18th Century and Earlier Portrait Paintings

This charming bucolic landscape bathes in a soft yellow light. A lady on horseback, accompanied by a boy on a donkey, stops near a shepherd. The herd looks at two fishers and quietly...

François de Troy (1645 – 1730) - Duchesse de Fontanges The young woman, traditionally identified as Mademoiselle de Fontanges, Louis XIV's mistress, is depcited in bust facing forward, her head slightly raised and turned to the left. She seems to dominate the viewer. She is dressed in a blue satin dress and wrapped in an orange satin stole that shines with its most golden luster. His hand with graceful fingers with the index and ring fingers spread apart and the middle finger glued to the ring finger keeps slippery fabrics on his chest. Its stole flying in the wind creates an instantaneous movement and the arm bent at the elbow obliquely transforms its static pose. The perfectly oval face is enlivened by wide gray eyes, a turned-up nose, full cheeks and a mouth that sketches a half-smile. Her powdered and tied hair is studded with many flowers. The young woman wearing no jewelry, the radiance of her youth and her translucent hue are her only ornaments. The juxtaposition between the icy blue satin and the incandescent orange like the heart and the contours of a flame indicates François de Troy's great talent as a colourist. Its vibrant and nervous touch enlivens fluid fabrics, making them sparkling and changing. Their surface is worked in quivering brushstrokes, the serifs and the glazes forming an elegant arrangement. The glazes of the face are treated by superimposing light and transparent layers, producing pearly reflections and a translucent rendering, the technique in which de Troy particularly excels. By François de Troy (Toulouse 1645 – Paris 1730) Early 18th century French School Oil on canvas in oval format: h. 27.95 in, w. 25.18in 19th century period frame Framed dimensions: h. 41.34 in, w. 33.46 in Although unsigned, like the majority of works by François de Troy, our portrait has been authenticated by the French expert cabinet "Turquin" as an autograph work by François de Troy. Provenance : Paris, Heim-Gairac gallery in 1965. Thence private collection. Published in the book on the life of Louis XIV “The Sun King: Louis XIV at Versailles”, Nancy Mitford...

Up for sale is a beautiful Antique 18-century original oil painting on canvas depicting a portrait of a beautiful woman In a dress of dark gold brocade trimmed with lace. A bright bl...

Lady Selby Of Melton. circa 1710 attributed to SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) Large circa 1710 portrait of Lady Selby of Melton, oil on canvas attributed to Sir Godfrey Kneller. Excellent quality and condition oval bust scale portrait of the young lady set...

Up for sale is a beautiful Antique 18-century original oil painting on canvas depicting a portrait of a Nobleman with a large whig, and red lined jacket...

Portrait Of William II Prince Of Orange, circa 1650 Dutch School Large 17th Century Dutch Schoo Old Master portrait of William II Prince Of Orange, oil on panel. Early important original court portrait on an oak panel of the young prince and father of William III, his only child and later King...

English School, 18th century oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 53 x 45 inches canvas: 48 x 40 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: overall very presentable...

Ester before Ahasuerus Dutch School, 17th century circle of Rembrandt oil painting on wooden panel, unframed panel: 28 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, London condition: very good and sound condition for its age though there are old panel splits evident and minor, but stable, paint loss in those areas, as shown in the photos. The subject of ‘Ester before Ahasuerus’ was narrated by the Bible’s Book of Ester (V: 2-34). Here, the Persian King...

This fine, antique portrait miniature was made after Boucher's famous painting of Madame de Pompadour, the highly celebrated official mistress of King Lo...

This exquisite mid-17th-century portrait miniature depicts a gentleman, believed to be King Charles I, wearing a lace collar. Following his execution in 1649, numerous portraits wer...

Oil on canvas. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and workshop. Certificated by Enrique Valdivieso who is the most inportant expert in this artist.

English School, circa 1780’s Circle of George Romney (1734-1802) oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 30 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches private collectio...

Mexican 18 century virgin of Guadalupe . Oil on canvas.

A magnificent portrait of Henry Izod aged 67 in 1726, unsigned, but attributed verso to De Coning. Presented in a delightful frame probably the original. Th...

Joseph Highmore (London 1692-1780 Canterbury) Portrait of a young boy holding his pet squirrel Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 30 x 25 in Provenance Sale, Sotheby's New York, Old Master...

Attributed to John Downman (1750-1824) Portrait of a young gentleman, seated beside a tree Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 30 x 25 in John Downman was a fashionable portrait painter in the second half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. He was born in Ruabon, North Wales, the son of Francis Downman, an attorney of Devonshire stock, and his wife Charlotte, daughter of Francis Goodsend, the private secretary to George I. In 1768 John became a pupil of Benjamin West and the following year attended the Royal Academy Schools. He showed his first portrait at the RA in 1770 and his first subject painting in 1773, exhibiting there until 1819. From 1773-4 Downman, by now married, studied in Rome in the company of Joseph Wright of Derby. By 1777 Downman was living in Cambridge, but the following year set up a studio at Bedford Street, Covent Garden. From 1779-1804 he lived at increasingly fashionable London addresses, including Bond Street, Jermyn Street and Piccadilly. Downman painted few large-scale oil portraits...

This charming work is a good example of the type of portrait in vogue during the first quarter of the eighteenth century in Britain. The sitter, portrayed bust-length, wears a russet silk dress over a white chemise...

Circle of Cornelius Johnson Circa 1620’s Portrait of a Officer Oil on canvas Image size: 28 x 24 inches Period style hand made frame Provenance Private European Estate This striking portrait dates to around 1620, as you can see from the images of the sash the detail is very high. The sash is decorated with gold thread and would have cost a small fortune at the time. Sashes were originally developed for a military function (making officers more visible for their men during combat), but soon became a primarily male fashion...

Venetian oil on panel end of 15 century

Oil on panel Image size: 12 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches (31.75 x 22.25 cm) Period style hand made frame This is a portrait of Thomas Cranmer (1489 - 1556). Cranmer was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Henry VIII and launched the English Reformation. Few people have played so important a part in shaping the course of English history or had a more profound influence on England's language and literature than Thomas Cranmer. At the bottom of the painting Cranmer's name and title is inscribed. At the centre there is also Cranmer's coat of arms, the left half is the arms that all archbishops of Canterbury adopt and it has been enjoin to his own family arms...

Oil on canvas Image size: 29 1/2 x 24 inches (75 x 61 cm) Period gilt frame This is a notable half length portrait of a navel officer, holding a telescope. He stands wearing a blue ...

The Cards Game, 17th Century Dutch School after Theodoor Rombouts (1597-1637) Large 17th century Dutch Old Master Interior scene of a game of cards, oil on canvas. Excellent quali...

After the Hunt Jan Josef Horemans the Younger Antwerp 1714 – 1790 Flemish School Signature: Attributed to Jan Josef the Younger Horemans Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Size incl...

This head and shoulders portrait is an outstanding example of the breadth, force and beauty of this artist's pictorial manner and abilities. This captivating portrait features a musi...

Oil on canvas. French portraits.

This magnificent grand-scale work, offered by Titan Fine Art, formed part of a collection of family pictures and heirlooms of the Rivers Baronets and their descendants for over 325 years, before it was dispersed by the last in the line in 1988. The work was painted by the most technically proficient painter in England after the death of Van Dyck, and the dominant court painter to Charles II and James, Duke of York, Sir Peter Lely. It is no surprise that for years Lely had no serious rivals, was enormously influential and successful, and one of the country’s most important painters – and his work influenced countless artists over generations. The exquisite carved and gilded auricular frame is an astounding work of art in itself. The sitters in this exquisite double portrait are Sir John Rivers, who succeeded as the 3rd Baronet Chafford in 1657 (c.1638 - c. 1679), and his wife, Lady Anne Hewitt (c.1640-c.1689). They are seated in an outdoor setting beside a fountain modelled as a female figure with water issuing into a scallop-shell. The water, the elaborate sculpted fountain with its scallop-edged bowl, and the open shell in her hand are symbols of fertility - as such they make an appropriate allusion to Lady Anne’s potential as wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, chapter 5, verse 18: “Let thye fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thye youth”. This reference was realised, as Sir John and Lady Anne produced at least six children; their son George (1665-1734) became 4th Baronet of Chafford. The composition, thus, represents a celebration of marriage and was likely commissioned around the time of the betrothal (the marriage took place 26th Feb 1662 or 1663). The statues in the left margin are 'Youth and 'Old Age' and are a typical form of Memento Mori reminding virile young man that even they will lose their youth and grow old. The Rivers family, originally of Kent, traces its history to Sir Bartholomew Rivers, in the reign of Edward IV. The family included several prominent members including several knights, a Commander in the King's Army, a steward of a ducal estate, a Lord-Mayor of London, and an M.P. John Rivers (c.1659-c.1651) was made 1st Baronet of Chafford in 1622 by King James I. The Chafford estate was the family seat and it remained so until the early 1700s with the death of Sir George Rivers, 4th Baronet (1665–1734), whose sons had all died. The Chafford estate was left to his daughters while the baronetcy passed to nephew John Rivers, 5th Baronet (c. 1718–1743), and then Sir John’s brother, Sir Peter Rivers-Gay, 6th Baronet (c. 1721–1790). Upon Sir Peter Rivers Gay's death the estate passed to his eldest son, Sir Thomas Rivers Gay, 7th Baronet (c. 1770–1805). Sir Thomas, dying in 1805 with no children, bequeathed the estate to his mother Dame Martha Rivers Gay, who managed the estate until 1834 when she settled it on the then Sir Henry Rivers, 9th Baronet (c. 1779–1851) her younger son, before dying shortly thereafter in 1835. Sir Henry had married in 1812 to Charlotte Eales, with whom he had 6 sons and 8 daughters. Upon his death in 1851 the estate passed to his eldest surviving son Sir James Francis Rivers, 10th Baronet (1822–1869). Sir James married Catherine Eastcott in 1867 but died childless in 1869, and the estate passed to his only surviving brother Sir Henry Chandos Rivers, 11th Baronet (1834–1870) but he died a year later in 1870 also childless; with no male heir the Baronetcy was therefore extinguished. The estate was bequeathed, in trust, by Sir Henry Chandos Rivers to Thomas Frederick Inman, a solicitor of Bath, who then managed the estate as a trustee on behalf of Sir Henry Chandos Rivers' sister Katherine Rivers (c.1826-1895). It then passed to Katherine River’s daughter, Katherine Wall (born c.1855), who had also inherited Worthy Park House from her father, George Alfred Ellis Wall (1825-1875). Until 1958 our portrait is known to have hung at Worthy Park House. Upon Katherine Wall’s death, the Rivers estate passed to her daughter, Katherine Eleonora Rivers Fryer (1889-1963), who married Colonel James Alexander Butchart 1877-1853. In 1958 the family sold Worthy Park House but our portrait was loaned to Southampton Museum and Art Gallery. After the death of Katherine and Colonel James, the estate was left to their only son, Charles Bruce Rivers Butchart (1917-2005) and upon Charles’ retirement to a nursing home in 1988, and without heirs, our portrait, along with the residual assets of the Rivers estate were sold, thus ending over 325 years of continual family ownership. Lady Anne Rivers is thought to have been born circa 1640. She was the fourth child of the second marriage of Sir Thomas Hewitt (or Hewett) (1606-1662), 1st Baronet of Pishobury, Herts, and his wife Margaret Lytton (died 1689). Sir Thomas was an English landowner and M.P. for Windsor and upon the English Restoration...

Portrait of a well-to-do gentleman in pastel on parchment. Signed left: Marteau L. 1760. French School, possibly by Louis Marteau (1715 – 1804) In a gilded 19th century frame. Dimen...

Titian painter (16th century - 17th century) Titian Vecellio (1488 or 1490 - 1576) Christ as Salvator Mundi with the Madonna at Prayer Oil on panel (51 x 67 cm. - with tabernacle fr...

Portrait Of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584-1647) At The Siege Of Maastricht 1632, 17th century circle of Palamedes I PALAMEDESZ (1607-1638) 17th Century Dutch portrait...

A fine, imposing 18th century portrait of an unknown aristocrat,housed in a gilt frame The artist is also unidentified but certainly a talented hand, in the circle of one of the fine old masters of the period The size overall is 148 x 121 cm whilst the painting is 128 x 101 cm In overall good condition the frame at the bottom has bowed slightly The painting has been checked whilst being cleaned and has not been affected in any way . SHIPPING Free delivery to mainland uk ,worldwide shipping available please email for quote Delivery usually within 14 working days, insured please provide telephone/email details for courier. All taxes/customs etc to be paid for by purchaser. RETURNS (The Consumer Contracts Regulations) Whilst we are sure that you will be extremely happy with your purchase, if for any reason you are not, then you are entitled to return the item to us for a refund. For all purchases made you are entitled to return the item(s) for a period of up to 14 days following receipt by you or a representative indicated by you. Please contact us to confirm that you are returning the item(s) and the reason for doing so. Upon receipt of the item(s) we will refund the purchase price via your original payment method...

The portrait genre was valued particularly highly in English society. Neither landscapes nor allegorical pictures were ever priced so highly at exhibitions and in the trade as depictions of people, from the highest aristocracy to scholars, writers, poets and statesmen. This charming portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, of a fashionable young gentleman and his faithful pet is an excellent example of 17th century child portraiture in England. There is a remarkable beauty and sensitivity to the portrait. The face, particularly well rendered, has captured the character of this young man – both charming and at the same time mischievous. Only the playful attention of a small dog suggests anything less than patrician dignity. Symbolism was important in portraiture and it provided a pointed and aspirational narrative that would not have been lost on contemporary viewers. For example, the presence of the dog, which was likely the boy’s pet, is at once a charming pictorial device and also a clear allusion to fidelity, trust and loyalty. The hairstyle and the attire, notably the type of cravat with the blue ribbon, help to date this portrait to between 1670 to 1685. Until the late eighteenth century children were dressed as adults - boys were dressed like men in breeches, vests, and coats between four and seven years of age. The expensive lace is an indication to his family’s wealth. Held in a good quality and condition antique gilded frame. Born in Suffolk, Mary Beale, nee Cradock (1633-1699) was employed by many of the most distinguished persons of her time including nobility, landed gentry, and clergymen. Technically accomplished, her paintings are noteworthy for their honest and sympathetic portrayal. In 1651 she married Charles Beale...

Portrait Of Gilbert Talbot 7th Earl of Shrewsbury (1552-1616), 16th Century Circle of George Gower (c.1540–1596) Huge 16th Century Portrait Of Gil...

Portrait Of Carlota de Hesse-Kassel, 17th Century Dutch School Large 17th Century Dutch old Master portrait of Carlota de Hesse-Kassel. Exc...

Italian painting of Alphonsus Liguori in French Neo-Gothic Frame Italian and French, Late 18th and 19th Century Frame: Height 61cm, width 39cm, depth 6cm Panel: Height 28cm, width 22...

Study for a Man, perhaps Italian School , Follower of Caracci. Old Master Painting. In a Golden Frame, 52 x 46 cm.

During the Counter-Reformation, the traditional cult of saints was encouraged, and spiritual exercises were recommended to come closer to God. In the pai...

The Battle of Scheveningen, 10th August 1653, 17th Century Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten (1622-1666) Huge 17th Century Dutch Old Master scene of The Battle of...

Boy & His Dog, 19th Century by Jules BRETON (1827-1906) sales to $1,500,000 Large 19th Century French country portrait of a Boy and his Dog, oil on canvas by Jules Breton. Large 19th century portrait...

Portrait Of Marie Leszczyńska, Queen Of France (1703-1768), 18th Century Circle of JEAN-MARC NATTIER (PARIS 1685-1766) 18th century French School p...

Provenance: Cornelius Vanderbilt, New York; by whom gifted in 1880 to: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (80.3.673); deaccessioned and sold: Christie’s, New York, 12 June 19...

The Crucifixion, 17th Century circle of Anthony VAN DYCK (1599-1641) Huge 17th Century Dutch Old Master depiction of the Crucifixion, oil on canvas. Excellent quality large scale ...

Figurative Group Roman Catholic Saints Italian School, late 17th century/ early 1700's sketch of a lamb showing verso to panel oil painting on panel, framed framed: 20 x 24 inches bo...

On the cardboard applied on the frame there is an annotation, belonging to some of the old owners, reporting the names of the portrayed in Kurrent handwriting: "Urgroßvater Ludwig Fr(ei)h(e)r(r) von Keller" "Urgroßmutter Fr(ei)h(e)r(rin) von Keller geb(oren) von Niebecker". So we can deduce that the models were Ludwig Friedrich Heinrich Ferdinand Baron of Keller (1760-1835), a German politician who was the director of the district of Prussia, and his wife Auguste Johanne Henriette Baroness of Niebecker (1760-1832). Their high class provenience is highlighted by the not contained expressive liveliness, by the proud pose imitating movement and by the elegance of the clothes which fabric seems palpable (especially sincere is the evanescent depiction of the pleated veil of the gorget and the adorned with arabesques decoration of the sleeves and the vest). The two pieces can be attributed to John Singleton Copley...

Portrait Of A lady Identified As Frances Thomasine, Countess Talbot, Wife of the 2nd Earl Talbot (1778–1819) attributed to SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY (BRITISH 1753-1839) Large early 19th Century Portrait of a lady identified as Frances Thomasine, Countess Talbot, oil on canvas attributed to Sir William Beechey. Magnificent large three quarter length seated interior portrait of the lady wearing one glove, her hair up and an empire line dress...

Work on wood Empire plaster frame and gilded wood 42 x 36.5 x 6 cm

Oil on canvas Image size: 10 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches (27.25 x 19.5cm) Handmade William Kent frame This quickly created oil sketch is a study for a larger work, its purpose being to aid the artist and give the client a visual representation of the final piece. The subject is a young gentleman in a colourful pink and white outfit. He also wears a powdered wig and bears a decorative sword...

The Annunciation Circle of Paolo De Matteis (Piano Vetrale, 1662 - Naples, 1728) oil painting on canvas (106 x 90 cm - with frame 118 x 103 cm.) The work,...

A fine 18th century French pastel portrait on paper of an aristocrat wearing the order of St Louis, inferring that the sitter had been in the military serving the King. The pastel is unsigned but to the the back is a piece of the original backing paper with a notation to the Baronne de Minck. The paper has been backed with a type of vellum, It is presented in a plain gilt wood frame on a period stretcher under 18th century glass. The artist has used the pastel to create a wonderful soft velvety texture so characteristic of this medium which became so popular for portraits in the 18th century. A charming rendition of a typical 18th century nobleman...

Portrait of a lady richly dressed in a purple silk gown with white sleeves, a gold coloured cloak draped across one shoulder, her blonde curls worn up...

The Conversion Of Mary Magdalene, 17th Century Studio Of Il Domenichino (1581-1641) Large 17th century Italian Old Master depiction of the Conversion of Mary Magdalene, oil on canvas. Circa 1630 intimate toilette scene, in which a magnificently dressed Mary removes her jewellery, this allegory has both moral and apologetic purposes in line with the Counter Reformation. The painting records the first steps of Mary Magdalene towards her religious conversion, to renounce worldly belongings and ephemeral pleasures, thereby taking off her precious jewelled pieces, in favour of a frugal and contemplative way of life in the desert. The Magdalene remained one of the most popular saints after the Reformation...

Important 18th century German portrait by the female master painter Anna Rosina de Gasc depicting Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Anna Rosina was born in 1713 into a family of painters of Polish noble origin in Berlin. Her mother was Maria Elizabeth Kahl from Pomerania. Her father, Georg Lisiewski (1674–1751), taught painting to Rosina and her siblings Anna Dorothea (1721–1782) and Christoph Friedrich (1725–1794). She later studied with the painter Antoine Pesne...

Christian Schildbach was a very talented artist with his own style. Art painter in Plauen, then court painter in Dresden; around 1706 art painter in Vienna, also active in Bamberg (...

James Fellowes Flourished 1719 - 1750 Portrait of William Henry Kerr, Earl of Ancram, 4th Marquess of Lothian Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1747 Image size: 29 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches (75 x 62 cm) Original gilt wood frame William Henry Kerr was born a member of the Scottish peerage to William, third Marquess of Lothian, and his first wife Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicholson of Kemnay, first Baronet. William was styled Master Jedburgh until 1722, when his father was elevated to a Marquessate, after which he was referred to as Lord Jedburgh until 1735. Following his father’s military footsteps, on 20 June 1735 Ancram was commissioned as a cornet to the regiment (11th Dragoons) of his grand-uncle, Lord Mark Kerr. Ancram married Lady Caroline...

Christian Schildbach was a very talented artist with his own style. Art painter in Plauen, then court painter in Dresden; around 1706 art painter in Vienna, also active in Bamberg (...

Portrait of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol (1612-77), 17th Century circle of Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) Large 17th Century portrait of George Digby, 2nd Earl Of Bristol, oil on canvas. Excellent quality and condition portrait of Digby with long hair red tunic...

Portrait of a young lady. wearing an ivory silk gown with gold brocade trim and a blue silk cloak, painted c. 1747. Circle of Thomas Hudson (1701-1779). Oval oil on canvas laid on to board in a giltwood frame. Provenance: Frost & Reed Ltd, June 1958 Private collection, Somerset UK The beautifully painted silk gown worn by the sitter bears the characteristics of the talented drapery painter Joseph Van Aken (c.1699-1749). Artists such as Thomas Hudson, Allan Ramsay, Henry Pickering, George Knapton and Joseph Highmore all used Aken’s exceptional talents in painting the silk clothes...

Carlo Ceresa (San Giovanni Bianco 1609 - Bergamo 1679) attributable Full-length portrait of Giacomo Pesenti Oil on canvas (206 x 121 cm - in frame 212 x 133 cm.) This fascinating portrait, portraying a full-length gentleman and datable to the 17th century, illustrates the stylistic and compositional details typical of the pictorial production of the Lombardy area, Bergamo in particular. This reference is reflected in elements such as the natural light, the sober and austere setting and, above all, the subtle psychological characterisation of the face. We are inclined to identify the hand of portrait painter Carlo Ceresa, one of the most illustrious Bergamasque figure painters of the 17th century, capable of developing a style of intense realism and acute psychological investigation. In his works, and our portrait perfectly reflects his canons, an extraordinary naturalistic imprint, great realism and remarkable essentiality are evident. Those traits of severity, moral rigour and austerity typical of his portraiture find a perfect balance here: never courtly or rhetorical, his portraits are profoundly linked to the concept of counter-reform. Immortalising the main personalities of the time, he established himself as a point of reference for the Bergamasque aristocracy, from the Vertova to the Pesenti to the Secco Suardo. The subject of the portrait is Giacomo Pesenti, here immortalised life-size in a rigorous black suit, his left hand resting on a table, on which is placed the necessities for writing and a manuscript, and his right hand, with a sealed ring on his little finger, abandoned along his side while he holds his gloves. He wears a suit of incredible rigour, dressed as befits a man of his high social standing, while the sharp light focuses on his face, with an intensity that seems to be accentuated by the reflection of the white collar, with its sharp profile. For Ceresa, it is not the richness of the garment that gives value to the person portrayed, it is the need to give feeling and bring out the character of the person, and this he succeeds in marvellously, aided by his ability to capture the essence of the person and return it to us in painting through the face and light used as a strong expressive element. In fact, the image highlights that 'counter-reformed' composure typical of the portraiture of painters active in this area and era, adhering to a verism...

Amazing painting of Cleopatra oil on canvas with a gilt wood frame. Attributed to Giuseppe Diamantini (Fossombrone 1621-Venice 1705) The dramatic subject of the painting depicts th...