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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
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
Francisco De Goya Caprichos Los Chinchillas 2nd edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Los Chinchillas (Caprichos. Estampa 50)', ca.1797-1799 burnished aquatint, etching on vellum paper 11.6 x 8.4 in....
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Hasta la muerte 2nd edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Hasta la muerte (Caprichos. Estampa 55)', ca.1881-1886 burnished aquatint, etching on vellum paper 12.1 x 8.2 in. (30.8 x 21.1 cm.) 2nd Edition ...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Mucho hay que chupar 2nd edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Mucho hay que chupar (Caprichos. Estampa 45)', ca.1797-1799 burnished aquatint, etching on vellum paper 12.2 x 8.4 in. (30.8 x 21.1 cm.) 2nd Edi...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Bien tirada esta 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Bien tirada está (Caprichos. Estampa 17)', ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 12.5 x 8.7 in. (31.5 x 22 cm.) 1st Edition Ir...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Nadie se conoce 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Nadie se conoce (Caprichos. Estampa 06)', ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 12.5 x 8.7 in. (31.5 x 22 cm.) 1st Edition Iro...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Ni asi la distingue 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'Ni asi la distingue (Caprichos. Estampa 06)', ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 12.4 x ...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Correccion 1st edition original art print Spanish
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) ¨Correccion¨ Serie Caprichos. Estampa 46, ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint on laid paper 11.6 x 8.1 in. (29.3 x 20.5 cm.) 1st Edition Iron without ...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos El de la rollona 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) 'El de la rollona". Serie Caprichos. Estampa 04, ca. 1797-1799 burnished aquatint, etching on laid paper 12.6 x 8.6 in. (32 x 21.8 cm.) 1st Editi...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Tal para cual 1st edition original art print Spanish
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) ¨Si quebró el Cantaro¨'Tal para cual¨ Serie Caprichos. Estampa 05, ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 12.4 x 8.7 in. (31.3 ...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Muchachos al avio 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) ¨Muchachos al avío¨ Series Caprichos. Estampa 11, ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 12.4 x 8.7 in. (31.3 x 22 cm.) 1st Edi...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching, Laid Paper, Aquatint

Francisco De Goya Caprichos Si quebró el Cantaro 1st edition original art print
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco De Goya (Spain, 1746-1828) ¨Si quebró el Cantaro¨ Series Caprichos. Estampa 25, ca.1797-1799 etching, aquatint, dry point on laid paper 11.6 x 8.1 in. (29.3 x 20.5 cm.) 1st...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Lovers at the Well, original oil on canvas, vintage Italian School
Located in PARIS, FR
In the heart of 18th-century Italy, a medium-sized artwork beautifully encapsulates a serene moment of intimacy. Two lovers sit adjacent to a rustic well, their gazes fixed on a myst...
Category

1750s Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

John Inigo Richards RA (Attributed), Landscape With Country Track & Figures
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This late 18th-century gouache by British artist John Inigo Richards RA (1731-1810) depicts a picturesque landscape with track, figures and distant cottages. Immersed in the raucous drama of London’s 18th-century theatre scene, Inigo Richards sought solace in the British countryside. As the principal scene painter at Covent Garden Theatre, his bucolic backdrops brought colour and context to numerous plays featuring leading actors. For inspiration, he’d escape to the delights of rural England...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Gouache, Paper

French Pastel Portrait of a Chevalier of the Order of St Louis.
By (Circle of) Jean Baptiste Greuze
Located in Cotignac, FR
A fine 18th century French pastel portrait on paper of an aristocrat wearing the order of St Louis, inferring that the sitter had been in the military serving the King. The pastel is unsigned but to the the back is a piece of the original backing paper with a notation to the Baronne de Minck. The paper has been backed with a type of vellum, It is presented in a plain gilt wood frame on a period stretcher under 18th century glass. The artist has used the pastel to create a wonderful soft velvety texture so characteristic of this medium which became so popular for portraits in the 18th century. A charming rendition of a typical 18th century nobleman...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel

John Inigo Richards RA (Attributed) Landscape With Country Track & Figures
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This late 18th-century gouache by British artist John Inigo Richards RA (1731-1810) depicts a picturesque landscape with track, figures and distant cottages. Immersed in the raucous drama of London’s 18th-century theatre scene, Inigo Richards sought solace in the British countryside. As the principal scene painter at Covent Garden Theatre, his bucolic backdrops brought colour and context to numerous plays featuring leading actors. For inspiration, he’d escape to the delights of rural England, often sketching in Kent and the home counties. Charming cottages and churches accompany dappled trees and far-reaching views. All brought back to the studio before working up a design. Alongside his ‘day job’, Inigo Richards produced landscapes in watercolour and gouache. His beautifully rendered views capture a pastoral idyll in miniature, each composition rendered with dexterity and fine detail. Note the weight of the figures here, the cattle drover...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Theatre Scene, Opera, Old Master Drawing, Griselidis, Mallet, French Art
Located in Greven, DE
Unknown Artist, French School 18th Century, Circle of Mallet? Scene taken from the Decamerone. Old Master Drawing
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Paper, Cardboard

18th century German portrait of a Princess Sofie Brunswick by a female master
Located in Antwerp, BE
Important 18th century German portrait by the female master painter Anna Rosina de Gasc depicting Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Anna Rosina was born in 1713 into a family of painters of Polish noble origin in Berlin. Her mother was Maria Elizabeth Kahl from Pomerania. Her father, Georg Lisiewski (1674–1751), taught painting to Rosina and her siblings Anna Dorothea (1721–1782) and Christoph Friedrich (1725–1794). She later studied with the painter Antoine Pesne...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Circle of Angelika Kauffmann, Venus and Amor, Arrow and Spindle, Oval Drawing
Located in Greven, DE
Fine drawing in pencil, oval format. Circle of Angelika Kauffmann. The subject is not clear. It is Amor with his arrows and perhaps Venus with a sp...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Crayon, Handmade Paper

"A View of the Royal Palace of Windsor": An 18th Century Hand-colored Engraving
By Nathaniel Parr
Located in Alamo, CA
This beautiful hand-colored engraving and etching entitled "A View of the Royal Palace of Windsor, Vue du Palais Royal de Windsor a vingt un miles de Londres" is by Nathaniel Parr (1...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving

Portrait of a Girl holding a Posy
Located in Taunton, GB
Portrait of a Girl holding a Posy. Oil on Panel 17 1/2 x 13 inches 44.4 x 33 cm ABOUT THE ARTIST:  Jacques d'Agar  was a French portrait painter born i...
Category

17th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Muse Terpsichore: Framed Hand-colored 19th C. Engraving after 17th C. Painting
Located in Alamo, CA
"Dessine par Gallier" is a hand-colored engraving and etching by Pierre Laurent (1739-1809) and Pierre Audouin (1768-1822) after a painting by Eustache Le Sueur...
Category

Late 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Figures in a Landscape, Oil Painting 1799 by Adolf Harper
By Adolf Friedrich Harper
Located in Long Island City, NY
An oil painting by Adolf Friedrich Harper from 1799. A rare antique painting from the romanticism era. Framed in ornate gold wood frame, signed in lower left corner. Artist: Adol...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

(French School) 18th Century, An Exceptional Quality Portrait of Venus and Cupid
Located in New York, NY
(French School) 18th Century, An Exceptional Quality Portrait Painting of Venus and Cupid, circa 1780. In original gilt-wood frame. A truly excepti...
Category

Late 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

A Cart Race
Located in Fairlawn, OH
A Cart Race Hand colored etching & aquatint, 1788 Signed in the plate (see photo) Published by William Hollande, London Inscribed in the plate with title, artist's name and publication line 'Rowlandson. 1788./ London. Pubd 1789 by Wm Holland No 50. Oxford Street.' Reference: M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938) British Museum Satires 7607 Grego, 'Rowlandson', i. 260, Grego II.392 Provenance: Chris Beetles Ltd., London (label), 2003 Jeffrey M. Kaplan, Washington, D.C. (label) Condition: Excellent Archival framing by Chris Beetles Ltd., London Note: The British Museum has two impressions, one trimmed the other full sheet as this example. Accession Number: 1868,0711.35 The Metropolitan Museum has an impression: Accession number 59.533.314 Fitzwilliam Museum: Accession number: 34.14-286 Cleveland Museum of Art accession number: 1958.10 Image description per BM: Three ramshackle two-wheeled carts drawn by wretched horses race (right to left) against a background formed by the church... Note: The British Museum has two impressions, one trimmed the other full sheet as this example. Accession Number: 1868,0711.35 The Metropolitan Museum has an impression: Accession number 59.533.314 Fitzwilliam Museum: Accession number: 34.14-286 Cleveland Museum of Art accession number: 1958.10 Image description per BM: Three ramshackle two-wheeled carts drawn by wretched horses race (right to left) against a background formed by the clouds of dust which they have raised, with a row of gabled houses (right) inscribed 'St Giles', terminating in a church spire (left), and probably representing Broad St. Giles. The occupants of the carts are Irish costermongers typical of St. Giles. The foremost horse gallops, urged on by the shouts of a standing man brandishing a club. The other occupants, two women and a man, cheer derisively the next cart, whose horse has fallen, one woman falling from it head-first, another lies on the ground. The driver lashes the horse furiously. The third cart, of heavier construction, is starting. The horses are partly obscured by the clouds of dust, but denizens watch from casement windows and a door. Two ragged urchins (right) cheer the race; a dog barks. "It was said that the amount of copper Thomas Rowlandson etched would sheathe the British Navy. An inveterate gambler, for much of his life Rowlandson had to produce a flood of his comic prints to stay ahead of financial losses.A wealthy uncle and aunt raised Rowlandson after his textile-merchant father went bankrupt. His career developed quickly. He entered London's Royal Academy Schools in 1772, visited Paris in 1774, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1775, and won a silver medal in 1777. He left school in 1778 to set up in business. Rowlandson's depictions of life in Georgian England exposed human foibles and vanity with sympathy and rollicking humor. During the 1780s he consolidated the delicate style he used for his coarse subjects. He worked mainly in ink and watercolor, his rhythmic compositions, flowing line, and relaxed elegance inspired by French Rococo art...
Category

1780s Romantic Art

Materials

Aquatint

Set of Four 18th Century Romantic Italian Paintings
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Here is a set of four 18th century Italian paintings depicting various romantic dramas. All four painted in old world style and presented in the original stretchers and frames. Findi...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Mother with Child, Rose, Old Master, Figurative Painting, Love, Christmas Scene
Located in Greven, DE
L. Franssen Mother and child with a rose Oil on wood, 44,5 x 33,5 cm signed The artist of this outstanding painting is completely unknown so far. There is no entry under "L. Franssen" in any encyclopaedia or reference work. There was a Dutch artist, Jan Fransen (1604/5 - ca. 1646), who was mainly based in Amsterdam. According to Thieme/Becker, he created numerous paintings with biblical depictions, study heads and still lifes. However, it could also have been Jan Franssen or Frantzen, who was not born until 1644 but was also active in Amsterdam. However, no confirmed works by either artist are known. Just as interesting as the attribution is the depiction: a young woman holds her child on her lap while she prepares a meal on a hob. At the same time she holds a rose in her hand. Most likely, Mary is depicted here with the young Jesus...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

Landscape with Figures in the English Countryside
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Landscape with Figures in the English Countryside Pen, ink and graphite with gray and brown washes on laid watermarked paper, c. 1740 Signed by the artist lower left of image: "Chatelain fecit" (see photo) A finished drawing, signed by the artist, showing his inspiration by Claude Lorain (1600 or 1604/5-1682) Provenance: Mathias Komor Works of Art Mary Whelan Prue Warburg (1909-2009) Mary Whelan Prue Warburg (1909-2009), widow of Edward M.M. Warburg, founding Trustee and Board member of MoMA (1932-1958); Metropolitan Museum of Art Honorary Trustee 1983-1992 Regarding the artist: "Topographical draughtsman and printmaker; son of Huguenot parents named Phillippe (he probably took name Chatelain later), worked and died in London in 1758 (not 1771 as stated by earlier authorities). Chatelain worked for notable London publishers, including John Rocque, Francis Vivares and Arthur Pond...
Category

1740s Romantic Art

Materials

Ink

Pair of Portraits, Two Ladies, Head of a Young Woman, Demarteau, French, Rococco
Located in Greven, DE
Crayon style colouring after Francois-Andre Vincent. The sheets are a typical example of the highly developed colour printing technique used by Gilles Demarteau and his pupil and nep...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Handmade Paper

Shakespeare's Midsummer-Night's Dream- Etching-J.P. Simon After J.H. Fussli-1796
Located in Roma, IT
Midsummer-Night's Dream is an original etching engraved by Jean Pierre Simon after the iconic romantic painting by Heinrich Füssli in 1790. Titled on plate: Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act IV, Scene I: A wood - Titania, Queen of the fairies, Bottom, fairies attending Mint conditions with little tears along the margin, and a glued tear in the center. Some light little foxings. The original oil painting is displayed at Tate Britain in London. It was commissioned for the Boydell Shakespeare...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Etching

Le Compliment & Les Bouquets, pair French aquatints by Debucourt , 1787 and 1788
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
'Le Compliment ou La Matinee du Jour de L'an, Dediee aux Peres de Famille' (The Compliment, or New Year's Morning, Dedicated to the Fathers of the Family) and it's pair 'Les Bouquets...
Category

Late 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Aquatint

Pair of Hand-colored Romantic French Engravings after Francois Boucher
Located in Alamo, CA
A pair of French classical romantic prints original created in the 18th century by Jacques-Firmin Beauvarlet (1731-1797) after paintings by Francois Boucher (1703-1770), utilizing ...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Portrait of a Young Man (Russian male portrait)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Friedrich Wigand (Russian, 1800-1853). Portrait of a Young Man, 1841. Oil on canvas, 12.5 x 16 inches. Framed measurement: 17 x 20.5 inches. Signed an...
Category

Mid-18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French 18th century bucolic scene, soft ground etching, style of Boucher, c1770,
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Fine soft ground etching printed in a orange / red ink on laid paper. A French etching in the manner of Boucher. A shepherd and shepherdess rest by water among sheep, goats a donkey ...
Category

Late 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Etching

Christ Falls on the Way to Calvary, Dutch-Italianate School, c.18th-19th Cent.
Located in Soquel, CA
Expressive depiction of Christ being aided by Simon of Cyrene by an unknown artist, Italiante School style of 17th-century Northern European painters principally Dutch, c.1700s-1800s. This piece is composed of oil on linen, laid down on fiberboard. Presented in a giltwood frame. Image size: 42"H x 33"W. Italianate painters, group of 17th-century northern European painters, principally Dutch, who traveled in Italy and, consciously adopting the style of landscape painting that they found there, incorporated Italian models and motifs into their own works. Chief among the Italianates were Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Andries and Jan Both, Nicolaes Berchem, and Jan Asselijn...
Category

18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Linen, Oil, Fiberboard

After Richard Westall, ‘The Fishing Party’ 19th Century Oil on Canvas
Located in London, GB
After Richard Westall, early 19th century ‘The Fishing Party’ Oil on panel; held in a period Empire style frame. Dimensions listed refer to framed size. Provenance: Private Colle...
Category

Late 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Oil

German folk dancing, set of six engravings, circa 1720
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
A series of six German engravings of couples dancing. Published by Josef Friderick Leopold in Bavaria. 260mm by 165mm (platemark)
Category

Early 18th Century Romantic Art

Materials

Etching

Venus
Located in London, GB
Richard Westall, R.A. (1765-1836) Venus signed and dated ‘R. Westall 1794’ (lower right) pencil and watercolour, with white heightening image 11 ⅞ x 15 ¼ in. (30.2 x 38.7 cm.) frame ...
Category

1790s Romantic Art

Materials

Watercolor

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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