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
354
467
319
230
141
204
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
50
478
534
297
38
47
50
47
25
21
18
28
14
28
30
116,601
63,725
56,548
28,117
14,661
9,479
6,636
5,837
4,134
3,127
2,523
2,365
2,132
607
614
599
38
852
411
276
261
182
157
141
136
126
105
96
82
74
59
55
51
48
48
45
44
833
654
376
372
197
62
36
16
15
10
665
131
737
610
Style: Academic
Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Roman Mythological subject of Apollo
Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Roman Mythological subject of Apollo

Outdoor Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Roman Mythological subject of Apollo

Located in Rome, IT

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

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

“Still Life with Strawberries”
“Still Life with Strawberries”

“Still Life with Strawberries”

Located in Southampton, NY

Very nicely executed original still life oil painting on fiberboard of strawberries by an unknown artist. Signed lower right, Charles Burch. I believe this painting is quite possibly the work of Edward Pritchard...

Category

1910s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard

The Water Carrier by Eugen von Blaas
The Water Carrier by Eugen von Blaas

The Water Carrier by Eugen von Blaas

Located in New Orleans, LA

Eugen von Blaas Italian I 1843-1932 The Water Carrier Signed and dated "E. von Blaas 1891" (lower right) Oil on canvas Eugen von Blaas’ unparalleled skill for genre painting is on...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou
Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou

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...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal

Four Season Extraordinary Set of  Italian Stone Caryatids Sculptures
Four Season Extraordinary Set of  Italian Stone Caryatids Sculptures

Four Season Extraordinary Set of Italian Stone Caryatids Sculptures

Located in Rome, IT

Four Caryatids sculptures with classically draped figures and their distinguishing symbols. Autumn, winter, spring and summer. Measures: Height with square form bases cm 220. Time...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

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

Lion & Mouse
Lion & Mouse

Lion & Mouse

By Isidore Jules Bonheur

Located in New York, NY

Isadore stands as one of the greatest animaliers of all time and this is a playful and endearing example of his work! Especially going forward, these bronzes make a distinctive and...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

San Luís de Francia - Óleo sobre tela - Siglo XIX-XX
San Luís de Francia - Óleo sobre tela - Siglo XIX-XX

San Luís de Francia - Óleo sobre tela - Siglo XIX-XX

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Firmado en la parte inferior con iniciales (pero desconozco el artista) Se presenta enmarcada la obra Medidas obra: 139 cm. de altura x 104 cm. de ancho Medidas obra: 154 cm. de a...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

“Orientalist Tropical Sunset”
“Orientalist Tropical Sunset”

“Orientalist Tropical Sunset”

By Paul Pascal

Located in Southampton, NY

Original watercolor and gouache of a colorful tropical sunset by the well known French artist, Paul Pascal. Pascal is known for his watercolor/gouache orientalist paintings. Signe...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper

'Female Nude Figure Study, ' by John Fenton, Drawing on Paper
'Female Nude Figure Study, ' by John Fenton, Drawing on Paper

'Female Nude Figure Study, ' by John Fenton, Drawing on Paper

By John Fenton

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

This framed 23.5" x 19.5" drawing of a seated female nude depicts the figure in a frontal pose leaning forward with one leg raised and elbow placed on her kneecap. Her head rests in ...

Category

Late 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Conté, Paper

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Spleen Heureux

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Spleen Heureux

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...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

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

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

“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

Set of Four Butterflies. French Watercolours on Silk Laid on Handmade Paper.
Set of Four Butterflies. French Watercolours on Silk Laid on Handmade Paper.

Set of Four Butterflies. French Watercolours on Silk Laid on Handmade Paper.

By La Roche Laffitte

Located in Cotignac, FR

A set of four watercolours of butterflies on silk, applied to handmade paper, with hand cut edges, by French artist La Roche Laffitte. Two are signed by the artist to the bottom righ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Silk, Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Carbon Pencil, Gouache

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

A Fine and Charming 19th Century Oil Canvas "Children Walking the Baby Goat"
A Fine and Charming 19th Century Oil Canvas "Children Walking the Baby Goat"

A Fine and Charming 19th Century Oil Canvas "Children Walking the Baby Goat"

Located in LA, CA

Henry Joseph Campotosto (Belgium, 1833-1910) A Very Fine Oil on Canvas "Walking the Baby Goat", depicting two young dutch girls by the grassy shore of a river bank, one standing holding a wicker basket and a leash to a resting baby goat, the youngest sitting next to her on a pile of branches tucking her pants, a pair of ducks and ducklings swimming by the tree lined river; within a later giltwood carved frame. Signed (l/r): Campotosto Henry. Circa: Brussels, 1870. Note: The artist is also known as Henri Campotosto Henry or Henri Campotosto was born in Brussels in 1833. He studied in Brussels at the Royal Academy des Beaux-Arts and painted some artworks with Eugène Verboeckhoven (Belgium, 1798-1881). He received a 1st Class Medal at the Academy of Brussels and an honorable mention at the Paris Exhibition of 1860. In 1871 he moved to London with his family and remained there for life. He exhibited his work at the Royal Academy Exhibition until 1874 and at the Suffolk Street Gallery from 1878. In 1880 he took part in the Berlin Academy Exhibition. His daughter Octavia also became a painter, visited Italy, and showed her paintings at the Royal Academy from 1871 to 1874. Henri Campotosto died in London in 1910. High Sales: Christie's New York - Property from an American Collection, "The Bird's Nest" - Lot 247 on October 22, 2008, Sold for $37,500 Bonhams London - 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art on 28 September 2016 - Lot 33 "Gathering flowers" Sold for £25,000 ($33,750 USD) Museums: The British Museum - Print of two girls and a lamb and print of two girls by a river bank Literature • E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs by Librairie Gründ - 1976 Edition - Volume 2, Page 488. • Maurice W...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

A Very Fine Oil on Canvas Interior Palatial Scene Titled "Game for the Cardinal"
A Very Fine Oil on Canvas Interior Palatial Scene Titled "Game for the Cardinal"

A Very Fine Oil on Canvas Interior Palatial Scene Titled "Game for the Cardinal"

By Charles Edouard Edmond Delort

Located in LA, CA

Charles Edouard Edmond Delort (French, 1841-1895) oil on canvas "Game for the Cardinal", depicting a seated cardinal behind an ornate French Louis XV roll-top Bureau du Roi, after th...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

A Party To The Castle in 18th Century
A Party To The Castle in 18th Century

A Party To The Castle in 18th Century

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

A Party To The Castle in the 18th Century Oil on canvas with a signature G.Weiss low left Old frame regilded Dim canvas : 46 X 38 cm Dim frame : 66 X 58 cm

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

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

Painting 19th Century Flowers
Painting 19th Century Flowers

Painting 19th Century Flowers

By Louis Adolphe Tessier

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

TESSIER Louis Adolphe (1858-1915)Flowers Oil on canvas signed low right and dated 1893 Old original frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 53 X 67 cm Dim frame : 78 X 91 cm Certificat...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Landscape
Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Landscape

Vintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Landscape

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

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero
Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato de caballero con sombrero

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Firmado en la parte inferior (desconozco el artista) Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de la pintura es aceptable Medidas obra: 58 x 48 cm.

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Still Life Fruits and Crystal
Still Life Fruits and Crystal

Still Life Fruits and Crystal

By Alexandre François Bonnardel

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

BONNARDEL François (1867-1942) Still Life Fruits Crystal Oils on card signed right below Old Frame Dim canvas : 36 X 45 cm Dim frame : 45 X 55 cm BONNARDEL François Alexandre ...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

19th Century French oil painting of a nymph playing pipes, a female nude
19th Century French oil painting of a nymph playing pipes, a female nude

19th Century French oil painting of a nymph playing pipes, a female nude

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

Charles Cres (French, 1850-1907) A Wood Nymph playing the pipes signed and dated `Ch. Crès/ 1884’ (lower right) oil on canvas 25.7/8 x 15.1/2 in. (65.8 x 39.4 cm.) Charles Cres was born in Briare in the province of Loiret. As early as 1875 he exhibited at the annual Paris Salon and was subsequently awarded...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stipple Drawing in Black and White of the First Lady of Haiti - African American
Stipple Drawing in Black and White of the First Lady of Haiti - African American

Stipple Drawing in Black and White of the First Lady of Haiti - African American

Located in Miami, FL

1942 Calendar illustration featuring the First Lady of Haiti (Madame Elie Lescot]) rendered in a precise stipple effect and celebrating African-American women which was titled "Twelve American Women." It was executed during the hight of World War II. Lois Mailou Jones...

Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Pencil

Hunting Dog Portrait Pastel On Paper By Catherine Dammeron
Hunting Dog Portrait Pastel On Paper By Catherine Dammeron

Hunting Dog Portrait Pastel On Paper By Catherine Dammeron

Located in Gavere, BE

The artist Catherine Dammeron was born in 1976 in Wissembourg in Alsace. She made her passion for pastel drawing her job. Artist going against the current, this resident of Yonne fav...

Category

1990s Academic Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

THINGVALLA
THINGVALLA

THINGVALLA

By Antonio Jacobsen

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

Signed lower right & dated 1879. Antonio Jacobsen’s painting of the Thingvalla (a shipping line between Scandinavia and the United States) is a masterclass in maritime artistry, showcasing his signature crisp brushwork and dynamic composition. Jacobsen’s strokes are precise yet expressive, capturing the texture of the ship’s hull and the shimmering movement of the water. The fine detailing in the rigging and smokestack demonstrates his meticulous approach. • The Thingvalla appears to surge forward, cutting through the waves with a palpable sense of momentum. The artist’s use of diagonal lines and the tilt of the vessel enhances the illusion of motion. Jacobsen’s ability to balance realism with artistic flair ensures that the Thingvalla feels alive, as if caught mid-voyage. Bio: Antonio Jacobsen, America's folk art hero recognized for his unsurpassed contributions to America's maritime history, recorded domestic and international ships as they passed through the age of sail to steam. He was a prolific painter and throughout his life painted an estimated 6000 paintings. Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 2 November 1850, where, for generations his family had been violin makers. His father encouraged him to practice a similar craft. At an early age he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Design in Copenhagen, however, reversed family fortunes forced him to withdraw. At the age 18 it was compulsory for him to join the Danish military forces, but he decided instead, to sail for America. He left his family behind and arrived in New York in the early 1870's. Like many other immigrants, he went to New York City's Battery Park looking for work. He passed his days sketching the ships that sailed in and out of the harbor. Not before long a representative from Marvin Safe Company noticed his drawings and offered him a job decorating safes. His ability as an artist was further recognized as he began to receive commissions from sea captains and ship owners and eventually Steamship companies, to record their entire fleet. The Old Dominion Line, The Fall River Line and The White Star Line are some of the steamship companies that commissioned him to paint portraits of all the ship in their respective fleets. In addition, the Clyde Line, the Black Ball Line...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

View of Venice
View of Venice

View of Venice

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

AUGUSTE BOUVARD 1882-1956 Pseudo : Mard ALDINE View of Venice with characters Oil on canvas signed low right "Aldine" Framed by Gault (Paris Fbg St-Honoré) Dim canvas : 50 X 65 cm D...

Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Louis Charles Auguste Couder (1789-1873)  Portrait of a young man, signed pastel
Louis Charles Auguste Couder (1789-1873)  Portrait of a young man, signed pastel

Louis Charles Auguste Couder (1789-1873) Portrait of a young man, signed pastel

By Louis Charles Auguste Couder

Located in Paris, FR

Louis Charles Auguste Couder (1789-1873) Portrait of a young man signed on the right border Pastel on paper 28.5 x 21 cm In good condition In a modern frame : 48 x 40.5 cm Augu...

Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

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.