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Old Masters Black and White Photography

OLD MASTERS

Encompassing centuries of change in Europe between 1300 and 1800, from booms of prosperity to bloody revolutions, Old Masters describes a wide range of artists. The informal term was derived from the title of an artist who trained in a guild long enough to become a master, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who studied in a Florence painters’ guild. However, Old Masters paintings, prints and other art is now used to refer to work made by any artist with a high level of skill in painting, drawing, sculpture or printmaking who worked during this era.

The 15th century’s expansive trade and commerce spread culture across borders. A vibrant period of art emerged, bolstered by studies of anatomy and nature that influenced a new visual realism. From Raphael and Michelangelo in the Renaissance to Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer in the Dutch Golden Age, artists expressed emotion, naturalism, color and light in new ways. El Greco and Paolo Veronese were leaders in the dramatic style of Mannerism, while Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens demonstrated the movement and meticulous detail of Baroque art.

Historically, most attention was concentrated on male artists, but recent research and exhibitions have elevated the impactful work of women such as Rachel Ruysch and Artemisia Gentileschi. In late-18th-century France, female artists like Adélaïde Labille-Guiard and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun were prominent names. Nevertheless, access to the academies and guilds was highly restricted for women, and even those able to establish practices were expected to adhere to portraits and still lifes rather than the grand history paintings being created by men.

Find a collection of Old Masters prints, paintings, drawings and watercolors and other art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Old Masters
Closure
Located in London, GB
'Closure' London, United Kingdom 2018 Limited edition of 20. John Gibson 'Hylas Surprised by the Naiades' According to Greek mythology, Hylas was the beautiful son of King Thiodom...
Category

2010s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Giclée

Pablo Neruda - b/w photo - 1962
Located in Roma, IT
Pablo Neruda Vintage Photo, b/w photo is realized in 1962. With the stamp of " Scarmiglia, Roma" Good conditions, consumed margins.
Category

1960s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Closure
Located in London, GB
'Closure' London, United Kingdom 2018 Limited edition of 20. John Gibson 'Hylas Surprised by the Naiades' According to Greek mythology, Hylas was the beautiful son of King Thiodom...
Category

2010s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Giclée, Photographic Paper

Louvre, Statue I
Located in New York City, NY
Edition of 9. Signature label. Framed work. A prominent French architectural photographer, Jean-Christophe Ballot’s body of work concerns itself with space: be it cities with urb...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Louvre, Aile Denon, La Victoire de Samothrace, Paris, France
Located in New York City, NY
Edition of 9. Signature label. Framed work. A prominent French architectural photographer, Jean-Christophe Ballot’s body of work concerns itself with space: be it cities with urb...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Louvre, Statue III
Located in New York City, NY
Edition of 9. Signature label. Framed work. A prominent French architectural photographer, Jean-Christophe Ballot’s body of work concerns itself with space: be it cities with urb...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Louvre, Depois le toit du pavillon de Flore, Paris, France
Located in New York City, NY
Edition of 9. Signature label. Framed work. A prominent French architectural photographer, Jean-Christophe Ballot’s body of work concerns itself with space: be it cities with urb...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Related Items
Cretan Tamarix
Located in London, GB
'Cretan Tamarix' Crete, Greece 2022 Limited edition of 20.
Category

2010s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Giclée

Cretan Tamarix
H 11.03 in W 7.88 in D 0.2 in
Portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham: Rare Framed Mezzotint after Brompton
By Edward Fisher
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a large framed very rare hand-colored copperplate mezzotint engraved portrait of William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham by Edward Fisher, published in London in 1779 after a painting by Richard Brompton. Pitt is depicted attired in a flowing regal appearing cape, standing in an ornate room with his left hand outstretched over a serious of manuscripts and scrolls that are laying on a table or desk to his left. The table is covered by a beautiful oriental carpet. The manuscripts include the Magna Carta, a map of the colonies, including Long Island and Staten Island, and papers entitled "A Plan for the Reconciliation between Great Britain and the Colonies", "A Motion Made in 1775 for the Recall of Troops from Boston", "A Provisional Act for Settling the Troubles in America Offered to the House of Lords in 1775", and "It is doing Nothing to repeal a few Scraps of Paper or Pieces of Parchment called Acts of Parliament. But our Business is to repeal the Ill-Will and the Animosity unfortunately now subsisting between Great Britain and North America". This engraving is held by the British Museum and the British Royal Collection Trust. This large framed mezzotint engraving is presented in a brown wood frame with gold-colored beaded inner and outer trim, and a cream-colored French mat. The frame measures 31.63" high by 26.63" wide by 0.75" deep. There are three short tears along the right edge and mild creasing in the left upper, left lower and right lower corners. It is otherwise in very good condition. William Pitt (1708-1778) was a member of the British parliament from 1735 to 1761 and prime minister from 1766 to 1768. Pitt was an advocate for the American colonies leading up to the War of Independence. He called for an amiable relationship between Great Britain and the colonies and opposed the Stamp Act and military action in America. He advocated for a withdrawal of English troops from Boston in 1775 and the settling of troubles in America, as two of his manuscripts on the table outline. Pitt's colleague, Lord Shelburne (later the Marquess of Lansdowne) shared his sympathies and after Pitt's death, signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1782. The American city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is named for William Pitt, the Elder. The name originated when the conflict between the British and French over territorial claims in the Northeast were settled in 1758. General John Forbes and his British army, supported by the American colonial troops, expelled the French from Fort Duquesne (which had been constructed by the French in 1754). Forbes re-named the site for William Pitt the Elder, who at the time was a British statesman. The earliest known reference to the new name, Pittsburgh, is in a letter sent from General John Forbes to Pitt, dated November 27, 1758. Pitt's son, William Pitt, the Younger, like his father, also served as British Prime Minister. Edward Fisher (1730-1785) was born in Ireland in 1730. He was originally a hatter, but learned engraving in London. He became a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1766, and exhibited there fourteen times between 1761 and 1776. He engraved more than sixty portraits. In addition to this portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, after Richard Brompton he engraved several portraits after Brompton, including George, Earl of Albemarle, as well as engraved portraits after paintings by Joshua Reynolds, including the Shakespearean actor David Garrick, Hugh, Earl of Northumberland, and Elizabeth, Countess of Northumberland and Laurence Sterne, and Hope Nursing Love, as well as Robert Brown, after Mason Chamberlin, Colley Cibber, after Jean-Baptiste van Loo, Christian VII of Denmark, after Nathaniel Dance, Simon, Earl Harcourt, after Hunter, Roger Long, after Benjamin Wilson...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Mezzotint

"Allegory of Justice": A 17th Century Old Master Engraving by van Swanenburg
By Willem van Swanenburg
Located in Alamo, CA
This old master engraving entitled "Allegorie op de Rechtspraak" is by Willem van Swaanenburg after a painting by Joachim Wtewael, published by Ch...
Category

Early 1600s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Engraving

Pantheon (Rome) - large scale photograph of iconic architectural elements
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pantheon (Rome) by Frank Schott from a series of monochromatic and timeless photographic observances of iconic architectural and interior references around Rome's historical center ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

S. Paolo Fuori Le Mura (Vedute della Basilica di S. Paolo fuor della mura)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
S. Paolo Fuori Le Mura (Vedute della Basilica di S. Paolo fuor della mura) Etching, 1748 From: Vedute di Roma, Plate 8 An early Roman printing, published by Bouchard e Gravier Watermark: Fleur de Lys in a double circle Signed in the plate Condition: Small margins as are common with Bouchard published impressions. Centerfold (as usual) Rich impression with good contrasts Plate/Image size: 15 7/8 x 24 1/8 inches Sheet size: 17 3/8 x 24 3/4 inches Reference: Focillon 723 Wilton-Ely 138 Hind 6 ii/VI, Bouchard e Gravier printing, before the price and numbers in later states This image is Piranesi’s second interior scene from the Vedute di Roma. The first interior is a less complex composition of the Interior of St. Peters which lacks the challenging perspective that the artist masters in this image. The Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls...
Category

1740s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Etching

Black Hellebore No.2 - analogue black and white floral photography
Located in London, GB
'Black Hellebore No.2’ London, United Kingdom 2024. It is a still life black and white film photograph, made with a large format 4x5 Linhof camera. The photograph is signed front...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée

Most Blessed
Located in New York, NY
“Ink Stories”, which was introduced at Nyari’s very first solo gallery exhibit, consists of large-scale nude photographs that explore the concept of self-identity and female empowerment...
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2010s Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Pho...

Most Blessed
H 63 in W 50 in D 2 in
Flower -Signed limited edition art print, Black white nature photo, Contemporary
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Flower - Signed limited edition archival pigment print, 1989 - Edition of 5 This image was captured on film. The negative was scanned creating a digital file which was then pri...
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1980s Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Black and White, ...

Set of Two 18th Century Engravings from William Hogarth's "Analysis of Beauty"
Located in Alamo, CA
The two plates in this set were created utilizing both engraving and etching techniques by William Hogarth in 1753, originally as illustrations of his book on aesthetics, entitled "Analysis of Beauty". Due to their popularity, these plates were later published separately. The publication line in the lower right reads: "Designed, Engraved, and Publish'd by Wm. Hogarth, March 5th 1753, according to Act of Parliament." Hogarth's original copper plates were refurbished where needed by James Heath and engravings were republished in London in 1822 by Braddock, Cradock & Joy. This was the last time Hogarth's copper plates were used for printing. Most were melted during World War I for the construction of bombs. These large folio sized "Analysis of Beauty" engravings are presented in antiqued gold-colored frames with double mats; the outer silk mats are light brown-colored and the inner mats are dark brown. Each frame measures 27.38" x 31.25" x 1.13". There is one tiny spot in the right margin of plate 1 and another in the lower margin; the latter could be from the printing process. The prints are otherwise in excellent condition. The "Analysis of Beauty" series is in the collection of many major museums, including: The British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Tate Museum, The Chicago Art Institute and The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The first engraving (Plate 1) depicts a courtyard of statues which is filled with some of the most famous works of classical sculpture. The most important sculptures are surrounded by less impressive works. The Medicean Venus (#13) is in the center with a statue of Julius Caesar (#19) to the right, elevated on a pulley with a short, overdressed Brutus stands over the falling Caesar. The Apollo Belvedere (#12) is next. A judge stands to the right with his foot on a cherub (#16). Another crying cherub holds a gallows and wipes his tears with the judge's robe. A sphinx (#21) and the drunken Silenus (#107) are below the Venus. Michaelangelo's torso (#54) and a statue of Antonius (#6) are seen in the foreground. The Farnese Hercules (#3) and a bust of another Hercules (#4) under two statuettes of Isis are also included in the scene. The key to these objects is included in the form of a serpentine line winding around a cone (#26), Hogarth's "Line of Beauty". For Hogarth the winding line is an essential element of beauty in art. Hogarth's theory of beauty is communicated in this plate. Plate 2 is thought to represent the Wanstead Assembly, with the Earl of Tynley and his household. It is an adaptation of a scene in the Happy Marriage series, which complements Hogarth's Marriage à la Mode...
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Mid-18th Century Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Engraving, Etching

18th Century Etching of Ancient Roman Architectural Objects by Giovanni Piranesi
Located in Alamo, CA
A. Tigna Protensa Super Media Epistylia, B. Praecisiones Tigorum Quaqua Versus Extrinsectus Apparentium, C. Opae Extremitates Tigorum Contintes, Fig. I, plate 88 from "Vasi, Candelab...
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Mid-18th Century Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Etching

Evening Palms, Summer Showers, Barcelona - black and white photo, palms trees
Located in Kinderhook, NY
Palm trees at night in Barcelona. Photographed on 35mm film, processed using the solarization method, inverting the image while printing. Printed on Ilford m...
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21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Photographic Paper, Black and White, Silver Gelatin

SPQR ( Rome ) - monochromatic timeless urban vignette of Italy's Eternal City
Located in San Francisco, CA
details of an almost monochromatic and timeless urban vignette captured in Rome, Italy, photographed with a large format camera to allow epic scale print sizes with incredible image ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Black and White Photography

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Giclée, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Paper

Previously Available Items
Closure
Located in London, GB
'Closure' London, United Kingdom 2018 Limited edition of 15. John Gibson 'Hylas Surprised by the Naiades' According to Greek mythology, Hylas was the beautiful son of King Thiodomu...
Category

2010s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Giclée

Closure
H 27.56 in W 19.69 in D 0.2 in
Untitled, New York. Framed
Located in Miami Beach, FL
New York, 1957 attributed to Erwin Blumenfeld Silver gelatin print. Unsigned/documented "Erwin Blumenfeld from Dada to Vogue" Image size: 13.91 in. H x 11.08 in. W Frame size: 36 in....
Category

1650s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Black and White

Louvre, Aile Denon, Les noces de Cana de Veronese, Paris, France
Located in New York City, NY
Edition of 9. Signature label. Framed work. A prominent French architectural photographer, Jean-Christophe Ballot’s body of work concerns itself with space: be it cities with urb...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Old Masters black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. Frequently made by artists working with Archival Pigment Print, and Pigment Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Old Masters black and white photography, so small editions measuring 9.45 inches across are also available. Prices for black and white photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $201 and tops out at $2,000, while the average work sells for $2,000.

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