Old Masters Portrait 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.
1860s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk, Carbon Pencil
Mid-19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
Late 19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Paper
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil
Early 1800s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Pencil
Mid-19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Handmade Paper, Graphite
1840s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
Early 1800s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Pencil
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Ink
1830s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Ink
Early 1800s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1890s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel, Watercolor, Pencil
1890s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Pastel, Pencil
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
Early 19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Pencil
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
1820s Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor