

19th century ink portrait drawing male subject realism black and white
By Oscar Gustave Rejlander
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Portrait of Baron Mayer de Rothschild, Rothschild Collection" by Oscar Gustave Rejlander is done in ink wash on paper. It is framed and matted. The portrait is a bust of Baron Mayer de Rothschild of the Rothschild banking dynasty, who lived 1813-1874. Art size: 11 3/4" x 8 3/4" Frame size: 20" x 17" "Rejlander, Oscar Gustav (1813-75), Swedish-born photographer, active in England and often known as ‘the father of art photography’, having pioneered practices such as combination printing and promoted photography's capacity to tackle subjects conventionally associated with painting. After studying lithography and painting in Rome, Rejlander arrived in England in the early 1840s and settled in Wolverhampton. A day's instruction with Nicolaas Henneman was apparently his only training before he turned to photography in 1853. Throughout his professional career, Rejlander combined studio portrait work and other commissions with particular artistic projects, importing ideas and inspiration from such sources as Flemish and late Renaissance art, 18th-century English narrative works, or contemporary cartoons from papers like Punch. His famous moral allegory The Two Ways of Life (1857) combines sophisticated combination printing with elaborately staged photographs. Although widely condemned as indecent—in Scotland only the ‘virtuous’ side of the picture could be shown—it was bought by Queen Victoria for Prince Albert. Rejlander vigorously defended photography's narrative capability, emphasizing artifice as a way to truth and creative expression, and works like Hard Times and The Dream (both 1860) convey unconscious states hauntingly and in a precociously modern way. In 1862 he left Wolverhampton for a London studio, where judiciously placed windows enabled him to create subtle lighting effects for portraiture. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Alfred...
Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Ink

French school 19th Sketch costume canopy holder church pictorial decoration
Located in PARIS, FR
French school of the 19th century Watercolor Annotations "Porte Dais / Costume for for the church of Saint Denis" 24 x 16.5 cm
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

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

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas

"In surprise" by Henri Fehr - Drawing 36x27 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Crayon

Cowgirl
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon, Charcoal

Cowgirl
Cowgirl
$288 Sale Price
47% Off
In evening dress by Henri Fehr - Sketch 50x70 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Young woman Drawing on paper 23x32 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Monogram L.T.C.
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Pastel

Landscape by Paul Mathey - Pencil on paper 30x43 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

"Take off" by Otto Vautier - Pencil on paper 11x17 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Stamp of the O. Vautier workshop Dimension of the passe partout frame 52.5 x 38 cm Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1863 i...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

"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

Sir Beauchamp, 1880-90 - oil paint, 73x62 cm, framed
Located in Nice, FR
Oil on canvas with its original frame.
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Town Hall Square By Barthélémy Marc Bodmer - Engraving
Located in Geneva, CH
Engraving on paper Brown wooden frame with glass pane 62 x 50 x 2 cm
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal, Original Illustration by Marshall Goodman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Marshall Goodman, American XXth Title: Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal (Oliver) I Year: circa 1960 Medium: Watercolor on Paper, signed in ink Size: 17 x 23 inches Frame: 21.5 x ...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

Cleopatra Queen of Egypt 17' century Painting Oil on Canvas
Located in Rome, IT
Amazing painting of Cleopatra oil on canvas with a gilt wood frame. Attributed to Giuseppe Diamantini (Fossombrone 1621-Venice 1705) The dramatic subje...
Category

Late 17th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Magnolia Grandiflora, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Magnolia Grandiflora" is an oil painting that depicts a nude figure in the foreground with a bright red backgroun...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Greek / Roman Naturalistic Allegory Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Stormy landscape scene in which a Cupid-like figure seen in the clouds appearing to have shot a number of wounded and dying men in the foreground. The men have a number of women and ...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Baby, 1900-1920 - terracotta, 37x38x20 cm
By Max Cantini
Located in Nice, FR
Sculpture in terracotta.
Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Terracotta

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.

Recently Viewed

View All