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
$12,800Sale Price|20% Off
Classical Ruins Oil Painting, Old Masters Style, Circa 1870, Unframed
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
$13,779Sale 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
$3,215
H 31.5 in W 23.63 in D 2.37 in
Untitled 01 - Contemporary, Organic, Black, Minimalist, Abstract, Monochrome
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Untitled 01, 2017 Black adhesive and black oil on canvas (Signed on reverse) 31 1/2 H x 23 5/8 H in. 80 H x 60 W cm Zsolt Berszán treats the first layer of the drawing as a substrat...
Canvas, Adhesive, Oil
$1,975
H 30 in W 40 in
An Undying Wonderment - 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
$4,593
H 46.46 in W 37.8 in D 1.97 in
Contemporary Abstract Minimal Painting with Soft Horizon and Light Pau Escat
By Pau Escat
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Pau Escat’s work explores the tension between presence and disappearance through subtle shifts of colour, light, and surface. His paintings unfold slowly, inviting a contemplative ga...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
$16,000
H 61.5 in W 63.25 in D 2 in
Memory Wall 9: Maximalist Gestural Abstract Painting with Pigmented Plaster
Located in Hudson, NY
Large, brightly colored abstract geometric painting in various shades of red, pink, and with accents of mint green, teal, blue, yellow, white and black. "Memory Wall #9" made by Hud...
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic, Panel, Pigment
$10,104
H 47.25 in W 39.38 in D 1.58 in
ABSTRACT Mirko Baricchi Oil Gestural Landscapes Flora Earth Tones Mixed media
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$15,000
H 62 in W 60 in D 2 in
Memory Wall #10 : Maximalist Abstract Color Field Painting in Red
Located in Hudson, NY
Large, brightly saturated red color field abstract geometric painting in various shades of bright green, blue, purple and deep red. "Memory Wall #10" made by Hudson Valley artist, Vi...
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic, Panel, Pigment
$1,492
H 8.27 in W 10.63 in D 1.58 in
Muted Woodland Soft Abstract Landscape Earth Tones by Federica Furbelli
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Federica Furbelli (1988, Varese, Italy) is a visual artist based in Mallorca whose practice centers on psychogeography, exploring drift, movement, and the relationship between nature...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$3,961
H 23.63 in W 17.33 in
Super massive I by Joachim van der Vlugt - Semi-abstract painting, brown tones
Located in Paris, FR
Super massive I is a unique oil on wood painting by contemporary artist Joachim van der Vlugt, dimensions are 60 × 44 cm (23.6 × 17.3 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and co...
Wood, Oil
$3,135
H 24 in W 36 in D 0.75 in
"Waiting for the Catch", Abstract, Boat, Reflection, Green, Blue, Oil Painting
By Marcia Wise
Located in Franklin, MA
Marcia R Wise's "Waiting for the Catch" shows only a part of a boat's hull while the reflection of the boat is more intact. From the artist's water refle...
Oil
$4,248
H 63 in W 47.25 in D 1.58 in
Contemporary Minimalist Blue 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
$525
H 10 in W 10 in D 1.5 in
Bikini Catenary: panel painting w/ multi-colored arc lines on yellow & green
By Paula Cahill
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Paula Cahill's linear abstract compositions are often comprised of a single, luminous line that meanders, changes color, and seamlessly connects back to itself. This piece combines C...
Acrylic, Vinyl, Wood Panel
$30,000
H 48 in W 108 in D 2.25 in
'Lightning Bugs' - naturalist landscape, botanical, layered, oil painting, blue
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Lightning Bugs" is a naturalist landscape featuring hues of green, blue, lavender and yellow. This triptych is made of three oil painted panels measuring 48 by 36 by 2.25 inches eac...
Oil, Wood Panel
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