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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
Return Of Columbus In Chains To Cadiz By Emanuel Leutze
Located in New Orleans, LA
Emanuel Leutze 1816-1868 American Return of Columbus in Chains to Cadiz Signed E. Leutze / Philadelphia (lower right) Oil on canvas Painted by the artist in 1842, this masterpiec...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Passeggiata a cavallo a Trieste
Located in Roma, RM
Alfredo Tominz (Trieste 1854 – 1936), Passeggiata a cavallo a Trieste Dipinto ad olio su tela di cm 69 x 110 firmato e datato 1890 in basso a destra. Provenienza: Asta Stadion Trie...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Cleopatra Queen of Egypt 17' century Painting Oil on Canvas
Located in Rome, IT
Amazing painting of Cleopatra oil on canvas with a gilt wood frame. Attributed to Giuseppe Diamantini (Fossombrone 1621-Venice 1705) The dramatic subject of the painting depicts th...
Category

Late 17th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

The Farm to the Donkey
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GARAT Francis (1870 - NC) The Farm of The Donkey Oil on canvas signed and dated 1883 low right Frame guilded Size canvas : 50 X 76 cm - Size frame : 60 X 76 cm GARAT Francis (1870 -...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Procession Four girls with flowers - English Female Illustrator
Located in Miami, FL
Four young English girls with flowers are shown in a line and moving from left to right. They are pushed forward on the picture plane as if they were on a stage with a simple indica...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

The Buttonhole By Charles Spencelayh
Located in New Orleans, LA
Charles Spencelayh 1865-1958 British The Buttonhole Signed “C.SPENCELAYH” (lower left) and inscribed “This Drawing was accepted into the Royal Academy but crowded out for want of ...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Portrait Of Theodore Roosevelt By Joseph A. Imhof
Located in New Orleans, LA
Joseph Adam Imhof 1871-1955 American Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt Signed "J.A.Imhof 17" (lower right) Oil on canvas President Theodore Roosevelt is r...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fair Student
Located in Washington, DC
Signed and dated '1835' center right
Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Courtship and The Shepherd's Family (a pair)
Located in Washington, DC
19th Century Dutch
Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Flower Arrangement - Original 19th Century Painting
By Achille Théodore Cesbron
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Achille Théodore CESBRON (1849-1915) Flower Arrangement Oil on oval canvas signed low right Framed by Gault (Paris - Fbg St Honoré) Dim canvas : 63 X 48 cm Dim frame : 79 X 64 cm Achille Théodore CESBRON (1849-1915) French school 19th-20th century Born the 5th of November 1849 in Oran (Algeria). Dead the 4th of January 1915. Painter of genre scene, portraits, still life, flowers, pastel. Pupil of Bonnat and Cormon, he regularly exhibited at the « Salon des Artistes Français », whose he became shareholder in 1883, getting several rewards and medals from 1882 to 1886. He has got the Marie...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Daydreaming
Located in Washington, DC
Ideal head by 19th-century American painter.
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Pair Italian Limestone Garden Sculptures with Cornucopia
Located in Rome, IT
Finely carved mythological subject in limestone with Cornucopia associated with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual abundance. Excellent condition. Measurements: Statue cm 160, ba...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Limestone

Painting 19th Century - Portrait of Young Lady
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
ERNEST BLANC-GARIN (1843-1916) Portrait of a Young Lady around 1880 Oil on wood panel signed low Old Original frame gilded with leaves Dimensions wood : 40 X 30 cm Dimensions frame : 62 X 53 cm ERNEST BLANC-GARIN (1843-1916) Belgian Painter 19th Century Born 8 October 1843 in Givet (France) Died 1916 in Brussels (Belgium) Painter of Portraits and Urbanscapes. In Brusssels he was taught by Jan Portaëls (1818-1895); then in Paris by Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889) He took part in the Salon de Paris from 1868. After a trip to Italy in 1870, he came back to Brussels for creating a private Art Academy providing a very liberal teaching. His portraits are made with a lot of freedom and gracefulness. Bibliography : Dictionary of Artists E. Benezit Book II / 373 Gérald SHURR : Les petits Maîtres de la Peinture 1820- 1920 Book V
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Redhead in Profile
Located in Miami, FL
Beautifully rendered in Krolls signature academic style. Unframed - Signed lower right, unframed
Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Wood

Landscape of Mountains
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
MOSNY Henry (19th Century) Landscape of Mountains Oil on canvas signed below and dated 1882 Black and Golden wood Frame Dim canvas : 73 X 92 cm Dim Frame : 92 X 112 cm MOSNY Henry (...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

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

Prospector firing Rifle ( Happiness is a Warm Gun ) Gay Art
Located in Miami, FL
Tempera mixed with gum arabic and alcohol on Renaissance Panel Robert Riggs was a gay man. Being gay in American during the 1940's time was something not to flaunt in public. Rigg's had to communicate his underlying feelings in more symbolic ways. Throughout Riggs oeuvre, one sees continuous references to strong hunked out manly men and vulnerable boys. It is a core element of is iconography and is described in a powerful graphic style. In “Prospector firing Rifle” is a Dick Pic. Riggs is clearly making a sexual statement about the moment of climax. The long, straight rifle explodes and is captured at the peak moment of climax. Meanwhile, the bag two bags of gold clearly resemble the other part of the male anatomy. Riggs was a thoughtful and meticulous visual thinker and nothing in any of Riggs’s compositions were haphazardly placed. In tribute to the artist’s suppressed feelings, I have given this work a second title “Happiness is a Warm Gun...
Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Tempera

Central Park Heroic Statue
Located in Miami, FL
Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on verso, 2/15 , other size available, unframed
Category

Academic Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Vues de Naples
Located in Paris, FR
Napolitan School, 19th century "Views of Naples, Italy" Oil on canvas Sold as a pair Each work : Canvas: 20" high x 30" wide Frame : 24" high x 34" wide
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Goddess Hera - 19th Century Neoclassical Oil Painting Ancient Greek Myth
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Hera’ by Eduard Niczky (1850-1919). The painting - which depicts the Greek queen of the gods in golden diadem and yellow robe - is signed by the artist and hangs in a newly commis...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Nudo maschile nella posa di un satiro dormiente. XIX secolo
Located in Firenze, IT
Disegno del nudo maschile. Dal 19 ° secolo Disegno su carta leggermente colorata. In buone condizioni. Il disegno rappresenta un uomo sdraiato, che si abbandona al sonno. In una posa...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Carbon Pencil

Henry Robert Robertson, Ave Maria, Etching
By Henry Robert Robertson
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This fine late 19th-century etching by British artist Henry Robert Robertson (1839-1921) depicts a couple worshipping a shrine to the Virgin Mary at sea. The original painting was ex...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Etching

The Battle Of Copenhagen By John Stevens Dews
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Steven Dews b.1949 | British The Bombardment of Copenhagen Signed "J Steven Dews" (lower left) Oil on canvas This masterpiece by John Dues, entitled The Bombardment of Copenh...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of Napoléon II
Located in New Orleans, LA
The son of the legendary Napoléon Bonaparte, Napoléon François Charles Joseph, takes a spirited stance in this remarkable oil painting attributed to the Austrian portraitist Johann Peter Krafft. Believed to have been exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris, this work stands as a testament to both Austrian artistry and the legacy of one of the most powerful men in history. After Napoléon's exile to the island of Elba in 1814, his son was seen by many of his supporters as the last hope of France. The child was named the ruler of half of Europe, holding the titles of Napoléon II...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

#61. Aloe Africana
Located in Florham Park, NJ
JOHANN WILHELM WEINMANN. Phytanthoza Iconographia…. Published by Raisbonae. Regensburg, 1735-47. Engraved by J.J. Haid, J.E. Ridinger, B. Seuter and G.D. Ehret. Hand-colored mezzotin...
Category

Mid-18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Royaume de France
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork located in Los Angeles, USA. Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in th...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

VOLTO DI DONNA - Stampa riproduzione Emilio Greco, anni 70
Located in Napoli, IT
Stampa riprodizione del disegno " Volto di Ragazza" realizzato dal disegnatore Emilio Greco.Firmato in basso a destra. Scultore italiano (Catania 1913 - Roma 1995). Trasferitosi a Ro...
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Color

“Knife Wrestlers”, After The Statue By J. P. Molin, Stockholm 1867
Located in PARIS, FR
Rare and imposing reduction of the famous statue of JP Molin, inaugurated in 1867 in front of the National Museum of Stockholm. This version in black enamelled stoneware was produced...
Category

1860s Academic Art

Materials

Sandstone

“Clipper under Full Sail”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of a three mast clipper under full sail. Signed by the artist lower right. Condition is very good to excellent. Mild stretcher bar wear top. Circa 198...
Category

1980s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Industrial Bridge Construction Seascape Pastel Painting by Thomas S. Halliday
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pastel and ink painting on Vellum paper by Thomas Symington Halliday (1902 - 1998), titled: Bridge Construction, and signed bottom left corner: T.S. Halliday. This interesting indust...
Category

1940s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel, Ink

“Flying South”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of Canadian geese flying south under a twilight sky. Beautiful light reflection in the water below Signed lower right and attributed to Alice Roge...
Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Preparatory anatomical study for the figure of a man with hands on his face.
Located in Firenze, IT
Preparatory anatomical study for the figure of a man with hands on his face. Drawing of a medium-sized male nude. From the 19th century Drawing on slightly greyish colored paper. In ...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Gesso, Paper, Charcoal, Carbon Pencil

The Connoisseur By Georges Croegaert
Located in New Orleans, LA
Georges Croegaert 1848-1923 Belgian The Connoisseur Signed "Georges Croegaert Paris" (lower right) Oil on panel A Cardinal peers through a magnifying glass at gilded treasures in...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Still life of summer flowers with portrait of a woman
Located in PARIS, FR
Marius VASSELON Saint-Etienne, 1841 - Paris, 1924 Still life of summer flowers with portrait of a woman Painting, oil on canvas Signed and dated 1864 lower left Painting: 50 x 60 cm ...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Italian Mid 19th century White Carrara Marble bust. Portrait of young male.
Located in Firenze, IT
Italian Portrait White Marble Bust in a Heroic Attitude. Carrara statuary Marble. Tuscan school. Circa 1850.  Bust depicting a young man with bare shoulders. This model draws inspira...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Marble

Composition with Two Female Nudes - painting Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Composition with Two Female Nudes", oil on canvas, 35.5x19.5in / 90x50cm Part of my Female Nude series. Shipped as it is, stretched, directly from the artist's studio.
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a woman, Tasie
Located in PARIS, FR
Jean Jules Antoine LECOMTE DU NOÜY Paris, 1842 - Paris, 1923 Portrait of a woman, Tasie Painting, oil on wood Signed, titled and dated 1876: "Tasie / Lecomte du Nouy / 76" Painting: ...
Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Composition with Two Male Nudes - painting Paula Craioveanu oil on canvas
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Composition with Two Male Nudes", oil and silver leaf on canvas, 35.5x23.5in / 90x60cm Part of my Male Nude series. Shipped as it is, stretched, directly from the artist's studio.
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fair scene with actors
Located in PARIS, FR
French school circa 1815 Fair scene with actors Painting, oil on wood Unsigned Painting: 20 x 27 cm Period frame: 30 x 36.5 cm Very good condition
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

ORPHEUS Neoclassical White Marble Sculpture 19' Century
Located in Rome, IT
Unique Carrara white marble finely carved sculpture of Orpheus , Mythological personification of the eternal love and art. Henry Dasson French 1825 - 1896 Orpheus white marble, on a gilt bronze base 75.5cm., 29 3/4 in. overall The renowned Parisian maker of gilt-bronze mounted furniture, Henry Dasson, began his career as a bronze sculptor. Occasionally marbles with his signature have appeared on the art market. It is likely that these were made in his workshop at 106, rue Vielle du Temple, which specialised in the production of bronze artifacts and clocks. Dasson's success was such that he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1883 and was awarded the Grand Prix Artistique at the Paris 1889 Exposition Universelle. In the Greek myth Orpheus, son of the muse Calliope and Apollo – or of the king of Thrace, Eagro – is the poet par excellence, the personification of song. With his lyre and his words he manages to seduce men, animals of all species and even trees, stones and the sea. With the strength of his verses he moves, softens, excites, touches the soul and the fibers of those who have the opportunity to listen to him. Orpheus falls in love with the nymph Eurydice and marries her. Yet the fate of the two lovers...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Marble

Lady in paris Street 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
LEBAS Léonie (19th-20th) "Lady in Paris Street 1900" Oil on wood panel signed low right Old Frame regilded with gold leaves Dim panel : 16 X 22 cm Dim frame : 50 X 41 cm LEBAS Léoni...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Summer Valley, 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: Summer Valley, Size: 9" x 13.5" x 0...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Clipper under Full Sail”
Located in Southampton, NY
Very well executed oil on academy board by the well known American marine and portrait painter, Sam Sargent. Signed lower left “S. Sargent”. Signed verso, “Newburyport Studio, S. Sa...
Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Love Letter
Located in Washington, DC
Signed and dated '1884' lower right
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Painting Oil on Canvas by Joseph Badger
Located in Rome, IT
Joseph Badger (c. 1707–1765) was a portrait artist in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 18th century. This amazing painting depicting a young boy with a bird. oil on canvas cm 93 x73...
Category

18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Study of a Hound Dog. Circa 1782. Louis Auguste Brun (Swiss 1758-1815)
Located in Sydney, NSW
Louis Auguste Brun (Swiss 1758-1815), Study of a Hound Dog. Circa 1782. A skilled draughtsman and an outstanding painter of portraits, animals and landscapes, the Swiss artist Louis-...
Category

18th Century Academic Art

Materials

Chalk, Laid Paper

French school Drawing 18th Portrait Ténor SAINT AUBIN three chalks Paris Opéra
Located in PARIS, FR
French school of the 18th century Three pencils (pencil, red chalk, white chalk) on paper 27 x 18 cm (45 x 34 cm with frame) Inscription at bottom “Saint-Aubin de l’Académie de musique” Dated "1785" Augustin d'Herbez known as "Saint-Aubin" was a tenor and member of the Royal Academy of Music...
Category

1780s Academic Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil, Paper, Chalk

Portrait of woman
Located in PARIS, FR
French School of the 18th century Woman portrait Pastel on paper mounted on canvas Pastel: 46.5 x 63 cm (18.3 x 24.8 inches) Frame: 57 x 71 cm (22.4 x 28 inches) Very good condition ...
Category

1770s Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

British mid century watercolour and pen drawing of black and tan terrier dogs
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Mona Alizon Edmonds (British, circa 1944) Black and tan terriers Watercolour on paper Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Black and tan terriers (minature) Dogs and Bitch. AM Edmonds. 19...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

British mid century watercolour and pen drawing of black and tan terrier dogs
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Mona Alizon Edmonds (British, circa 1944) The black and tans day Inscribed with title, signed and dated ‘May 1944 M. Alizon Edmonds.’ (lower edge) Pencil, watercolour and body colour...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

"Horse Sketch 1" study of an Alfred Munnings painting, brown and earth tones
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Horse Sketch 1" is Amy Florence's study of an Alfred Munnings painting, one of her favorite artists. Artist Bio Amy Florence is a London born artist working out of her studio in F...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel, Wood Panel, Board

Small Oil Painting From 1902 Called Birch Trees by the Stream
Located in Stockholm, SE
This enchanting painting called Birch Trees by the Stream by Alfred Thörne captures the serene beauty of a small forest scene, measuring just 27 x 17 cm. The artwork is a testament t...
Category

Early 1900s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Horse Sketch 2" study of an Alfred Munnings painting, brown and earth tones
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Horse Sketch 2" is Amy Florence's study of an Alfred Munnings painting, an artist she takes inspiration from. Artist Bio Amy Florence is a London born artist working out of her st...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel, Wood Panel, Board

“Off the Italian Coast”
Located in Southampton, NY
Very finely executed original micro mosaic painting by the Florentine artist Telesforo Franchino. Condition is excellent. Circa 1960. Signed verso. Gold leaf gallery frame with ...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Mosaic

British mid century watercolour and pen drawing of children at a zoo with monkey
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Mona Alizon Edmonds (British, 1911 – 1983) Unfinished monkey business, 1944 Pen and watercolour 11.3/8 x 11.3/8 in. (28.7 x 28.7 cm.)
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pen, Watercolor

Study for “The Artist’s Studio” 1820, Horace Vernet (French 1789-1820)
Located in Sydney, NSW
Horace Vernet (French 1789-1863), Study for “The Artist’s Studio” 1820. This is a charming detailed pen and ink study for “Vernet’s The Artist’s Studio” which was painted in 1820. I...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Paper

Polo Player Bookends in Bronze
Located in Brookville, NY
Polo Bookends in bronze for the sporty library. These were purchased from the collection of a polo player on Long Island who had a beautiful library of sporting books. He also owne...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

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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