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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
“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

"A Surprising Visit"  19th Century Antique European  Oil Painting on Canvas
"A Surprising Visit"  19th Century Antique European  Oil Painting on Canvas

"A Surprising Visit" 19th Century Antique European Oil Painting on Canvas

By Eduardo Leon Garrido

Located in Jacksonville, FL

A Surprising Visit" by Eduardo León Garrido (Spanish, 1856-1949) invites viewers into a sumptuous journey through 19th-century European luxury. Eduardo León Garrido, a distinguished Spanish artist born in 1856 and leaving an artistic legacy until 1949, displayed a remarkable ability to capture the essence of his time through his brushstrokes. This antique masterpiece, rendered in oil on panel and measuring 22 1/2 x 29 3/4 inches, unveils a world of opulence within a Royal European...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Nymph with a Centaur', French School, Academic, Greek Mythological Grisaille
'Nymph with a Centaur', French School, Academic, Greek Mythological Grisaille

'Nymph with a Centaur', French School, Academic, Greek Mythological Grisaille

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

'Nymph with a Centaur' by T.M. French School, Academic, Framed Greek Mythological Grisaille --- An exceptionally fine, brush and wash, mythological figural study showing a centaur i...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Illustration Board

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

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

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

Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant
Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant

Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant

By Mark Beard

Located in Hudson, NY

Academic style figurative painting on canvas of a family and red tractor against a classic American farm field "Prosperous Family", painted by Mark Beard under his fictitious persona, Bruce Sargeant 84 x 58 inches unframed, 91 x 65 x 3 inches with a gold painted wood frame Excellent condition, ready to hang as is This Academic style figurative oil painting on canvas was painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant, a pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, and figurative painter, John Singer Sargeant. Here, the artist captures a blue collar American farming family in their field with an old red tractor. The man and woman stand stoically with their young child, dressed in simple white garments, perhaps to symbolize their purity. Rolling mountains...

Category

Early 2000s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mashallah! by Carl Haag
Mashallah! by Carl Haag

Mashallah! by Carl Haag

By Carl Haag

Located in New Orleans, LA

Carl Haag 1820–1915 German Mashallah! Signed and dated “Carl Haag / 1870” (lower right) Titled and signed “Mash: Allah! / by Carl Haag” (en verso) Watercolor heightened with white...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

"Portrait of the Black Ball Clipper Montezuma"

"Portrait of the Black Ball Clipper Montezuma"

By William Minshall Birchall

Located in Southampton, NY

Watercolor on paper by William Minshall Birchall of the black ball clipper ship, the Montezuma. Titled and signed W. M. Birchall lower left in pencil. Findlay Gallery label verso. 0riginal frame and mat with normal wear due to age. The American packet ship...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Madonna del Dito - Heavenly beauty down to the fingertip -
Madonna del Dito - Heavenly beauty down to the fingertip -

Madonna del Dito - Heavenly beauty down to the fingertip -

Located in Berlin, DE

KPM, Madonna del Dito, oval, slightly curved porcelain picture plate by KPM Berlin in fine polychrome onglaze painting, 27 x 22 cm (plate size), 33 x 28.5 cm (frame), unsigned, press...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Porcelain, Oil

Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Roman Mythological subject of Apollo
Italian Stone Garden Sculptures of Roman Mythological subject of Apollo

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

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

"Royal Mail Steam Packet Thames"
"Royal Mail Steam Packet Thames"

"Royal Mail Steam Packet Thames"

Located in Southampton, NY

Circa 1880 Unsigned Thames was commissioned in 1842 Overall size with frame 8 x 11 in.

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Study for Ruth Gathering Wheat 19th Century Large Antique Oil Painting on Canvas
Study for Ruth Gathering Wheat 19th Century Large Antique Oil Painting on Canvas

Study for Ruth Gathering Wheat 19th Century Large Antique Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Jacksonville, FL

Study for Ruth Gathering Wheat The Painting is monogrammed bottom left side Provenance: Notes: This is the full scale version of Ruth in Pharoah's Fields exhibited at the Royal Academy (now lost). Exhibited at the Bristol Art Museum, Birmingham UK Private Collection, Detroit, MI Description: Sir Edwin Long (1829-1891) was a renowned British painter known for his historical and Orientalist artworks. Born in Bath, England, Long displayed exceptional artistic talent from an early age. He received formal training at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where he honed his skills and developed his distinctive style. One of Long’s oil paintings...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Paire Flower Arrangement

Paire Flower Arrangement

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

MARTIN DES AMOIGNES, Elisabeth (1858-1936) Paire Flower Arrangement Oil on canvas signed New golden Frames Dim canvas : 110 X 32 cm Dim frame : 125 X 47 cm MARTIN des AMOIGNES, E...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

"Daffodils in Ceramic Pitcher"
"Daffodils in Ceramic Pitcher"

"Daffodils in Ceramic Pitcher"

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a beautiful watercolor still life on heavy paper by the German artist, E. Riehle. Signed and dated lower right, 1903. In good condition with it's orig...

Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Set of Extraordinary Italian Stone Statues Representing the Four Seasons
Set of Extraordinary Italian Stone Statues Representing the Four Seasons

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...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

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

Duel Between Gentlemen by Benjamin II Vautier - Graphite on paper - 26.5x21 cm
Duel Between Gentlemen by Benjamin II Vautier - Graphite on paper - 26.5x21 cm

Duel Between Gentlemen by Benjamin II Vautier - Graphite on paper - 26.5x21 cm

By Benjamin II Vautier

Located in Geneva, CH

Benjamin II Vautier (1895–1974) was a Swiss-born artist, known for his contributions to both painting and graphic art. He was born into a family with artistic roots, as the son of Ot...

Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Graphite

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

Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady

Portrait of a Lady

By Alexandre-François Caminade

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Alexandre François CAMINADE (1789-1862) Portrait of a Lady Oil on wood signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Wood size : 22 X 15 cm Frame size : 40 X 30 cm Alexandre-Françoi...

Category

1850s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Dynamic Watercolor study of Equine Trainer with a Horse
Dynamic Watercolor study of Equine Trainer with a Horse

Dynamic Watercolor study of Equine Trainer with a Horse

By Robert Ladou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Dynamic Watercolor study of Equine Trainer with a Horse Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Watercolour on paper Size: 7.75 (Height) x 11.25 (Width) Signed: No C...

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

Venice, Canal and characters
Venice, Canal and characters

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...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

"Stil life with Lobster"

"Stil life with Lobster"

By Martha A. Brockway

Located in Southampton, NY

Oil on canvas still life painting of a wine bottle along with a lobster. Signed lower left. Circa 1880. The painting is housed in its original monumental wood gesso and gilt Victoria...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Musician
The Musician

The Musician

Located in New Orleans, LA

Alfred Weber 1859-1922 I Swiss The Musician Signed “Alfred Weber” (lower left) Oil on panel This work by Swiss ecclesiastical genre painter Alfred Weber, best known for his humorous and meticulously detailed paintings, features a cardinal enjoying his leisure time. Weber's talent for rendering opulent interiors and his keen sense of comic narrative are evident in this painting. The cardinal, looking blissfully content, sits in his lavish living space playing the violin, accompanied by a flutist. Alfred Charles Weber...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Theodore Blake Wirgman (1848-1925)  Portrait of Ernest Albert Waterlow, drawing
Theodore Blake Wirgman (1848-1925)  Portrait of Ernest Albert Waterlow, drawing

Theodore Blake Wirgman (1848-1925) Portrait of Ernest Albert Waterlow, drawing

By Theodore Blake Wirgman

Located in Paris, FR

Theodore Blake Wirgman (1848-1925) Portrait of Sir Ernest Albert Waterlow RA, (1850-1919) pen and black ink on paper, inscribed with the name of the sitter on the verso of the sheet, now not visible under the framing 15 x 12 cm In a modern frame 34.5 x 30 cm Theodore Blake Wirgman (29 April 1848 – 16 January 1925) was an English painter and etcher who moved to London, studied at the Royal Academy schools, became a painter of history and genre subjects, and worked as a portrait artist for The Graphic. A number of these portraits are held at the National Portrait Gallery. Theodore Blake Wirgman was born in Belgium and died in London. He worked from a studio at 24 Dawson Place, Notting Hill, London, and joined The Arts Club in 1892. Wirgman was part of a group of avant-garde young artists who emulated Edward Burne-Jones and Simeon Solomon...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Ink

Portrait Sketch
Portrait Sketch

Portrait Sketch

By Ben Fenske

Located in Sag Harbor, NY

A portrait of a male head, in profile by BenFenske. The artist uses a variety of colors to convey a naturalist impression. Artist Bio Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minn...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Conté, Crayon

Grandma's Fairy Tales
Grandma's Fairy Tales

Grandma's Fairy Tales

Located in Houston, TX

Sculpture after Eugenio Battiglia (1858-1941) “Grandma’s Fairy Tales”, c. 1890s Alabaster sculpture, inscribed on the lower back right. 20”h x 13”w x 10”d c. 18...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Alabaster

Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original Painting, One of a Kind
Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original Painting, One of a Kind

Chinese Monastery, Impressionism, Original 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: Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Impressionism Title: Chinese Monastery Size: 16" x 20...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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

“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December 1894” – Grand Tour Architectural Sketch
“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December 1894” – Grand Tour Architectural Sketch

“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December 1894” – Grand Tour Architectural Sketch

Located in London, GB

“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December 1894” – Grand Tour Architectural Sketchbook Italy and France, 1894 Fully bound in leather Height 31 cm , width 26 cm, depth 3 cm Crafted in ...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Leather, Watercolor, Pencil

Cavalry Charge 1st Empire - French realism by Edouard Detaille - French art
Cavalry Charge 1st Empire - French realism by Edouard Detaille - French art

Cavalry Charge 1st Empire - French realism by Edouard Detaille - French art

By Jean Baptiste Édouard Detaille

Located in PARIS, FR

Conditions : Very good original conditions including a beautiful frame. This Framed under glass with a Length of 90 x 68 cm , this rare composition for sale is an exceptionnel piece...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Tempera

A Pompeian Lady
A Pompeian Lady

A Pompeian Lady

By John William Godward

Located in New Orleans, LA

John William Godward 1861-1922 British A Pompeian Lady Signed and dated "J.W. Godward 1904" (lower right, partially covered by frame) Oil on canvas One of the last and greatest Victorian neoclassical painters, John William Godward is celebrated for his flawlessly executed images of graceful women posed in idealized ancient settings. In this work, entitled A Pompeian Lady, a classical beauty is caught idling in a moment of quiet, solitary reflection. Godward's elegant subjects are depicted with a degree of technical mastery that remains unsurpassed, and the work's dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision are all characteristics of his unique take on the neoclassical style. Godward was unmatched in terms of his technical skill and attention to detail. A master of contrasting textures, he paints a diaphanous gown draping against the model’s smooth, milky white skin, which sits against the painstakingly rendered individual hairs of a tiger’s pel. Scintillating color permeates the canvas as well, energizing the otherwise static scene. Each element is given careful attention, and the overall effect is one of both immaculate technique and sensual tactility. Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Godward set the tone for the Victorian neoclassicist movement. He built his career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty infused with a Greco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the 20th century, when the present work was completed, due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire and the Victorian society’s preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, “a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world.” The sensuality and mystery of Godward’s maidens, combined with his impressive antique backdrops...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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.