The Academic Art movement was an art style that flourished in Europe during the 19th century. It was heavily influenced by the Academies of Fine Arts. The academies were established throughout Europe in the 18th century to teach art according to sets of traditional rules and techniques. This style of art focused on realism and idealism. It aimed to depict the human form with an emphasis on movement and emotion.
In this guide, we explore the movement as a whole. This includes the prominent artists who contributed to the movement, and the famous artworks that came out of the movement.
Academic Art Movement Timeline
- 1563: The first art academy was founded in Florence, partially under the direction of Vasari. The art production of the Medicean state was administered and overseen and artists were taught realistic painting.
- 1573: The Accademia di San Luca was set up in Rome, serving to educate artists.
- 1648: The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture was established, which later became the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Setting the precedent for future European art academies. The academy was inspired by the model of the Accademia di San Lucia.
- 1750s: Various other European cities established their academies.
- 1800s: The rise of the Academic Art movement. Art academies gained significant influence and power across Europe.
- 1816: The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture became the Académie des Beaux-Arts. It merged the painting and sculpture academy, with the music academy.
- 1822: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, a key figure in the Academic Art movement, was elected as the president of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
- 1863: The infamous “Salon des Refusés” was held. It exhibited the works rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon—an event that marked a shift in the art world and the beginning of the end for the Academic Art movement. This was a shift spurred by Napoleon III’s idea to let the public decide the merit of the rejected artworks.
- 1880-1890s: The Academic Art movement began to lose popularity as the avant-garde and Impressionism movements gained momentum.
- 1900: By the end of the 19th century, the influence of the Academic Art movement had significantly diminished. This made way for new art movements in the 20th century.
The Role of Academies in Art
Academies played an instrumental role in shaping the Academic Art movement. They were the primary institutions for art education, encouraging artists to learn and adhere to traditional artistic conventions. The academies provided a systematic approach to art education. Artists focussed on drawing from live models and studying the human anatomy, perspective, history, and the works of Old Masters.
Prominent academies included the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the Royal Academy in London, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. These institutions established a hierarchical system of learning and progression. Students worked their way up from drawing simple shapes, to copying sculptures, and finally, to painting live models.
Artwork approval was a highly structured process. The academies held annual exhibitions, known as salons. Artworks submitted by artists were judged by an esteemed jury. Those deemed to have complied most closely with the academic style were awarded prizes and were prominently displayed. This approval process highly influenced the creative direction of artists as they aimed to meet the academies’ rigorous standards.
The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture
The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, under the reorganisation of Louis XIV in 1665, became a pivotal institution in France’s art scene. The objective of this reorganisation was to centralise all artistic activities within the country, allowing for a structured and uniform method of teaching and production. This control extended to the aesthetics, themes and techniques utilised. The King’s court having a significant influence on the artistic style presented.
This reorganisation led to an era where artists had to gain the favour of the monarchy and the elite for their works to be recognised. The art produced during this time was characterised by grandeur and idealism. This mirrored the opulence and power of the French monarchy. This notably influenced the Academic Art movement, as the academy’s teachings were based on the classical traditions and style preferences laid out during Louis XIV’s reign.
Artists were trained in precise drawing and painting skills, with an emphasis on mimetic representation. The Academy’s curriculum prioritised history painting, portraits, and genre scenes. These genres invariably aligned with the tastes and preferences of the court. The academy thus emerged as a powerful entity in the art world of the time, guiding the trajectory of art in France.
The Academies’ Control Over Art Production
From the 17th to the 20th centuries, the academies held significant sway over the production of art. They acted as gatekeepers of culture and aesthetic standards. The primary objective was to preserve and monitor French culture. Establishing a stringent system for the creation and exhibition of art, the academies ensured that only those works which adhered to their precise rules and standards, were deemed worthy of public display. This system often led to the rejection of works that deviated from the traditional academic style or introduced new, innovative techniques.
The Transition to Impressionism
The turning point came during the reign of Napoleon III, who, recognising the need for artistic freedom and public opinion, decreed that the public should be allowed to judge the merit of artworks that the academy had deemed unworthy. This led to the “Salon des Refusés” in 1863, an exhibition of works rejected by the official Paris Salon. It was here that the public first encountered the radical and innovative works of artists who would later be known as the Impressionists. The Impressionism movement, characterised by its focus on capturing light, colour, and the immediacy of the moment, was thus born as a counter-movement to the rigid, controlled style imposed by the academies. This period marked a significant shift in the art world, as the power to dictate artistic standards gradually transitioned from the academies to the artists and the public.
Influences on the Academic Art Movement
The Academic Art movement was significantly influenced by the classical art forms of the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, particularly the works of artists like Raphael and Michelangelo. These artists’ ability to portray the human form with exquisite accuracy resonated deeply with the academies and their students. The academies themselves were inspired by the grandeur and prestige of these earlier art forms. They therefore sought to emulate their success by adopting and teaching similar techniques and styles.
In addition to this, the movement was also heavily influenced by the Neoclassical and Romantic movements that directly preceded it. The Neoclassical influence can be seen in the movement’s emphasis on harmony, proportion, and the depiction of historic or mythological subjects. Concurrently, the Romantic movement’s focus on emotion and the sublime provided a counterbalance, infusing the Academic Art movement with a depth of feeling and a tendency towards the dramatic. These influences combined to create a style of art that was both technically proficient and emotionally resonant.
Characteristics and Style
Academic Art was characterised by precise drawing which followed a set of rules established by the Academy. Artists were encouraged to depict historical events, religious scenes, or mythological stories in grandiose detail. They used dynamic compositions that drew attention to the main figures in the painting. The use of colour and light was used to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.
Difference between Realism and Academic art
While both Realism and Academic Art emerged in the 19th century and shared a focus on the accurate depiction of the human form, their underlying philosophies and overall objectives were quite different. Realism, as the name suggests, aimed to depict the world as it was, without embellishment or idealisation. Realist artists often chose to paint scenes from everyday life. They focussed on ordinary people in their natural environments. These paintings also tended to have an emphasis on the hardships and struggles that were a part of their existence.
Academic Art, on the other hand, upheld the traditional rules and techniques taught by the Academies of Art. This style of art was often idealised and romanticised, showcasing historical events, religious scenes, or mythological stories in grand detail. The artists of Academic Art adhered to strict rules about composition, colour, and form, and were less concerned with depicting the stark realities of life.
The difference in subject matter between these two movements reflects their differing attitudes towards society. While Realism was a reaction against the idealisation of the human condition, Academic Art upheld the notion of beauty as an essential component of art. The tension between these two movements played a significant role in the artistic developments of the 19th century.
Academic Artists
Academic artists were a group of renowned painters and sculptors who emerged from the prestigious art academies in Europe, particularly the French Academy, during the 19th century. They were trained in the rigorous curriculum of the academy which prioritised precision, technique, and adherence to classical standards of beauty. These artists won great acclaim for their mastery of form and detail, their ability to evoke emotion through their works, and their dedication to upholding the tradition and grandeur of classical art. Some of the most notable Academic artists include Jean-Léon Gérôme, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, and William-Adolphe Bouguereau, whose works continue to be celebrated for their technical brilliance and emotional depth.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Ingres was one of the most influential artists of the Academic Art movement. His works are characterised by their meticulous detail, adherence to classical techniques and historical subjects. He started his formal training under Jacques-Louis David, who was a stalwart of the neoclassical movement and the French Academy’s leading exponent. Influenced by his teacher’s meticulous style, Ingres adopted the neoclassical ethos of clarity of line, observance of historical and classical subjects, and a restrained use of colour.
His early works, such as the “Self-Portrait” (1804) and “Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne” (1806), bear the hallmarks of his neoclassical training. They showcase his attention to detail, respect for the linear integrity of forms, and the influence of historical themes. It was this foundational training, along with his innate talent, that set the stage for Ingres’s evolution into one of the leading figures of Academic Art.
Ingres’s success and influence in the world of Academic Art reached its apex in 1862. This was when he was elected the President of the École des Beaux-Arts, the leading art academy in France. This prestigious appointment was a testament to the esteem in which Ingres was held by the Parisian art world. His tenure as president saw him exert a considerable influence over the academic curriculum, with a marked emphasis on the study and replication of classical art forms. Under his leadership, the École continued to uphold and champion the aesthetic principles of Academic Art, reinforcing its position as the benchmark of artistic excellence during the latter half of the 19th century.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Bouguereau was a highly respected French academic painter, noted for his classical and mythical themes. His most renowned works include: “The Birth of Venus” (1879), “Dante and Virgil” (1850), and “Nymphs and Satyr” (1873).
Many of his works were inspired by Greco-Roman allegories and classical mythology. He depicted scenes from the Bible, Apocrypha, ancient Greek plays and poetry.
His paintings are characterised by their impeccable technique and attention to detail. Bouguereau was a master of colour, light, and composition. He strived for harmony between the elements in his paintings and created evocative images that spoke to the viewer on an emotional level.
Bouguereau was similarly well-known for his realist paintings of contemporary life, such as “The Young Shepherdess” (1882). These works were a departure from the classical themes found in his other works. However, he maintained the same level of skill and technique.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Dutch painter, Alma-Tadema was known for his depictions of the decadence of the Roman Empire. He trained at the Royal Academy of Antwerp, and then later settled in the UK.
His subjects often included mythological themes, such as the Homeric epics or Greek tragedies. His works were characterised by their vividness and grandeur, often depicting ancient architecture, costumes and customs in meticulous detail.
Alma-Tadema’s techniques have been compared to those of Ingres and Bouguereau, with a particular emphasis on meticulously rendered details. He was known for his use of light and shadow to enhance the realism of his scenes, and for creating a sense of atmosphere through painstakingly rendered details.
His most famous works include “The Roses of Heliogabalus” (1888), “Faun and Bacchante” (1896), and “A Favourite Custom” (1903). In his painting style, he shows overlaps with the Romanticism style. However, the way in which Alma-Tadema executed his paintings with meticulous detail shows his commitment to Academic art principles.
Criticisms of Academic Art
The Academic Art movement was the predominant art form in Europe during the 19th century. However, it wasn’t without its critics. Some argued that it was too rigid and formulaic, with a tendency towards lifeless and overly realistic works of art.
There were also criticisms that the movement was elitist and paternalistic. This is due to its emphasis on classical ideals and the teachings of academies viewed as a way to suppress new forms of expression. The criticisms gave rise to the Impressionist movement. Impressionism rejected the discipline of Academic Art in favour of more expressive works of art.
The Impressionists argued that the Academic Art movement was too focused on traditional values and had become stagnant, leading to a lack of creativity in modern art. This criticism led to an erosion of support for the Academy and its teachings, eventually leading to the emergence of new styles and movements such as Expressionism and Surrealism.
Another main criticism of the Academies, in particular, is how they excluded women from their ranks. Despite producing some of the most notable artists at the time, women were largely absent from the academies and often overlooked for their contributions to art.
Finally
The Academic Art movement has left an indelible mark on modern art, both in terms of its style and its influence on subsequent movements. While it is not without its criticisms, it remains a significant milestone in the history of art. Its legacy is still evident in the works of modern artists. The emphasis on technique and skill, as well as its ability to bring classical subjects to life, continues to be a source of inspiration for aspiring painters today.