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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
French School circa 1880, Portrait of a boy holding a book, drawing
French School circa 1880, Portrait of a boy holding a book, drawing

French School circa 1880, Portrait of a boy holding a book, drawing, circa 1880

$694

French School circa 1880, Portrait of a boy holding a book, drawing

Located in Paris, FR

French school circa 1880 Portrait of a boy holding a book graphite and white gouache on paper 39.5 x 32 cm oval view in good condition, slightly yellowed with age In its original ova...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache, Pencil

Exceptional Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble Statue
Exceptional Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble Statue

Exceptional Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble Statue, 1790

$35,000

Exceptional Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble Statue

Located in Rome, IT

Outstanding Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble sculpture designed as entrance guardian, this mythical lady sphinx statuary display the head and chest of a neoclassical woma...

Category

1790s Academic Art

Materials

Marble

18th century diptych portraits man and woman American formal dress flower
18th century diptych portraits man and woman American formal dress flower

William Jennys18th century diptych portraits man and woman American formal dress flower, circa 1799

$169,000

18th century diptych portraits man and woman American formal dress flower

By William Jennys

Located in Milwaukee, WI

The present pair of portraits would make an exceptional addition to any collection of early American art not only because they were painted by the notable William Jennys, but also because the sitters are members of notable and influential New England families. In addition, these pendants have impeccable provenance: they have never left ownership of the decedents of the Kimball family and this is the first time they have been available for purchase. David Kimball (1766-1848) and Nancy Stacy Kimball (1774-1844) were members of historic Massachusetts families. David Kimball is a sixth-generation decedent of Richard Kimball (d. 1675) and Ursula Scott (d. 1659), who emigrated from Rattlasden, Suffolk County, England to Watertown MA around 1634. The family then relocated in 1637 to Ipswich, the city with which the family is now most strongly identified, when Richard was appointed to be a wheelwright.[1] Nancy likewise had early New England ancestry, descended from Simon Stacy and Elizabeth Clark, who were married in London in 1620.[2] Nancy Stacy was the second wife of David Kimball, and the two were married in 1799. Given this, the present pendant portraits were likely completed shortly after the marriage. David had two children by his first wife Mary Morse, who died in September of 1798. David and Nancy would have nine additional children between 1801 and 1815.[3] Most notably, the couple were parents of the Boston politician and showman Moses Kimball (1809-1895).[2][3] Moses would found the Boston Museum, an early for-profit museum and theater opened in 1841 that resembled European curiosity cabinets: the museum displayed paintings of Thomas Scully and Charles Peale alongside Chinese artwork, stuffed animals, dwarves and mermaids. Alongside these exhibits, visitors could attend the theater which held performances by gymnasts and contortionists, followed by performances of Shakespeare and Dickens.[4] This museum set the model for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which when founded in 1870 held a similarly diverse collection and appealed to the interests of a diverse set of visitors.[5] Moreover, some Greek antiquities from Moses Kimball's museum were eventually given to the MFA and Moses donated approximately $5,000 to the MFA's endowment upon his death.[6][7] William Jennys (1774–1859), also known as J. William Jennys, is an important American primitive portrait...

Category

1790s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

“Yankee Whalers”
“Yankee Whalers”

George Arnold“Yankee Whalers”, Circa 1955

$1,250Sale Price|35% Off

“Yankee Whalers”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on artist canvas board by the British artist, George Arnold. Titled lower left “Yankee Whalers” and signed lower right “by G. Arnold”. Condition is good. Circa 1955. Th...

Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard, Canvas

Still Life, Flowers and Fruit
Still Life, Flowers and Fruit

David de NoterStill Life, Flowers and Fruit, c. 1860s

$30,000

Still Life, Flowers and Fruit

Located in New York, NY

A stunning and dramatic still life by noted Belgian 19th century artist, David De Noter. Framed in a complimentary Empire style 22 karat hand carved frame....

Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1974 oil painting still life of a mandolin and apple by British George Weissbort
1974 oil painting still life of a mandolin and apple by British George Weissbort

George Weissbort1974 oil painting still life of a mandolin and apple by British George Weissbort

$1,306Sale Price|20% Off

1974 oil painting still life of a mandolin and apple by British George Weissbort

By George Weissbort

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

George Weissbort (Belgian / British, 1928 – 2013) A MANDOLIN AND AN APPLE Oil on canvasboard 18.1/8 x 22 in. (46 x 55.7 cm.) George Weissbort was born in Brussels in 1928. Seven ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Board

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

American Colony JerusalemVintage Large Albumen Photo Jerusalem Landscape, 1890-1920

$800

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

“Apples, Plums and Raspberries”
“Apples, Plums and Raspberries”

George Clare“Apples, Plums and Raspberries”, Circa 1865

$2,800

“Apples, Plums and Raspberries”

By George Clare

Located in Southampton, NY

Original oil on canvas still life paint of assorted fruit attributed to the hand of the well known British botanical artist, George Clare. Unsigned. Condition is very good. Circa 18...

Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Marines in Pair - Dutch Painting 19th Century
Marines in Pair - Dutch Painting 19th Century

VAN WYK HenriMarines in Pair - Dutch Painting 19th Century, Circa 1880

$6,413

Marines in Pair - Dutch Painting 19th Century

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

VAN WYK Henri (1833-NC) Marines in pair Oil on wood panel signed low left Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim wood : 23 X 41 cm Dim frame : 40 X 58 cm Certificate of authenticit...

Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

19th century color lithograph indigenous portrait figure feathers bison red
19th century color lithograph indigenous portrait figure feathers bison red

McKenney & Hall19th century color lithograph indigenous portrait figure feathers bison red, 1838

$6,800

19th century color lithograph indigenous portrait figure feathers bison red

By McKenney & Hall

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"Kish-Ke-Kosh, A Fox Brave (Sauk-Fox)" is an original hand-colored lithograph by McKenney & Hall. This piece features a Native American man. Reference: Page 200 of The North American Indian Portfolios in the Library of Congress. 13 1/4" x 9 3/4" art 27 1/4" x 22 3/8" frame American lithograph publishers. Most well-known for "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," a collection of 125 images that included biographical sketches and anecdotes of principal chiefs. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans...

Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

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

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

$6,000

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

Symbolism : Melancolia - Etching
Symbolism : Melancolia - Etching

Albrecht DürerSymbolism : Melancolia - Etching

$699

Symbolism : Melancolia - Etching

By Albrecht Dürer

Located in Paris, IDF

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) (after) Melencolia Engraving Signed in the plate On Arches vellum, 45 x 31 cm (c. 22 x 12 in) INFORMATION: Created in 1514, Melencolia is one of Albrecht...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Etching

Cake Mountain
Cake Mountain

Tina IngrahamCake Mountain, 2023

$6,800

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...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Portrait at the Painter's workshop
Portrait at the Painter's workshop

Francesco Brunery Portrait at the Painter's workshop, Circa 1890

$7,579

Portrait at the Painter's workshop

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Francesco Brunery (1849–1926) Portrait at the Artist's Workshop Oil on wood panel Old frame gilded with leaves Dim panel : 30 X 24 cm Dim frame : 54 X 46 cm Francesco Brunery (1849...

Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Paintings 19th Century Flowers Still life
Paintings 19th Century Flowers Still life

Emile GodchauxPaintings 19th Century Flowers Still life, circa 1890

$25,653

Paintings 19th Century Flowers Still life

By Emile Godchaux

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

GODCHAUX Emile (1860) Big Compositions of Flowers in Pair Oil on canvas signed low right Frames gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas (each) : 90 X 129 cm Dim frame (each) : 118 x 159 cm Certificate of authenticity GODCHAUX Emile (1860 - nc) French School - XIXth century Born in 1860 Painter of genre scenes, landscapes, waterscapes, marines, flowers, still lives. He sold his paintings on the public place, and sometimes in Lotteries. He is related to Alfred Godchaux...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Hercules Italian Stone Sculpture of Classical Torso with Base
Hercules Italian Stone Sculpture of Classical Torso with Base

Hercules Italian Stone Sculpture of Classical Torso with Base, 1980

$10,732

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 .

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

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

McKenney & Hall19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed, 1838

$6,500

19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed

By McKenney & Hall

Located in Milwaukee, WI

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

Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

“Quan Yin”
“Quan Yin”

Early 20th Century Chinese School“Quan Yin”, Circa 1950

$960Sale Price|20% Off

“Quan Yin”

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a vintage bronze statuette from the mid-20th century depicting Quan Yin. Created during the midcentury period, this bronze statuette features the Quan ...

Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Skull and Butterflies - Oil Painting Colors Red Black Brown Beige Grey White
Skull and Butterflies - Oil Painting Colors Red Black Brown Beige Grey White

Lyubena FoxSkull and Butterflies - Oil Painting Colors Red Black Brown Beige Grey White, 2020

$17,724

Skull and Butterflies - Oil Painting Colors Red Black Brown Beige Grey White

By Lyubena Fox

Located in Sofia, BG

"Skull and butterflies " Oil on canvas (Painting with restored frame 19th century 83x66 cm.) Comes with symbolism plaque/label* Through philosophy the mind flourishes The human mind (portrayed by the skull) flourishes and thrives (depicted by the butterflies, used as a positive symbol and symbolize resurrection) through philosophy and understanding oneself (books represent knowledge). Just like the caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies, able to grasp more of the world, the mind has the ability to transform and gain a greater comprehension. Painted entirely from life The Painting’s Qualities Lyubena Fox...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Venice Panoramic View
Venice Panoramic View

PISANI AngeloVenice Panoramic View, Circa 1930

$9,095

Venice Panoramic View

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Angelo PISANI (1885-1950) Panoramic View from Venice Oil on canvas signed low right Frame gilded with leaves Dim canvas : 51 X 100 cm Dim frame : 70 X 120 cm

Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Provocative 19th Century Folk Art painting of a young boy holding thorny flowers
Provocative 19th Century Folk Art painting of a young boy holding thorny flowers

Provocative 19th Century Folk Art painting of a young boy holding thorny flowers, c1880

$2,500

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...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Marble Bust of the Venus Italica, Grand Tour, Florence, 19th century
Marble Bust of the Venus Italica, Grand Tour, Florence, 19th century

Marble Bust of the Venus Italica, Grand Tour, Florence, 19th century, circa 1880

$2,098

Marble Bust of the Venus Italica, Grand Tour, Florence, 19th century

Located in Pistoia, IT

Bust of the Venus Italica in dazzling white sculptural marble, Florentine workshop, second half of the 19th century. Canova’s famous Venus, on display in the Uffizi’s Tribuna since ...

Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Marble

"Portrait du Peintre A. Guillaumin au Pendu".
"Portrait du Peintre A. Guillaumin au Pendu".

Paul Cézanne"Portrait du Peintre A. Guillaumin au Pendu"., 1873

$1,400

"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...

Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Etching, Archival Paper

“William Shakespeare”
“William Shakespeare”

“William Shakespeare”, Circa 1840

$760Sale Price|20% Off

“William Shakespeare”

Located in Southampton, NY

Original high profile wax cameo of William Shakespeare. Unsigned. Composed of natural and colored wax. Condition is very good. Most likely of British origin. Original shadow box fra...

Category

1840s Academic Art

Materials

Wax

Leaves II, Oil Painting

Elizabeth ZanzingerLeaves II, Oil Painting

$1,600

Leaves II, Oil Painting

By Elizabeth Zanzinger

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...

Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

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

Paul Denarie“Market Scene Strasbourg, France”, Circa 1875

$7,500

“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

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

Italian Stone Garden Sculpture of Roman Mythological subject Apollo, 1960

$15,158

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.

Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

The Little Ballerina
The Little Ballerina

PELLET AlphonseThe Little Ballerina, Circa 1880

$4,897

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

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.

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