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.
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - La Cathédrale Engloutie
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 i...
Canvas, Oil
$6,100
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Mais où se cache le Soleil ?!
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 works e...
Oil, Canvas
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - De ma Fenêtre
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 works e...
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Coup de Vent sur Colleville
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 works e...
Oil, Panel
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Terre qui Saigne ?
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 works e...
Oil, Panel
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Au Fond l'Espoir
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
Pair of Bird Still Lifes 1871 by Michelangelo Meucci, Oil on Cardboard
Located in Berlin, DE
A finely executed pair of 19th-century trompe-l’œil bird still lifes by Italian painter Michelangelo Meucci (1840–1890), each meticulously rendered in ...
Oil, Cardboard
$15,000
Art Lovers and Art Critics Analyzing Obscene Painting. Cartoon
Located in Miami, FL
Cartoonist Richard Taylor was trained in academic art. He frequently comments on abstract art which was the new and radical thing at the time. "Curtis sees so much more in these thi...
Ink, Board
"Wife of Lot"
By Robert Bodem
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Robert Christian Bodem is a sculptor of figurative work, primarily showing in bronze. He received both his Bachelors and Masters in Fine Arts in Sculpture at Boston University. Durin...
Bronze
Maiden with hat
Located in Roma, RM
Luigi Preatoni (Novara 1845 - ?), Maiden with hat Marble bust 66 x 43 x 36 cm signed (L Preatoni) on edge of dress.
Marble
"Self Portrait Conte Sketch" rare Ben Fenske work on paper - academic study
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A colorful self-portrait from Ben Fenske, staring at the viewer straight-on. Hues of red dominate. Unframed. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, and has been worki...
Paper, Conté
View of Venice - Painting 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
KAUFMANN KARL (1843-1901) Pseudonym : CARNIER Venice view Oil on canvas signed CARNIER low right Framed by Gault (Paris) gilded with leaves Dim : canvas ...
Oil
The Musical Performance oil on panel by Antonio Ermolao Paoletti
Located in New York, NY
The Musical Performance by Antonio Ermolao Paoletti An italian genre painting showcasing two boys playing a trumpet and a guitar for their sist...
Oil, Wood Panel, Board
Courtship and The Shepherd's Family (a pair)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
19th Century Dutch
Oil
"Self Portrait Sketch" Early conte crayon drawing, head of Ben Fenske, unframed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An early work on paper, by American Impressionist painter, Ben Fenske. It's rare to see a drawing like this from Fenske, especially of a self portrait. Fenske uses classical draftin...
Paper, Conté
Plate 20: "Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Detail of the Ceiling of Entrance
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure was made in 1921 and is in good condition for its age. The antique paper has aged beautifully, having slight wear on its edges and a natural patina consistent with ...
Photogravure
20th Century British watercolour of Cowdrey ruins, West Sussex by Muncaster
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Claude Muncaster (British, 1903-1974) Cowdray ruins, West Sussex Pencil and watercolour 12.1/2 x 9 in. (31.7 x 22.8 cm.) Provenance: Garton & Cooke, New Bond Street, London Exhibitio...
Watercolor, Pencil
Stony Brook Village
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Dalessio faithfully depicts a Long Island town, picturesque with a large white church in the background. Marc Dalessio was born in 1972 in Los Angeles, California. Even in his earlie...
Oil, Panel
In the diner
Located in Roma, RM
Antonio Maria Fabrés y Costa (Barcelona 1854 - Rome 1938), In the Restaurant (1880) Oil painting on panel 14 x 21 cm signed and dated on the right.
Oil, Board
Pair Italian Limestone Garden Sculptures with Cornucopia
Located in Rome, IT
Finely carved mythological subject in limestone with Cornucopia associated with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual abundance. Excellent condition from an estate of Veneto. Measur...
Limestone
A. LEONARD - Flower Girl and her Dog
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A. LEONARD (19th-20th) Flower Girl and Her Dog Oil on canvas signed low left Old Frame regilded with Leaves Dim canvas : 46 X 38 cm Dim Frame : 55 X 46 cm
Oil
$95,000
The Charge 19th-century Realism Antique Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The painting is signed and dated 1894 Description: Eugene Alexis Girardet (1853-1907) was a prominent Swiss painter known for his remarkable attention to detail and his ability to capture vivid and dynamic scenes. Born in Paris, France, Girardet came from a family of artists and received early artistic training from his father, Paul Girardet, and his uncle, Jules Girardet, both respected engravers. He later studied at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he honed his skills and developed a deep appreciation for historical and orientalist subjects. He was interred at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery. In addition to several museums in France, his works may be seen at the Dahesh Museum of Art and the National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers, as well as at museums in Switzerland and New York City. Girardet’s artwork often depicted historical and exotic scenes, particularly focusing on Middle Eastern and North African themes. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to convey a sense of movement and drama made his works highly sought after. One of his most renowned paintings, “The Charge,” exemplifies his exceptional talent and his ability to create a captivating and immersive experience for viewers. In “The Charge,” Girardet presents an army of Arab camel...
Canvas, Oil
Attractive Young Woman Sitting in Chair and Looking Upwards in Domestic Setting
Located in Miami, FL
Female Illustrator of the Golden Age Alice Barber Stephens renders in an academic style and women sitting in a chair and responding to something outside of the frame. Signed lower left. Most likely done for a major newsstand magazine like Harper's, Century or Scribner's Monthly. Work is framed under glass in a simple black wood frame. Perhaps period. Matt is new. Frame size: 20.5 x 14.5 From: Wikipedia Alice Barber Stephens (July 1, 1858 – July 13, 1932) was an American painter and engraver, best remembered for her illustrations. Her work regularly appeared in magazines such as Scribner's Monthly, Harper's Weekly, and The Ladies Home Journal. Early life and education Alice Barber was born near Salem, New Jersey. She was the eighth of nine children born to Samuel Clayton Barber and Mary Owen, who were Quakers. She attended local schools until she and her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At age 15 she became a student at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art & Design), where she studied wood engraving. The Women's Life Class (1879), Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was admitted to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1876 (the first year women were admitted), studying under Thomas Eakins. Among her fellow students at the Academy were Susan MacDowell, Frank Stephens, David Wilson Jordan, Lavinia Ebbinghausen, Thomas Anshutz, and Charles H. Stephens (whom she would marry). During this time, at the academy, she began to work with a variety of media, including black-and-white oils, ink washes, charcoal, full-color oils, and watercolors. In 1879, Eakins chose Stephens to illustrate an Academy classroom scene for Scribner's Monthly. The resulting work, Women's Life Class, was Stephens' first illustration credit. New Woman As educational opportunities were made more available in the nineteenth century, women artists became part of professional enterprises, including founding their own art associations. Artwork made by women was considered to be inferior by the art world, and to help overcome that stereotype women became "increasingly vocal and confident" in promoting women's work, and thus became part of the emerging image of the educated, modern and freer "New Woman". Artists then, "played crucial roles in representing the New Woman, both by drawing images of the icon and exemplifying this emerging type through their own lives." Alice Barber Stephens, The Women Business, oil, 1897, Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania One example of overcoming women stereotypes was Stephens' Woman in Business from 1897, which showed how women could focus not only in the home, but also in the economic world.[8] As women began to work, their career choices broadened and illustration became a commendable occupation. People's ideas about education and art started to merge, and the outcome of a certain sensitivity to the arts began to be seen as uplifting and educational. By using illustration as a means to further their practices, women were able to fit the traditional gender role while still being active in their pursuits for the "New Woman". According to Rena Robey of Art Times, "The early feminists began to leave the home to participate in clubs as moral and cultural guardians, focused on cleaning up cities and helping African Americans, impoverished women, working children, immigrants, and other previously ignored groups." Stephens took advantage of the explosion of illustration opportunities, including the opportunity to work from home. Women's education Edwin Forrest House, formerly the home of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Throughout the period before the civil war, textile and other decorative work became acceptable occupations for those who aspired to be in the middle class. The Philadelphia School of Design for Women, founded in 1848 by Sarah Worthington Peter was first among a group of women's design schools established in the 1850s and 1860s; others appeared in Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. It began as a charitable effort to train needy and deserving young women in textile and wallpaper design, wood engraving, and other salable artistic skills, providing a means for training women who needed wage work. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) was established in 1805 by painter and scientist Charles Willson Peale, sculptor William Rush...
Charcoal, Board
Giorgio De Chirico ( 1888 – 1978 ) – Autoritratto – hand-signed lithograph –1970
Located in Varese, IT
Original color lithograph , edited in 1970 limited edition signed in pencil in lower right corner and numbered as: 72/110 paper size: 70 x 53,5 cm framed size: 93,5 x 77 cm ( origina...
Paper, Lithograph
Mountain Landscape with Animals and Figures
Located in Atlanta, GA
A student of Regnault and of Bertin, Jean-Charles Joseph Rémond exhibited at the Salon from 1814 to 1848. He was awarded his first grand prize in 1821 for "L'enlevement de Proserpi...
Canvas, Oil
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...
Paper, Pencil
Pair of 20th Century illustrations from 'A frog who would a-wooing go'
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Frank Adams (British,1871-1944) “Pray, Mistress Mouse, / will you give us some beer?”/Heigho! Says Rowley, / “For Froggy and I are/fond of good cheer”. / With a rowley powley/Heigho!...
Ink, Pen
Portrait at the Painter's workshop
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Francesco Brunery (1849–1926) Portrait at the Artist's Workshop Oil on wood panel Old frame gilded with leaves Dim panel : 30 X 24 cm Dim frame : 54 X 46 cm Francesco Brunery (1849...
Oil
Praying in the Desert by Rudolf Ernst, 19th Century Oil on Panel
By Rudolf Ernst
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Rudolph Ernst’s Praying in the Desert is a masterful example of Orientalist art, showcasing the artist's profound ability to blend intricate detail with an atmosphere of serene spiri...
Oil, Panel
$2,500
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 ...
Watercolor
"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)
Ink, Tempera
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Watercolor, Graphite
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.)
Engraving
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...
Oil
The Letter By Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian The Letter Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower right) Oil on panel A cardinal pauses while composing a letter in this oil on panel by Belg...
Oil, Panel
The Water Tower
Located in Greenville, DE
Coastal landscape painting by Giovanni Casadei, "The Water Tower." Oil on panel. Framed dimensions 12.5 x 17.5 inches. Casadei’s approach to painting is to communicate to the viewer ...
Oil, Panel
Lady at the Flower Market
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
LEBAS Léonie (19th-20th) "Lady at the Flower Market in Paris" Oil on wood panel signed low right Old Frame regilded with gold leaves Dim panel : 16 X...
Oil
Asian Love Story - The Good Earth - Golden Age of Illustration
Located in Miami, FL
Magazine Story Illustration most likely for Cosmopolitan or Woman's Home Companion. Caption: "'I will not heed these old ones,' said the maid. 'Let us flee together somewhere and ...
Adhesive, Oil
Figures at a mill
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
English school, 18th Century Figures at a mill Gouache on paper 4.5/8 x 7.1/2 in. (11.8 x 19 cm.)
Paper, Gouache
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
Wheels of Industry Past and Present, Golden Age of Illustration - Standard Oil
Located in Miami, FL
This Golden Age of Illustration painting juxtaposes modern and ancient industrial practices. Giant eclectic generators from the current ti...
Gouache, Board
Portrait of a Lady With Hat
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
WATELET, Charles Joseph (1867 - 1954) Portrait of a Lady with Hat Oil on oval canvas signed up right and dated 1909 Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canv...
Oil
$8,000
Woman Reading by JOZEF ISRAËLS - Dutch painter, Hague School, portrait art
Located in London, GB
Woman Reading by JOZEF ISRAËLS (1824-1911) Oil on Panel 21 x 12.5 cm (8 1/4 x 4 15/16 inches) Signed lower right Executed circa 1870 Artist biography Du...
Oil, Wood Panel
Venice, Canal and characters
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
BIRCK Alphonse (1859-1942) Venice, the Canal with chraracters oil on canvas signed low left Old frame gilded with leaves Size canvas : 51 X 60 cm - Size frame : 70 X 80 cm BIRCK Al...
Oil
$12,500
Sexy Woman in a Swamp Storm - Pulp Magazine, Hispanic Artist, Mid Century
Located in Miami, FL
Rafael Maria de Soto y Hernandez was born February 18, 1904 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It's high drama in the swamp. Woman in the Swamp is a masterfully executed example of Pulp Art and showcases Rafael DeSoto's full command of academic painting. DeSoto did pulp covers up until the industry's demise in the 1950s for such magazines as Adventure, Argosy, Black Mask, Captain Zero, Crack Detective, Fantastic Novels, 15-Story Detective, Fifteen Western Tales, New Detective, Smashing Detective, and Walt Coburn's Western Magazine. He also painted many covers and interior story illustrations for men's adventure magazines, such as Action For Men, Adventure, Battle Cry, For Men Only...
Oil, Board
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...
Oil
$11,409Sale Price|20% Off
Pair of Neoclassical Terracotta Bust of Emperor Caracalla and Cicero
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of 19' century Italian Marble imitation painted Terracotta . Bust of Emperor Caracalla and Cicero . Measurements : cm 71 H x 60 Available also a pair marble imitation colum...
Terracotta
Across the River by Sir David Murray
Located in New Orleans, LA
Sir David Murray, R.A., H.R.S.A., R.S.W., R.I. 1849-1933 • Scottish Across the River Signed and dated D. Murray 1907 (lower left) Signed and inscribed “Across the River/by David M...
Canvas, Oil
Plate 23: "Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Wedgwood Cabinet"
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is twenty third plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castl...
Photogravure
Edgard CUGNOTET - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of Two Children
By Edouard Ferdinand Ludovic Cugnotet
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
CUGNOTET Edgard (19th Century) Portrait of two Children Oil on canvas signed low left and dated 1884 Frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 138 X 100 cm Dim Frame : 162 X 122 cm CUGNOTET Edgard Ferdinand Ludovic (19th Century) French painter 19th Century born in Dijon Figures, Portraits, Landscapes He was taught by François Édouard PICOT (1786-1868) royal Academy of Anvers. He exhibited at the Salon de Paris between 1868 and 1884. Museum : Langres « the hurdy gurdy...
Oil
GRISAILLE 19th Century - Cherubs asleep
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GRISAILLE 19th Century (anonymous) Cherubs asleep Part of "Rococo Style" made famous by François Boucher (1703 - 1770) Oil on canvas Circa 1850 Old frame re-gilded Dim canvas : 33 X ...
Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 1: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Vestibule
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the first plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
$14,000Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of Dorothy Thompson (The Wild Rose) - Female Artist
Located in Miami, FL
A charming portrait of a beautiful blue-eyed girl in a pink dress holding flowers in her hand. It's based on Renaissance portraits where the subject is pushed to the foreground and i...
Canvas, Oil
Plate 22:"Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, detail of ceiling in Gobelin Hall"
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the twenty second plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian ...
Photogravure
Florentine religious figurative drawing from the 20th century front back
By Giuseppe Fraschetti
Located in Florence, IT
The drawing is signed at lower left "G. Fraschetti," or Giuseppe Fraschetti, a Florence-born artist who was a pupil of Giacomo Lolli, active mainly in Tuscany at the turn of the 19th...
Paper, Ink, Pencil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 11: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Smoking Room
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 15: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Dinning Room
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 14: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Green Salon Second view
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 12 : Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Red Salon
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Plate 8: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Smoking Room
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure
Plate 6: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Second View
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Photogravure