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.
Russian Orthodox Church, Middle 19th Century
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Unknown Russian Artist Russian Orthodox Church, Middle 19th century Unsigned Illuminated in red, yellow blue and green pigments and gold leaf on paper An Illuminated manuscript folio...
Pigment
Russian Orthodox Church, Middle 19th Century
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Unknown Russian Artist Russian Orthodox Church, Middle 19th century Unsigned Illuminated in red, yellow blue and green pigments and gold leaf on paper ...
Pigment
$14,356Sale Price|20% Off
Raquel. Figurative woman's portraits on abstract background.
Located in Segovia, ES
Raquel. Images of woman on abstract background. Mixed media on panel. Measurements: 81 x 65 x 0.5 cm / Framed 103 x 87 x 5 cm In inches: 31.89 x 25.59 x 0.2 " / Framed 40.55 x 34.25 x 1.97 " "Raquel" was painted by Goyo in 1999 ( signature and date in right down corner) using a mixed technique. On abstract background that plays with colors, shapes, and volumes, Goyo portrays a beautiful woman's face with a penetrating gaze. There, almost like a collage, an academic female...
Wood Panel, Mixed Media
$12,800Sale Price|20% Off
Classical Ruins
By William Louis Sonntag Sr. 1
Located in Miami, FL
William Louis Sonntag Sr. was an American Landscape painter and a member of the Hudson River School movement. He was an Academician of the National Academy of Design. His work is in ...
Oil
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
H 29 in W 34 in D 2 in
Antique American School Modernist Winter Landscape Signed Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist landscape abstraction. Oil on board, circa 1940. Signed. Image size 30L x 25H. Housed in a period modern frame.
Canvas, Oil
$1,615
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 1.19 in
" Landscape " Abstract Painting, One of a Kind , made in Italy
Located in Agrigento, AG
Landscape mixed media on canvas 50x50 cm original Art her painting tells of the relationship between man, nature and time, the landscape, the sign and the trace, through the strip...
Enamel
$1,851
H 36.5 in W 35.5 in
Mid Century French Cubist Oil Painting Red Roof Tops Town Signed Large Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Cubist Town Landscape French, mid 20th century indistinctly signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 36.5 x 35.5 inches canvas: 32 x 25.5 inches Titled verso Provenance: private col...
Oil
$2,780Sale Price|20% Off
H 27 in W 37 in D 2 in
Antique American Modernist 19th Century Framed Sunset Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist landscape sunset painting. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy....
Canvas, Oil
$4,475
H 40 in W 30 in
Golden Hour - Modern Warm Tone Atmospheric Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,522
H 39.38 in W 31.5 in D 1.19 in
Ocean Whispers - abstract art underwater nude human figurative painting
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
$12,500Sale Price|37% Off
H 46.25 in W 56.125 in D 1.25 in
Charles Levier "Port Corse" Coastal Harbor Scene Large Oil Painting, Framed
Located in Miami, FL
“PORT CORSE” BY CHARLES LEVIER (1920-2003) Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed ⚜ Framed A MASTERPIECE OF POST-IMPRESSIONISM & CUBISM An exquisite example of Charles Levier’s signature st...
Oil
$3,230
H 21.07 in W 12.6 in
Now by Grégoire Mathias – Cubist Acrylic on Wood Depicting a Marathon Runner
Located in PÉRIGUEUX, FR
Now Acrylic on wood panel 53.5 x 32 cm Now by Grégoire Mathias is a cubist depiction of a marathon runner in motion. Layered with jazz motifs and time cues, this dynamic acrylic on...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$8,000
H 47.25 in W 47.25 in
Captivated by Magic. Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
A recent sojourn to India has provided a very productive creative period for Francesca Owen. Her palette reflects the warmth, spice and amazing colours of the subcontinent. These myr...
Oil
$445
H 12 in W 12 in
Memories Cast Adrift - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$4,426
H 63 in W 47.25 in D 1.58 in
Contemporary Minimalist Green Earth Abstract Painting Canvas Tete Alurralde
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment
Dye Painting #15
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Interested in communicating ideas of history, place and nature in her painting practice, Jennifer Wolf utilizes natural dyes and minerals to feature a historically significant palett...
Silk, Dye, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Pigment
Sold
H 33 in W 43 in
19th century German romantic landscape painting - Temple Valley Sicily Italy
By Andreas Achenbach
Located in Aartselaar, BE
Huge 19th century romantic painting depicting a sunset over the Temple Valley in Agrigento, Italy This magnificent painting depicts the famous Temple Valley in Sicily. We have visited the site to find out from which viewpoint the painter painted this beautiful work. Fortunately, the site remains largely unchanged from how it was in 1856 and we found out that the painter depicted the temples of Hera (on the left) and Concordia (in the distance). He (or she) likely sat on top of the hill next to the temple of Hera while he sketched the magnificent scenery of the sun setting in the sea behind the temple of Concordia. The present painting is topologically correct, however the artist might have taken some artistic liberty in rearranging the remains of the columns of the Hera temple to create a better perspective and direct the gaze of the viewer to the focal point of the composition; the temple of Concordia. Although the painting was long believed to have been created by an American painter, as the dramatic light and magnificent landscape are quite reminiscent of Hudson River School paintings, it is more likely that the painting has been created by a German romantic...
Canvas, Oil
Russian Orthodox Church, Middle 19th Century
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Unsigned An Illuminated manuscript folio from a Russian Old Believers manuscript with Neumes, from the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Illuminated in red, yellow blue and ...
Pigment
LANDSCAPE
Located in Napoli, IT
LANDSCAPE - Oil on canvas cm.120x80 by Massimo D'Orta, Italy 2008
BLUE GEOMETRIES
Located in Napoli, IT
Blue geometries - Alfonso Pragliola Italia 2014 - Oil on canvas cm.80x130
Canvas, Oil