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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
Bergère près des rochers
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Ferdinand Chaigneau was born in the shipping center of Bordeaux on March 6th, 1830. There he studied drawing under the academic painter Jean-Paul Alaux (1788-1858). In 1847...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

American Bronze Sculpture of Male Nude Athlete during Shot Put.
Located in New York, NY
Clemente Spampinato, born in 1912 in Calabria, Italy, was a versatile artist and sports enthusiast. He created Bronze Trophies and Medallions for the Olympics and Italian sporting events in the 1930s and '40s. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1947, he moved to New York, where he channeled his artistic passion into capturing the essence of the American West, specializing in sports and Western-themed sculptures. His work, celebrated for its realism and dynamic portrayal of athletic movements, is exhibited in museums, galleries, and private collections across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Selected sculptures can be seen in various locations, including Washington DC, Cooperstown, NY, Canton, OH, New Orleans, LA, and the complete collection is on display in Sea Cliff, New York. Large Bronze Nude Of Male Athlete During A Shot Put...
Category

1950s Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Samantha Haring, "Crystal Clear" Chalk pastel on paper
Located in New York, NY
Samantha Haring Crystal Clear, 2024 Chalk pastel on paper 15 x 15 in. (hari026)
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel

“Lincoln Memorial”
Located in Southampton, NY
KUNSTLER, Morton, (American, 1931-2025): "Lincoln Memorial, April 15, 1865", monochrome gouache on board. Signed by the artist and dated '03 lower right, labeled verso. Actual size is 12 by 12 inches. Sight size is 11.75 by 11.75 inches. Condition is excellent. Under glass. Overall framed measurements are 25 inches by 25 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida collector. Biography He’s the premier historical artist in America - and now he focuses mainly on the American Civil War. When Mort Künstler began his current emphasis on Civil War art...
Category

Early 2000s Academic Art

Materials

Gouache, Board

“Summer”
By Charles Wilson Knapp
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...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Large and Impressive Oil on Canvas "La Place Sainte Gudule, Brussels"
Located in LA, CA
Franz (Bernard) Gailliard (Belgian, 1861-1932) "La Place Sainte Gudule a` Bruxelles Apre`s Le Carnaval" A fine and large oil on canvas depicting a street scene in late 19th century B...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Man and Sun Gold, Signed Abstract Screenprint by Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Man and Sun Medium: Screenprint, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.88 cm)
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Screen

Still Life composition
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Jacques DELANOY (1820-1890) Still Life Fruits and vegetables Oil on canvas signed and dated 1890 low left Old frame regilded with leaves Dim canvas : 41 X 34 cm Dim frame : 53 X 44 ...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

19th century engraving figurative landscape Victorian urban city scene signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"SEESAW--Gloucester, Massachusetts" is an original wood engraving after Winslow Homer. The artist initialed the piece in the lower right. This print depicts six children on a seesaw ...
Category

1870s Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

Busto in Marmo Neoclassico in Erma epoca Impero Dignitario Romano
Located in Pistoia, IT
Busto neoclassico in marmo raffigurante un dignitario romano in  erma. Epoca Impero, primo quarto del XIX secolo. Si tratta di un piccolo busto da scrivania raffigurante un giovan...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Marble

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony " Etching, Signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Temptation of Saint Anthony" is an original etching by Fernand Cormon. This piece has the artist's stamp. The piece is signed in pencil by the artis...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Etching, Paper, Ink, Laid Paper

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Humeur Brouillonne
Located in Paris, IDF
Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in the Unite...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

British 19th Century watercolour of haystacks near the Cuckmere vallery, Sussex
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
An exquisite and tranquil portrayal of haystacks amidst the idyllic 19th Century Sussex countryside in the southeastern region of England. This enchanting watercolour captures the es...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

17th Century map of Cumberland, UK by Robert Morden
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Robert Morden (British, circa 1650 – 1703) A map of Cumberland with hand colouring An engraving 14.1/4 x 16.5/8 in. (36.5 x 42.5 cm.)
Category

17th Century Academic Art

Materials

Engraving

19th Century gouache of a visit to Pompei on the Grand Tour
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Neapolitan school (early 19th Century) A visit to Pompei on the the Grand Tour Gouache on paper Inscribed ‘Porzione del quartiere a Pompei’ and ‘In Nap...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Plate 25: "Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Anteroom at the main staircase"
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is twenty fifth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castl...
Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Photogravure

Reception at the Salon
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
STEVENS Agapit (1848 – 1924) Reception at the Salon Oil on wood signed low left New Golden Frame Dim wood panel : 24 X 39 cm Dim Frame : 49 X 63 cm STEVENS Agapit (1848 – 1924) Be...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Glengairn, Aberdeenshire - Signed Lithograph, Royal Art, Scotland, British
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Glengairn, Aberdeenshire, January by His Majesty King Charles III - Hand Signed Limited Edition Lithograph. Belgravia Gallery has been ...
Category

Early 2000s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Early 20th Century French crayon drawing of a group of young people
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Edmund Dulac (French, 1882 – 1953) A welcome refreshment Black crayon with a touch of white chalk Signed ‘E Dulac’ (upper right) 8.7/8 x 11 in. (22.5 x 28...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Crayon

Greek / Roman Naturalistic Allegory Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Stormy landscape scene in which a Cupid-like figure seen in the clouds appearing to have shot a number of wounded and dying men in the foreground. The men have a number of women and ...
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Jeanne d Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet
Located in New Orleans, LA
Emmanuel Frémiet 1824–1910 French Jeanne d’Arc Signed “E FREMIET” This commanding bronze of Jeanne d’Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet captures one of the most enduring symbols of French n...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Bronze

Bouquet of Flowers in the Countryside by Jean-Baptiste Robie
Located in New Orleans, LA
Jean-Baptiste Robie (1821-1910) Belgian Bouquet of Flowers in the Countryside Signed "J. Robie" (lower left) Oil on panel This extraordinary floral still life embodies the height...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Sons and Lovers" Drill Drawing, #2
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed by artist "M. O'KEEFE 2013" at lower left. Media is graphite on clay-coated panel. Overall dimensions including the frame are 18 x 15 inches.
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Clay, Panel, Graphite

Painting 19th Century Venice, Canal, Characters
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
ALLEGRE Raymond (1857-1933) Oil on wood panel signed low left Old original frame gilded with leaves Dim wood panel : 54 X 84 cm Dim frame : 178 X 108 cm ALLEGRE Raymond (1857-1933)...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Figures at a mill
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
English school, 18th Century Figures at a mill Gouache on paper 4.5/8 x 7.1/2 in. (11.8 x 19 cm.)
Category

19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

British early 20th Century pastel drawing of Puck, Midsommers Night Dream
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Herbert James Draper (British, 1863-1920) Puck Pastel Inscribed ”PUCK” (middle left) and further inscribed and signed `Study for Puck/ Herbert Dra...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Pastel

Feeding the Kittens - Little cat mother -
Located in Berlin, DE
Ernst Albert Fischer-Cörlin (1853 Körlin - 1932 Persante). Feeding the Kittens, 1893. Pencil on painting cardboard, 38 x 29 cm. Signed and dated by the artist at lower left "E[rnst] A[lbert] Fischer=Cörlin 1893". - Lightly stained, somewhat dusty and minimally foxed. - Little cat mother - About the artwork Daughter, mother and grandmother gather in the sunlight to feed a litter of kittens. The mother and grandmother hold the lively, playful animals in their arms, while the young girl feeds two of the four kittens with cookies. There is also a small bucket of milk and a bowl of milk. The women and the girl watch as the cute, still blind animals eat. It is a scene taken from everyday life, but it also has an allegorical dimension, bringing maternal care into the representation. Three generations are represented, with the grandmother and the mother already mothers. They not only offer the kittens to the youngest, but also proudly observe the maternal care that the youngest gives to the kittens. Like the kittens, she will grow up and become a mother herself, so the image is also an allegory of life's ever-new beginnings. In keeping with this, the morning sun shines into the picture from the right. Fischer-Cörlin has masterfully worked out the quality of the light, with its light and dark areas, with the pencil used...
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Cardboard, Carbon Pencil

Dodo, Abstract Signed Screenprint with Gold Leaf by Lebadang (aka Hoi)
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Dodo Medium: Silkscreen, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 31 x 31 in. (78.74 x 78.74 cm)
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Screen

Freilicher, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper. Paper Size: 11.937 x 11.937 inches, with centerfold, as issued. Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: ...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Blaine, Sans titre, In Memory of My Feelings (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper. Paper Size: 11.937 x 11.937 inches, with centerfold, as issued. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the fo...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ballochbuie, Balmoral, April - Signed Lithograph, Royal Art, Scotland, forest
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Ballochbuie, Balmoral, April by HM King Charles III - Hand Signed Limited Edition Lithograph. Belgravia Gallery has been honoured to be associated with the artworks of HIs Majesty...
Category

Early 2000s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

Pair of 20th Century illustrations from A frog who would a-wooing go
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Frank Adams (British,1871-1944) “Pray, Mistress Mouse, / will you give us some beer?”/Heigho! Says Rowley, / “For Froggy and I are/fond of good cheer”. / With a rowley powley/Heigho!...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Pen

"Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution, Painting by Mary Fish
By Mary Fish
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Mary Fish Title: Transmutations: A Study of Systems Substitution Year: 1980 Medium: Ink and Tempera on Paper, signed Size: 33.5 x 56 in. (85.09 x 142.24 cm)
Category

1980s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Tempera

Still life pear and grape - Oil on canvas 25x30 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on canvas with frame unsigned Total size with frame 31x39 cm
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

20th Century drawing of William Docker Drysdale by Gilbert Spencer
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Gilbert Spencer RA, RWS, NEAC (British, 1892-1959) Portrait of William Dockar Drysdale pencil Signed and dated `Gilbert Spencer/ 1949’ (lower right) 15...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil

"Crossing", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Crossing" is an oil painting that depicts an elderly man crossing the high water of a river with a young child on...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

British, early 20th Century oriental scene by female artist Katie Blackmore
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Katie Blackmore (British, 1890 – 1957) Oriental fantasy Ink and gouache on paper Signed ‘K Blackmore’ (lower right) 9 x 8.3/8in. (22.8 x 21.2 cm.) A Scottish figurative and decorative artist, Katie Blackmore was closely associated with both Jessie Marion King...
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

Plate 14: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Green Salon Second view
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the sixth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Photogravure

Young woman sitting
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Young woman sitting
Young woman sitting
$440 Sale Price
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"In surprise" by Henri Fehr - Drawing 36x27 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Crayon

Young woman Drawing on paper 23x32 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Monogram L.T.C.
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Charcoal, Pastel

Landscape by Paul Mathey - Pencil on paper 30x43 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper
Category

Mid-20th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

"Take off" by Otto Vautier - Pencil on paper 11x17 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Stamp of the O. Vautier workshop Dimension of the passe partout frame 52.5 x 38 cm Otto Vautier is a renowned Swiss painter, born in 1863 i...
Category

Early 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Crayon

Marine at twilight from Nederland
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
VAN KOPP (19th Century) Dutch School Marine at twilight from Nederland Oil on canvas signed low right Old frame re-gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 50 X 100 cm Dim Frame : 72 X 1...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Edouard Detaille (1848 1912), A Carnival scene, watercolor signed
Located in Paris, FR
Edouard Detaille (1848-1912) A carnival scene 21 x 16.5 cm Watercolor and brown ink on paper Signed lower right Period frame : 35 x 30 cm (lacks in...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal, Original Illustration by Marshall Goodman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Marshall Goodman, American XXth Title: Fagin Teaching Boys to Steal (Oliver) I Year: circa 1960 Medium: Watercolor on Paper, signed in ink Size: 17 x 23 inches Frame: 21.5 x ...
Category

1960s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

French School 19th Century, Studies of horses, two drawings
Located in Paris, FR
French School 19th Century, Studies of horses, two drawings in the same frame 7 x 11 cm (oval) and 7 x 9.8 cm pencil on paper Condition : The oval one on the left with foxings (see...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Pencil

Carrying Fruit, Abstract Gold Leaf Screenprint by Lebadang aka Hoi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lebadang, Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) Title: Untitled - Carrying Fruit Medium: Screenprint, signed in pencil Edition: EA Size: 47 x 20.5 in. (119.38 x 52.07 cm)
Category

1970s Academic Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Richard Wagner
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Richard Wagner Etching, c. 1880 Signed in the plate (see photo) Edition: c. 200 impressions Condition: mint Image/Plate size: 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches Sheet size: 14 3/8 x 10 7/8 inches ...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Etching

Plate 5: Vienna, Palais Erzherzog Friedrich, Passing Room
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure is the fifth plate presented in Josef Folnesics publication "Alte Innenräume österreichischer Schlösser, Paläste und Wohnhäuser" (Old interiors of Austrian Castles,...
Category

1920s Academic Art

Materials

Photogravure

19th century color lithograph portrait indigenous male subject feathers signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Wa-Em-Boesh-Kaa, A Chippeway Chief," is an original hand-colored lithograph by McKenney & Hall. It features a portrait of a notable Native American chief, with informational text below. 13 1/2" x 18 3/4" paper 25 5/8" x 20 1/2" frame American lithograph publishers. Most well-known for "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," a collection of 125 images that included biographical sketches and anecdotes of principal chiefs. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans...
Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Lithograph

The metamorphosis of a cat
Located in Roma, RM
Etienne Albert Joannon Navier (Lyon 1857 - 1911), The Metamorphosis of a Cat Oil painting on canvas 68 x 90 cm signed lower left. The painting has as its subject a fable by Jean D...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - L Insoutenable Légèreté
Located in Paris, IDF
Franck Bailleul is a French painter born in 1964 who lives & works in Abbeville, Normandy, France. He has exhibited nationally as well as in the United States and China. His works e...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Nu feminin, 1937 - watercolor, 24x41, framed
Located in Nice, FR
Aquarelle sur papier, signée et datée 1937. Dimensions avec le cadre: 51x68 cm. Odilon Roche est né le 3 octobre 1868 à Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. Mort le 27 août 1947 à Six-Fours (Var...
Category

1930s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

Fossils, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Fossils" is an oil painting that depicts nude forms suspended in air between highway and underpass. Elizabeth Z...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil

Antique Female American Orientalist painting ARABS PRAYING outside MOSQUE
Located in New York, NY
Maria Martinetti was born in 1864 in Italy. Martinetti attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, studying under the Orientalist painter Gustavo Simoni. Martinetti exhibited works in...
Category

1880s Academic Art

Materials

Watercolor

Summertime
Located in Dallas, TX
“Anne Weary, who grew up as a Texas cowgirl, is at home in the outdoors and knows its ways and its language. There is a sort of very quiet but very powerful mysticism in her work, a ...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Conté

Night Fishing at Saint Maurice
By Emile Noirot
Located in Dallas, TX
signed "Emile Noirot 1893" at lower right overall dimensions, including frame, are 19 3/4 x 23 5/8 inches
Category

1890s Academic Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

French Contemporary Art by Franck Bailleul - Noblesse Oblige
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 exhibi...
Category

2010s Academic Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Fair Student
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed and dated '1835' center right
Category

1830s Academic Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Academic art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Academic art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of purple, blue, orange, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Karen Darbinyan, Owen Jones, Paul Jones b.1921, and Mark Beard. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Academic art, so small editions measuring 1.5 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $700,000, while the average work sells for $1,444.

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