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.
$2,450Sale Price|30% Off
Portrait of a Young Woman, Romantic Oil, Circa 1850
By Sir Thomas Lawrence
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Portrait of a Young Woman, ca. 1850. Oil on antique English millboard, panel measures 20 x 24 inches. Excellent condition with surface stress cracking and paint shrinkage consisten...
Oil, Fiberboard
$22,500
'Scrovegni Chapel', Giotto, Arena Chapel, Padua, Leipzig Academy
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left 'C. Werner' for Carl Frederich Heinrich Werner (German, 1808-1894) and dated 1855. Watercolorist Carl Werner studied first with Veit Hanns Schnorr von Carolsfeld ...
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
$4,491Sale Price|30% Off
Large Antique Portrait of a Woman, Framed Portrait of a Woman Standing
Located in AIGNAN, FR
A stunning large scale oil painting on canvas of a beautiful woman. Here, the artist has given us a traditional portrait of a young woman, she has brown eyes and dark hair. Exquisi...
Oil
Liebeserklärung (Declaration of Love), 1896
Located in Stockholm, SE
Thomas Theodor Heine was a central figure in German fin de siècle culture, best known as one of the leading illustrators of the satirical magazine Simplicissimus, where his sharply o...
Gouache
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
French painting mid 19th Equestrian Portrait Amazone Horse Dogs After DE DREUX
By Alfred de Dreux
Located in PARIS, FR
After Alfred de Dreux Paris, 1810 – Paris, 1860 Portrait of a Horsewoman Side-saddle with her Dogs Oil on mahogany panel 50.5 x 38 cm (58 x 45.5 cm with frame) Napoleon III period fr...
Oil
Gibraltar, Landscape Painting, 19th Century Marine Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
This atmospheric marine painting, Twilight in Gibraltar, is a characteristic work by the Danish artist Lauritz (Laurits) Bernhard Holst (1848–1934), whose oeuvre is closely associate...
Canvas, Oil
'Young Woman in Costume', Société des Artistes Français
By Georges Antoine Rochegrosse
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed upper left, 'G. Rochegrosse' for George Rochegrosse (French, 1859-1938) and dated 1881. Framed dimensions: 15.5 H x 1.5 D x 13.5 W inches A finely-painted figural oil showin...
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
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Woman in Front of the Sea, Romantic Oil Painting, Signed
By Gianni Strino
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a Woman in Front of the Sea - Original Romantic Oil Painting Beautifully rendered and realistic portrait by Gianni (Giovanni) Strino (Italian b. 1953.) A woman stands in...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Portrait of a Girl in a Chair, Signed Pastel, 1920´s
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
An enchanting oval portrait capturing a young girl, curled up in an oversized Louis XIV armchair. She wears a deep blue dress, her dark hair neatly arranged and held in place by two ...
Paper, Pastel
Boats in Moonlight Watercolor on Paper, Swedish Coastal Scene, 1904
Located in Stockholm, SE
Boats in Moonlight (1904) is a watercolor on paper measuring 25.5 × 55 cm (10 × 21.7 in). It depicts a Swedish coastal scene under a luminous moonlit sky., Along the quiet shoreline,...
Paper, Watercolor
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
$1,749Sale Price|25% Off
Jef Lambeaux (Belgian sculptor) - Late 19th Century Erotic Bronze Sculpture
Located in Varmo, IT
Jef Lambeaux (Antwerp 1852 - Brussels 1908) - Erotic scene. 11 x 6 x h 8 cm. Full-round group in chased and patinated bronze. Signed on the base: «J. M. Lambeaux». Jef Lambeaux w...
Bronze
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
$16,215
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
Blue Mountains, New Mexico
Located in Stockholm, SE
In this luminous landscape study, Carl Oscar Borg captures the serene beauty of the New Mexican high desert, likely looking toward Mount Taylor, a sacred peak that rises above the su...
Gouache
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
A Lady from Seville, 21st Century Contemporary Classical Portrait Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Tanvi Pathare Una Donna Sevillana (A Lady from Seville) Contemporary Florence Portrait painting 95 x 80 cm oil on linen (frame included in price) size with frame: 104 x 90 cm Tanvi...
Linen, Oil
$420
Romantic Landscape of Scandinavian Enchanted Forest, Large Lake Print Cyanotype
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Lovely scene of a hidden pond in a Scandinavian forest. Details: + Title: Scandinavian Enchanted Forest + Year: 2026 + ...
Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, Monotype, Photogram
$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
$8,302Sale 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
Unique Set Of Vintage French Herbarium Displays, Pressed Flowers
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A unique set of vintage French herbarium / botanical displays. These botanical specimen are preserved behind glass in a new double sided glass frame. ...
Archival Paper, Glass, Oak
$35,000
"The Nightmare" - Dark Contemporary Realism Baroque Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
Rizaldy Celi Jr. (American, Filipino-Vietnamese, born 1983) "The Nightmare" 2025 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the side and the back of the painting. We ship al...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$1,495
Unique Pair Of Vintage Herbarium Displays. A Botanical Flower Press With Frame
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A unique pair of vintage herbarium / botanical displays collected and created by S. Lindwald in June 1946 in Sweden. These botanical specimen are preserved behind glass in a new doub...
Archival Paper
Elegant Chinese Beauties, after Chen Yifei (1946–2005)
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a recreation of a famed "Romantic Realism" composition by the renowned Chinese master Chen Yifei (1946–2005). The striking piece replicates one work in Chen Yifei's renow...
Canvas, Oil
$1,399Sale Price|52% Off
Italian Romantic painter - 19th century Interior with figures in costume
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (19th century) - Interior with figures in seventeenth-century costume. 29.5 x 43 cm (without frame) - 50 x 65 cm (with frame). Oil on panel, in a period frame in...
Oil, Panel
Romantic French painting Italy Como lake monks Mid 19th
Located in PARIS, FR
Jules SANSON Active in the 1830s and 1840s The arrival of the young girl at the monastery on the shores of Lake Como Oil on canvas 27 x 35.5 cm (31.5 x 39.5 cm with the frame) Signed...
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
$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
Venus, NeoClassical Bronze Sculpture from Alva Studios
By Alva Studios
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alva Studios Title: Venus Year: 1928 Medium: Bronze Sculpture Size: 17 in. x 7 in. x 5 in. (43.18 cm x 17.78 cm x 12.7 cm)
Bronze
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
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
$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
$1,495
Unique Pair Of Vintage Herbarium Displays. A Botanical Flower Press With Frame
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A unique pair of vintage herbarium / botanical displays collected and created by S. Lindwald in June 1946 in Sweden. These botanical specimen are preserved behind glass in a new doub...
Archival Paper
French School 19th Century, Portrait of a young man, drawing signed
Located in Paris, FR
French School 19 th Century Portrait of a young man Signed (signature not deciphered) on the lower right Pencil, black chalk and heightenings of white and red chalks on paper Oval vi...
Chalk, Pencil
$10,499
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
Early 19th-Century Austrian School, Portrait Of A Gentleman
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This fine early 19th-century Austrian oil painting depicts a dapper gentleman in half-length format against a softly animated sky. Shown turned slightly toward the viewer, his postu...
Canvas, Oil
Mid-19th-Century Munich School, Nocturnal Alpine Scene With Woman Resting
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This calm and reflective mid-19th-century German oil painting depicts a woman reclining, her hand on a zither, before moonlit Alpine scenery. Gazing outwards across the rooftops and...
Oil, Canvas
$4,664
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
$25,267
Venus
Located in London, GB
Richard Westall, R.A. (1765-1836) Venus signed and dated ‘R. Westall 1794’ (lower right) pencil and watercolour, with white heightening image 11 ⅞ x 15 ¼ in. (30.2 x 38.7 cm.) frame 22 ⅛ x 26 in. (56.3 x 66.1 cm.) Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Venus (1794) was produced during a highly creative and defining period of Richard Westall’s career and artistic development, when from 1790-95 the ambitious young artist was sharing a house at 57 Greek Street, Soho, with his friend Sir Thomas Lawrence, the future President of the Royal Academy. Whilst lodging together, Lawrence became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1791, Westall the following year, and both were elected full-members in 1794 – the year Lawrence was appointed Painter-in-Ordinary to His Majesty King George III. Westall was to become Queen Victoria’s first Drawing Master, before her ascension to the throne. It was in this very year, 1794 - as the two young artists became Royal Academicians - that the present watercolour was executed, and it is exciting to speculate that Lawrence would have examined and given his thoughts on the work. Highly comparable to The Wallace Collection’s Nymph and cupids (c.1793, cat. P757), acquired by Francis Seymour-Conway (1777-1842), 3rd Marquess of Hertford, (who hung it in his bedroom), the mid-1790s saw Westall exhibiting and returning to similar subject-matter on a number of occasions. Two works with titles that could be applied to the present picture were exhibited at the Royal Academy, in 1794 (no. 341 Nymph and Cupids) and 1795 (no. 620, A Wood–nymph and Cupids). However, a print after the watercolour, engraved by F. Screen, entitles the piece Venus. Westall is regarded as a great virtuoso watercolourist, and Venus is evidence of the young artist’s mastery of the medium. Indeed, it is unusual to find a watercolour of comparable age so well preserved, and retaining such vibrancy - the superb condition providing an insight into his exceptional brushwork and use of colour. Venus languishes luxuriously on her woodland bed, the trunk of a tree resembling a curtain, while three winged putti play beside her, seeming to gesture to someone in the woods. Cupid draws back his bow and aims an arrow of love, perhaps about to pierce the heart of a hunting nobleman, or unsuspecting woodcutter. The striking contrast between the almost luminescent nymph, with the deep, rich, luxuriant forest, gives the glade an alluring sense of mystery – perhaps an allusion to the mysteries of the heart, a pre-occupation with Romanticism, central to the emerging thought of the time. Westall can be classified as one of the great Romantic artists, and even painted Lord Byron’s portrait...
Watercolor, Pencil
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
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
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
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
$5,736
Artists and their muses
Located in London, GB
Playboy School, 20th Century Artists and their muses: Titian and Violante; Sir Peter Lely and Nell Gwyn; Francois Boucher and Louise O’Murphy; Hogarth, Nell...
Ink, Watercolor, Pencil
$3,000Sale Price|20% Off
Cheval de Marly, Bronze Equestrian Sculpture by Guillaume Coustou
By Guillaume Coustou
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: After Guillaume Coustou, French (1677-1746) Title: Cheval de Marly Medium: Bronze Sculpture, signature inscribed Size: 22 x 19 x 9 in. (55.88 x 48.26 x 22.86 cm) This be...
Bronze
'Curious Kittens' by Charles Van Den Eycken (1859 – 1923) Romantic painter
Located in Knokke, BE
Charles Van Den Eycken 1859 – Brussels – 1923 Belgian Painter 'Curious Kittens' Signature: signed lower left and dated 'Ch. Van den Eycken 1900.' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions:...
Canvas, Oil
19th Century English School Painting of a Young Boy Reading with His Dog
Located in GB
An enchanting and intimate 19th-century genre painting depicting a young boy seated beside his loyal dog within a rustic interior. Illuminated by soft, atmospheric light, the child i...
Canvas, Oil
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
"Still Life and Hunting Dogs, 1851" P. M. Guillemin (French, 1800-1874)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Still Life and Hunting Dogs, 1851" P. M. Guillemin (French, 1800-1874) Monogrammed "EG" on right side. Oil on cradle board 26 x 21 (36 x 31 frame) inches Stunning example and un...
Oil, Wood Panel
Tenggren’s Sorcerer’s Clockwork Key – Before Disney
Located in Stockholm, SE
Gustaf Tenggren (1896–1970) Sweden Trollkarlens urnyckel (The Sorcerer’s Clockwork Key), 1918 signed and dated lower right “G. Tenggren 1918” watercolour on paper unframed 25 × 23 ...
Watercolor, Laid Paper
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
$1,399
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
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
Antique English Pastoral Landscape Oil Painting with Cows by H. R. Warburton
Located in GB
Charming antique English pastoral landscape painting by H. R. Warburton, depicting cattle grazing peacefully within a sunlit countryside setting. The composition features a tranquil ...
Canvas, Oil
$395
The Chess Game (antique drawing by leader of "Southern Art Renaissance")
Located in New Orleans, LA
Despite the tears and repairs, this remains an absolutely wonderful drawing, by a famous Southern artist. Many of you clicking on this are probably doing so because you know of Ellsworth Woodward, who with his brother William Woodward around the turn of the 20th century sparked an arts renaissance in the South, the arts and culture in general having been mostly moribund since the dispiriting defeat experienced in the Civil War. I won't bog you down with lots of detail here since all you have to do is Google his name to bring up a wealth of information about him. He is most famous for his leadership of the arts program at Newcomb College in New Orleans, and its famous Newcomb Pottery...
Graphite
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
Flamenco Dancer, Belle Epoque Romantic Pastel Portrait, Conchita de Cadiz
Located in Cotignac, FR
Flamenco Dancer. Romantic French pastel portrait on paper of a Spanish beauty by Louis Fortuney. The work is signed bottom left, and presented in a very fine carved gilt rococo wood ...
Pastel, Paper
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