1840s Figurative Paintings

Samuel Henry Alken (English, 1810–1894) Set of Four Fox Hunting Scenes Oils on canvas, circa 1840–50 Ex Ackermann & Johnson, London As far as I can tell the set is Unsigned This sup...

French school 19th Century Portrait of a Lady with a Fan oil on canvas 75 x 62 cm Not framed Condition: the original canvas has been doubled and placed on a new stretcher, and trace...

Thomas Smythe (English, 1825–1907) Fox Hunting Scenes Oils on canvas, Antique gilt frames Circa 1840–50 Unsigned as far as I can tell This exceptionally rare set of four hunting scen...

Well painted and very interesting composition attributed to the English landscape painter john Frederick Tennant. His work is very similar to ...

A fine antique French oil painting on canvas by Isidore Alexandre Augustin Pils (1815–1875), the painting depicting Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760-1836) singing "La Marseillaise", circa 1849. Isidore Pils was an academic painter, very often painting military subjects. Claude Rouget de Lisle was a French army officer from the French Revolutionary Wars and famously wrote the words to "La Marseillaise" and first performed it to the Mayor of Strasbourg; Baron Philippe-Frederic de Dietrich. This painting dates to the middle of the 19th century and could be by the hand of Pils or possibly a talented copyist who was also a classically trained artist, the work appears to be unsigned. The painting is in excellent condition and is housed in a gilded frame. Isidore Pils produced a number of paintings with this famous scene and one such painting is housed in the collection of The Louvre in Paris. At sight without frame 26.50" x 22" Pils was born in Paris as the son of a soldier François Pils. At the age of twelve, he studied with Guillaume Guillon-Lethière for four years. In 1831 he became a student at the École des Beaux-Arts and studied under François-Édouard Picot. He competed for the Prix de Rome, which he won in 1838 for a history painting, St. Peter Healing a Lame Man at the Door of the Temple. Although in poor health, Pils then spent the customary three years at the French Academy in Rome at the Villa Medici, which then had Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres as its director. While in Italy he visited Naples, Venice, and Florence. Pils's earlier paintings have religious themes. In 1849 he completed his most famous work, Rouget de L'Isle Singing La Marseillaise, which now resides at the Musée historique de Strasbourg. After experiences travelling with French troops through the Crimea, his themes took on military and nationalistic subjects. He later produced many military scenes during the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Pils was appointed professor of painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1863 but left the same year for two years in Algeria. In 1868 he was elected to seat #14 of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Among his students were Adrien Moreau, Paul Adolphe Rajon, Julien Dupré, Luc-Olivier Merson, Ludovic Piette...

Henry John Boddington (1811–1865) English Landscape, oil on canvas, circa 1840 This richly atmospheric oil painting by Henry John Boddington captures the tranquillity and pastoral c...

Egron Lundgren (1815–1875) Monk in a Monastic Cell signed and dated Egron Lundgren Rom 1848 oil on relined canvas unframed 62 x 50 cm (24 ½ x 19 ¾ in.) framed 79 x 68 cm (31 x 26 ¾...

This evocative 19th-century marine scene by English painter Nicholas Matthew Condy captures the dynamic tension and atmospheric drama that typify his maritime works. Known for his ke...

Samuel Henry Alken (1810–1894) Horse Racing Scene, Possibly the Epsom Derby Oil on board, unsigned Attributed, English school circa 1840 Presented in a later gilt frame with beaded inner edge This dynamic mid-19th century racing scene, attributed to Samuel Henry Alken—also known as Henry Alken Junior—captures the high-stakes moment just before the thundering release of horses and riders at the starting line. A tightly packed field of brightly jacketed jockeys leans forward with urgent anticipation, the taut muscles of their mounts echoing the gathering tension. In the foreground, a race marshal gestures dramatically to signal the start, his stance underscoring the energy about to be unleashed. Though unsigned, the work bears the unmistakable hallmarks of Samuel Henry Alken’s hand: vigorous composition, attention to equine form, and a sharp eye for the choreography of sport. The figures are finely modelled, the palette lively but grounded, and the setting—with its wooded backdrop, animated crowd, and distant grandstands—suggests a major 19th-century race meeting, possibly the Epsom Derby, a subject Alken is known to have returned to in several formats. The composition’s panoramic sweep and low horizon lend a cinematic quality, while the density of detail—each silken cap and coat, each bridle and plume—evokes the pageantry and social theatre of Britain’s sporting calendar at the height of its Regency and early Victorian splendour. A rare and spirited scene from the golden age of English sporting painting...

Well painted 19th-century portrait of a young boy possible in a School Uniform. With the label on the reverse being from Scottish panel makers, we bel...

➡️Winter scene⬅️ Watercolor from Johannes Franciscus HOPPENBROUWERS (1819-1866) (see wikipedia) ⭐Structural Analysis⭐ This painting depicts a winter scene in a rural village, possibly in the Netherlands or a similar European setting. The composition is well-balanced, featuring: A central building with a distinctive thatched roof covered in snow, creating a focal point. A frozen river or canal, with a person ice skating in the middle ground, adding movement and human presence. A windmill and houses in the background, reinforcing a Dutch setting. Figures engaged in daily life, such as the man near the building carrying a walking stick and a bag, adding a narrative element. The overall scene is tranquil yet lively, capturing a nostalgic winter atmosphere. ⭐Color and Light⭐ The palette consists of muted earth tones, including warm browns, ochres, and soft grays, giving a rustic and aged appearance. The sky has an orange-yellow hue, possibly representing a sunrise or sunset, casting a gentle glow over the cold landscape...

This maritime scene by Nicholas Matthew Condy, the celebrated English marine painter continues to reveal his deep fascination with ships and the shifting moods of the sea. The compos...

DeWitt Clinton Boutelle Sunset, Indian Summer, 1848-49 Signed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 12 x 16 inches DeWitt Clinton Boutelle was b...

Jasper F. Cropsey Janetta Falls, New Jersey, circa 1846 Signed J.F. Cropsey Oil on canvas 12½ x 10¾ inches Provenance Private Collection, New York, 1930s Thence by descent to the pr...

Eugène Modeste LE POITTEVIN (Paris, 1806 - Paris, 1870) Diana Resting Original oil on canvas (E. Picart, 16 rue du Bac) H. 33 cm; W. 40.5 cm Unsigned Red wax seal from the posthumous...

'Portrait of a Gentleman Reading' by George Richmond, RA. Regency Dandy, William Blake, Royal Academy, Framed Oil ----- Signed lower right, 'Richmond' for George Richmond, RA (Brit...

A rare mid 19th Century watercolor depicting Native Americans approaching a fort by Peter Peterson Tofft. This painting depicts a Fort built by Major John Owen in what is now Steve...

Félix-Hippolyte LANOÜE (Versailles, 1812 – Versailles, 1872) Italian Landscape with Bathers Oil on canvas, in its original frame D. 41 cm Signed lower right Circa 1840 Trained by Je...

Charles Bouchez (1811-1882) French A Soldier Blowing the Trumpet oil on canvas signed and dated ch. Bouchez 1842 canvas dimensions 6.29 x 4.13 inches (16 x 10.5 cm) frame 10.23 x 7...

After the original by Károly Markó the Elder (1791–1860). A substantial, 19th century figural showing the meeting of Ruth and Boaz, set in a romantic Italianate landscape peopled w...

A wonderful view of a river landscape with a rustic cottage and pollarded trees by Henri Sieurac. It isa rare, early and very fresh landscape by this Parisian artist which may well have been painted in the countryside around Barbizon, near the river Loing. Henry Sieurac had studied with his father, François Joseph Sieurac , and of Paul Delaroche...

‘Fabbriche di Careggine’ by Edmund John Niemann (1813-1876). Fabbriche di Careggine is the name of a Italian ghost village that today lies beneath Vagli di Sotto, a man-made lake in Tuscany. Prior to its flooding in 1953 the village was home to a community of subsistence farmers who raised sheep and Garfagnana goats. The painting depicts one of these goatherds and a young woman riding out from the village at sunrise. It is not uncommon for paintings by one member of famous family of artists to be mistakenly attributed to a relative; a picture by “the Elder” is erroneously credited as being by “the Younger” and the work of one brother is confused with another, and so on. In 19th century British art...

Spanish School of the 19th Century Santa Justa and Santa Rufina Oil on canvas 40 x 27 cm In quite good condition, the paint surface presents numerous crack...

The former Curator of Oil Paintings at the National Maritime Museum, E H H Archibald, says of Joseph Heard in his Dictionary of Sea Painters in Europe and America that "…with Samuel Walters he must stand as the top-ranking Liverpool ship portraitist of the 19th century." He would have known the artist's work well as the National Maritime Museum has eleven paintings by Heard in its collection. Joseph Heard was born on 7th March 1799 in Egremont near Whitehaven in Cumberland. His father, also Joseph, was a saddler and it is believed that the aspirant painter received some artistic training from John Clementson who was a local portrait painter. Joseph had a brother Isaac who painted portraits. It is possible that Joseph came across the work of H Collins...

Suite of four large family portraits, kept together to this day. Created around 1840 by the painter Théophile Morel, who presented portraits at the Salon des Artistes Français from t...

Outstanding 19th century English warship off the Italian, Mediterranean coast, with village, mountains and hills. A very interesting and somewhat unique oil on slate depicting an English ship at anchor in what looks like an Italian or Mediterranean coastline. The piece has influences from John Thomas Serres...

William Richard Waters Picture Size: 36 x 28" (92 x 72cm) Outside Frame Size: 44 x 36" (112 x 92 cm) Oil on Canvas signed bottom right and dated 1847 This painting is nearly 200 year...

This remarkable painting by Swedish artist Per Wickenberg captures a serene Dutch winter scene at sunset, showcasing his mastery of atmospheric light and dramatic composition. Create...

French school circa 1810 Portrait of a woman in front of a landscape in a trompe l'oeil H. 106 cm; L. 91 cm Oil on canvas Preserved in its original vine leaf frame, this large portr...

Signed lower left, 'E. Brown' (English school, 19th century) and dated 'May, 1844'. A fine, mid-nineteenth century portrait of a lady of quality wearing the hairstyle made popular b...

Samuel John Egbert Jones (1797- 1861) PHEASANT SHOOTING Oil on canvas Frame H. 38cm x W. 47cm Image H. 30cm x W. 40cm A hunting scene in a beautiful early autumnal wooded landscape, with two hounds and a pheasant in the foreground. For an artist of such ability, popularity and wide output, information about Samuel Jones is comparatively scarce. Samual John Egbert Jones was born in 1797. Living in London, the first recorded mention of him was as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy in 1820 with a picture of an old mare, which he later exhibited at the British Institute in 1824. Jones is best known for the fine quality of his sporting pictures, mainly portraits of hunting and work horses. Additionally, he painted coaching...

JOAQUÍN DOMÍNGUEZ BÉCQUER Spanish, 1817 - 1879 THE CARD GAME signed, located & dated "Joaq. D. Becquer. Sevilla - 1849." (lower left) oil on ...

JOAQUÍN DOMÍNGUEZ BÉCQUER Spanish, 1817 - 1879 DANCERS IN A COURTYARD signed, located & dated "Joaq. D. Becquer. Sevilla 1849." (lower right)...

JOAQUÍN DOMÍNGUEZ BÉCQUER Spanish, 1817 - 1879 OUTSIDE THE TAVERN signed, located & dated "Joaq. D. Becquer. Sevilla 1849." (lower right) oil...

JOAQUÍN DOMÍNGUEZ BÉCQUER Spanish, 1817 - 1879 RIDERS PASSING BY A TAVERN signed, located & dated "Joaq. D. Becquer. Sevilla, 1847." (lower l...

The frame isNicholas Matthew Condy (British, 1816–1851) Sailing Vessel off a Lighthouse, mid-19th century Oil on artist’s panel In this vivid coastal scene, a schooner heaves throu...

We are offering a painting for sale by the Swedish artist Nils Andersson (1817–1865). This beautiful landscape showcases Andersson’s characteristic style of capturing Swedish nature ...

Well painted and very unique oil on a card of an English town landscape with figures, soldier, monument, and a boy on his way to a school with a hoop and stick. Possible painted for...

A very well painted classic English Folk art painting of figured playing by the pond with ducks and a rural cottage. This style of painting...

A wonderful portrait of a young boy seated in his room looking out over the expansive landscape. Painted circa 1840 this piece has all the style of middle European art. French, Swis...

John Frederick Kensett (1816 - 1872) Portrait of an Italian Fencer, circa 1845-47 Watercolor on wove paper 13 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches Signed with initials and inscribed lower right "J.F.K. Rome" From October 1845 through the spring of 1847, Kensett lived in Rome. He attended classes where he sketched from live models, and he sketched in the countryside outside Rome and around Florence, Perugia, and Venice, places he visited with his artist friends. He fulfilled commissions for paintings from Americans in Italy, and by 1847 his career was well established. Son of an English immigrant engraver, John Kensett lacked enthusiasm for that medium and became one of the most accomplished painters of the second generation of Hudson River School painters. His reputation is for Luminism, careful depiction of light, weather, and atmosphere as they affect color and texture of natural forms. He was particularly influenced by the painting of Asher Durand in that he focused on realism and detail rather than the highly dramatic views associated with Thomas Cole. Going to the western United States in the mid 1850s and the 1860s, he was the first of the Hudson River School painters to explore and paint the West. Kensett was born and raised in Cheshire, Connecticut, and learned his engraving from his father, Thomas Kensett with whom he worked in New Haven, Connecticut until 1829. He continued working until 1840 as an engraver of labels, banknotes and maps and was employed part of that time by the American Bank Note Company in New York City. There he met Thomas Rossiter, John Casilear, and other artists who urged him to pursue painting. In 1840, he and Rossiter, Asher Durand, and Casilear went to Europe where Kensett stayed for seven years and supported himself by doing engraving but became accomplished in landscape painting. Having sent canvases of Italian landscapes back to New York, he had a reputation for skillful painting that preceded him. When he returned to New York City in 1847, he was an "instant success" and very sought after by collectors. Two of his Italian landscapes had already been purchased by the American Art Union. By 1849, he was a full member of the National Academy of Design and was generally popular among his peers. His studio was a gathering place with travelers stopping by to see his canvases and to identify "precise locations in the Catskills or Newport or New England in the oil sketches and drawings that covered his walls." (Zellman 170). For the women, he was a popular bachelor, "romantic looking with high forehead and sensitive expression." (Samuels 262) He was also sought after by many organizations. Among his activities were serving on the committee to oversee the decoration of the United States Capitol in Washington DC, and becoming one of the founders of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. An inveterate traveler, Kensett spent summers on painting excursions away from New York City. One of these trips was a special painting excursion with fifteen other artists sponsored by the B & O Railroad from Baltimore, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia. Unlike many of the Hudson River painters...

French School of the 19th century, Attributed to Achille Deveria (1800-1857) A Lady and a boy with a dog, a Renaissance style scene Oil on wood panel 22 x 13 cm A label on the revers...

19th Century French school, Two italian women in a landscape, oil on canvas 59 x 43.5 cm Bears a signature and a date on the lower left (see photograph please) but barely lisible ...

Jacob THOMPSON (1806 – 1879) Deer by the Banks of a Lake 1842 oil on canvas 18.9 x 27.6 inches; 22.5 x 31 inches Inc. frame Jacob Thompson (1806–1879) was an English landscape-pa...