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.
Boy Sailing Toy Boat in Creek, oil on canvas in gilt frame signed and dated 1897
Located in Hillsborough, NC
A boy wades into the creek preparing to set his sailboat on a journey down the creek in this romantic narrative late Victorian oil painting. This painting tells a story, set in an id...
Canvas, Oil
Moonlight Coastal Landscape with Reflections, 1909 – Elias Muukka
Located in Stockholm, SE
Elias Muukka (1853–1938) Finland Månsken vid stranden (Moonlight by the Shore), 1909 signed and dated 09 oil on canvas unframed 31 × 40.5 cm (12.2 × 15.9 in) framed 44 × 54 cm (17....
Canvas, Oil
$4,666
George Shalders Oil Painting 1858 A Mill in Cambridgeshire Pastoral Landscape
By George Shalders
Located in Stockholm, SE
George Shalders (1826–1873) England A Mill in Cambridgeshire, 1858 signed and dated lower left “G. Shalders 58” oil on canvas unframed 30.5 × 51 cm (...
Canvas, Oil
Nach dem Regen Oil Painting, Landscape with Figures, Signed 1873
Located in Stockholm, SE
signed and dated Otto Sinding Karlsruhe 1873 lower right oil on relined canvas framed 59 × 101 cm (23.2 × 39.8 in) unframed 41 × 83.5 cm (16.1 × 32.9 in) Provenance: The collection ...
Canvas, Oil
Painting of Farm with Geese in the English Countryside by 20th Century Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Farm with Geese in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Provenance: Part of the English Heritage Series No.111 Art measures 10 x 8 inches (approx.) Frame measures 15 x 13 inches (approx.) James Wright was born in Peterborough in 1935 and now lives in Lincolnshire. James is a self-taught artist and a leading exponent of the traditional English landscape style. His early work concentrated on the busy fishing villages around the coast of Norfolk, Cornwall and Sussex. More recently, his traditional landscapes mainly feature the East Anglian and Lincolnshire countryside. About the English Heritage Collection From the most powerful to the most humble, from Bronze Age axes...
Oil, Canvas
Antique Swedish Oil Painting 1883 Alfred Thörne Lake Landscape
Located in Stockholm, SE
Alfred Thörne was born in 1850 in Horn, Östergötland, and belongs to a generation of Swedish painters whose formation was grounded in the academic tradition but increasingly shaped b...
Oil, Board
$16,216
Sunset by Hilding Werner (1925) – Formerly Owner Sven-Göran “Svennis” Eriksson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Sunset (1925) depicts a serene lake in Värmland at the close of day, suffused with the golden light of dusk. In this composition, Werner captures one of his signature motifs: a broad...
Canvas, Oil
Landscape French Romantic Mountains River Scotland 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Alexandre Thomas FRANCIA Calais, 1815 – Brussels, 1884 Mountain landscape with a river, a fisherman, and his dog Oil on wood panel 20 x 28.5 cm (36.5 x 45.5 cm with frame) Signed low...
Oil
$1,400
Allegory of Love, Cupid With Beauty in Fine Dress Carrying a Basket of Flowers
Located in Cotignac, FR
A late 18th Century oil on canvas laid on board of a young beauty in period costume carrying a basket of flowers on her head. Presented in a very fine gilt, period 'Directoire' frame...
Canvas, Oil, Board
Winter Tree with Crows at Dusk
By Georg Emil Libert
Located in Stockholm, SE
This Romantic winter landscape presents a scene of profound stillness and introspection. Gnarled, leafless trees dominate the foreground, their twisted silhouettes starkly etched aga...
Canvas, Oil
Evening Calm, Fishing Boats at Anchor, c. 1835
Located in Stockholm, SE
Evening Calm, Fishing Boats at Anchor is a painting Per Wickenberg, capturing a serene twilight along a sheltered coast. Fishing boats rest quietly at anchor, their sails lowered and...
Canvas, Oil
$219Sale Price|20% Off
French school landscape the stone arch bridge Signed 1922
Located in Zofingen, AG
➡️ Landscape Le Pont ⬅️ ⏩It is signed possibly J Siverton⏪ ⭐Medium:⭐ watercolor on paper ⭐Technique: ⭐Watercolor painting with expressive brushwork. ⭐Size:⭐33x41cm / 12.9x16.1 ...
Paper, Stretcher Bars, Watercolor, Gesso
$10,500
Sheltering from the storm / - Romantic landscape illuminated by lightning bolt -
Located in Berlin, DE
George Morland (1763 London - 1804 Brighton). Sheltering from the Storm. Oil on canvas, relined, 37.5 x 29.5 cm (visible size), 53.5 x 45.5 cm (...
Oil
$2,500
#5176
By Hiro Yokose
Located in Phoenix, AZ
oil and wax on canvas over wood panel signature on verso Hiro Yokose paints images of nature composed in subtle, sensuous palettes. Playing with the viewer’s perceptions, his work c...
Canvas, Wax, Oil, Wood Panel
$8,306Sale Price|20% Off
View from Månberget, Källvik (1912)
Located in Stockholm, SE
The view from Månberget at sunset, as captured by Gottfrid Kallstenius in this 1912 oil painting, displays a warm golden light over Djupsundet, framed by the silhouette of a gnarled ...
Canvas, Oil
$4,720Sale Price|20% Off
Standing Stones on Machrie Moor, Scotland, Solstice, 19th Century oil on canvas
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Solstice with the famous Celtic Standing Stones over the Moor of Machrie, Scotland, silhouettes rise up over the marsh. Painted in the 1800s by Scottish artist John MacWhirter (1839-...
Canvas, Oil
$2,500
#5177
By Hiro Yokose
Located in Phoenix, AZ
oil and wax on canvas over wood panel signature on verso Hiro Yokose paints images of nature composed in subtle, sensuous palettes. Playing with the viewer’s perceptions, his work c...
Canvas, Wax, Oil, Wood Panel
Painting of Lake & Mountains in England by 20th Century British Landscape Artist
By James Wright
Located in Preston, GB
Painting of Lake & Mountains in England by 20th Century British Landscape Artist, James Wright Signed, Original, Oil on Canvas, housed in a beautiful ornate gold frame. Provenance: Part of the English Heritage...
Canvas, Oil
$3,383
The Glow of the Past: Lundström’s Stockholm with a Touch of Mystery
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are pleased to present this painting by Ernst Lundström, dedicated to the esteemed sculptor Per Hasselberg. The dedication on the front of the painting makes this piece particular...
Canvas, Oil
$4,433
Large 19th century Victorian oil landscape - Countryside Sunset - 1887
Located in Aartselaar, BE
George William Mote (1832–1909) Landscape with Cattle on a Country Path, 1887 A luminous and richly detailed late-19th-century landscape by George William Mote, dated 1887, showcasi...
Canvas, Oil
$10,368Sale Price|40% Off
Early 1800s Scottish seascape after JMW Turner by two Nasmyth sisters
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Atmospheric and dramatic seascape painted by two sisters from the famed Nasmyth family of 18th/19th century Scottish artists. The names of A G Nasmyth (Anne Gibson) and Jane Nasmyth ...
Oil, Canvas
Seascape at Sunset, Romantic Oil on Canvas, 19th Century, Signed
Located in Genève, GE
Signed "G. Goldberg" This atmospheric seascape captures a tranquil coastal scene at sunset, where the fading light reflects delicately across the surface of the water. The compositi...
Canvas, Oil
Kastellet, View of Kastellholmen from Skeppsholmen, Stockholm
Located in Stockholm, SE
signed lower right oil on canvas unframed 37 × 50 cm (14.6 × 19.7 in) framed 51.5 × 63 cm (20.3 × 24.8 in) This painting depicts Kastellholmen as seen from Skeppsholmen, rendered un...
Canvas, Oil
A Spring Sunset, Original Oil Painting from 1952
Located in Stockholm, SE
This exquisite painting by the artist Otto Lindberg (1880-1955) is a mesmerizing depiction of a spring sunset. Crafted in 1952, this piece stands as one of Lindberg's final paintings...
Canvas, Oil
Golden Sunset Reflections over a Brook in the Evening Silence
Located in Stockholm, SE
In this atmospheric landscape at sunset, Fredrik Lagerström captures a fleeting twilight moment with vivid intensity. The sky is aglow with brilliant gold and amber hues, which are m...
Canvas, Oil
"Landscape Painting"
By Unidentified
Located in Edinburgh, GB
19th-Century Landscape Painting – Pastoral River Scene Artist: Unidentified Medium: Oil on Board Dimensions: Framed: 35 x 47 cm Artwork: 25 x 38 cm Style: Romanticism / Pastoral Lan...
Oil, Board
$1,352Sale Price|20% Off
Original 1861 Late Romantic Naturalist Landscape Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Original 1861 Late Romantic Naturalist Landscape Painting This piece features a small countryside cottage and two figures, with the dramatic backdrop of layered mountains and low cl...
Linen, Oil
$2,995
Antique 19th Century Marine Seascape Coastal Maritime English Channel Painting
By James Webb
Located in Portland, OR
A good antique marine oil painting by James Webb (1825-1895), circa 1860, ex-Sothebys. The painting depicts a stormy or squally sea, most likely the English channel, the rocky cliff...
Oil, Board
$13,650Sale Price|30% Off
Enfants à la plage Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Signed, Circa 1865-1875
Located in Stockholm, SE
Albert Roosenboom was a Belgian genre painter celebrated for his elegant depictions of everyday life in the mid to late 19th century. A pupil of the renowned Constantin Meunier, Roos...
Oil, Wood Panel
Hudson River Region Painting “Natural Bridge”, listed artist Asa Warren, ca 1880
Located in Baltimore, MD
This is a wonderful antique American landscape featuring a natural stone formation. It certainly looks like it may have been a natural bridge at one time, but perhaps it was the rem...
Oil
French Oil On Panel Rural Landscape, Chickens and Ducks in a Farmyard.
Located in Cotignac, FR
French oil on wood panel view of a sunny farmyard with chickens and ducks by H Tikat. The painting is signed bottom right. A very charming rural view of a hen house in a farmyard wi...
Oil, Wood Panel
French Harbor Scene, Le Havre – Alfred Bergström
Located in Stockholm, SE
This refined harbour scene from Le Havre presents a quiet yet vivid impression of a working port along the northern coast of France. Alfred Bergström constructs the composition from ...
Oil, Board
$3,691
19th Century English Pastoral Landscape Painting with Cattle and Cottage at Suns
Located in GB
A beautifully atmospheric 19th-century English pastoral landscape depicting cattle resting peacefully within an expansive rural setting at sunset. Rich in warmth, light, and idyllic ...
Canvas, Oil
Cormorans au coucher du soleil sur l’Arctique
Located in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, FR
This work by Eduard Hildebrandt stands out for its striking poetic and visual power, fully embodying the spirit of 19th-century Romantic travel painting. It depicts a spectacular Arc...
Oil
Along the River “La Meuse” by Martinus Kuytenbrouwer, 1821 – 1897, Signed
Located in Knokke, BE
Martinus Kuytenbrouwer Amersfoort, The Netherlands 1821 – 1897 Paris, France Dutch Painter Along the River “La Meuse” Signature: signed lower right 'Martinus' Medium: oil on canvas...
Canvas, Oil
French Marine Romantic Painting 19th Circle of KUWASSEG Boat Sea Port Channel
By Charles Euphrasie Kuwasseg
Located in PARIS, FR
French School, mid-19th century Ship Approaching the Port Oil on canvas 33 x 46 cm (53 x 66 cm with frame) Collector's label on the back "Ronarch" (Admiral Pierre Alexis Ronarc'h (18...
Oil
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
A Fresh Start Rustic Flowers Painting Embellished Giclee on Canvas 40H X 60W
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Fresh Start Rustic Flowers Painting Embellished Giclee on Canvas 40H X 60W State-of-the-art HAND EMBELLISHED ∽ MUSEUM QUALITY ∽ DISPLAY READY Giclee Reproduction Each limited edit...
Canvas, Varnish, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Digital, Inkjet, Giclée
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses, 1898
Located in Stockholm, SE
Evening Landscape with River and Farmhouses by August Alvén captures a moment of profound quiet in the Swedish countryside just after sunset. The glowing sky transitions from warm ap...
Canvas, Oil
Lost in Her Thoughts, 1890-1892, by Pinckney Marcius-Simons, French Romanticism
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Pinckney Marcius-Simons, (American, French, 1867-1909) Signed: Marcius-Simons, (lower, right) " Lost in Her Thoughts ", circa 1890-1892 Oil on mahogany panel bearing the stamp on verso of " H. Vieille e. Troisgros Sueei, 55 Rue de Laval...
Oil, Board
Norwegian Fjord
Located in Sheffield, MA
Adelsteen Normann Norway, 1848–1918 Norwegian Fjord Oil on canvas 31 ¼ by 41 ½ in, w/ frame 37 ⅛ by 47 ⅜ in Signed lower right Inventory Number: 01...
Canvas, Oil
Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat, 1896
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Lake Landscape at Dusk with a Rowboat" is a captivating oil painting by the Swedish artist Erik Abrahamsson. Created in 1896, this work masterfully captures the tranquil beauty of a...
Canvas, Oil
$168Sale Price|20% Off
Sailing Away From Shore. Oil on Board.
By Boggio
Located in Cotignac, FR
An oil on panel idyllic seascape by Boggio. The painting is signed bottom right. An idealised seascape scene, boats under sail on a tranquil sea moving away from a rocky outcrop all...
Oil, Board
Alfred Friedländer (1860–1933), Genre Scene with elegant company&Fortune Teller
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Finely executed oil painting on panel by the Austrian artist Alfred (Ritter von Malheim) Friedländer (Vienna, 1860 – 1933). The work depicts an elegant company that has paused alon...
Oil, Wood Panel
Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925
Located in Stockholm, SE
Attributed to Carl Mattson (1886–1941) Sweden Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925 signed and dated lower left watercolor on canvas unframed 73 × 81 cm (28.74 × 31.89 inches) framed 83...
Canvas, Watercolor
$14,000
At the City Gates, early 20th century signed orientalist oil painting
By Douglas Arthur Teed
Located in New York, NY
Douglas Arthur Teed (American, 1863-1929) Title: At the City Gates Medium: oil on canvas Size: 8 ¼ x 13 inches / 15 x 20 inches framed Markings: Signed and dated 1902 on the...
Canvas, Oil
$1,040Sale Price|20% Off
Study of the Biedermeier Style Genre Painting The Attic Room by Carl Spitzweg
Located in Soquel, CA
Study of the Biedermeier Style Painting The Attic Room by Carl Spitzweg This painting is a study after The Attic Room by Carl Spitzweg signed "Perez" and executed in homage to Spitz...
Linen, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Rocky Landscape at Sunset, Oil on Canvas, Signed, Circa 1900
Located in Stockholm, SE
This sunset landscape by Hans Agersnap presents a quiet and ccontemplative view of the Danish countryside at the close of day. The composition is dominated by undulating hills, bathe...
Canvas, Oil
$1,952Sale Price|20% Off
Dutch Golden Age Romantic Landscape Sunset Figures by River & Arch Bridge Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dutch School, 19th century signed oil on panel, framed framed: 17.5 x 21 inches panel: 14 x 18 inches provenance: private collection condition: good and sound condition
Oil
Pair of Romantic landscape paintings (pendant), oil on panel, in gilt wood frame
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Pair of Romantic landscape paintings (pendant) with figures, Inspired by 17th century Dutch landscape painting Oil on panel In g...
Oil, Wood Panel
Twilight Landscape with Windmill and Church, 1891
Located in Stockholm, SE
"Twilight Landscape with Windmill and Church" is a captivating work by Swedish artist Albert Larsson, painted in 1891 when Larsson was 22 years old. The painting captures a landscape steeped in the quietude of dusk, with a sky ablaze in hues of red and orange, signalling the end of the day. The silhouettes of trees are rendered with astonishing detail against the twilight sky, showcasing Larsson's early mastery of light and shadow. Dominating the pastoral scene is a traditional windmill, its blades stilled against the sky, alongside the spire of a church that pierces the horizon. These structures, together with the meticulously painted trees, are testaments to the human presence within the natural world, suggesting a harmony between the two. A notable feature is the small water-filled furrow in the field, which catches the fading light of the sky, creating a pathway of reflection leading the eye through the composition. This detail highlights Larsson's skill in using light to draw attention to elements within his paintings. Albert Larsson, born on November 4, 1869, in Malmö and passing on August 31, 1952, in Lund, was an artist deeply influenced by his education in Copenhagen at the Art Academy and later at Peder Severin Krøyer...
Canvas, Oil
$875Sale Price|25% Off
Courtship in the Forest French Romantic School XIX century oil on canvas
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: *Courtship in the Forest* Author: French Romantic School Technique: Oil on canvas Support: Canvas mounted on a stretcher Unframed dimensions: 11.4 x 7.9 inches Frame...
Canvas, Oil
$700Sale Price|25% Off
Northern European Romantic painter - 19th century river landscape rocks
Located in Varmo, IT
Northern European painter (19th-20th century) - River landscape with rocks and farmhouse. 31 x 51 cm (without frame) - 41 x 61 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas, in a period carved an...
Canvas, Oil
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Romantic Mountain Landscape with Waterfall - Turn of the Century Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Romantic Mountain Landscape with Waterfall - Turn of the Century Oil Painting Vibrant painting of an alpine landscape, likely inspired by the American West by Charles Christian Eise...
Canvas, Oil
$3,266Sale Price|20% Off
Golden Sunrise on the Maas – Arthur J. Meadows’ Tranquil Masterpiece (1884)
Located in Stockholm, SE
A Golden Dawn on the Maas In this refined marine painting, Arthur Joseph Meadows captures a tranquil sunrise on the river Maas just below the historic city of Dordrecht (“Dort”). The...
Canvas, Oil
"Alpine River Landscape"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Georg Garbe (19th Century) "Alpine River Landscape" This captivating 19th-century oil painting on canvas by Georg Garbe presents a breathtaking Alpine landscape, featuring a rushing ...
Canvas, Oil
Decorative river landscape in romantic style, oil on canvas
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Decorative river landscape in romantic style, Signed lower left 'I Roy', unknown artist, Oil on canvas Dimensions excl. frame: 49 x 65 Dimensions incl. frame: 64 x 80 x 7 cm. In go...
Canvas, Oil
1960s Framed Romantic Oil Painting of the Flower Market and Theatre de Cherbourg
Located in Cotignac, FR
French mid century oil on board painting of a colourful flower market in the square of the Grand Theatre in Cherbourg, northern France by J Lietard. The painting is signed bottom rig...
Oil, Board
'Children Landing a Catfish', 19th Century American School, Large Nocturnal Oil
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
A substantial, mid-to-late 19th century, unsigned, American School nocturnal landscape showing a view of three children, accompanied by their terrier, fishing by lamp-light and start...
Canvas, Oil
$5,945Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape View Florence 18/19th Century Paint Tuscany school Oil on canvas Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
18th-19th century landscape painter Panoramic view of Florence Oil on canvas 32 x 51 cm In gilded frame 42 x 63 cm Hampel: Paintings 19th/20th Jahrhundert, 21.02.2024, lot 99...
Oil
$4,375
19th Century English Pastoral Landscape with Cattle and Figures by Henry Brittan
Located in GB
A finely executed and highly atmospheric pastoral landscape by the English painter Henry Brittan Willis (1810–1884), renowned for his romantic depictions of the British countryside a...
Canvas, Oil