Old Masters Animal Paintings

Swans Startled by Dog Flemish Old Master, 18th century oil on bevelled wood panel, framed framed: 14.5 x 17 inches panel: 10 x 13 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition:...

19th century Dutch romantic painting of animals resting in their pasture by Jan Van Ravenswaay Jan van Ravenswaay was a prominent Dutch painter of the 19th century, recognized for h...

In this masterly painting, Francesco de Mura presents the meeting of Herminia and the shepherds, a famous episode taken from the seventh canto of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered...

This portrait depicts us the trusted confidant of the Conflans d'Armentières family. More precisely, Julien Prieur was the fiscal procurator of the Marquisate of Armentières, playing the role of representative of the "public ministry", safeguarding the interests of his lord. His role, one can imagine, was crucial at the death of Michel de Conflans (in 1717) since the latter left an heir, Louis, aged only 6, and a widow, Diane Gabrielle de Jussac, whom some memoirs describe as "a very clever grande dame" . Prieur ensured the smooth running of the family's affairs and it is probably to thank him for his services that Diane Gabrielle had his portrait painted, most probably by a painter close to Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Julien Prieur appears as he is, middle-aged, with a benevolent look, in his hunting suit. Only his knotted wig links him to the nobility. Above all, he is depicted as a hunter, a passion that he shared with the Marquis of Armentières. His very young master, Louis, became a first-rate hunter, hunting in the King's entourage, in whose cabinet he died of apoplexy in January 1774. As for the his son, he was one of Louis XVI's closest hunting companions, as numerous souvenirs attest . 1. Some biographical information about the model and the commissioner While the identity of many 18th century portraits is uncertain, an old label stuck on the reverse of the canvas gives us some precise information on the identity of the model: "Mr. Julien Prieur, homme d’affaires de Mr. le Marquis d'Armentières - Commune of Brécy - Aisne". The label also suggests that it could be his son Louis Prieur living in Rocourt (probably Rocourt-Saint-Martin, a neighbouring municipality of Brécy), born on 30 September 1745, who died on 8 July 1826, but this hypothesis must be rejected in view of the model's clothing. This label probably gives us an indication on the previous owner the owner of this painting; we will see later why it seems likely that this label was affixed between 1826 and 1832. Brécy is now a municipality in the Aisne County (Hauts-de-France) located between Soissons and Château-Thierry, slightly north of the Paris-Reims axis. It borders the municipalities of Armentières-sur-Ourcq and Rocourt-Saint-Martin. According to Louis Prieur's death certificate, he was in fact born in 1743 and not in 1745 . The age of the model in the painting and the dating of this painting would indicate that Julien Prieur, was probably born at the very end of the 17th century. In Louise-Marthe de Conflans-Coigny, chatelaine de Brécy , we read that "the Conflans were a family of ancient nobility, which genealogists trace back to the 12th century, when it was said to have come from the house of Brienne. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this family had several illustrations in the profession of arms. [...] Michel de Conflans, [...] belonged to a younger branch of the family, of which Saint-Simon wrote, with his acid soaked pen, that "poor and obscure, they had never left their village, where their house resembled a hut" and elsewhere that they "lived on their rifles and cabbages". Fortunately for Michel de Conflans, the last representative of the elder branch, Henriette d'Armentières, made him her heir on her death in 1712. It was through her that the land of Armentières and its 14th century castle became part of the estate of this branch, as well as, not far from there, the land of Brécy and the castle of Le Buisson, where the family lived. In the early years of the 18th century, Michel de Conflans was able to push himself into the entourage of the Duke of Orleans, becoming his first gentleman of the chamber. However it was above all his son Louis who restored the family status through his military career. Born on 23 February 1711, Louis de Conflans, Marquis d'Armentières died of apoplexy on 18 January 1774, in the King's cabinet at Versailles. Appointed lieutenant general in 1746, he received his Marshal of France’s stick in 1768. The Dictionary of French Biography writes of him that "without ever achieving a high command, he appeared with honour in all the wars of his time". The estates of Armentières and Le Buisson were sequestered during the French Revolution, declared national property and sold at auction (in 1794 and 1795 respectively) after the Marquise d'Armentières, the Marshal's second wife, was beheaded in 1794. The Château du Buisson (where Michel de Conflans died in 1717) was bought by a granddaughter of the Marshal de Conflans, the Marquise de Coigny, in 1816 and remained in her family after her death in 1832 until the sale of the 1,054 hectares estate in 1866. The bayonet blows that probably pierced the canvas in three places may well have a revolutionary origin and it is conceivable that the painting, acquired by the Marquise de Coigny from Louis Prieur, Julien's son, after the latter's death, was then restored and given the label specifying the name of the model. 2. Description of the portrait The painting presents a man in his thirties in his hunting costume. Pictured at mid-body, his face is marked by his life in the open air and characterised by a look of great bonhomie. Holding a rifle under his elbow, he is soberly dressed in a large caramel-coloured jacket, decorated with silver buttons. Presented in a three-quarter view, the model holds a partridge in his right hand. The jacket opens onto a vermilion waistcoat. A green shoulder strap probably holds a powder flask hidden under his arm while a satchel is visible on his belt. The model is wearing a grey wig, tied at the back with a black ribbon that seems to fly in the wind. This ornament anchors Julien Prieur in his time. "The new King of France, Louis XV, [imposed] a style of smaller wigs for men and the rigorous white or preferably greyish powdering. From the middle of the century men also used a ponytail on the back of the neck, tied with a ribbon, a style that became very popular in all courts." He stands out against a dark, purplish sky at the end of an autumn day in a soberly sketched forest landscape. The treatment of the sky recalls the influence of Largillière, Oudry's first master. 3. Jean-Baptiste Oudry Jean-Baptiste Oudry was born on 17 March 1686 in Paris, rue de la Ferronnerie. He began his apprenticeship around 1705-1707 with Nicolas de Largillière, with whom he stayed for five years. In 1713 Oudry established his "livre de raison" in which he reproduced all his early works in wash drawings up until 1718. During this first period which lasted about 7 years, Oudry produced works of great diversity, both in the genres that the artist tackled and in the artists which influenced him. It has been estimated that he painted about 150 pictures during this period: mainly portraits, but also still lifes and some religious paintings and landscapes. Of the hundred or so portraits that Oudry is said to have painted during this period, only fifteen have been identified today. A number of those lost portraits are probably still confused with works by Largillière. First admitted to the Académie de Saint-Luc in 1708, he was then allowed to join the Académie Royale in 1717, and subsequently admitted as a history painter in 1719. This year marks a turning point from which Oudry will assert himself as an animal painter. In 1723 he met Louis Fagon, Intendant of Finances, and the Marquis de Beringhen, the King's first equerry, who became both friends and patrons of the artist, giving him access to royal commissions and enabling him to be appointed as painter of the Royal Tapestry Factory of Beauvais in 1726. From 1728 onwards, the creation of tapestries became the core of his work, even though at the same time Oudry developed his skill as an illustrator, first for Scarron's Roman Comique and then for La Fontaine’s Fables. Between 1726 and 1731, Oudry created the decoration of a large drawing room at the château de Condé-en-Brie, about twenty kilometres from Brécy, which has remained in place to this day. This important commission, about which few details are known, is said to have originated with the Countess de Verrüe, a great lady of the French Regency who often stayed at Condé with her friend Jean-François Leriget, Marquis de la Faye, then owner of Condé. A prolific artist, Oudry fulfilled numerous commissions in parallel with his regular contributions to the Salons, to which he regularly took part until 1753. He suffered a stroke in 1754 and died the following year. It seems almost certain, in view of the importance of his work, that Oudry supervised a workshop in which several artists were involved, but this point is very poorly documented. Given the geographical proximity of Brécy and Condé-en-Brie, the links between the Armentières family and the Condé patrons, and finally based upon the quality of our portrait, we propose the hypothesis that it was painted by one of the painters who worked with Oudry at Condé. 4. Related artworks: comparison with some other portraits of hunters by Jean-Baptiste Oudry While Oudry gradually abandoned portraiture from 1720 onwards to devote himself to animal paintings, he seems to have made an exception for hunter portraits, which were often depicted in the company of their hunting dogs. Two examples seem particularly evocative and suggest a dating for our painting around 1730. We will see in a second part why this dating proposal seems relevant. The first portrait worth mentioning is the presumed portrait of Lieutenant Claude-André Courtin de Crouey, lord of Quatre Fils and Cormeilles-en-Parisis made in 1723, reproduced below. Also presented in a very tight frame, it is interesting for the similarities in the representation of the rifle, and in particular the two metal rivets that are almost identical in our painting. The painting that seems closest to ours is the presumed portrait of Monsieur...

A 19th-century portrait of a terrier dog, especially one attributed to a renowned artist like Ben Marshall, offers more than just an artistic piece—it's a window into history and a c...

The Military Encampment Dutch School, 17th century circle of Philips Wouwermans (Dutch 1619-1668) oil painting on canvas, in 18th century gilt frame canvas measures: 19.5 x 17 inches...

Oil on panel We'd like to thank dr. Jan De Maere for his advice. The exquisite detail and vibrant composition of this painting attributed to Jan Baptist Bouttats, show a versatile ...

A fine oil on canvas painting of a horse and rider with hounds. This traditional country scene shows the rider wearing his red hunting jacket, identified as Mr Mackenzie riding "dut...

This stunning British Old Master exhibited pastoral oil on panel is by noted artist James Ward. Painted circa 1815 with superb provenance, it was exhibited posthumously at the Royal ...

Huge late 17th, early 18th century Italian Old master - A peacock doves and a duck holding flowers in a park landscape at sunset, attr. Angelo Maria Crivelli In a peaceful park land...

John Ferneley Jnr Stabled horses Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 20 x 24 in Framed Size - 27 x 31 in Born in about 1815 at Melton Mowbray, he was the eldest son of the important sporting artist John E Ferneley. The latters other two children, Claude Lorraine and Sarah, were also artists. He spent his early life at Elgin Lodge and his father was a major influence on his artistic development and was in all probability his sole teacher. His father took him on trips to London and in 1832 to Durham and York where the younger Ferneley later settled in about 1839, probably because of the large number of patrons in the area. His first work, of a Whipping-in, was engraved and published in the New Sporting Magazine in May 1833 and was followed in the next year by an engraving of a Hunter. John E Ferneley had established a significant career as an equestrian artist in the old English tradition largely due to being a pupil of Ben...

This painting fits well into the Dutch pictorial production of the Golden century. The composition, built on the harmonious presentation of rich wild game and fine details such as th...

Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) A horse and groom with a dog signed 'F.Sartorius.Pinxt' (lower right) Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 14 1/4 x 18 in Framed Size - 16 1/2 x 19 1/2 in Franc...

Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) A horse and groom with a dog signed and dated 'F.Sartorius.Pinxt.1777' (lower right) Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 14 1/4 x 18 in Framed Size - 16 1/2 x 1...

William Jones (c.1798-1860) Two spaniels working with a huntsman beyond Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 16 x 21 in Framed Size - 21 x 26 in William Jones’s work is well-known, emanating...

17th century Flemish Old Master - Orpheus charming the animals with his music The present painting is full of delightful details, such as the unicorn galloping in the distance, the ...

John Nost Sartorius (London 1759-1828) Gimcrack with jockey up, wearing the colours of Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor Inscribed and signed 'Gi...

The Resting Place Dutch School, mid 17th century oil painting on board, unframed canvas: 7 x 9 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound condition

Pastoral Landscape Dutch Old Master, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 12 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good a...

Pastoral Landscape by Peter la Cave (fl. 1789-1816) oil painting on wood panel, framed framed: 12.5 x 15 inches panel: 8 x 10 inches provenance: private ...

This painting depicts a pastoral scene that is attributed to the artist Jan Frans Soolmaker, an artist known for his Italianate landscapes and scenes that often feature equestrian and Arcadian elements. The painting is not signed but is attributed to Soolmaker, relating it to a known signed work by the artist that was sold at Sotheby’s London in 1999. The scene is suffused with the warm glow of a setting or rising sun, casting a soft light that is characteristic of Soolmaker’s landscapes. It shows a shepherd guiding a group of cattle across a shallow stream, with the animals taking center stage in the composition. The animals are rendered with careful attention to their forms and the play of light on their bodies, which is a hallmark of Soolmaker's work. The landscape is composed of a rocky terrain with trees and shrubbery, creating a sense of depth and natural beauty that invites the viewer to explore the scene further. The background suggests a vast, open landscape with distant mountains, which adds to the Italianate feel of the painting. The sky is dramatic, with clouds catching the light of the sun, contributing to the overall serene yet dynamic atmosphere of the work. The provenance of the painting is notable, having been in the possession of significant historical figures such as Swedish Prince Fredrik Adolf, and later The collection of Pär Ulmgren, The collection of Gösta Stenman, and Engineer and politician Gustaf Henry Hansson. Potential buyers have the option of choosing between a newly made gold frame or an older brown frame, which allows for personalization in how the work is presented. Soolmaker’s work is often compared to that of Dutch painter Nicolaes Berchem, whose style he emulated. Soolmaker's landscapes reflect a similar sensitivity to light and composition, making his works sought after for their beauty and historical significance. Despite the smaller body of work left by Soolmaker, due to his short career, his paintings are valued for their craftsmanship and the legacy of the artist’s brief but impactful contribution to the Dutch Italianate landscape genre. Information: Jan Frans Soolmaker (Flanders 1635‑1685) Shepherd with Sheep...

Francis Sartorius British, (1734-1804) Bay Hunter & Groom Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 24.25 inches x 29.25 inches Size including frame: 32 inches x 37 inches A wonderful spor...

John Ferneley Snr (1782-1860 Melton Mowbray) Sir Richard Sutton's foxhounds signed J. Ferneley lower right Oil on canvas Canvas Size 16 1/8 x 20 1/2 in Framed Size 21 x 25 in Proven...

Pieter Frederick Van Os (1808-1892) A greyhound in a landscape Signed 'P. F: Van Os. f 1825' lower left Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 46 x 39 in Framed Size - 51 x 44 in Provenance: C...

Sawrey Gilpin (1733-1807) Study of a hound in a landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 14 x 17 in Framed Size - 17 x 20 in Provenance: Victor Brockbank Fine Art, London; Private Collection, London. Sawrey Gilpin was a member of an old Cumberland family who chose a career in sporting painting, at which he was encouraged as a young man by the great Duke of Cumberland who had suppressed the Jacobite rising of 1745. Gilpin, though centred on London, always retained his Northern links, and had as patron many northern sportsman, like the sporting fanatic Colonel Thornton of Thornville Royal for whom he painted numerous pictures. Gilpin has suffered from being under the shadow of his incomparable contemporary George Stubbs, but he emerges as a leading horse and animal painter of a competence which is always reliable and occasionally inspired. He is an important link between the early English School of Wootton, Tillemans and the like, and the later painters exemplified by Ferneley and Herring. He was the president of the Society of Artists in 1773, and was elected RA in 1797. A clubbable man, he was popular with his fellow Royal Academicians. He frequently collaborated with them, adding portraits of favourite animals to numerous pictures by Barret, Walton, Romney, Zoffany, Reinagle and even the young Turner. He was the teacher of Thomas Gooch...

This superb Dutch Golden Age portrait is attributed to circle of Dutch artist Wybrand Simonsz de Geest. Painted in 1666 it is a full length portrait of a young William Stonestreet. H...

This lovely British Old Master oil painting is by noted Exeter born artist Thomas Mogford of Exeter. Painted in 1834 it is a portrait of a white hunter horse i...

This stunning 17th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to Godfrey Kneller. Painted circa 1680 it is a superb full length portrait of a blonde haired boy holding a struggling bird. He is bare foot and dressed in a white shirt with gold shawl around him. In the background is a blue drape. There is lovely detail and brushwork in his facial features and vibrant colouring. This a superb 17th century Old Master oil painting housed in a lovely frame. Provenance. Two ascribed labels verso Christie's stamp verso. . Condition. Oil on canvas in good condition, 36 inches by 28 inches approx. Frame. Housed in an ornate frame, 43 inches by 35 inches approx. Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to English and British monarchs from Charles II to George I. Kneller was born Gottfried Kniller in the Free City of Lübeck, the son of Zacharias Kniller, a portrait painter. Kneller studied in Leiden, but became a pupil of Ferdinand Bol and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn in Amsterdam. He then travelled with his brother John Zacharias Kneller, who was an ornamental painter, to Rome and Venice in the early 1670s, painting historical subjects and portraits in the studio of Carlo Maratti, and later moved to Hamburg. The brothers came to England in 1676, and won the patronage of the Duke of Monmouth. He was introduced to, and painted a portrait of, Charles II. In England, Kneller concentrated almost entirely on portraiture. In the spirit of enterprise, he founded a studio which churned out portraits on an almost industrial scale, relying on a brief sketch of the face with details added to a formulaic model, aided by the fashion for gentlemen to wear full wigs. His portraits set a pattern that was followed until William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. Nevertheless, he established himself as a leading portrait artist in England. When Sir Peter Lely died in 1680, Kneller was appointed Principal Painter in Ordinary to the Crown by Charles II. For about 20 years (c.1682-1702) he lived at No. 16-17 The Great Piazza, Covent Garden. In the 1690s, Kneller painted the Hampton Court Beauties depicting the most glamorous ladies-in-waiting of the Royal Court for which he received his knighthood from William III. He produced a series of "Kit-cat" portraits of 48 leading politicians and men of letters, members of the Kit-Cat Club. Created a baronet by King George I on 24 May 1715, he was also head of the Kneller Academy of Painting and Drawing 1711–1716 in Great Queen Street, London, which counted such artists as Thomas Gibson amongst its founding directors. His paintings were praised by Whig members including John Dryden, Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, and Alexander Pope. On the landing in Horsham Museum hang works of art from the Museum's extensive painting collection, featuring a large 18th-century portrait of Charles Eversfield and his wife, of Denne Park House. In the painting Eversfield is giving his wife some violets which signifies fidelity, love and honesty. It is likely that the picture was cut down at some time as it was unusual to stop just below the knee. It may have been painted by more than one person: someone who specialised in clothing, another in drapes, and so on, with perhaps Kneller painting the heads, for it was the portraits that gave the sitters their identity, everything else is rather formulaic. He married a widow, Susanna Grave, on 23 January 1704 at St Bride...

This stunning British Old Master oil painting is attributed to circle of noted bird painter Marmaduke Cradock. Painted circa 1690 it is an excellent example and the sort of collection of birds he loved to paint - a peacock, wild turkeys, a jay in the foreground and doves, all set in a beautiful landscape. A variant of this painting is now in The Tate collection. Unlike many artists, he preferred to paint live birds with all their passions, joys and quarrels. The artist has perfectly capture the dynamics between this group, especially the dove and jay, as they all begin to settle down in the twilight. The colouring and brushwork are superb making this a fantastic British Old Master bird oil painting in a stunning carved gilt frame. Provenance. London estate. Condition. Oil on canvas, 42 inches by 39 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a magnificent complementary period carved and gilded frame, 50 inches by 47 inches and in good condition. Marmaduke Cradock (1660-1716) was an English painter of birds and animals. Some older sources give his first name as Luke. Cradock was an English painter, noted for his depictions of birds, dead game, and other animals. He was born in Somerton, Somerset and moved to London, where he served an apprenticeship to a house-painter. He was, however, self-taught as an artist, becoming skilled in the depiction of birds and animals. Horace Walpole wrote that "I have seen some pieces by his hand which he painted with a freedom and a fire that entitled them to more distinction". According to Walpole, Cradock deliberately shunned aristocratic patronage. He worked in general by the day, and for dealers who retailed his works; possessing that conscious dignity of talent which made him hate to be employed by men whose birth and fortune confined his fancy, and restrained his freedom. According to the RKD his work as a still life and bird painter was influenced by Melchior d'Hondecoeter, Peter Frans Casteels, and Jakob Bogdani. Sketches in the collection of the British Museum indicate that he based at least some of the birds in his paintings on drawings from life. He tended to paint domestic birds and common wild species, rather than the exotic varieties favoured by some other artists. He sometimes introduced elements of drama such as attacks by predatory animals into his bird paintings, a feature shared with the works of Francis Barlow...

Late 17th Century Italian School. The Return of the Ark on the Covenant, Oil on Canvas, in a Fine 17th Century Italian Frame, canvas: 40.25" x 49.75" (102.3 x 126cm) Fine quality and rare 17th century Italian Old Master...

This charming British Victorian genre oil painting is by noted exhibited artist Henry Tuner Munns. It was painted in 1865 in realist palette with superb detail in the young boy's fac...

A fine antique oil painting, on canvas, of horses pulling a tandem at speed. signed and titled lower left, Vine Colchester 1834 This fine painting shows two horses pulling an open carriage /gig with gentleman in extensive landscape/park The size of the painting is approx 50 x 80 cms, whilst overall the size framed is 100cm x 71 cm This is a fine painting in very good condition housed in a gilt frame ready to hang Provenance: The E. W. Towler Collection, formerly of Glympton Park, Woodstock, Oxfordshire see details below The artist John Vine was born with a disability that did not appear to interfere with his ability to draw and paint, largely self-taught as an animal painter, as his reputation grew he exhibited at the Society of British Artists in Grosvenor Square. Based at Colchester he painted many different subjects including farms, houses, children and animals. Eric W. Towler was a remarkable man. He was born in 1900 and left school at the age of 12 to work in a Yorkshire pit and through a lifetime of hard work, self-improvement, luck and a refusal to limit his horizons achieved many of his aspirations. As a Yorkshireman through and through, he believed in ‘spending the brass in his pocket’ and over time he was successful enough to acquire enough ‘brass’ to enable his purchase of Glympton Park and furnish it as a traditional country house with all the trappings – in his case collections of...

This beautiful 18th century Italian Old Master oil painting is something rather special. Painted circa 1750 the subject matter is Saint John the Baptist as a very young child. He is ...

This superb Old Master later 17th/early 18th century oil painting is attributed to Baroque painter and German born animal artist Philipp Peter Roos. He was active in and near Rome fr...

Pausing for a Rest English School, circa 1800 the painting is very close to the works of Thomas Barker of Bath (English 1769-1847) oil on canvas, framed framed: 29 x 39 inches canvas...

The Military Encampment Circle of Carel van Falens (1683-1733, Flemish) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 8 x 10.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and so...

German School (18th century) A German Pointer with hunting Equipment Oil on canvas Canvas Size 42 x 35 in Framed Size 48 x 41 in

This gorgeous oil on canvas Victorian Old Master painting is by British artist Henry Jutsum. Painted circa 1850 the painting depicts a drover on horse back bringing up the rear behin...

This superb Italian 17th century Old Master animal oil painting is attributed to Baroque artist Giovanni Agostino Cassana. Painted circa 1650 the composition is of two rabbits, a gui...

Pieter Boel, Flemish Old Master, painted this stunning 17th century still life oil painting. Painted circa 1660 it is a large and impressive still life with dead game surrounded by f...

This stunning Old Master 17th century oil portrait painting is attributed to Francesco Fieravino, an artist famous in his day for still lifes and carpets. This painting which dates t...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to noted Dutch artist Nicholaes Berchem. Painted circa 1665 it is a charming pastoral scene of a shepherd and his animals including sheep, goats, donkey and cows and of course his trusty dog. They are all resting beneath trees while he looks on attentively. The light in the sky and the light and shadows on the animals is beautiful. A really superb example of Dutch Old Master art with great detail. Provenance. Surrey estate. Christies stamp verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, 38 inches by 32 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a complementary gilt frame, 46 inches by 30 inches and in good condition. Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1620-1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and genre pieces. He was a member of the second generation of "Dutch Italianate landscape" painters. These were artists who travelled to Italy, or aspired to, in order to soak up the romanticism of the country, bringing home sketchbooks full of drawings of classical ruins and pastoral imagery. His paintings, of which he produced an immense number, (Hofstede de Groot claimed around 850, although many are misattributed), were in great demand, as were his 80 etchings and 500 drawings. His landscapes, painted in the Italian style of idealized rural scenes, with hills, mountains, cliffs and trees in a golden dawn are sought after. Berchem also painted inspired and attractive human and animal figures (staffage) in works of other artists, like Allaert van Everdingen, Jan Hackaert, Gerrit Dou, Meindert Hobbema and Willem Schellinks. Born in Haarlem, he received instruction from his father Pieter Claesz, and from the painters Jan van Goyen, Pieter de Grebber, Jan Baptist Weenix, Jan Wils and Claes Cornelisz. Moeyaert. According to Houbraken, Carel de Moor told him that Berchem got his name from two words "Berg hem" for "Save him!", an expression used by his fellows in Van Goyen's workshop whenever his father chased him there with the intent to beat him. No trip or Grand Tour by Berchem was documented by Houbraken though he mentioned another story about the "Berg hem!" nickname which came from Berchem's conscription as a sailor; the man in charge of impressment knew him and sent him ashore with the words "Save him!". Today his name is assumed to come from his father's hometown of Berchem, Antwerp. According to the RKD he traveled to Italy with Jan Baptist Weenix, whom he called his cousin, in 1642–5. Works by him are signed both as "CBerghem" and "Berchem". In 1645 he became a member of the Dutch reformed church and married the year after. According to Houbraken he married the daughter of the painter Jan Wils, who kept him on a short allowance, but to finance his collection of prints he would borrow money from his pupils and colleagues and pay them back from the proceeds of paintings that he didn't tell her about. Around 1650 he travelled to Westphalia with Jacob van Ruisdael, where a dated piece showing Burg Bentheim is recorded. Maybe Berchem went to Italy after this trip and before he moved to Amsterdam - he is not clearly documented in the Netherlands between 1650 and 1656. Around 1660 he worked for the engraver Jan de Visscher designing an atlas. In 1661-1670 he is registered in Amsterdam and in 1670 he moved back to Haarlem, but was living back in Amsterdam by 1677, where he died in 1683. He was a popular teacher and his pupils were Abraham Begeyn, Johannes van der Bent, his son Nicolaes, Isaack Croonenbergh, Simon Dubois, Karel Dujardin, Johannes Glauber, Pieter de Hooch, Jacob van Huchtenburg, Justus van Huysum...

A delicate oil on canvas landscape capriccio of an Arcadian landscape with figures and sheep and goats in the foreground. A stormy sky and blasted tree populate the landscape and the...

Abraham Begeyn, Dutch Golden Age painter and Prussian court painter painted this wonderful 17th century Old Master oil painting. Painted circa 1690 and signed lower right, the subjec...

This simply stunning German 18th century Old Master oil painting is by noted artist C.L. Braun, signed lower right on the table edge. It was painted circa 1780 and has the look of a...

Whippet in Classical Landscape Michael Constable (20th Century British School) oil on board, framed framed: 19 x 25 inches board: 15 x 21 inches provenance: private collection, The C...

Gerard ter Borch (II) (1617-1681), copy after, around 1700 'Boy Fleaing a Dog' Oil on canvas Professionally restored (cleaned and relined) In modern frame in 17th century style Dimensions excl. frame: 33 x 27,5 cm. Dimensions incl. frame: approx. 50 x 45,5 cm. Depcited is a boy busy fleaing a dog. The boy sits on a chair with the dog on his lap. On a table on the right there is a book and a pen. On a wooden bench lies the boy's hat. What is unique about this painting by Ter Borch, is the relationship that is depicted between human and animal. Mostly animals like dogs where depicted as an attribute in paintings in the 17th century, and sometimes used to symbolize certain character traits. This boy is lovingly caring for his dog, which he is giving his full attention. Another interesting detail is that Ter Borch's brother Moses, was probably the model for this painting. Ter borch often used family members as models for his paintings. Moses was also a very talented painter and draughtsman. Several copies of this work by Ter Borch are known. One of these copies is in the collection of the Dutch Rijksmuseum (Image included in the image gallery (last image)). The original painting is in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich, Germany. Gerard ter Borch, also known as Gerard Terburg, was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu...

Daniel CLOWES (1774-1829) after George Stubbs Mares and Foals in a Landscape oil on canvas 29 x 33 inches, inc.frame Daniel Clowes lived and worked in Chester all his life and ...

Portrait of a Gentleman British School, 17th century oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condition

Hendrick Jan Scholl (1717-1792) A hound and dead game in a woodland landscape Signed "H.J. Scholl pinx 1763" lower right Oil on canvas 46 1/2 x 36 1/4 in ...

signed in the upper right Gio Batta Weenix oil on canvas 45 x 51 inches (114.5 x 129.5 cm.) PROVENANCE (possibly) Giovanni Baptista Weenix estate sale, Huis ter Mey, De Haar, Apr...

Beautiful oil on canvas, study of a horse in stable.Housed in a gilt frame signed and dated 1886 lower right The size being 60 x 44 cm. whilst overall 75 x 60 cm Provenance: The contents of a Cheshire Country House. Presented in very good condition. HENRY FREDERICK LUCAS LUCAS...

Henry Bernard Chalon (London 1770-1849) 'Prime Minister' with jockey John Shepherd up, and owner Sir Mark Sykes Signed and dated 'H.B. Chalon pinxit 181...

Still Life with Dead Birds 18th Century Italian School oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 16 x 20 inches canvas: 13 x 17 inches provenance: privat...

A copy of the self portrait of William Hogarth with his dog, called Trump. A fantastic quality image possibly from Hogarth's original school of art. This piece is titled, dated and monogrammed. It is in an antique, period Louis XIV style frame. The painting measures 36 x 28" (92 x 72cm) Outside Frame Size: 45 x 37" (104 x 94cm) Hogarth began this self-portrait in the mid-1730s. Initially Hogarth painted himself wearing a formal coat...

Still Life with Dead Birds 18th Century Italian School oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 17 x 21 inches canvas: 14 x 18 inches provenance: private collec...

Jacob THOMPSON (1806 – 1879) Deer by the Banks of a Lake 1842 oil on canvas 18.9 x 27.6 inches; 22.5 x 31 inches Inc. frame Jacob Thompson (1806–1879) was an English landscape-pa...

Work on canvas