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Romantic Art

ROMANTIC STYLE

In emphasizing emotion and imagination, romantic art shifted away from the restraint of classicism and neoclassicism that had dominated art in Europe since the Renaissance. Romanticism achieved its greatest popularity in art, literature, music and philosophy between 1780 and 1830, although its expression of individual experiences ranging from awe to passion informed culture in the decades after.

Landscape painting was especially popular during the romantic period, as were nature studies of wild animals and fantasies of exotic lands. Romanticism varied across Europe as it reacted to the rise of industrialization, a more personal relationship with faith that was distanced from the church and the rationalist thinking of the Enlightenment.

British painters such as John Constable and J.M.W. Turner responded dramatically to the light and atmosphere of the natural world, while William Blake conveyed humanity’s connection to the divine in his visionary art. In Germany, the late-18th-century Sturm und Drang, or Storm and Drive, movement, with its probing of the unconscious, inspired a sense of mystery in work by romantic artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge. In France, where the French Revolution had turned tradition upside down, Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix used lush brushwork to paint monumental canvases with tumultuous scenes of nature and history.

The romantic movement and its subject matter were a significant influence on the Pre-Raphaelites, Symbolists and the American painters of the Hudson River School, as well as on other cultural movements in the 19th and 20th centuries that saw artists build on this perspective in which art was guided by emotion rather than reason.

Find a collection of romantic paintings, sculptures, prints and multiples and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Romantic
Twilight Landscape with Windmill and Church, 1891
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Twilight Landscape with Windmill and Church" is a captivating work by Swedish artist Albert Larsson, painted in 1891 when Larsson was 22 years old. The painting captures a landscape steeped in the quietude of dusk, with a sky ablaze in hues of red and orange, signalling the end of the day. The silhouettes of trees are rendered with astonishing detail against the twilight sky, showcasing Larsson's early mastery of light and shadow. Dominating the pastoral scene is a traditional windmill, its blades stilled against the sky, alongside the spire of a church that pierces the horizon. These structures, together with the meticulously painted trees, are testaments to the human presence within the natural world, suggesting a harmony between the two. A notable feature is the small water-filled furrow in the field, which catches the fading light of the sky, creating a pathway of reflection leading the eye through the composition. This detail highlights Larsson's skill in using light to draw attention to elements within his paintings. Albert Larsson, born on November 4, 1869, in Malmö and passing on August 31, 1952, in Lund, was an artist deeply influenced by his education in Copenhagen at the Art Academy and later at Peder Severin Krøyer...
Category

1890s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Surprise Visit
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 32 x 45 inches Framed size: 35.5 x 50 inches Signed lower right
Category

19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'A winter landscape with an ox-cart' by Willem De Klerk (1800 – 1876)
Located in Knokke, BE
Willem De Klerk 1800 – Dordrecht – 1876 Dutch Painter 'A winter landscape with an ox-cart on a wooded road near a village' Signature: signed lower left ‘W. de Klerk f’ Medium: oi...
Category

Early 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Pencil

Fishing Off Hastings, England: A Framed 19th C. Engraving After J. M. W. Turner
By J.M.W. Turner
Located in Alamo, CA
This beautiful 19th century framed engraving "Line Fishing Off Hastings" by William Miller is based on an original painting by the renowned British artist J.M.W. Turner, which depicts a scene of fishermen at work off the coast of the town of Hastings in East Sussex, England. The Miller engraving faithfully reproduces Turner's painting, capturing the same atmospheric quality and sense of motion. In the foreground of the image, a group of fishermen are shown in a small boat, with one man using a fishing line to catch fish. In the background, there is a larger ship, along with a view of the town of Hastings and the cliffs beyond. Overall, the Miller engraving "Line Fishing Off Hastings" is a beautiful and detailed representation of Turner's original painting, and provides a glimpse into life in a 19th century fishing community. This colorful 19th century engraving is presented in a gold-colored wood frame and a cream-colored French mat highlighted with a light blue band and thinner mustard and gold-colored bands. There is a gold-colored fillet which further embellishes the engraving. The frame measures 18" high, 20.5" wide and 1" deep. The engraving, frame and mat are in excellent condition. Joseph Mallord William (J.M.W.) Turner (1775-1851) was an English painter who is widely considered one of the greatest landscape painters in Western art history. Born in London, he showed a remarkable talent for art from a young age, and studied at the Royal Academy of Arts from the age of 14. He quickly gained recognition for his watercolor landscapes, which were highly innovative and expressive. Turner's style evolved over time, and he became increasingly interested in the effects of light and color. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, and his experiences of the natural world, particularly the sea and the sky, had a profound influence on his art. His paintings are known for their luminosity, atmospheric effects, and dramatic use of color. Despite facing criticism and ridicule from some of his contemporaries, Turner continued to push the boundaries of art, experimenting with new techniques and styles throughout his career. He was a prolific artist, creating thousands of paintings, sketches, and watercolors, and his legacy continues to inspire artists today. William Miller (1796-1882) was an English engraver and publisher, best known for his work in reproducing the paintings of J.M.W. Turner. Miller was born in Bristol and began his career as an engraver at a young age, working for a variety of publications and artists. In the early 1820s, Miller began working with Turner, engraving many of the artist's most famous works, including "The Fighting Temeraire...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving

Ruins of the Imperial Castle Outside Split in Croatia
Located in Stockholm, SE
Gustaf Wilhelm Palm (1810–1890) Sweden Ruins of the Imperial Castle Outside Split in Croatia pencil and watercolour unframed: 23.6 x 29.2 cm (9 1/4 x 11 1/2 in) framed: 40 x 45 cm...
Category

1840s Romantic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

German School, Animal Hunting Scene, Hunter with Dogs, Hares, Cabinet Painting
Located in Greven, DE
German School or Swiss School, 19th Century, Hunting Scene, Hunter with Dogs, Hares, Painting indistinctly signed. Fine and detailed painted scene of a hunt with dogs, a hunter and h...
Category

19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas

Quran Teacher With Pupils, Orientalist Bronze Sculpture by Anton Chotka
Located in Long Island City, NY
Anton Chotka, Austrian (1881 -1955) - Quran Teacher With Pupils, Year: circa 1900, Medium: Cold painted Bronze sculpture, stamped Austria, Size: 4.5 x 8 x 5 in. (11.43 x 20.32 x 1...
Category

Early 1900s Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem: A Hand-colored Aquatint & Engraving by L. Mayer
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a hand-colored aquatint and engraving entitled "Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem", published in London by R. Bowyer in 1804. The print was created by Thomas Milton (1743-1827) from drawings by Luigi Mayer. This beautiful, detailed, original engraving is printed on deluxe J. Whatman paper with very wide left and right margins. There is a watermark "1801" indicating the year the paper was made. The sheet measures 11.25" high and 16" wide. There is a small faint spot in the upper margin on the left and a tiny faint spot in the right upper corner and another in the left lower corner. The engraving is otherwise in excellent condition with vibrant colors throughout the image. "The Pool of Bethesda...
Category

Early 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving, Aquatint

Piper and Dancers, Orientalist Bronze Sculpture by Franz Bergmann
Located in Long Island City, NY
Franz Bergmann, Austrian (1861 -1936) - Piper and Dancers, Year: circa 1900, Medium: Cold painted bronze sculpture, Size: 3.5 x 5 x 3 in. (8.89 x 12.7 x 7.62 cm)
Category

Early 1900s Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

Painting of Lake & Trees in the English Countryside by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Lake & Trees with Birds in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a ...
Category

1990s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fair Skipper: boating on a mountain lake ca 1830 the Swiss Alps painting
Located in Norwich, GB
Here is an almost two hundred year old painting which is so irresistibly charming that it's crazy! You may have seen painted landscapes, portraits, genre scenes - but how many pretty...
Category

1830s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Exceptional Bronze Draft Horse by Pierre Jules Mêne (French, 1810-1879)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Horse Bronze Exceptional Bronze of a Draft Horse Pierre Jules Mêne (French, 1810-1879) Circa 1860s 4 3/4 (W) x 3.25 (H) As Mêne personally ov...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

Traveler with Camel, Orientalist Bronze Sculpture by Franz Bergmann
Located in Long Island City, NY
Franz Bergmann, Austrian (1861 -1936) - Traveler with Camel, Year: circa 1900, Medium: Cold painted Bronze sculpture, Size: 4.75 x 6 x 3 in. (12.07 x 15.24 x 7.62 cm)
Category

Early 1900s Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

'Pavillion D'agrement sur un Etang'
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Emmanuel Brune’s Pavillon d'Agrément sur un Étang (Pavilion of Leisure on a Pond) is a refined architectural rendering that exemplifies Brune’s mastery of combining functionality and...
Category

1980s Romantic Art

Materials

Offset

Ballet Dancer
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Ballet Dancer" 1989 is a color offset lithograph by American artist Robert Olson. It is hand signed and numbered 140/1275 in gold felt pen. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Lithograph

CHASSEURS TYROLIENS A L'AFFUT DU CHEVREUIL
Located in Santa Monica, CA
GUSTAVE DORE (French 1832-1883) CHASSEURS TYROLIENS A L'AFFUT DU CHEVREUIL (Tyrolian Hunters at the end of the Hunt) c. 1856-7 (Beraldi?) Lithograph,...
Category

1850s Romantic Art

Materials

Lithograph

“Male Portrait” Isabelline Spain, Blas González García-Valladolid
Located in Valladolid, ES
Beautiful and timeless portrait .It represents a half-length male portrait, with the sitter seated in a chair, slightly in profile. He is a young man, belonging to a prominent politi...
Category

1870s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas

Harvest Scene With Farmer and Scythe, 1886
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Harvest Scene With Farmer and Scythe, 1886" is a captivating painting by the Swedish artist Alfred Thörne. Created during his travels through Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium bet...
Category

1880s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Spring Sunset, Original Oil Painting from 1952
Located in Stockholm, SE
This exquisite painting by the artist Otto Lindberg (1880-1955) is a mesmerizing depiction of a spring sunset. Crafted in 1952, this piece stands as one of Lindberg's final paintings...
Category

1950s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Seascape" - Framed 20th Century Romantic Realistic Ocean Painting
Located in New Orleans, LA
I wish I knew who painted this dramatic Romantic seascape depicting a rough surf crashing on the rocky shores of some volcanic island. The sea is en...
Category

Late 20th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Antique French painter - 19th century landscape painting - Stormy sea
Located in Varmo, IT
French painter (late 19th century) - Stormy sea. 61 x 91 cm. Old oil painting on canvas, without frame (not signed). Condition report: Original canvas. Good state of conservation ...
Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Phrosine and Mélidore
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Phrosine and Mélidore Etching, 1879 Signed in the polate lower left of image This etching is after the Dantan painting, a copy after the Pierre-Paul Prud’hom painting Published by Vv...
Category

1870s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching

Miniature 19th Century Austrian Pastoral Oil on Wood
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Miniature 19th Century Austrian Pastoral Figurative Oil Painting on Wood Painted in the manner of late Romanticism, this charming miniature pastoral landscape by Edmund Fri...
Category

1870s Romantic Art

Materials

Gesso, Oil, Board

'Children Landing a Catfish', 19th Century American School, Large Nocturnal Oil
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
A substantial, mid-to-late 19th century American School nocturnal landscape showing a view of three children, accompanied by their terrier, fishing by lamp-light and startled by the ...
Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Romantic School, 19th Century, Manly head of bearded man, oil on canvas
Located in Paris, FR
French Romantic School 19th Century Manly head of bearded man oil on canvas 46 x 37.8 cm In fairly good condition, some inpaintings visible under UV light, mainly in the backgrounds ...
Category

1850s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Théophile Clément BLANCHARD - Landscape in Normandy
Located in PARIS, FR
Théophile Clément BLANCHARD 1820 - 1849 Oil on canvas 27 x 40 cm (45 x 58 cm with the frame) Signed lower right "Blanchard" Very nice 19th century gilded wooden frame French painter, lithographer and illustrator, Théophile Clément Blanchard is part of of those painters of the romantic era who represented picturesque views of France like Alexis Daligé de Fontenay or Eugène Cicéri. These painters traveled a lot and sought out picturesque sites, particularly in Normandy, Brittany, Switzerland and the Pyrenees. Blanchard participated in the illustration of “Picturesque and Romantic Travels in the Old France”. But the works of this romantic painter are rare because Blanchard died very young at twenty-nine year old ! We still know of him, in particular, a view of Bugey (dated 1846) which is at the Louvre Museum and a “Delicious Landscape” (from the 1840s) at the Salies museum at Bagnères de Bigorre...
Category

1840s Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Disegno neoclassico mitologico inglese del XIX secolo
Located in Florence, IT
Disegno matita su carta, 45 x 68 cm; con cornice dorata 72 x 94 cm. La scena si svolge sulla costa, nel punto in cui il mare tempestoso lambisce la terraferma, che si presenta rocci...
Category

Early 1800s Romantic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Romantic painting Portrait woman with flowers French mid 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
French school around 1850 Oil on oil 41 x 33 cm (54 x 47 cm with frame) Inscription on the back “Lefevre” Based on the model's hairstyle, the portrait can be dated around 1850. The ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

'A Forest in Winter' by Hendrik Barend Koekkoek (Amsterdam 1849 – 1909 London)
Located in Knokke, BE
Hendrik Barend Koekkoek Amsterdam 1849 – 1909 London Dutch Painter 'Figures Strolling through a Forest in Winter' Signature: signed lower right 'H B Koekkoek', c. 1882-1900 Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 76,5 x 64 cm, frame size 103 x 89,5 cm Biography: Hendrik Barend Koekkoek, often signing as Hendrik Barend (H.B.) Koekkoek, in the realm of 19th-century art, emerges as a captivating painter born in Amsterdam on November 23, 1849. A scion of the esteemed Koekkoek family, he gained renown for his landscapes and woodland scenes, following in the artistic footsteps of his father, marine painter Hermanus Koekkoek. Barend Hendrik Koekkoek’s life unfolds with a certain mystery, his artistic journey shaped by training from his father and, likely, his uncle Marinus Adrianus. In 1878, he tied the knot with Carolina Allardina Cornelia Pierson and ventured into the artistic scenes of Hilversum and Brussels, simultaneously opening an art dealership in Amsterdam. Around 1882, the call of London beckoned, echoing the path paved by his brother Hermanus Koekkoek the Younger. In England, he painted landscapes near Guildford, akin to his cousin Pieter Hendrik Koekkoek. The latter part of his life remains shrouded in obscurity. Barend Hendrik Koekkoek’s artistic style, steeped in the romantic tradition of the Koekkoek family, adorned canvases with landscapes, woodlands, and marine scenes. His London sojourn witnessed the creation of winter landscapes with towering trees, showcased in exhibitions across Dutch cities. He breathed his last in London before 1909. His artistic legacy lives on in institutions like the Paul Tétar van...
Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Palatial and Opulent Belle Epoque Giltwood & Oil on Canvas Three-Panel Screen
Located in Queens, NY
A Palatial and Opulent Belle epoque giltwood & oil on canvas three-panel screen, circa 1890. "Allegory of Youth" Comprising of three exquisite hand-painted triptych oil on canvas panels of cherubs and putti amongst a peacock, all by Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927). Each panel depicting different playful and joyous scenes of putti and cherubs. All three-in-one panels within individually carved giltwood and upholstered frames. One panel signed at the lower left: Ferd.Wagner. A truly magnificent and one of a kind piece, perfect for any room in the home. Overall: 101" high 85" wide x 5" deep Very good condition. Ready to place. Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) was the son of Passau Ferdinand Wagner Senior, a teacher at a vocational art school who began training him professionally at a young age. After traveling to Italy in 1867-1868, he continued with his art studies at The Munich Academy of Arts led by Peter Von Cornelius and Julius Schnorr Von Carolsfeld. Wagner II was influenced by the Munich School of master painters and by his art teacher, Karl von Piloty, who had been teaching at the Munich Art Academy since 1856. Piloty’s approach to historical paintings was influenced by the French art academic Paul Delaroche and by the fine artworks by Rubens and the Venetians. After his return to Germany he was commissioned to decorate the former the Tenormayer Wine Tavern in Munich, subsequently he received numerous other commissions as a decorator. Ferdinand Wagner II wall paintings and ceiling frescos...
Category

19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Sunset Desert Dance
Located in New York, NY
Otto Pilny was a Swiss Orientalist painter working at the turn of the 20th century. Specializing in exoticized oil paintings of the Middle East, his work often features desert scenes...
Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

I Ask You For A Caress And You Only Tickle Me 1860s Romantic French Oil Painting
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Charles Zacharie Landelle. French ( b.1821 - d.1908 ). “Je Te Demande Une Caresse Et Tu Me Chatouilles”. (“I Ask You For A Caress And You Only Tickle Me”). Oil On Panel. Signed Lower...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Untitled #10 Female antique Bust painted and adorned. Infortunios De La Virtud
By Armando de la Garza
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Untitled #10 (female bust), 2016 from Los Infortunios De La Virtud series Antique porcelain bust with the intervention of oil, gold, silver, lea...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Stone, Gold

'Cutting the Bread' by Gerard Portielje (Antwerp 1856 – 1929 Remich, Luxembourg)
Located in Knokke, BE
Gerard Portielje Antwerp 1856 – 1929 Remich, Luxembourg Belgian Painter 'Cutting the Bread' Signature: signed lower left 'Gerard Portielje', artist’...
Category

Late 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Fishing Boats Off the Coast in Bass Rock, Scotland
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
This luminous maritime scene by American painter William Bradford captures a fleeting moment of daily life along the rugged coast of Bass Rock, Scotland. Known for his vivid Arctic e...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall: A Framed 19th C. Engraving After Myles Foster
Located in Alamo, CA
This beautiful 19th century framed hand-colored engraving is entitled "St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall" by J. Saddler after an original painting by the British artist Myles Birket Fost...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving

Watercolor The Garden at Sickelsjö, 1883
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are delighted to present a stunning watercolor by the Swedish artist Albert Theodor Gellerstedt. This artwork, titled "Sickelsjö Trädgård" was created on June 8, 1883. The paintin...
Category

1880s Romantic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

A View of Dover, England: A Framed 19th C. Engraving After J. M. W. Turner
By J.M.W. Turner
Located in Alamo, CA
This beautiful 19th century framed engraving "Dover" by Thomas Lupton is based on an original painting by the renowned British artist J.M.W. Turner, which depicts a panoramic view of the harbor of Dover, a town in southeastern England, that has been an important port for centuries. The engraving captures the dramatic sky and sea that Turner was known for, with billowing clouds and waves crashing against the shore. The town and its famous white cliffs are visible in the background, while ships and boats dot the harbor in the foreground. Several wooden rowboats...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving

Rural Farm House Scene with Hens in English Countryside by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Rural Farm House Scene with Hens in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a bea...
Category

1990s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century color lithograph landscape figures horseback house scene trees sky
Located in Milwaukee, WI
The present print is one of several examples produced for Nathaniel Currier by his longtime collaborator Frances F. "Fanny" Palmer. Harry T. Peters wrote of her: "There is no more interesting and appealing character among the group of artists who worked for Currier & Ives than Fanny Palmer. In an age when women, well-bred women in particular, did not generally work for a living Fanny Palmer for years did exacting, full-time work in order to support a large and dependent family ... Her work ... had great charm, homeliness, and a conscientious attention to detail." One of a series of four prints showing American country life in different seasons, the image presents the viewer with a picturesque view of a successful American farm. In the foreground, a gentleman rides a horse with a young boy before a respectable Italianate country house. Two women and a young girl pick flowers in the garden and several farm workers attend to their duties. Beyond are other homes and a city on the coast. 16.63 x 23.75 inches, artwork 28.13 x 33.38 inches, frame Entitled bottom center "American Country Life - May Morning" Signed in the stone, lower left "F.F. Palmer, Del." Signed in the stone, lower right "Lith. by N. Currier" Copyrighted lower center "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1855 by N. Currier in the Clerk's office of the Southern District of N.Y." Inscribed bottom center "New York, Published by N. Currier 152 Nassau Street" Framed to conservation standards using silk-lined 100 percent rag matting and Museum Glass with a gold gilded liner, all housed in a stained wood moulding. Nathaniel Currier was a tall introspective man with a melancholy nature. He could captivate people with his piercing stare or charm them with his sparkling blue eyes. Nathaniel was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on March 27th, 1813, the second of four children. His parents, Nathaniel and Hannah Currier, were distant cousins who lived a humble yet spartan life. When Nathaniel was eight years old, tragedy struck. Nathaniel’s father unexpectedly passed away leaving Nathaniel and his eleven-year-old brother Lorenzo to provide for the family. In addition to their mother, Nathaniel and Lorenzo had to care for six-year-old sister Elizabeth and two-year-old brother Charles. Nathaniel worked a series of odd jobs to support the family, and at fifteen, he started what would become a life-long career when he apprenticed in the Boston lithography shop of William and John Pendleton. A Bavarian gentleman named Alois Senefelder invented lithography just 30 years prior to young Nat Currier’s apprenticeship. While under the employ of the brothers Pendleton, Nat was taught the art of lithography by the firm’s chief printer, a French national named Dubois, who brought the lithography trade to America. Lithography involves grinding a piece of limestone flat and smooth then drawing in mirror image on the stone with a special grease pencil. After the image is completed, the stone is etched with a solution of aqua fortis leaving the greased areas in slight relief. Water is then used to wet the stone and greased-ink is rolled onto the raised areas. Since grease and water do not mix, the greased-ink is repelled by the moisture on the stone and clings to the original grease pencil lines. The stone is then placed in a press and used as a printing block to impart black on white images to paper. In 1833, now twenty-years old and an accomplished lithographer, Nat Currier left Boston and moved to Philadelphia to do contract work for M.E.D. Brown, a noted engraver and printer. With the promise of good money, Currier hired on to help Brown prepare lithographic stones of scientific images for the American Journal of Sciences and Arts. When Nat completed the contract work in 1834, he traveled to New York City to work once again for his mentor John Pendleton, who was now operating his own shop located at 137 Broadway. Soon after the reunion, Pendleton expressed an interest in returning to Boston and offered to sell his print shop to Currier. Young Nat did not have the financial resources to buy the shop, but being the resourceful type he found another local printer by the name of Stodart. Together they bought Pendleton’s business. The firm ‘Currier & Stodart’ specialized in "job" printing. They produced many different types of printed items, most notably music manuscripts for local publishers. By 1835, Stodart was frustrated that the business was not making enough money and he ended the partnership, taking his investment with him. With little more than some lithographic stones, and a talent for his trade, twenty-two year old Nat Currier set up shop in a temporary office at 1 Wall Street in New York City. He named his new enterprise ‘N. Currier, Lithographer’ Nathaniel continued as a job printer and duplicated everything from music sheets to architectural plans. He experimented with portraits, disaster scenes and memorial prints, and any thing that he could sell to the public from tables in front of his shop. During 1835 he produced a disaster print Ruins of the Planter's Hotel, New Orleans, which fell at two O’clock on the Morning of the 15th of May 1835, burying 50 persons, 40 of whom Escaped with their Lives. The public had a thirst for newsworthy events, and newspapers of the day did not include pictures. By producing this print, Nat gave the public a new way to “see” the news. The print sold reasonably well, an important fact that was not lost on Currier. Nat met and married Eliza Farnsworth in 1840. He also produced a print that same year titled Awful Conflagration of the Steamboat Lexington in Long Island Sound on Monday Evening, January 18, 1840, by which melancholy occurrence over One Hundred Persons Perished. This print sold out very quickly, and Currier was approached by an enterprising publication who contracted him to print a single sheet addition of their paper, the New York Sun. This single page paper is presumed to be the first illustrated newspaper ever published. The success of the Lexington print launched his career nationally and put him in a position to finally lift his family up. In 1841, Nat and Eliza had their first child, a son they named Edward West Currier. That same year Nat hired his twenty-one year old brother Charles and taught him the lithography trade, he also hired his artistically inclined brother Lorenzo to travel out west and make sketches of the new frontier as material for future prints. Charles worked for the firm on and off over the years, and invented a new type of lithographic crayon which he patented and named the Crayola. Lorenzo continued selling sketches to Nat for the next few years. In 1843, Nat and Eliza had a daughter, Eliza West Currier, but tragedy struck in early 1847 when their young daughter died from a prolonged illness. Nat and Eliza were grief stricken, and Eliza, driven by despair, gave up on life and passed away just four months after her daughter’s death. The subject of Nat Currier’s artwork changed following the death of his wife and daughter, and he produced many memorial prints and sentimental prints during the late 1840s. The memorial prints generally depicted grief stricken families posed by gravestones (the stones were left blank so the purchasers could fill in the names of the dearly departed). The sentimental prints usually depicted idealized portraits of women and children, titled with popular Christian names of the day. Late in 1847, Nat Currier married Lura Ormsbee, a friend of the family. Lura was a self-sufficient woman, and she immediately set out to help Nat raise six-year-old Edward and get their house in order. In 1849, Lura delivered a son, Walter Black Currier, but fate dealt them a blow when young Walter died one year later. While Nat and Lura were grieving the loss of their new son, word came from San Francisco that Nat’s brother Lorenzo had also passed away from a brief illness. Nat sank deeper into his natural quiet melancholy. Friends stopped by to console the couple, and Lura began to set an extra place at their table for these unexpected guests. She continued this tradition throughout their lives. In 1852, Charles introduced a friend, James Merritt Ives, to Nat and suggested he hire him as a bookkeeper. Jim Ives was a native New Yorker born in 1824 and raised on the grounds of Bellevue Hospital where his father was employed as superintendent. Jim was a self-trained artist and professional bookkeeper. He was also a plump and jovial man, presenting the exact opposite image of his new boss. Jim Ives met Charles Currier through Caroline Clark, the object of Jim’s affection. Caroline’s sister Elizabeth was married to Charles, and Caroline was a close friend of the Currier family. Jim eventually proposed marriage to Caroline and solicited an introduction to Nat Currier, through Charles, in hopes of securing a more stable income to support his future wife. Ives quickly set out to improve and modernize his new employer’s bookkeeping methods. He reorganized the firm’s sizable inventory, and used his artistic skills to streamline the firm’s production methods. By 1857, Nathaniel had become so dependent on Jims’ skills and initiative that he offered him a full partnership in the firm and appointed him general manager. The two men chose the name ‘Currier & Ives’ for the new partnership, and became close friends. Currier & Ives produced their prints in a building at 33 Spruce Street where they occupied the third, fourth and fifth floors. The third floor was devoted to the hand operated printing presses that were built by Nat's cousin, Cyrus Currier, at his shop Cyrus Currier & Sons in Newark, NJ. The fourth floor found the artists, lithographers and the stone grinders at work. The fifth floor housed the coloring department, and was one of the earliest production lines in the country. The colorists were generally immigrant girls, mostly German, who came to America with some formal artistic training. Each colorist was responsible for adding a single color to a print. As a colorist finished applying their color, the print was passed down the line to the next colorist to add their color. The colorists worked from a master print displayed above their table, which showed where the proper colors were to be placed. At the end of the table was a touch up artist who checked the prints for quality, touching-in areas that may have been missed as it passed down the line. During the Civil War, demand for prints became so great that coloring stencils were developed to speed up production. Although most Currier & Ives prints were colored in house, some were sent out to contract artists. The rate Currier & Ives paid these artists for coloring work was one dollar per one hundred small folios (a penny a print) and one dollar per one dozen large folios. Currier & Ives also offered uncolored prints to dealers, with instructions (included on the price list) on how to 'prepare the prints for coloring.' In addition, schools could order uncolored prints from the firm’s catalogue to use in their painting classes. Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives attracted a wide circle of friends during their years in business. Some of their more famous acquaintances included Horace Greeley, Phineas T. Barnum, and the outspoken abolitionists Rev. Henry Ward, and John Greenleaf Whittier (the latter being a cousin of Mr. Currier). Nat Currier and Jim Ives described their business as "Publishers of Cheap and Popular Pictures" and produced many categories of prints. These included Disaster Scenes, Sentimental Images, Sports, Humor, Hunting Scenes, Politics, Religion, City and Rural Scenes, Trains, Ships, Fire Fighters, Famous Race Horses, Historical Portraits, and just about any other topic that satisfied the general public's taste. In all, the firm produced in excess of 7500 different titles, totaling over one million prints produced from 1835 to 1907. Nat Currier retired in 1880, and signed over his share of the firm to his son Edward. Nat died eight years later at his summer home 'Lion’s Gate' in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Jim Ives remained active in the firm until his death in 1895, when his share of the firm passed to his eldest son, Chauncey. In 1902, faced will failing health from the ravages of Tuberculosis, Edward Currier sold his share of the firm to Chauncey Ives...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Poppy and Anemone Still Life Floral Study in Oil on Linen
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate and detailed floral still life by Alfred Broge (Danish, 1870-1955). Three white anemones and one pink poppy, all with stems and leaves, sit against a medium grey background...
Category

Early 1900s Romantic Art

Materials

Linen, Oil, Board

Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat, 1896
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat" is a captivating oil painting by the Swedish artist Erik Abrahamsson. Created in 1896, this work masterfully captures the tranquil beauty of a...
Category

1890s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hero, Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture by Moreau
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Hippolyte Moreau, French (1832 - 1927) Title: Hero Medium: Bronze Sculpture on Marble Base, signature inscribed Size: 19 x 11 x 9 in. (48.26 x 27.94 x 22.86 cm) The tale of ...
Category

Early 20th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

"West Point from the East Bank of the Hudson" Antique Drawing on Paper Watkinson
Located in Soquel, CA
"West Point from the East Bank of the Hudson" Antique Drawing on Paper Delicate and detailed drawing by Hartford, Connecticut artist Edward Watkins Wells (1819-1898) The viewer looks out past a gate at the Hudson River, with its characteristic mountain banks. A shepherd is driving a flock of sheep towards the gate and viewer. The scene appears to have been copied from a drawing book published in 1827, based on the inscription at the bottom edge. Presented in white archival mat Mat size: 12"H x 12"W Paper size: 7.5"H x 9.25"W Notes of interest on Edward Watkinson Wells Our most significant acquisition this year came from a dealer in Philadelphia. It is a 450-page diary written over 10 years (1841-1851) by Hartford artist and dilettante Edward Watkinson Wells (1819-1898), one of the many nephews of our founder, David Watkinson (1778-1857). Edward was immersed in Hartford’s cultural life in the 1840s, exhibited his works at local fairs and gave lessons to the locals. He portrays an active involvement with with his large extended family, which often crossed and re-crossed the other prominent families of Hartford (i.e., Barnard, Channing, Dexter, Ely, Gallaudet, Gill, Goodrich, Hudson, Rockwell, Silsbee, Tappan, Terry, Tracy, Trumbull, Van Renselaer, and Wadsworth). Edward describes dancing and costume parties, soirees, teas, dinners, and receptions in private homes and public venues. He meets Charles Dickens and his wife when they come through Hartford in 1842, and describes brushes with other luminaries, such as Col. Thomas L. McKenney (who lectures on American Indians), and the Unitarian clergyman Rev. Henry Giles, who gave a pro-Irish speech. Other entertainments included a balloon ascension, exhibitions of mesmerism and hypnotism, parades, and performances by well-known groups. He also chronicles the progression of the construction of the Wadsworth Atheneum, and touches on his father’s far-reaching interests in the business world–canals, railroads, factories, and real estate. The cost of this valuable document of mid-19thC Hartford was generously underwritten entirely by a member of the Watkinson Trustees. Trinity College and the Watkinson Virtual Library has content on Edward Watkinson Wells. Yale College also: Edward Watkinson Wells also kept a diary, of which three volumes are preserved (folder 32). He describes a trip by steamboat to Florida, ca. 1855-1860, and the social life and customs he observed there. The other two volumes detail his daily life in Hartford during 1856-1860, and record the deaths of his father and David Watkinson in 1857. Other items contained in the William Wells...
Category

1830s Romantic Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Pencil

Romantic French Impressionist River Landscape The Old Bridge 27th September 1914
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th Century, French, oil on canvas of a romantic river scape with an ancient bridge. The work is dedicated, signed and dated bottom left, but we have not been able to decipher...
Category

Early 20th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Mid Century Figurative -- Boys Playing Dice
By R. Hauslar
Located in Soquel, CA
Exceptional detail in this painting of boys playing dice by R. Hauslar (German, 20th Century). A Hausler interpretation of a work by the famous Bartolome ...
Category

1950s Romantic Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Susan, Lady Belasyse /// Memoirs of Count Grammont Royal Portrait Engraving Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anthony Hamilton (British-French, 1645-1719) Title: "Susan, Lady Belasyse" (Plate 45) Portfolio: Memoirs of Grammont Year: 1808 (First edition) Medium: Original Stipple Engra...
Category

Early 1800s Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving, Intaglio

Flodlandskap i Månsken (River Landscape in Moonlight), 1866
Located in Stockholm, SE
Flodlandskap i Månsken (“River Landscape in Moonlight”) is an evocative landscape depicting the ruins of a medieval castle on a forested island, rendered with remarkable sensitivity ...
Category

1860s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'First Steps' by Bernard J. Blommers (1845 – 1914), signed 'B/Blommers'
Located in Knokke, BE
Bernard Blommers 1845 – The Hague – 1914 Dutch Painter 'First Steps' Signature: signed lower right 'B/Blommers' Medium: oil on canvas, ca. 1865 Dimensions: image size 56,5 x 76,5 c...
Category

19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Search' — Australian Romanticism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Thomas Balfour Garrett, 'Search', monotype in colors, c. 1910, a unique impression. Signed and titled in pencil. A superb, painterly impression with fresh colors on off-white, wove p...
Category

1910s Romantic Art

Materials

Monotype

"Alpine River Landscape"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Georg Garbe (19th Century) "Alpine River Landscape" This captivating 19th-century oil painting on canvas by Georg Garbe presents a breathtaking Alpine landscape, featuring a rushing ...
Category

19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Attributed To Eugène Delacroix (Saint-Maurice 1798 - Paris 1863) - Portrait
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Attributed to Eugène Delacroix (Saint-Maurice 1798 – Paris 1863) Portrait of a Man Wearing a Frock Coat Oil on canvas, 75 x 60 cm (29 1/2 x 23 5/8 in) Signed Provenance: Private ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Granite Pylon, Karnac
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Granite Pylon, Karnac Original gold toned albumin photograph, c. 1862 Unsigned as is usual From: Upper Egypt and Ethiopia, c. 1862, Vol 1, (36 plates) Published by William Mackenzie,...
Category

1860s Romantic Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

UNCONSCIOUS RIVALS- Angelo Granati - Italy Oil on canvas painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Unconscious Rivals- Angelo Granati Italia 2004 - This is his reinterpretation of a greatest old master painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Oil on canvas cm.80x60. The painting is a true form of the romantic style of Alma-Tadema. It is an image of two women; one sitting, the other standing and apparently waiting for someone...
Category

Early 2000s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ca. 1820 Portrait of a Woman with Kashmir shawl.
Located in Firenze, IT
Ca. 1820 Portrait of a Woman. Léon Cogniet (1794-1880, Paris), attributed. French school of 19th century. Tecnicque: oils on canvas. Dimensions: 70cm x 61cm 20th century wooden frame. Old attribution to Léon Cogniet (1794-1880, Paris) is inscribed on the wooden frame. Portrait of the restoration period, post Napoleonic wars. Stylistically the painting is found in the transition period from the late Empire period to the beginning of Romanticism. The new artistic trends can be seen in the increased naturalism, representation of the landscape/nature, in the contrasts, and in a greater emotionality of the person represented. Detailed but loose is the way to describe the winter dress...
Category

1820s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A View of Scarborough, England: A Framed 19th C. Engraving After J. M. W. Turner
By J.M.W. Turner
Located in Alamo, CA
This beautiful 19th century framed engraving "Scarborough" by W. Chapman is based on an original painting by the renowned British artist J.M.W. Turner. It was published in London by ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving

Cairo with Murad Bey's Palace: A Hand-colored Aquatint & Engraving by L. Mayer
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a hand-colored aquatint and engraving entitled "Principal Square in Grand Cairo, with Murad Bey's Palace", published in London by R. Bowyer in 1801. The print was created by ...
Category

Early 19th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving, Aquatint

From the Barcelona suite
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Alvar Title: From Barcelona Suite Year: 1979 Medium: Color lithograph with embossing Edition: Numberd 145/185 in pencil Paper: Arches Image siz...
Category

1970s Romantic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Venus, NeoClassical Bronze Sculpture from Alva Studios
By Alva Studios
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alva Studios Title: Venus Year: 1928 Medium: Bronze Sculpture Size: 17 in. x 7 in. x 5 in. (43.18 cm x 17.78 cm x 12.7 cm)
Category

1920s Romantic Art

Materials

Bronze

Palm Trees in Mist, Los Angeles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Archival pigment print Hand printed by Sarah Hadley on Canson Baryta Photo paper Hadley's photographs have been exhibited at the Milan Photo Fair (Italy)...
Category

2010s Romantic Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper

Romantic art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Romantic 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 blue, purple, orange, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Hiro Yokose, Francisco Goya, Leo Primavesi, and Dipen Bose. 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 Romantic art, so small editions measuring 3 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 $119 and tops out at $1,300,000, while the average work sells for $2,213.

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