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.
Meissen, Louise Sleeping, after a drawing by Greuze, 19th Century figurine
By (Circle of) Jean Baptiste Greuze
Located in Norwich, GB
As all of you will know, every Meissen figure is painted individually by an artist. While all Meissen is of high quality, I feel that the present figure is particularly fine, with th...
Porcelain
Duke of Wellington
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Duke of Wellington by Vladislav Khristenko Size of the image - 25 x 15 cm Size of the list - 34 x 22.5 cm Size in frame - 42 x 32 cm Etching and aquatint on paper #15 from edition ...
Paper, Etching, Aquatint
VOLTO DI DONNA - Stampa riproduzione Emilio Greco, anni 70
By Emilio Greco
Located in Napoli, IT
Stampa riprodizione del disegno " Volto di Ragazza" realizzato dal disegnatore Emilio Greco.Firmato in basso a destra. Scultore italiano (Catania 1913 - Roma 1995). Trasferitosi a Ro...
Color
$24,950Sale Price|47% Off
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...
Oil
“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...
Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
“Fancy Ball Dress #6”
Located in Southampton, NY
“Fancy Ball Dress. No.6. Alps.” Andre Leon Larue (Mansion) French (1785-1834) Published by W. Spooner 259 Regent St.t. Deposé à Paris. Printed by C. Hullmandel. (Circa 1831) Hand-col...
Lithograph
Paintings 19th Century Still Life With Flowers
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GODCHAUX Emile (1860) Compositions of Flowers in Pair Oil on canvas signed low Left Old Frames gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas (each) : 130 X 89 cm Dim frame (each) : 149 x 109 cm...
Oil
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Freilicher, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper. Paper Size: 11.937 x 11.937 inches, with centerfold, as issued. Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: ...
Lithograph
$3,375
Flowering Henbane : A Besler 18th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Hyosciamus albus and Hyosciamus vulgaris" (Henbane) plants from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensi...
Engraving
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Noblesse Oblige
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork located in Los Angeles, USA Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibit...
Oil, Canvas
$6,715Sale Price|30% Off
Apollo Marble Bust Sculpture of Grand Tour Mythological subject 1850'
Located in Rome, IT
Finely carved mythological subject in white Carrara marble of Apollo bust .
Marble
$1,500
Dodo, Abstract Signed Screenprint with Gold Leaf by Lebadang (aka Hoi)
By Hoi Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Dodo Medium: Silkscreen, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 31 x 31 in. (78.74 x 78.74 cm)
Screen
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...
Oil
"Portrait du Peintre A. Guillaumin au Pendu".
By Paul Cézanne
Located in Southampton, NY
Original Etching. "Portrait du Peintre A. Guillaumin au Pendu" by Paul Cézanne (French, Aix-en-Provence 1839-1906). Etching on archival paper, 1873. A good impression of the rare Fir...
Etching, Archival Paper
Venice with characters
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
COUSIN Charles (1807-1887) Venice With Characters Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 65 X 54 cm Dim frame : 91 X 80 cm COUSIN Charles (1807-1887) French painter 19th century Portraits, Landscapes, Waterscapes He was a frequent of the Leon Bonnat...
Oil
$29,850Sale Price|39% Off
A Fine & Large 19th Century Oil on Canvas "New Year's Day at The Grandfather's"
Located in LA, CA
Friedrich Ortlieb (German, 1839-1909) A fine and large oil on canvas titled "New Year's Day at The grandfather's". The joyful indoor family scene depicting a Christmas and new year's...
Oil
Grand Canal, Venice
Located in New York, NY
Highly respected American painter Warren Sheppard depicts the fishing boats of Venice with their colorful sails along the still waters of the Adriatic Sea. Sheppard is famous for his...
Canvas, Oil
Padua, Animated Italian Street Scene with Historic Architecture
Located in Genève, GE
Dimensions with frame: 30 x 40,3 x 4 cm. Signed "Aug Siegen" in the lower right corner. A lively and atmospheric street scene depicting the historic city of Padua, animated by figures, carriages, and everyday urban life. The composition centers on a grand architectural façade with arcades and a prominent tower, rendered with precision and bathed in warm, late-afternoon light. The street is populated with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages, capturing the rhythm of daily life in a historic Italian city. The presence of striped awnings and small shopfronts adds charm and visual detail, while the receding perspective draws the viewer into the depth of the street. The artist demonstrates strong academic skill in architectural rendering and spatial construction, combined with a more fluid and expressive treatment of figures and atmosphere. The palette is warm and harmonious, dominated by ochres, terracottas, and soft greys, with subtle accents of red enlivening the scene. This work reflects the tradition of 19th century European cityscape and genre painting, appealing to collectors of Italian views, architectural scenes, and narrative urban compositions. padoue painting, padua cityscape oil painting, italian street scene painting, european cityscape 19th century, italian architecture painting...
Canvas, Oil
At the Stream
By Philip Hermogenes Calderon R.A.
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1864' lower left
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
Antique Bronze Bust of a Provincial French Woman C. 1882 by Émile Guillemin
Located in New York, NY
By Émile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin (French, 1841-1907) A lively bust of a young french woman; dynamically sculpted with an adorable upturned smile and glimmering eyes, in a chemi...
Marble, Bronze
Parade in Geneva, 19th Century European Historical Oil Painting
Located in Genève, GE
Signed "A Dovianne" in the lower left corner. A vibrant and highly detailed historical scene depicting a ceremonial procession of mounted figures crossing a grand city square in Geneva, richly adorned with festive banners and flags. The composition is animated by a rhythmic procession of elegantly dressed horsemen, accompanied by soldiers and attendants, creating a dynamic sense of movement and civic pageantry. At the center of the scene, a monumental statue anchors the composition, reinforcing the public and historical significance of the event. The surrounding architecture, carefully rendered, is decorated with numerous flags suggesting a moment of national celebration or official ceremony within the city. The artist demonstrates strong academic training in the rendering of figures, horses, and perspective. The palette is lively yet balanced, combining warm earth tones with vibrant reds, blues, and gold accents, while the softly illuminated sky provides atmospheric contrast. This work belongs to the tradition of 19th century European historical painting, with particular appeal for collectors interested in Swiss subjects, civic celebrations, and narrative compositions. défilé à genève painting, geneva parade painting, swiss historical painting, military parade oil painting, horsemen procession art, 19th century history painting, geneva city scene oil, swiss flags painting, ceremonial parade artwork, cavalry painting...
Canvas, Oil
Tigers of Bengal
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ferdinand SCHEBEK (1875 - 1949) Oil on canvas signed low left - Tigers of Bengal - Old coppery frame - Dim canvas : 60 X 81 cm - Dim Frame : 95 X ...
Oil
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Grand Angle
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 Unite...
Oil, Panel
Hercules Italian Stone Sculpture of Classical Torso with Base
Located in Rome, IT
This reproduction of a classical Hellenistic sculpture of Hercules . A timeless piece for interior and a garden decoration. We can raise with a base on request .
Limestone
Luzi Girl Papago The North American Indian, Edward S. Curtis, Photogravure, 190
Located in Phoenix, AZ
LUZI GIRL PAPAGO, 1907 Portfolio 2, Plate 53 THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN BY EDWARD S. CURTIS Image size 15.5 x 10 1/4 inches, Excellent condition. This is an original photogravur...
Photogravure
"Montauk Point Lighthouse" Antique 19th Century Academic Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Signed lower left corner Painting Size: 9.13″ x 18.20″ Frame Size: 14.13″ x 20.13″ Francis Augustus Silva (1835-1886) was a prominent American artist renowned for his remarkable ability to paint boats and seascapes...
Canvas, Oil
$140,000Sale Price|20% Off
Father and children in front of TV - Mid-Century
Located in Miami, FL
John Falter arranges figures and faces in a way that rival the old masters in their compositional perfection. And he makes it look easy. The expressions are captured so the emotions of the story come alive. This Golden Age of illustration artist depicts fathers and children watching...
Oil, Canvas
Icarus & Phaeton - Etching (1897)
Located in Paris, IDF
ARTIST: after Auguste RODIN TITLE : Icarus and Phaeton MEDIUM : Etching/photogravure after the original drawing SIGNATURE : Unsigned YEAR : 1897 PAPER : Vellum SIZE : 13 x 10" ...
Etching
Three Men Conversing, Academic Oil Painting on Canvas, 19th Century
By Louis C. Moeller
Located in New York, NY
Signed lower right. Louis Charles Moeller was a master of American genre painting. His meticulously detailed, highly finished paintings of late Victorian interiors received consider...
Oil, Canvas
Cake Mountain
Located in Greenville, DE
Still life painting by Tina Ingraham, "Cake Mountain." Oil on linen, 27 x 27 inches framed. Ingraham traveled Europe studying Old Master works, mosaics, and contemporary painters tha...
Linen, Oil
Orientalist Scenes in Pair - Dutch Painting 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
VAN WYK Henri (1833-NC) signed HENRI Orientalist scenes in pair Oil on wood panel signed low left Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim wood : 22 X 41 cm Dim frame : 33 X 55 cm V...
Oil
The Love Letter
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1884' lower right
Canvas, Oil
Italian Stone Garden Sculpture of Roman Mythological subject Apollo
Located in Rome, IT
Finely carved mythological subject in Vicenza limestone of Apollo and Minerva Excellent condition from an estate of Veneto. Measurements: Statues cm 150, base cm 85.
Limestone
Girl with Books 1, Acrylic Painting, 39x23in, Contemporary Art
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Girl with Books 1", 39x23in / 100x60cm. Shipping from artist's studio from Bucharest, Romania, Europe, by DHL or FedEx. Free shipping with 1stDibs code FREESHIP This series of pai...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Very Fine and Large Oil on Canvas "Ashura Rituals in Tangier, Morocco"
Located in LA, CA
Gordon B. Coutts (Scottish/American, 1868-1937) A very fine and large orientalist oil on canvas titled "Ashura Rituals, Tangier" (Arabic: عاشوراء ʻĀshūrā’ - Urdu: عاشورا - Persian:...
Oil
Summer
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Exhibited: Royal Academy, London, 1880, no. 355 (as Summer)
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Chapelle Sixtine
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork located in Los Angeles, USA. Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibi...
Canvas, Oil
Two Dogs Playing Scottish Terrier Woman Illustrator of the Golden Age Animalier
Located in Miami, FL
Animalier and female illustrator of the Golden Age, Gladys Emerson Cook, draws a tension-filled picture of two Scottish Terriers fighting over a stick. With a few lines, the artist ...
Paper, Ink, Pencil
$98,450Sale Price|21% Off
A French 19th Century Carved Marble Whimsical Figural Urn Fountain with Children
Located in LA, CA
A very fine large, rare and charming, French, 19th century. Belle Époque carved white marble whimsical figural urn fountain depicting children climbing on an urn with flowers and gar...
Marble
Richard Wagner
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Richard Wagner Etching, c. 1880 Signed in the plate (see photo) Edition: c. 200 impressions Condition: mint Image/Plate size: 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches Sheet size: 14 3/8 x 10 7/8 inches ...
Etching
$3,000
A bright and energetic painting of people on a deck near harbor in Nantucket
Located in Colfax, CA
A super bright, and color-filled painting by Nantucket based artist Sybil Goldsmith. This work depicts young, attractive college students having refres...
Oil
Prism, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Prism" is an oil painting that depicts a woman in the foreground looking into the distance with an atmospheric su...
Oil, Panel
"A Pompeiian Love Song" 19th Century Realism Antique Oil on Canvas
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Provenance: Sold: Jackson's Auctioneers & Appraisers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, December 8, 2009, Lot 4 A Pompeiian Love Song" by Antonio Rivas (Spanish, 1845-1911) transports viewers back ...
Canvas, Oil
Large 19th Century Antique Marble Bust of Apollo of Belvedere
Located in New York, NY
Pietro Bazzanti (1842-1881) specialized in allegorical and genre subjects as well as copies of Antique and Renaissance sculpture. Regarded as one of the most talented sculptors of h...
Marble
American Bronze Sculpture of Male Nude Athlete during Shot Put.
Located in New York, NY
Clemente Spampinato, born in 1912 in Calabria, Italy, was a versatile artist and sports enthusiast. He created Bronze Trophies and Medallions for the Olympics and Italian sporting events in the 1930s and '40s. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1947, he moved to New York, where he channeled his artistic passion into capturing the essence of the American West, specializing in sports and Western-themed sculptures. His work, celebrated for its realism and dynamic portrayal of athletic movements, is exhibited in museums, galleries, and private collections across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Selected sculptures can be seen in various locations, including Washington DC, Cooperstown, NY, Canton, OH, New Orleans, LA, and the complete collection is on display in Sea Cliff, New York. Large Bronze Nude Of Male Athlete During A Shot Put...
Bronze
$640Sale Price|20% Off
“Pietra Dura Female Dancer”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original pietra dura handmade mosaic plaque composed of marble and other exotic stone of a traditionally clad dancing female figure holding an horn. Circa 1950. Condition is excellen...
Stone
La Rentrée du Troupeau en Plaine de Barbizon
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Ferdinand Chaigneau was born in the shipping center of Bordeaux on March 6th, 1830. There he studied drawing under the academic painter Jean-Paul Alaux (1788-1858). In 1847...
Oil, Panel
Provocative 19th Century Folk Art painting of a young boy holding thorny flowers
Located in Colfax, CA
A great 19th century folk art painting of a young boy posed, carefully holding thorny flowers between two fingers. His belt buckle has initials monogrammed, the last being an 'A' pos...
Oil
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...
Canvas, Oil
She Ain't Heavy - She's My Lover (Contemporary Figurative Nude Drawing))
Located in New Orleans, LA
New Orleans/Washington State artist Lue Isaac shows off her remarkable draftsmanship with this classical nude figure drawing. Note that this is from her ske...
Graphite
$17,953
Pair of Hunting, Game Still Lifes by Ferdinand Hoppe, Oil on Canvas, 1885
Located in Berlin, DE
Impressive pair of large 19th-century game still lifes by the German painter Ferdinand Hoppe (1848–1890), each signed and dated “F. Hoppe 85” at lower left. Both works are oil on can...
Canvas, Oil
Olivia Unveiling to Viola (from Twelfth Night)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Exhibited: Birmingham Royal Society of Artists, 1879 “Autumn Exhibition of the Birmingham Royal Society of Artists.” The London Times, 25 August 1879. T...
Canvas, Oil
Emile Vernon (French, 1872-1919) Pink Roses Belle Epoque Oil Painting .
By Emile Vernon
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite genre painting showcases a darling slice of life for a young woman in the Belle Epoque era. Dressed in a frilly frock made of detailed lace, and wearing a v shaped pin...
Canvas, Oil
$485Sale Price|30% Off
Edouard Detaille (1848 1912), A Carnival character, original signed Drawing
By Jean Baptiste Édouard Detaille
Located in Paris, FR
Edouard Detaille (1848-1912) A Carnival character and a Zouave 19.5 x 12.5 cm Pen and ink on paper Signed lower left with the initials (faded) In a modern framing : 35 x 28 cm T...
Ink
Leaves II, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves II" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background Elizabeth Zanzinger is an award-winning painter with an enthusiastic international following. She developed her artistic voice through her studies at the Aristides Atelier and Gage Academy of Fine Art in Seattle. Elizabeth finished her education with a fellowship award (Grand Prize, 2nd Annual Utrecht Art...
Oil, Panel
A Fine Italian 19th Century Oil on Canvas "A Young Man Napoleonic Bicorne Hat".
Located in LA, CA
Napoleone Luigi Grady (Italian, 1860-1949) A Very Fine Oil on Canvas "A Young Man Bicorne Hat". The beautifully executed artwork depicting a posing young boy in full period celebrato...
Oil
'Chapel in the Woods', Oil on Canvas Painting by English School
Located in London, GB
'Chapel in the Woods', oil on canvas painting by English School English, 1847 Canvas: Height 56cm, width 77cm, depth 2.5cm Frame: Height 78cm, width 97cm, depth 9cm This beautiful ...
Canvas, Oil
Feedback Loop, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Feedback Loop" is an oil painting that depicts peculiar machine with wiring and red in interior with white background Elizabeth Zanzinger is an awa...
Oil, Panel
$414Sale Price|30% Off
Fernand de Launay (1855-1904) Portrait of a child, 1890, original drawing
By Fernand de Launay
Located in Paris, FR
Fernand de Launay (1838-1904) Portrait of a child, probably the daughter of the artist Lead pencil on paper Signed and dated "4 septembre 1890" on the lower left 27 x 21 cm In quite ...
Carbon Pencil
Leaves I, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves I" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background Elizabeth Zanzinger...
Oil, Panel