Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
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.
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Crayon
1760s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pencil
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Handmade Paper, Graphite
1770s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pen
Early 1800s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink, Pencil
1620s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk, Charcoal
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink, Cardboard, Pen
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Etching, Paper
1650s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Gouache, Laid Paper, Pen
Early 1800s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Charcoal
Early 1800s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil, Ink
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
Late 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Color Pencil, Ink, Watercolor
1840s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1770s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1770s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
1760s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
Mid-19th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
1770s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Chalk
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Laid Paper, Pen
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Vellum, Pencil
Early 1600s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Pen
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1710s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Oil
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1740s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
1740s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
1740s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
19th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Carbon Pencil, Paper
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1850s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Carbon Pencil, Paper
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Washi Paper, Color Pencil
1780s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
Mid-20th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Laid Paper
Late 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
1710s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
1770s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink
1790s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
India Ink
Early 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Charcoal
21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Charcoal
Early 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Handmade Paper
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil, Paper
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Graphite
Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite, Crayon
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
1750s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk, Ink
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Paper