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.
$544Sale Price|61% Off
Lively alley by Pierre Duc - Watercolor
By Pierre Duc
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on arch paper Black wooden frame with glass pane 87 x 67,5 x 1,5 cm
Watercolor, Pastel
$9,181
Large landscape oil painting of the Deer Park at Vaynol country estate, Wales
By George Earl
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
George Earl (British, 1824 -1908) Rivals at Dawn, Vaynol The Deer Park at Vaynol is a country estate in Gwynedd, Wales Oil on canvas Signed and dated ‘George Earl. Pinxt 1882’ (lower...
Canvas, Oil
South Bay, Seascape, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: South Bay Size: 29" x 39.5" x 0.8'' ...
Canvas, Oil
Marble Ocean, Seascape, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Marble Ocean Size: 16" x 21.5" x 0.8...
Canvas, Oil
“Sailing along the Rocky American Coast”
Located in Southampton, NY
*A seascape by Warren Long captures a sailboat navigating choppy blue waters near a dramatic rocky coast under a cloudy, bright sky. Oil on canvas. Signe...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait Of Jean Gerard Vonderbank & Family, Early 19th-Century Oil Painting
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This finely observed early 19th-century oil painting, attributed to German artist Carl Adolf Mende (1807-1857), depicts Jean Gerard Vonderbank, a German surveyor, instrument designer...
Canvas, Oil
Large Antique French 19th Century Oil Canvas Painting "Hearts Awakening" Cherubs
Located in Portland, OR
A fine late 19th century oil on canvas painting, circa of William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905). Oil on canvas painting depicting a woman with two cherubs in a garden. After...
Oil, Canvas
$324Sale Price|20% Off
"Notions Possibilités" Study of Horse Gaits and Motion by Robert Ladou
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Original French Abstract Study or a Rearing Horse and Figure Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Pen on paper Size: 6.25 (Height) x 4.5 (Width) Signed: No Condit...
Pen
Wounded Achilles En Grisaille Oil on Canvas Painting by Philip Melville Courtney
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Classical Male Nude Painting, After the Antique — Inspired by Wounded Achilles Oil on Canvas, Contemporary This exceptional en grisaille oil on canvas figurative painting is inspired...
Oil
“Summer”
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a wonderful large panoramic original oil painting by the well known American artist, Charles Wilson Knapp. Signed lower right. Circa 1880. Condition...
Canvas, Oil
Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Anatomy of a Horse by Robert Ladou (French 1929-2014) original drawing stuck on card in black folder/ thick paper, unframed drawing: 12 x 17.75 ...
Charcoal, Crayon, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil
$1,026Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Realist Oil Profile Portrait of Lady Beautiful Quality
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French realist artist of the 19th century oil painting on board, unframed board: 12.5 x 10.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ...
Oil
$1,400Sale Price|20% Off
“Tipos”
Located in Southampton, NY
Oil paint on heavy illustration board by the Spanish artist, Cecilio Pla. Signed lower right. Titled and signed verso. “Tipos” means types; different type...
Oil, Illustration Board
Le Marabout: In the Harem Bath by Jean-Léon Gérôme
Located in New Orleans, LA
Jean-Léon Gérôme 1824–1904 French Le Marabout: In the Harem Bath Signed "J.L. Gerome" (lower left) Oil on canvas Jean-Léon Gérôme is widely regarded as one of the most important ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,500Sale Price|50% Off
PASSION #3 - nude male painting by Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Passion #3" . Composition with Two Male Nudes, oil on canvas, 35.5x19.5in / 90x50cm Part of "Wings of Gods" solo show, April 2024. see pictures from the show. Shipped as it is, stre...
Canvas, Oil
19th Century Tonalist Sheep Herder
Located in San Francisco, CA
Charming little 19th century oil on board. I am not sure if it’s European or American. The painting measures 12 inches wide by 6 inches high. The frame is 3/4 of an inch around. Pain...
Oil
$2,200Sale Price|31% Off
“Sunset on the River”
Located in Southampton, NY
Beautifully painted sunset on the river with a single figure in a punt and cattle crossing by the American artist, George Riecke. Most likely a New Orlea...
Canvas, Oil
Pegasus and Bellerophon Large Oil Painting on Canvas by Philip Melville Courtney
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Pegasus and Bellerophon — En Grisaille Oil on Canvas, after a 16th-Century Italian Relief This large-scale oil on canvas painting by acclaimed American artist Philip Melville Courtn...
Oil
$840Sale Price|20% Off
"Flowers" by Baldo Guberti - Oil on Masonite - 37.5 x 46 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (43 x 56.5 x 3.5 cm) Baldo Guberti was an Italian painter, engraver, and illustrator born in Ravenna in 1907 and died in Camaiore in 1974. His work is known ...
Oil, Masonite
$22,433
La Baigneuse - Academic Nude Figure in Landscape Oil by Paul Emile Chabas
By Paul Emile Chabas
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas nude figure in landscape circa 1910 by French academic painter Paul Emile Chabas. The piece depicts a nude woman bathing under a tree in a lake. The sky above th...
Canvas, Oil
A Little Prayer
Located in Naples, Florida
Signed lower left “Francis Day” This painting titled A Little Prayer is an oil on canvas work measuring 30 × 36 inches. The stretcher verso bears a pencil inscription re...
Canvas, Oil
Hercules at Rest Large En Grisaille Oil Painting by Philip Melville Courtney
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Hercules at Rest — En Grisaille Oil on Canvas By American artist Philip Melville Courtney This commanding large-scale en grisaille painting presents a refined academic study of Hercu...
Oil
Academic French Painting Circle of BOUGUEREAU The grape picker Young girl 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
William Bouguereau (Circle of) La Rochelle, 1825 – La Rochelle, 1905 The Little Grape Picker Oil on canvas 54 x 38 cm (64 x 48 cm with frame) Unsigned Beautiful 19th-century giltwood...
Oil
$426Sale Price|20% Off
1900s French Atelier Academic Drawing Portrait of Classical Male Nude Sculpture
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Life study drawing original atelier drawing by the French artist, Jeanne Nachat (1898-1984) Nachat attended the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts in Pa...
Charcoal, Pencil
Original painting for JOB cigarettes advert, 1900, by French artist Gervais
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Paul Gervais was one of the most highly regarded painters of the female form in the late 19th Century but this is one of his most famous images as it was used in the advertising camp...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000
Moonlight, Seascape, Original oil Painting, Handmade, Canvas Art, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Moonlight Size: 17.5" x 23.5" x 0.8'...
Canvas, Oil
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Apples and Lemons by Edith LUTZ - Oil on Canvas - 64x96 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Edith Lutz-Romani (1894-1983) was an Austrian painter active during the 20th century. Although detailed information about her life is limited, she was born in 1894 and developed her ...
Canvas, Oil
Elegant Portrait of a Lady in Fur Stole, Early 20th Century”no signed
Located in Genève, GE
Elegant Portrait of a Lady — Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas no signed A captivating and refined portrait of an elegant lady seated gracefully, dressed in a sumptuous dark gown ador...
Oil, Canvas
Male Nude with Plinth — Large En Grisaille Oil on Canvas of Gesture Sketch 40x54
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Standing Male Nude with Implied Plinth — En Grisaille Oil By Philip Melville Courtney This commanding large-scale en grisaille oil on canvas by American painter and technical master ...
Oil
"Portrait of Rebecca" Harriet Peale, Early American Female Portrait
By Harriet Cany Peale
Located in New York, NY
Harriet Peale Portrait of Rebecca, 1840 Inscribed verso, “Portrait of Rebecca Greenwood (?)/ Aged 25 years/ Painted by Harriet C. Cany/ May 1840” Oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches...
Canvas, Oil
$400Sale Price|20% Off
"Untitled 12, " Charcoal Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
Mark Bradley Schwartz's (US based) "Untitled 12" is an original, handmade charcoal drawing that depicts a woman in profile with her long dark hair draped over her right shoulder with...
Paper, Charcoal
After Storm, Impressionism Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: After Storm Size: 29" x 39" x 0.8''...
Canvas, Oil
$540Sale Price|20% Off
Anatomy Drawing of a Horse - Original French Artwork Equestrian Anatomy Study
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Anatomy of a Horse by Robert Ladou (French 1929-2014) original drawing stuck on card in blue folder/ thick paper, unframed drawing: 12 x 19 inch...
Charcoal, Crayon, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil
$3,500
Ready to Play (Academic Figurative Painting of Male Athlete by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative oil painting of a handsome football player against a country landscape 'Ready to Play', Painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the...
Canvas, Oil
Lady with Books 3, Framed Acrylic Painting, 39x23in, Contemporary Art
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Lady with Books 3", 39x23in / 100x60cm. Shipped as it is, stretched, framed from Florida. Framed size 41.5x25.7in Free shipping with 1stDibs code This series of paintings explore...
Canvas, Acrylic
Seashore, Coastal, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Seashore Size: 11" x 14" x 0.8'' in...
Canvas, Oil
$426Sale Price|20% Off
1900s French Atelier Life Drawing Academic Sculpture of Male Nude Figure
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Life study drawing original atelier drawing by the French artist, Jeanne Nachat (1898-1984) Nachat attended the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts in Pa...
Charcoal, Pencil
Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative painting on canvas of a family and red tractor against a classic American farm field "Prosperous Family", painted by Mark Beard under his fictitious persona, Bruce Sargeant 84 x 58 inches unframed, 91 x 65 x 3 inches with a gold painted wood frame Excellent condition, ready to hang as is This Academic style figurative oil painting on canvas was painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant, a pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, and figurative painter, John Singer Sargeant. Here, the artist captures a blue collar American farming family in their field with an old red tractor. The man and woman stand stoically with their young child, dressed in simple white garments, perhaps to symbolize their purity. Rolling mountains...
Canvas, Oil
Ocean Serene, Impressionism, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ara H. Hakobyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind. Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism Title: Ocean Serene Size: 31.5" x 39.5" x ...
Canvas, Oil
Seashore, Coastal Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Seascape, Nautical Original oil Painting Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism T...
Canvas, Oil
$544Sale Price|32% Off
Still life by Baldo Guberti - Oil on cardboard 32x45 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on cardboard sold with frame Wooden frame with glass Total size with frame 47x60 cm Baldo GUBERTI is an artist born in Italy in 1907 and died in 1974. His works have been sold ...
Oil
Waves, Seascape Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Seascape Original oil Painting, One of a Kind Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressioni...
Canvas, Oil
“Nasturtiums in Blue Vase”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of nasturtiums in a blue vase. Signed lower left. Appears to be L.I.S. Wallace. Unknown artist. American school; circa 1890. Original pierced gold p...
Canvas, Oil
$40,000Sale Price|20% Off
French Academic Oil Painting – Classical Garden with Female Figures and Swans
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated low-right. This important French academic oil painting by Paul Jean Gervais, one of the leading figures of late 19th-century academic art, depicts an idealized clas...
Canvas, Oil
The Apparition - Large, Fine 1884 French Oil Painting - MAKE OFFER
Located in New Orleans, LA
A stunningly dramatic and well-rendered oil on canvas painted by French artist Antoine Marie Roucole in 1884. With the ornate antique gilt plaster frame, and with its size, it has t...
Oil
$1,987Sale Price|32% Off
Virgin Mary and Child Jesus oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Virgin Mary and Child Jesus Artist: Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31.9 x 25.6 inches (unframed) Date of creation: 1942 Style: Classical Academicism with Renaissance influences Description of the Artwork The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in a tender and intimate moment. Warm colors, primarily reds, greens, and soft flesh tones, enhance the devotional nature of the scene. The use of golden halos, symbolizing sanctity, along with serene and realistic expressions, directly connects with the Renaissance pictorial tradition. The style belongs to classical academicism, characterized by a balanced composition, meticulous drawing, and a masterful use of chiaroscuro to give volume and depth to the figures. The detailed rendering of the flesh tones and draperies amplifies the spirituality and solemnity of the piece, evoking the works of great masters such as Raphael and Murillo. Artist's Biography Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) was a prominent 20th-century Spanish painter known for his depictions of religious scenes, female portraits, and costumbrist works. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Ribera Gómez received numerous accolades and was regarded as one of the great exponents of Spanish academicism. His work combines a rigorous technical foundation with luminous sensitivity and an idealized sense of beauty. Influences and Comparisons Francisco Ribera Gómez's work can be compared to other academic and religious artists who share a similar aesthetic: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: In the emotional and approachable treatment of religious themes. William-Adolphe Bouguereau: For the idealization of human figures and technical mastery. Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio): For harmonious composition and the depiction of the Virgin Mary. Within the Spanish tradition, his style recalls Eduardo Rosales...
Canvas, Oil
$486Sale Price|20% Off
Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse in Profile
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Original French Anatomical Pencil Study of a Horse in Profile Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Pencil on Paper Size: 14.25 (Height) x 19.25 (Width) Signed: No ...
Pencil
$540Sale Price|20% Off
Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou
By Robert Ladou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Study of the Movement of a Horses Head by Robert Ladou Artist: Robert Ladou (French, 1929-2014) Medium: Charcoal on blue paper Size: 20 (Height) x 13.75 (Width) Signed: No Co...
Charcoal
$7,425
La Couturiere - Academic Portrait Oil Painting by Tony Robert-Fleury
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas portrait circa 1890 by French academic painter Tony Robert-Fleury. The work depicts a young red-headed woman wearing in a white dress with blue trim. She is stti...
Canvas, Oil
Framed 1860s French Academic Style Oil Painting Romantic & Mythological Themes
By André Charles Voillemot
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
André Charles Voillemot. French ( b.1822 - d.1893 ). Allegory Of Summer. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Dedication Lower Left To Victorien Sardou (1831 – 1908). Image size 18.1 in...
Canvas, Oil
Children on the Beach Marine Landscape French Antique Oil Painting
Located in Norwich, GB
The setting is the French coast, on a tranquil summer's evening. Clouds are drawing in, the sky is turning dusky pink and purple, but there is still time left for play, for the children on the beach...
Canvas, Oil
Ocean Cliffs, Seascape, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Ocean Cliffs Size: 29.5" x 39.5" x 0...
Canvas, Oil
$5,000
"Summer Picnic by the River" Joshua Shaw, American Atmospheric Genre Painting
By Joshua Shaw
Located in New York, NY
Joshua Shaw Summer Picnic by the River, circa 1840 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 15 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches Born in Bellingborough, Lincolnshire, England, Joshua Shaw became known f...
Canvas, Oil
$2,200
The bather and the artist: the bashful nude naturalist French oil painting
Located in Norwich, GB
It's just a little embarassing. Our young bather went for a skinny dip in the river and now needs to snatch her clothes without being spotted by the elderly artist on the river bank ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,400Sale Price|36% Off
“Still Life with Fruit”
By Henry George Todd
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a late 19th century still life with fruit by the well known British artist, Henry George Todd. Signed lower left a...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
The Painter's Studio original painting by Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas Framed
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"The Painter's Studio", oil on canvas, 39x27.5in / 100x70cm The artist's studio and art objects part of artist' life and work. A sculpture, an antique head and a painting that remin...
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Reclining Nude California School
Located in Soquel, CA
Late 19th century California School reclining nude female figure by anonymous 19th Century artist. In the style of William-Adolphe Bouguereau. ...
Canvas, Oil
Waves, Seascape, Original oil Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Karen Darbinyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Impressionism Title: Waves Size: 12" x 17" x 0.8'' inch, ...
Oil, Canvas
$59,850Sale Price|33% Off
An 18th-19th Century Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Venice" After Paolo Veronese
By Paolo Veronese
Located in LA, CA
A very fine and Large Italian 18th-19th century oval-shaped oil on canvas titled "The Triumph of Venice" After the original work by Paolo Veronese (Venice, 1528-1588). The original of this painting hangs in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice. The 'Ricci' coloration suggests a late 17th-early 18th century date. In 1715 Charles de la Fosse advised Ricci to paint only "Veroneses and no more Riccis", Venice, circa 1800. Measures: Height: 45 1/4 inches (115 cm). Width: 29 inches (73.7 cm). Frame height: 58 1/4 inches (147.9 cm). Frame width: 43 1/4 inches (109.9 cm). Frame depth: 5 1/4 (13.3 cm). Provenance: Royal Academy of Scotland. Paolo Veronese (Born 1528, Verona, Republic of Venice - died April 9, 1588, Venice) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at...
Oil
Family scene, children dog and pup, French painting by Delacroix' prodigy friend
Located in Norwich, GB
A sweet and intimate family scene by the rarest of artists: French early 19th Century child prodigy Henri-Louis-Hippolyte Poterlet (1804-1835). Poterlet was a close friend and confi...
Canvas, Oil