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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
“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”
“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”

“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas painting of a bustling marketplace in Strasbourg, France. Signed by the artist lower left “P. Denarie”. Circa 1875. Condition is very good. The painting is ...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cupid and Aphrodite: Late 19th Century Porcelain Painting
Cupid and Aphrodite: Late 19th Century Porcelain Painting

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 ...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Porcelain

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

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

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

“Bavarian Flower Girls”
“Bavarian Flower Girls”

“Bavarian Flower Girls”

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a vibrant portrait of a pair of Bavarian flower girls in traditional dress. The painting is unlined and has recently been cleaned. Circa 1875. The pain...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Life Size Female Figure Sculpture – Contemporary Figurative Art by Zura
Life Size Female Figure Sculpture – Contemporary Figurative Art by Zura

Life Size Female Figure Sculpture – Contemporary Figurative Art by Zura

By Zura

Located in Brooklyn, NY

“Female Figure” (2023) by Zura is a life-size sculpture measuring 39 × 16 × 12 inches (99.1 × 40.6 × 30.5 cm), crafted in plaster with an option for bronze casting. This unique work ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Pathos
Pathos

Pathos

Located in New York, NY

A sensuous and fabulous piece to enjoy in the round as every vantage point is attractive or on a shelf or table. In the 19th century, the Italians and French were in a golden era f...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting
Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting

Shepherds by a Lake: Early-20th Century Contemporary Oil Painting

Located in Genève, GE

Monogrammed in the lower right corner. Dimension with frame : 49.5 x 67.2 x 5 cm. This monogrammed oil on canvas depicts an evocative Orientalist pastoral scene, featuring two figur...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Female Nude in a Studio
Female Nude in a Studio

Female Nude in a Studio

By Bertalan Karlovszky

Located in Houston, TX

"Female Nude in a Studio" circa 1910. 19 X 13 1/2 inches, oil on wood panel. Etched signature lower right. Well listed Hungarian artist. Spent his student years under the guidance o...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

1980 Fauno e Ninfa Faun and Nymph Pencil on Paper Figurative Drawing
1980 Fauno e Ninfa Faun and Nymph Pencil on Paper Figurative Drawing

1980 Fauno e Ninfa Faun and Nymph Pencil on Paper Figurative Drawing

Located in Brescia, IT

This delicate drawing of the dance between a Faun and the Nimph, looks following the Jean Cocteau clean line drawings. We can see in this scene, the grace and simplicity of the Neoc...

Category

1980s Academic Art

Materials

Paper

Woman with Cameo, Academic Oil Painting, Mid-19th Century, Framed
Woman with Cameo, Academic Oil Painting, Mid-19th Century, Framed

Woman with Cameo, Academic Oil Painting, Mid-19th Century, Framed

Located in Genève, GE

Work on canvas Original frame This portrait of a woman with a cameo is a beautiful example of 19th-century classical painting, showcasing the refinement and elegance of its time. The...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Study for Roses Du Matin
Study for Roses Du Matin

Study for Roses Du Matin

By Adrian Gottlieb

Located in Pasadena, CA

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. Signed "AG" on lower left corner Dimensions Framed: 13.5" x 15.5" x 2.5"; Unframed: 7.875" x 10" Exhibited Artist's Ch...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

TORSO OF YOUNG BRONZE  MAN
TORSO OF YOUNG BRONZE  MAN

TORSO OF YOUNG BRONZE MAN

Located in Nice, FR

Bust of a young man with green bronze patina.

Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

“Montalcino”
“Montalcino”

“Montalcino”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on board painting of the historic town of Montalcino in Italy by the well known American artist, David Buckley Good. Signed by the artist lower left. Titled verso. Gr...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"Serene Village"
"Serene Village"

"Serene Village"

By Samuel R. Chaffee

Located in Southampton, NY

Circa 1900 Signed lower right Sight size 12 x 18 in Overall size matted with period gold leaf frame 22 x 27.5 in

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Academic Study of young saint Inspired by Perugino, Tuscan School, cm 40x28
Academic Study of young saint Inspired by Perugino, Tuscan School, cm 40x28

Academic Study of young saint Inspired by Perugino, Tuscan School, cm 40x28

Located in Firenze, IT

Head with Halo, Academic Study Inspired by Perugino, Tuscan School, 40 × 28 cm Mid-19th century Pencil on paper Academic drawing depicting a youthful head with a halo and upward gaz...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Carbon Pencil

“Misty Morning Gloucester”
“Misty Morning Gloucester”

“Misty Morning Gloucester”

Located in Southampton, NY

Oil on artist board painting of a misty morning in Gloucester Harbor by the Provincetown artist, Kay Kellogg. Signed lower left. Circa 1935. The painting d...

Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

“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

Nymphs Dancing
Nymphs Dancing

Nymphs Dancing

By Henri-Pierre Picou

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

PICOU Henri Pierre (1824-1895) Nymphs Dancing Oil on canvas signed and dated 1881 low left Old frame regilded with leaves Dim canvas : 62 X 82 cm Dim frame : 80 X 100 cm PICOU Henri Pierre (1824-1895) French Painter 19th century Born on February 27th, 1824 in Nantes - Died on July 17th, 1895 in Nantes Painter of History, allegorical subjects, genre paintings, Symbolist. Pupil of Paul Delaroche...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega
Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega

Venetian Scene by Martin Rico y Ortega

By Martin Rico y Ortega

Located in New Orleans, LA

Martin Rico y Ortega 1833-1908 Spanish Venetian Scene Signed "Rico" (lower left) Oil on canvas Spanish artist Martin Rico y Ortega captures a charming view of a canal in Venice ...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Floral Bouquet”
“Floral Bouquet”

“Floral Bouquet”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original elaborate floral bouquet oil on canvas painting by the German artist Reinhard Michel. Signed Lowe right by the artist. Condition is very good. Circa 1960. Original gold o...

Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stella Maris and Down Patrick Head

Stella Maris and Down Patrick Head

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

“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

Untitled (Mother Holding Baby)
Untitled (Mother Holding Baby)

Untitled (Mother Holding Baby)

By John Gilroy

Located in New York, NY

John Thomas Young Gilroy (English, 1898-1985), "Untitled: Mother Holding Baby", Figurative/Academic Drawing signed on Paper, 14 x 8, Early 20th Century Colors: White, Black "Untitled: Mother Holding Baby" is a Figurative/ Academic Drawing signed on Paper. Among our Gilroy collection of drawings, this particular work is unique due to its original grid markings included here within. As one can view among our details, the drawing has visible age markings and 3/4 of the perimeter rear of the work has tape. Nevertheless, as with all his figurative graphite works, a wonderfully drawn piece of a Mother cradling her infant child. John Thomas Young Gilroy (30 May 1898 – 11 April 1985) was an English artist and illustrator, best known for his advertising posters for Guinness, the Irish stout. He signed many of his works, simply, "Gilroy". Born in Whitley Bay, Northumberland, England, Gilroy attended Durham University until his studies were interrupted by World War I, during which he served with the Royal Field Artillery. He resumed studying at the Royal College of Art in London, where he remained as a teacher. He taught at Camberwell College of Arts. In 1925, he gained employment at S.H. Benson's advertising agency, where he created the iconic advertisement art for Guinness featuring the Zoo Keeper and animals enjoying Guinness.He worked with Dorothy L. Sayers. He was also an accomplished portrait painter, numbering Royalty, Politicians, Actors and many others amongst his sitters. He worked in his large studio at 10 Holland Park, London, the former home and studio of Sir Bernard Partridge. He was a long-standing and much loved member of the Garrick Club...

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil

Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink
Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink

Memento Mori - Oil Still-Life Painting Colours Black Brown Beige Grey White Pink

By Lyubena Fox

Located in Sofia, BG

"Memento Mori " Oil on canvas Unframed 25 x 16,5 cm Framed 50,5 x 42,5 cm The frame Handmade from wood and plaster, water gilded with genuine gold leaf over rouge burnishing bole and patinated. Exhibited in the “Memento Mori” art show in Manhattan, New York with Sugar Lift in the beginning of 2021 The symbolism: Memento Mori (Latin for 'remember that you have to die) is an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity, and it was reflected in the artistic genre of Vanitas, where symbolic objects such as hourglasses and wilting flowers signified the impermanence of human life. Memento Mori The Painting’s Qualities Lyubena Fox...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Paris, Place du Tertre”
“Paris, Place du Tertre”

“Paris, Place du Tertre”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original hand colored lithograph by the French artist, Maurice Jacque of the Place du Tertre in Montmartre Paris, France. Signed in lower right margin. Titled in lower left margin. ...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph

“Gypsy Girl”
“Gypsy Girl”

Leon Herbo“Gypsy Girl”, 1885

$5,200Sale Price|20% Off

“Gypsy Girl”

By Leon Herbo

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on mahogany wooden panel of a young gypsy woman in a colorful headdress and costume. Signed middle right and dated 1885, Brussels. Original inscription paper label vers...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

“Provincetown Harbor”
“Provincetown Harbor”

“Provincetown Harbor”

By John Cuthbert Hare

Located in Southampton, NY

Beautiful original watercolor of Provincetown Harbor in first light by the well known artist John Cuthbert Hare. Signed lower right. Condition is excellent. The watercolor is hou...

Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

“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

The Little Ballerina
The Little Ballerina

The Little Ballerina

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Alphonse PELLET (1853-1926) The Little Ballerina Oil on wood panel signed low right Old frame regilded with leaves Size panel : 30 X 43 cm - Size frame : 40 X 55 cm Alphonse PELLET...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Libertine Carnaval in Venice - Ink drawing - circa 1916
Libertine Carnaval in Venice - Ink drawing - circa 1916

Libertine Carnaval in Venice - Ink drawing - circa 1916

By Georges Conrad

Located in Paris, IDF

Georges CONRAD (1874-1936) Libertine Carnaval in Venice 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) Very ...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

India Ink, Color Pencil

Vintage Large Albumen Photo - Via Dolorosa In Station Of The Bross. Jerusalem
Vintage Large Albumen Photo - Via Dolorosa In Station Of The Bross. Jerusalem

Vintage Large Albumen Photo - Via Dolorosa In Station Of The Bross. Jerusalem

By American Colony Jerusalem

Located in Surfside, FL

The Original American Colony was a colony established in Jerusalem in 1881 by members of a utopian society led by Anna and Horatio Spafford. Now a hotel in East Jerusalem, it is still known by that name today. After suffering a series tragic losses following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (see hymn "It is Well with My Soul"), Chicago residents Anna and Horatio Spafford led a small American contingent in 1881 to Jerusalem to form a utopian society. The "American Colony," as it became known, was later joined by Swedish Christians. The society engaged in philanthropic work amongst the people of Jerusalem regardless of religious affiliation, gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.During and immediately after World War I, the American Colony carried out philanthropic work to alleviate the suffering of the local inhabitants, opening soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures. Towards the end of the 1950s, the society's communal residence was converted into the American Colony Hotel. The hotel is an integral part of the Jerusalem landscape where members of all communities in Jerusalem still meet. In 1992 representatives from the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel met in the hotel where they began talks that led to the historic 1993 Oslo Peace Accord. Panorama of Jerusalem, c. 1890-1920 The Colony moved to the large house of a wealthy Arab landowner, Rabbah Husseini, outside the city walls in Sheikh Jarrah on the road to Nablus. Part of the building was used as a hostel for visitors from Europe and America. A small farm developed with animals, a butchery, a dairy, a bakery, a carpenter's shop, and a smithy. The economy was supplemented by a shop selling photographs, craft items and archaeological artifacts. The American Colonists were embraced by the Jewish and Palestinian communities for their good works, among them, teaching in both Muslim and Jewish schools. Photography Around 1900, Elijah Meyers, a member of the American Colony, began taking photographs of places and events in and around the city of Jerusalem. Meyers's work eventually expanded into a full-fledged photographic division within the Colony, including Hol Lars (Lewis) Larsson and G. Eric Matson, who later renamed the effort as the Matson Photographic Service. Their interest in archeological artifacts (such as the Lion Tower in Tripoli pictured here), and the detail of their photographs, led to widespread interest in their work by archeologists. The collection was later donated to the Library of Congress. World War I When the Ottoman Empire entered World War I as an ally of Germany in November 1914, Jerusalem and Palestine became a battleground between the Allied and the Central powers...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Photograph American Colony Mt Zion Trees
Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Photograph American Colony Mt Zion Trees

Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Photograph American Colony Mt Zion Trees

By American Colony Jerusalem

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...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art
Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art

Three Fishermen in a Boat Watercolor, 20th Century American Sporting Art

By John Whorf

Located in Marco Island, FL

A masterful example of John Whorf at the height of his powers, this large and luminous watercolor depicts three fishermen on a calm, silver-blue lake or bay, their figures rendered w...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

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.