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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
Homeward with Dog and Burden
Homeward with Dog and Burden

Homeward with Dog and Burden

Located in North Clarendon, VT

This finely painted 19th-century genre scene evokes the crisp chill of winter at the gloaming. As the last pale light glints across a frozen pond, one child hauls a bundle of kindlin...

Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

“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

Silence, Contemporary Art, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Silence, Contemporary Art, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind

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

“Rough Seas”
“Rough Seas”

“Rough Seas”

By Franklin D. Briscoe

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a very well executed luminous oil on artist board painting by the American artist, Franklin Dullin Briscoe. Signed and dated by the artist lower righ...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

British, early 20th Century oriental scene by female artist Katie Blackmore
British, early 20th Century oriental scene by female artist Katie Blackmore

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

Boulders
Boulders

Boulders

By Newell Convers Wyeth

Located in Greenville, DE

Original landscape oil on canvas by American illustrator N.C. Wyeth. Painted in his hometown of Chadds Ford, PA c. 1911-12. The work is unsigned but is included in the artist's catal...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

HERMMANN LEON - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of a Dog in Interior
HERMMANN LEON - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of a Dog in Interior

HERMMANN LEON - Painting 19th Century - Portrait of a Dog in Interior

By Charles Herrmann-Léon 1

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

HERRMANN LEON Charles (1838-1908) Portrait of a Dog in interior Oil on canvas signed low left Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 56 X 46 cm Dim frame : 69 X 59 cm HERRMANN LEON Charles (1838-1908) French painter 19th century Born 22 july 1838 in Le Havre. Died 1...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Swans Woodblock by Hans Neumann, 1913
Swans Woodblock by Hans Neumann, 1913

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 ...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Woodcut

Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Head
Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Head

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:...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pencil, Oil Pastel

Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Eyes
Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Eyes

Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Eyes

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Original French Anatomical Study of Horse's Eyes Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Acrylic on Paper Size: 18.25 (Height) x 14.75 (Width) Signed: No Condition: G...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Acrylic

“Bedouin Encampment at Sunset”
“Bedouin Encampment at Sunset”

“Bedouin Encampment at Sunset”

By Paul B. Pascal

Located in Southampton, NY

Beautiful orientalist original gouache by the well known French artist, Paul B. Pascal. Circa 1885. Signed lower right. Condition is excellent. The scene is of a Bedouin encampment at sunset. Newly professionally matted and framed in antique style frame. Under glass. Overall measurements are 11 by 13 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida estate. Paul B. Pascal (1839–1905) was a French landscape painter. He did landscape paintings of the Middle East and the Mediterranean coast with gouache. After he emigrated to the United States in 1893, he did paintings of the American wilderness...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache

” La Maschera ” 19th Century Antique Realistic Oil Painting On Canvas
” La Maschera ” 19th Century Antique Realistic Oil Painting On Canvas

” La Maschera ” 19th Century Antique Realistic Oil Painting On Canvas

Located in Jacksonville, FL

“Mom and Her Kids,” an exquisite oil painting on canvas by Gaetano Chierici, also known as La Maschera, captures a timeless domestic scene with remarkable attention to detail and emo...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Greek Architecture Blueprint of Ancient Amphitheatre Cyanotype Print, Watercolor
Greek Architecture Blueprint of Ancient Amphitheatre Cyanotype Print, Watercolor

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...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, C Print, Lithograph, Monotype, ...

Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Mythological subject of Hercules
Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Mythological subject of Hercules

Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Mythological subject of Hercules

Located in Rome, IT

Finely carved mythological subject in Vicenza limestone of Hercules in excellent condition from an estate of Veneto. Timeless decoration for your interior or garden. Measurements: ...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

“Enlevement des Sabines”
“Enlevement des Sabines”

“Enlevement des Sabines”

By Marius Jean Antonin Mercié

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a beautiful highly detailed bronze done in the forth quarter of the nineteen century after the work of Jean Boulogne, known as Giambologna. Boulogne’s sculpture was done in marble and was completed between 1579 and 1583. The sculptor of this bronze is Antonin Mercie, a well known French sculptor born in 1845. The bronze represents the Rape of the Sabine Women (Latin: Sabinae raptae), also known as the Abduction of the Sabine Women or the Kidnapping of the Sabine Women, was an incident in Roman mythology in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other cities in the region. It has been a frequent subject of artists and sculptors, particularly during the Renaissance and post-Renaissance eras. Signed on base “Mercie” for Antonin Mercie.. In very good condition wirh original brown patina. The base which depicts rocks is bronze and has been painted a matt black. Provenance:: A Sarasota estate. Mercié, (Marius Jean Antonin Mercie...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Original French Abstract Portrait
Original French Abstract Portrait

Original French Abstract Portrait

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Original French Abstract Portrait Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Acrylic on paper Size: 11.5 (Height) x 15.25 (Width) Signed: No Condition: Good Descriptio...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Acrylic

Orientalist View With Characters - Gouache 1894
Orientalist View With Characters - Gouache 1894

Orientalist View With Characters - Gouache 1894

By Paul Pascal

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

The Lilac
The Lilac

The Lilac

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

PAUL PEROT known as POL NOËL (1851 -1911 ) The Lilac Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame giglded with gold leaves size canvas : 75 X 93 cm - size frame : 97 X 115 cm PAUL PER...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study
Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study

Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Anatomy of a Horse by Robert Ladou (French 1929-2014) original drawing stuck on card in black folder/ thick paper, unframed drawing: 12 x 17.75 ...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Crayon, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil

19th Century Tonalist Sheep Herder
19th Century Tonalist Sheep Herder

19th Century Tonalist Sheep Herder

Located in San Francisco, CA

Charming little 19th century oil on board. I am not sure if it’s European or American. The painting measures 12 inches wide by 6 inches high. The frame is 3/4 of an inch around. Pain...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Early 19th Century English watercolour of woodland near Croxdale Hall
Early 19th Century English watercolour of woodland near Croxdale Hall

Early 19th Century English watercolour of woodland near Croxdale Hall

Located in Harkstead, GB

A very attractive and meticulously executed view of a rocky landscape within the woods dating to 1823. This would suit a library or study with its muted tones and skifull draughtsmanship. William Nicholson (1781-1844) Near Croxdale Hall Signed with initials and inscribed with title and date 1823 Pen, ink and grey wash 11 x 8 inches, image only 17 x 13 inches without frame The portrait-painter and etcher William Nicholson was born in Ovingham-on-Tyne, Northumberland, on Christmas Day 1781. His family transferred to Newcastle when his father was appointed Headmaster of the city's Grammar School. At an early age, though, Nicholson appears to have moved to Hull where he made his artistic debut, painting miniatures of officers garrisoned there. He was almost entirely self-taught, learning his craft through the close study of artworks in private and public galleries. He subsequently returned to Newcastle where he received many commissions to paint portraits of the old families of Northumberland. In 1808, he began to exhibit at the Royal Academy, continuing to do so until 1822. By 1814, Nicholson, whose mother was a Scot, had moved to Edinburgh where he set up as a miniaturist and painter in oils. Soon, however, he began to specialize in watercolour portraits. Early subjects included the actor Daniel Terry and the poet and novelist James Hogg. In 1818 he began to publish a series of Portraits of Eminent Scotsmen, etched from his own portraits and those of other painters. Besides Scott and Hogg, the subjects included the writers Robert Burns, John Wilson ('Christopher North'), and Lord Jeffrey, the painters Sir Henry Raeburn, the divines Alexander Carlyle and Alexander Cameron, the engineer James Watt, the architect John Playfair, and the song-collector and composer George Thomson...

Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Ink, Pen

Portrait Beautiful Woman SALOMAN Gouache Danish Swedish painter 19th
Portrait Beautiful Woman SALOMAN Gouache Danish Swedish painter 19th

Portrait Beautiful Woman SALOMAN Gouache Danish Swedish painter 19th

By Geskel Saloman

Located in PARIS, FR

Geskel SALOMAN Tonder (Denmark) 1821 – Bastad (Sweden), 1902 Portrait of a woman with a book Gouache on bone 8.8 x 8.5 cm (16.5 x 15.5 cm with the frame) Signed lower right “G. Salom...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Gouache

The first time model: the enigmatic young bohemian girl in traditional dress
The first time model: the enigmatic young bohemian girl in traditional dress

The first time model: the enigmatic young bohemian girl in traditional dress

Located in Norwich, GB

I love the feisty attitude of the girl depicted! With her hand on her hip, she seems to be saying to the artist: "Whatya looking at anyway?" She looks like she has a good head on he...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nude back (1978) - Ink on paper 46x63 cm
Nude back (1978) - Ink on paper 46x63 cm

Nude back (1978) - Ink on paper 46x63 cm

Located in Geneva, CH

China Ink Signed H. Balslaecj (artist unknown from the gallery) and dated 1978 Pastel wooden frame with plexiglas Total size with frame: 75x57x6 cm

Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Ink

“On the Seine, Paris”
“On the Seine, Paris”

“On the Seine, Paris”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original aquatint engraving of working river barges on the Seine in Paris, France. A horse drawn cart is seen loading or unloading product. Circa 1900. ...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Mezzotint

19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed
19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed

19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed

By McKenney & Hall

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"Wa-Em-Boesh-Kaa, A Chippeway Chief," is an original hand-colored lithograph by McKenney & Hall. It features a portrait of a notable Native American chief, with informational text below. 13 1/2" x 18 3/4" paper 25 5/8" x 20 1/2" frame American lithograph publishers. Most well-known for "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," a collection of 125 images that included biographical sketches and anecdotes of principal chiefs. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans...

Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Buttercup Flowers: A Besler 18th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
Buttercup Flowers: A Besler 18th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving

Buttercup Flowers: A Besler 18th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving

Located in Alamo, CA

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting Ranunculus (Persian Buttercup) flowers from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713. This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thick laid chain-linked paper. There is latin text on the verso. There are central horizontal creases and two small holes on the right and another in the left lower corner. It is otherwise in excellent condition. Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was an apothecary and botanist. He was curator of the Willibaldsburg Castle garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop...

Category

Early 18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

Marine with Characters
Marine with Characters

Marine with Characters

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Maurice BAUDIN (19th Century) Marine "L'Escaut near Anvers" (Belgium) Oil on canvas signed and dated 1893 low left Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 38 X 70 cm - Dim frame : ...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite  1920'
Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite  1920'

Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite 1920'

Located in Rome, IT

Italian life-size plaster sculpture , figure of the Callipygian Venus, after the antique Roman marble statue. Aphrodite Kallipygos, or Callipygian Venus literally means “Venus of ...

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Plaster

Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops
Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops

Magnificent early 20th Century Oil Painting of Race horses - At the Gallops

By Julius von Blaas

Located in London, GB

Julius von Blaas (1845-1923) At The Gallops circa 1905 Oil on canvas Signed and dated “Julius von Blass / 1905” (lower left) 110 x 200 cm (140 x 230 cms framed ish) This enormous and grand depiction of horses exercising is an iconic image not only of the edwardien era but also of today’s racing elite. Julius von Blaas was taught by his father Carl von Blaas (1815-1994) and trained in Venice, Florence and Rome. He was also influenced by his celebrated brother Eugen von Blaas...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Orientalism : Young Girls Playing - Original lithograph 1898
Orientalism : Young Girls Playing - Original lithograph 1898

Orientalism : Young Girls Playing - Original lithograph 1898

By Etienne Dinet

Located in Paris, IDF

Etienne Dinet Orientalism : Young Girl Playing , 1898 Original lithograph (Champenois workshop) Printed signature in the plate On vellum, 40 x 31 cm (c. 16 x 12 in) INFORMATION: Li...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

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.