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.
$998Sale Price|59% Off
Painted Cast-Metal Tiger circa 1900
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Painted Cast-Metal Tiger Continental School, circa 1900 8.75 x 19.5 inches Ex. Collection Interior Designer Joseph Cicio Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Joseph Cicio followe...
Metal
Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Photograph American Colony Mt Zion Trees
Located in Surfside, FL
The mat measures 21 X 16 the images are around 12 X 9 inches. They bear the blindstamp of the American Colony Jerusalem. I am not sure if these are hand colored but they are from th...
Photographic Paper
$1,920Sale Price|20% Off
“Sailboats off the Coast”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on academy board by the well known American marine artist, Franklin Dullen Briscoe. Signed lower right. (Under gold liner) Circa 1885. C...
Oil, Fiberboard
Original Marines World War 1 poster. E-E-E-YAH-YIP Go over with U. S. Marines
Located in Spokane, WA
Original World War One: Go Over With U.S. Marines. E-E-E-YAH-YIP. This charging leather neck holds his Springfield high. The cropped design was influenced by candid photography, ...
Lithograph
19th Century British watercolour of a donkey at a crossroads
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Attributed to William Weekes (British, 1864 – 1904) A donkey at a crossroads Watercolour on paper 5 x 4 in. (12.7 x 10 cm.)
Paper, Watercolor
$540Sale Price|20% Off
Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Charcoal on blue paper Size: 20 (Height) x 13.75 (Width) Signed: No Co...
Charcoal
"View on Long Island" James Henry Cafferty, Hudson River School Summer Landscape
Located in New York, NY
James Henry Cafferty Landscape and Figures (New Jersey or Long Island), 1845 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 21 x 17 1/4 inches Provenance The artist John L. Schoolcraft, Albany, N...
Canvas, Oil
$960
Botanical Triptych Cyanotype Print of Shady Majesty Palm Leaves Garden in Blue
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...
Lithograph, Monotype, Paper
Outdoor Italian Stone Sculpture of Classical Torso with Base
Located in Rome, IT
This reproduction of a classical Hellenistic sculpture, a timeless piece for interior and a garden decoration. Measurement: Torso cm 100 base cm 70.
Limestone
Exceptional Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble Statue
Located in Rome, IT
Outstanding Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble sculpture designed as entrance guardian, this mythical lady sphinx statuary display the head and chest of a neoclassical woma...
Marble
"Small Spread Eagle" Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, American, Animal Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth Small Spread Eagle, Modeled in 1910; cast by 1921 Signed on base: copyrighted / Harriet Frishmuth Stamped on base: Gorham Co. Founders / QEX Numbered "3" on...
Bronze
Untitled Portrait II (Modern, Academic Style Portrait Painting of a Young Man)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Modern, academic style portrait painting on canvas of a young athletic male oil on canvas, 26 x 17 inches in antique wood frame This vertical, contemporary portrait painting of sin...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Young Boy with Cap and Red Scarf, European Oil Painting
Located in Genève, GE
Dimension with frame: 42,5 x 34,5 x 4 cm. A sensitive and finely observed portrait of a young boy shown in profile, wearing a dark cap and a vivid red scarf. The composition is inti...
Oil, Cardboard
$1,826Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Woman in Traditional Dress and Lace Bonnet
Located in Genève, GE
A finely executed 19th-century portrait depicting a woman dressed in traditional regional attire. Presented against a dark background that emphasizes her calm expression and dignifie...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
Landscape in Provence Watercolor Painting by Francois Pascal, circa 1940
Located in Atlanta, GA
Step into the serene charm of southern France with this captivating watercolor landscape artwork by François Pascal (France, 19th century–1948). Expertly painted on paper, this work ...
Watercolor
Hunting Scene by Sir Alfred J. Munnings
Located in New Orleans, LA
Sir Alfred James Munnings 1878-1959 British Hunting Scene Signed “A J Munnings” (lower right) Oil on board The exciting atmosphere of the hunt is masterfully captured in this ex...
Oil, Board
Evening Colors, Landscape, 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: Evening Colors Size: 15.5" x 21" x 0...
Canvas, Oil
ANTINOUS Magnificent Italian Neoclassical Carrara Marble Sculpture
Located in Rome, IT
Outstanding 19th century Italian finely carved Carrara "Statuario" marble sculpture of Antinoo , after the Antique The Capitoline 'Antinous'. Antinous, a young Bithinius favorite...
Marble
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Ocean Cliff, Seascape Art, 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: Ocean Cliff Size: 15.5" x 23.5" x 0....
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
"Interior Scene with Lady and Two Children" Sarah Anne Freeman Clarke
Located in New York, NY
Sarah Anne Freeman Clarke Interior Scene with Lady and Two Children, 1883 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 32 x 27 inches Sarah Anne Freeman Clarke was born in Massachusetts in 180...
Canvas, Oil
Set of Extraordinary Italian Stone Statues Representing the Four Seasons
Located in Rome, IT
Four season ,monumental classically draped female figures and their distinguishing symbols on a square base. Autumn, winter, spring and summer. Timeless classical decoration for you...
Limestone
Large Spanish Portrait of a Young Woman with Hunting Dog Original Oil Painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Large Spanish Portrait of a Young Woman with Hunting Dog – Original Oil Painting Francisco Ribera Gómez (Madrid, 1907 – Málaga, 1990) Original oil on canvas 1957, dated MCM LVII Sig...
Canvas, Oil
“Mother and Child in the Garden”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of a young woman with child in a garden in the moon light. The artist is the well known American painter, Edward Percy Moran. Signed by the artist low...
Oil, Canvas
$59,850Sale Price|33% Off
An 18th-19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Venice" After Paolo Veronese
By Paolo Veronese
Located in LA, CA
A very fine and Large Italian 18th-19th century oval-shaped oil on canvas titled "The Triumph of Venice" After the original work by Paolo Veronese (Venice, 1528-1588). The original of this painting hangs in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice. The 'Ricci' coloration suggests a late 17th-early 18th century date. In 1715 Charles de la Fosse advised Ricci to paint only "Veroneses and no more Riccis", Venice, circa 1800. Measures: Height: 45 1/4 inches (115 cm). Width: 29 inches (73.7 cm). Frame height: 58 1/4 inches (147.9 cm). Frame width: 43 1/4 inches (109.9 cm). Frame depth: 5 1/4 (13.3 cm). Provenance: Royal Academy of Scotland. Paolo Veronese (Born 1528, Verona, Republic of Venice - died April 9, 1588, Venice) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at...
Oil
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
Two Spaniels on Red Cloth, Oil on Board, Signed and Framed, Circa 1860-1870
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Two Spaniels on Red Cloth by Hilton Lark Pratt (1838-1873) Scottish artist, is in clear rich red, black and white colors with a softer-toned landscape on the side. This 19th century ...
Oil, Board
$544Sale Price|61% Off
Lively alley by Pierre Duc - Watercolor
By Pierre Duc
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on arch paper Black wooden frame with glass pane 87 x 67,5 x 1,5 cm
Watercolor, Pastel
$14,000
Belle Époque Beauty with White Lilies, 1920s Oil Pastel Portrait
Located in New York, NY
A captivating tondo portrait by celebrated French pastellist Frédérique Vallet-Bisson, trained under Jules-Joseph Lefebvre at the Académie Julian and a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon from 1890 to 1945. Described in 1909 as "one of the most celebrated pastellists of her time," Vallet-Bisson was renowned for her expressive and refined portrayals of women in the Belle Époque tradition. The composition depicts a young elegant woman in three-quarter view, wearing a dramatic wide-brimmed black hat with feathers and holding an abundant bouquet of white lilies against a luminous twilight landscape. Her academic training is evident in the precise draughtsmanship, while the atmospheric background reveals the Impressionist influences characteristic of her mature work. Presented in its original carved and gilded tondo frame...
Oil Pastel, Paper
$539Sale Price|20% Off
Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Head
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Head Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Oil pastel on paper Size: 11.75 (Height) x 8.25 (Width) Signed: No Condition:...
Pencil, Oil Pastel
The first time model: a Young Woman in Traditional Dress, 19C French School
Located in Norwich, GB
There is something wonderfully direct and modern about the young woman in this late 19th-century portrait. Standing with one hand planted firmly on her hip, she looks back at the art...
Canvas, Oil
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Woman portrait by Ilse Voigt - Oil on canvas 96x76 cm
By Ilse Voigt
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on canvas with wooden frame. Total size with frame is 88x109 cm Ilse VOIGT is an artist born in 1905 and died in 1997. His works have been sold at public auction 24 times, mostl...
Oil
$1,120Sale Price|30% Off
Venice, Architecture, Cityscape, 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: Venice Size: 16" x 21.5" x 0.8'' inc...
Canvas, 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...
Canvas, Oil
Print Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Laque on Panel, Mid-Century, Framed
Located in Zofingen, AG
Print Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Laque on Panel, Mid-Century, Framed Title Print on Panel Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Mid-Century, Framed, Switzerland Medium Print on pane...
Oil, Panel
$1,625Sale Price|35% Off
Seashore, Coastal Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Coastal Original oil Painting, One of a Kind Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionis...
Canvas, Oil
Cupid and Aphrodite: Late 19th Century Porcelain Painting
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This painting on porcelain depicts the Greek legends Aphrodite and Cupid in radiant light. In this playful scene, Aphrodite holds Cupid's bow just out of his reach. This painting is ...
Oil, Porcelain
Young Mother Contemplating Two Embracing Children by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Located in New Orleans, LA
William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1825-1905 French Jeune mère contemplant deux enfants qui s'embrassent (Young Mother Contemplating Two Embracing Children) Signed “W-Bouguereau” (bottom ...
Canvas, Oil
$10,000Sale Price|20% Off
Pegasus and Bellerophon En Grisaille Oil on Canvas, 40x54 Inches
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Pegasus and Bellerophon — En Grisaille Oil on Canvas, after a 16th-Century Italian Relief This large-scale oil on canvas painting by acclaimed American artist Philip Melville Courtn...
Oil
$1,026Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Realist Oil Profile Portrait of Lady Beautiful Quality
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French realist artist of the 19th century oil painting on board, unframed board: 12.5 x 10.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ...
Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
After Storm, Seascape, 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: After Storm Size: 11" x 16" x 0.8'' ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
“Sailing along the Rocky American Coast”
Located in Southampton, NY
*A seascape by Warren Long captures a sailboat navigating choppy blue waters near a dramatic rocky coast under a cloudy, bright sky. Oil on canvas. Signe...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Lady with Hat and Fan - Marie-Antoinette Style in 1783
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Félix-Henri Giacomotti (1828-1909) Portrait of a Lady - Marie-Antoinette fashion in 1783. Signed low left Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 92,5 X 73,5 cm Dim Oval view : 86 ...
Oil
$3,000
"Study for Alyssa II" 2018 - Charcoal drawing, portrait of young woman, framed
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A charcoal portrait drawing of a young woman, perfectly poised and staring directly at the viewer. Her face is executed with exceptional detail, and is the focal point of the composi...
Charcoal, Archival Paper
Madonna and Child. Oil on canvas. Mounted on canvas. 72x58 cm. Unsigned
By Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Located in Riga, LV
Giovanni Battista Salvi was born at Sassoferrato in the Marches, from where he took his name. His work, which was consciously anachronistic in 17th-century Rome, looked back to the 1...
Canvas, Oil
Leaves II, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves II" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background Elizabeth Zanzinger is an award-winning painter with an enthusiastic international following. She developed her artistic voice through her studies at the Aristides Atelier and Gage Academy of Fine Art in Seattle. Elizabeth finished her education with a fellowship award (Grand Prize, 2nd Annual Utrecht Art...
Oil, Panel
Picnic on the Hudson
Located in New York, NY
Picnic on the Hudson is a significant canvas painted circa 1860 as Whittredge was purposely transitioning his European training and experience into a purely American style and genre....
Canvas, Oil
$585,000
"In the Canadian Rockies" 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas
By Albert Bierstadt, 1830-1902
Located in Jacksonville, FL
The art is signed AB..6. lower right corner Albert Bierstadt, a luminary of 19th-century American landscape painting, was born on January 7, 1830, in Solingen, Prussia (now Germany)...
Oil
$1,400Sale Price|30% Off
Mountain View, Landscape, 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: Mountain View Size: 16" x 21" x 0.8'...
Canvas, Oil
$3,178
Bonaventure LAURENS Landscape painting View GRENOBLE from mountain French 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Jean Joseph Bonaventure LAURENS (Attributed to) Carpentras, 1801 – Montpellier, 1890 View of Grenoble from the heights Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard 35.5 x 42.5 cm (46.5 x 54.5 ...
Oil
French Academic Oil Painting – Classical Garden with Female Figures and Swans
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated low-right. This important French academic oil painting by Paul Jean Gervais, one of the leading figures of late 19th-century academic art, depicts an idealized clas...
Oil, Canvas
Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving of Flowering Tulip & Wild Garlic Plants
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Tulipa viridiscoloris, Fritillaria iuncifolns, Allium Vrsinum" depicting flowering tulip, fritillary and wild garlic plants fro...
Engraving
$556Sale Price|20% Off
Retrato Femenino, Academic Pastel Drawing, Framed, Circa 2005
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado y fechado del año 2005 Se presenta enmarcada la obra (el marco presenta algún leve...
Pastel
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Farmer, Landscape Art, 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: Farmer Size: 16.5" x 21.5" x 0.8'' i...
Canvas, Oil
$16,000Sale Price|20% Off
Stunning Canal Views in Venice, Signed Landscape Painting, 60x81 cm
Located in New York, NY
Pristine condition. No restorations. Both signed low right.
Canvas, Oil
Fisherman Boats on the Scheldt - Original Etching
Located in Paris, IDF
Carel Nicolaas STORM VAN'S GRAVENSANDE Fisherman Boats on the Scheldt Original etching Printed signature in the plate On laid paper, 26,5 x 38 cm (c. 10,4 x 14,9 inch) Excellent co...
Etching
$420
Greek Architecture Blueprint of Ancient Amphitheatre Cyanotype Print, Watercolor
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Details: + Title: Ancient Roman Amphitheater + Year: 2022 + Edition Size: 50 + Stamped and Certificate of Authenticity provided + Measurements : 70x100 cm (28x 40 in.), a standard frame size + All cyanotype prints...
Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, C Print, Lithograph, Monotype, ...
La Carmencita by John Singer Sargent
By John Singer Sargent
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Singer Sargent 1856-1925 American Stamped by artist's estate (en verso) Oil on canvas John Singer Sargent, widely regarded as one of history's most distinguished portraitists...
Canvas, Oil
$1,784Sale Price|20% Off
Elegant Portrait of a Lady in Fur Stole, Early 20th Century”no signed
Located in Genève, GE
Elegant Portrait of a Lady — Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas no signed A captivating and refined portrait of an elegant lady seated gracefully, dressed in a sumptuous dark gown ador...
Oil, Canvas
Harbor, Coastal, 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: Harbor Size: 11" x 14" x 0.8'' inch...
Canvas, Oil
Swans Woodblock by Hans Neumann, 1913
By Hans Neumann
Located in New York, NY
Hans Neumann (German, 1873 - 1957) Schwäne (Swans), 1913 Woodblock Sight: 17 x 11 in. Framed: 25 3/4 x 19 in. Signed & inscribed bottom, artist monogram lower left This outstanding ...
Woodcut
Gondolier on a Venetian backwater, oil on canvas, by Antoine Bouvard senior
By Antoine Bouvard (Marc Aldine)
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Antoine Bouvard (French, 1882–1956) Gondolier on a Venetian Backwater Oil on canvas Signed ‘Bouvard’ (lower left) 21.25 x 32 in. (54 x 81.5 cm) In this tranquil Venetian scene, Anto...
Canvas, Oil