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Old Masters Figurative Paintings

OLD MASTERS

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.

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Style: Old Masters
18th-Century Spanish Baroque Oil Painting, The Divine Shepherdess, Virgin Mary
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This tender mid-18th-century Sevillian oil painting depicts the Virgin Mary as La Divina Pastora, the Divine Shepherdess. Attired in a straw hat, decorated with flora, she rests in...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Berghers with Animals Sunset
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Close of Day Italian School, early 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 17 x 22.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Fine 1800's Italian Grand Tour Oil Painting Figures before Classical Buildings
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Arcadian View Italian School, circa 1800 Grand Tour subject oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 12 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound cond...
Category

Early 1800s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 17th Century French Old Master Oil on Copper The Madonna & Christ Child
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Madonna and Christ Child French Old Master, 17th century circle of Simon Vouet (French 1590-164 oil on copper, unframed Copper : 9 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection, Lyon, Fr...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Copper

An elegant lady and gentleman hare coursing in an extensive landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
James Seymour (1702-1752) & Thomas Spencer (1700-1753) An elegant lady and gentleman hare coursing in an extensive landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 33 x 50 in Framed Size - 41 x...
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Christ on the Cold Stone – After Jan Gossaert (Mabuse)
Located in Stockholm, SE
This striking devotional image, painted by a follower of Jan Gossaert, represents one of the most influential compositions of the Northern Renaissance: Christ on the Cold Stone, or C...
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16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

‘Near Sutton, Surrey’ stream and old cottage, 19th C/early 20th C oil on canvas
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Dutch/English artist Abraham Hulk the Younger (1851-1922) is most known for landscapes of the British countryside. This work is one of a pair (the second work is also available by s...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th Century French Portrait of Mysterious Man Oil on Canvas for restoration
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman French School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 25 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: the painting is in sound conditi...
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Tax Collectors Italian 1700's Oil Painting on Copper in Gilt Frame
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Tax Collectors Italian School, early 18th century oil on copper panel, framed framed: 14 x 11.5 inches copper panel : 11.5 x 9 inches provenance: private collection, UK conditio...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Follower of Dirck van Berghen (Dutch School, 17th Century) Pastoral Landscape with a Shepherdess and Livestock Oil on canvas, framed in a French Empire period gilt frame canvas dimensions: 18 x 22 inches framed dimensions: 22.5 x 26 inches This charming pastoral scene, rendered in oil on canvas, is attributed to a follower of the 17th-century Dutch painter Dirck van Berghen, who was known for his bucolic landscapes featuring cattle and rural life. The composition reflects the influence of van Berghen’s mentor, Adriaen van de Velde...
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17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century French Oil Painting Tavern Scene Interior Merry Making Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Merry Makers in the Tavern French School, 18th century oil on canvas canvas: 8 x 11 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre tela - San Francisco de Asís
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Como pueden apreciar, la obra no va firmada Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco del siglo xix en madera estucada y policromada (el marco presenta algún leve descolche) El es...
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Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen niña - óleo sobre cobre.
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Escuela española; siglo XVIII. San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen Niña. Óleo sobre cobre anónimo y buena calidad pictórica. Medidas de la obra: 69 x 87 cm. Medidas del marco: 92 ...
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

French Old Master The Garden of Gethsemane Unusual Shape Panel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 18th century Title: The Garden of Gethsemane Medium: oil painting on wooden panel, unframed. painting: measurem...
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

French School 18th century, Portrait of a gentleman, oil
Located in Paris, FR
French School 18th Century Portrait of a gentleman holding his hat Oil on paper transferred on wood panel 34 x 27 cm In a beautiful vintage wood frame with some lacks in the mould, ...
Category

1760s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Peasants in a Cornfield (Boer in het veld) by David Teniers the Younger
By David Teniers the Younger
Located in Stockholm, SE
Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and cap...
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Late 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge 17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Painting Figures Playing Cards
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Card Players Flemish Old Master, 17th century based on a version (in reverse) of a painting by Cornelis de Vos (Flemish 1584-1651) oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 39 x 62 inches ...
Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

ALLEGORICAL SCENE - Giovanni Faliero - Italy Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Allegorical Scene - Giovanni Faliero Italia 2009 - Oil on canvas cm. 90x110. This beautiful oil on canvas is the personal reinterpretation of the magnificent painting “Bacchant playing the Cymbals” by Jean-Simon Berthélemy, a French painter of the 18th century. Here we admire a mythological scene showing a naked bacchant playing cymbals next to a wooded stream, with a small sleeping faun...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Saint Roch with Saint Jerome + Saint Sebastian - British Edwardian oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb religious figurative oil painting is by noted artist Wilfred de Glehn. Although some experts rank de Glehn alongside Sargent, he is considered as something of a late British Renoir, for his deft use of sunlight and shadow. Indeed he was good friends with John Singer Sargent and collaborated with his on some projects. This painting, painted circa 1910 is of three saints, from left to right they are Saint Jerome, Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian. It is based on a work attributed to 16th century artist Alessandro Oliverio. Saint Jerome was a biblical translator and monastic leader and is depicted in red, holding books. Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian were known as the Plague saints - Plague saints offered hope and healing before, during, and after times of plague. A specific style of painting, the plague votive, was considered a talisman for warding off the plague. It portrayed a particular saint as an intercessor between God and the person or persons who commissioned the painting – usually a town, government, lay confraternity, or religious order to atone for the "collective guilt" of the community. Rather than a society depressed and resigned to repeated epidemics, these votives represent people taking positive steps to regain control over their environment. Paintings of Roch represent the confidence in which renaissance worshipers sought to access supernatural aid in overcoming the ravages of the plague. The thirteenth-century Saint Roch (or Rocco), whose death is still commemorated in Italy, is especially invoked against the plague. He attended plague victims in public hospitals in Italy according to traditional accounts of his life. Images attributed to the Spanish historical painter Nicolás Borrás in the Royal Cornwall Museum, or other works in institutions from The National Gallery to the Wallace Collection, show him baring his thigh to show the mark of the plague, as he is in this painting. Saint Roch is also the patron saint of dogs, after one carried food to him in the prison where he died...
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1910s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac by Adriaen Van Stalbemt, C. 1605-1610
Located in Stockholm, SE
Artist: Adriaen van Stalbemt (Stalbempt) 1580-1662 Title: Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac “Das Opfer des Abraham” According to the Old...
Category

Early 1600s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Copper

17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil on Panel Cavalry Skirmish Soldiers & Horses
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Cavalry Skirmish Flemish School, mid 17th century circle of Lambert de Hondt (Flemish, 1620-1665) oil on panel, framed Framed: 21 x 27 inches Board: 16 x 22 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very good condition, with old repairs and thinning in places. This painting, attributed to the circle of Lambert de Hondt (Flemish, 17th century), depicts an intense battle scene, typical of Flemish military compositions of the time. Lambert de Hondt was known for his battle scenes, landscapes, and hunting scenes, often filled with dynamic action and fine detail, and this work clearly reflects his influence. The artwork portrays a cavalry skirmish with soldiers in traditional 17th-century military dress, including red tunics...
Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

River Thames at Leigh by Moonlight - 19th Century Oil Painting Nocturne 1851
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘The River Thames at Leigh by Moonlight’ by Henry Pether (1800-1880). The painting is signed by the artist and dated 1851 and is presented in a bespoke gold metal leaf frame. • Vi...
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1850s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge I1600's Italian Old Master Oil on Canvas Jesus at House of Mary & Martha
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Jesus at the House of Mary & Martha Italian artist, 1600's oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 32.5 x 56.5 inches Provenance: Private collection, England Condition: for a work of such mo...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

18th-Century Spanish School Oil Painting, Child Jesus Embracing The Cross
Located in Cheltenham, GB
US buyers pay no import tariffs on this item. This early 18th-century Spanish oil painting depicts an infant Jesus clutching a cross before a landscape. Dressed in a flowing white ...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Knight - painting - XVII century
Located in Roma, IT
The Knight is an original oil painting on canvas realized during the XVII century by an anonymous artist. Provenance: Pecci-Blunt collection. Good condition...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Religious Italian painter - 18th century figure painting - Saint Monica prayer
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (18th century) - Saint Monica in prayer. 56 x 32 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame (not signed). Condition report: Good state of conservation of th...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Escuela florentina - Círculo de Alessandro Allori - Virgen Dolorosa
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Escuela italiana; finales del siglo XVII, Siguiendo modelos de ALESSANDRO ALLORI (Florencia, 1535 – 1607) "Virgen Dolorosa". Óleo sobre tabla. Presenta faltas restauraciones. Med...
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17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of an Old Bearded Man
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are pleased to offer a captivating portrait, most likely painted in the late 18th century, attributed to an artist within the circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich. This oil ...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Portrait of a lady in blue dress ”Countess of Peterborough”
Located in Stockholm, SE
This exquisite portrait, with its new attribution to Theodore Russel, is believed to depict Lady Penelope O'Brien, daughter of Barnabas O'Brien, the sixth Earl of Thomond, and wife of the Earl of Peterborough, whom she married in 1644. The painting thus belongs to a historically significant period, capturing the refined elegance of the time. The portrait has a prestigious provenance from Elleholms Hofgård, a historic estate in Mörrums socken, Blekinge, Sweden. Elleholms Hofgård, whose two-story, timber-framed main building was constructed in 1730 and expanded in 1804, has changed ownership several times since the 17th century. The ancestors of the present owners acquired the estate in 1915, and from the 20th century until 2023, this painting was prominently displayed in the estate’s main building, making it an integral part of the estate’s history. Theodore Russel, an English portrait artist born in 1614, studied under the renowned Sir Anthony van Dyck, whose influence can be seen in Russel’s meticulous style. Russel often painted on cabinet-sized panels, such as this one, which measures approximately 39 x 31 cm. This preference for panels is a notable characteristic that sets him apart from contemporary artists like Sir Peter Lely, who exclusively used canvas. The size of the panel is a key reason for the reattribution to Russel from Peter lely, as Lely never used panels for his works. This distinctive format, along with Russel’s characteristic style, strongly supports the new attribution. Russel, the son of Nicasius Rousseel, a goldsmith and jeweler to James I and Charles I, refined his skills under the mentorship of his uncle, the famous portrait painter Cornelis Janssen. He also worked as an assistant and copyist for van Dyck, further honing his artistic style. This captivating portrait exemplifies Russel’s craftsmanship, reflecting the elegance of the period’s fashion and the artist's refined techniques. oil on wood panel with indistinct inscription Countess of Peter[...] upper left. with inscription on the reverse: ”Countess of Peterborough. P. Lely 1670. S Beatty Picture Restorer [...] Warwick”. unframed 39 x 31 cm = 15.35 x 12.2 inches framed 52 x 41.5 cm = 20.47 x 16.34 inches Condition: The portrait has just been restored by a professional art conservator in Stockholm and is now in a very good condition. The colors are vivid, and the skin tones appear more natural than before. It is a very fine painting. The frame is newly made and included. Provenance: Elleholms Hofgård, Mörrums socken, Blekinge, Sweden **; Stockholms Auktionsverk, Fine Art & Antiques Autumn...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Escuela española - Personajes - 100 x 80 cm.
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior (L. CABOT) y fechada del año 1983 Se presenta enmarcada la pintura (el marco presenta algunas leves faltas y signos de uso) E...
Category

1980s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Escuela colonial mejicana siglo XVIII - San Antonio con el niño
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Escuela colonial mejicana; siglo XVIII. “San Antonio con el Niño”. Óleo sobre tabla. Medidas: 28 x 21 cm. Gran pieza para coleccionistas de arte religioso de calidad San Antonio de Padua...
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Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century French Old Master Ink Wash Drawing Cain & Abel Fighting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Cain et Abel' Circle of Franois Devosge (1732-1811) French pencil drawing with watercolour wash on paper size: 12.25 x 9 inches private collection, France The painting is in overall...
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18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Washi Paper, Color Pencil

Still life
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Black wooden frame 37 x 45 x 3 cm
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 1700's French/ Dutch Oil Painting on Copper Portrait Man Ruff Collar
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman wearing a Ruff Collar Dutch/ French artist, 18th century oil painting on copper, unframed copper board : 6.75 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, UK co...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Copper

Very Large Antique French Classical Romantic Oil Painting Ancient Ruin Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century Title: Classical Landscape with figures amongst ancient ruins. Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed. canvas: 24.5 x 36 inches P...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th century Italian Horse Battle scene between Crusaders and their enemy
By Jacques Courtois
Located in Woodbury, CT
Fine huge 17th Century Italian/French Old Master Battle Scene of the Crusades, oil on canvas. Grand scale extensive landscape view of a battle from the 1670-80 period, with cavalry f...
Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Figures Chatting outside Village Tavern in Mountain Landscape, Period Oil
By 19th century Dutch or Flemish school
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dutch/ Flemish School, early 1800's oil on canvas, framed framed: 19 x 24 inches canvas: 13.5 x 18.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Landscape With Pan and Syrinx, Flemish School From the 1600s, Oil on Copper
Located in Stockholm, SE
Flemish School, 1600s Landscape With Pan and Syrinx painted around the 1600s oil on copper 19 x 23.5 cm frame 29 x 34 cm Hand-made oak frame by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkma...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Copper

Antique Roman painter - 18th century landscape painting - Wanderers - Italy
Located in Varmo, IT
Roman painter (18th century) - Landscape with Wayfarers. 43.5 x 34.5 cm unframed, 58.5 x 49.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame (no...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 18th Century English Portrait of Aristocratic Gentleman Huge Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Aristocratic English Gentleman circle of Thomas Hudson (British (1701-1779) oil on canvas, framed framed: 53.5 x 45 inches painting: 45 x 40 inches provenance: private...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique English Grand Tour Old Master Oil Figures Classical Arcadian Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Classical Landscape English School, early 19th century, unsigned oil on canvas, framed framed: 29 x 37 inches canvas : 19 x 27 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: th...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

17th Century Dutch Old Master Ink Drawing Christ on the Cross Many Figures 1674
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Christ on the Cross attributed to Jan Luyken (Dutch, 1649–1712) inscribed 1674 upper corner pencil drawing, watercolor and ink wash on paper over oard, framed framed: 12 x 11 inches ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Color Pencil, Ink, Watercolor

Naval Battle Engagement at Sea Large Busy Battle Scene Many Ships, Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
English School, early 20th century signed oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 17 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, Eng;and condition: good and sound condition, minor ...
Category

Early 20th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Animated biblical scene
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Work re-lined Plaster and gilded wood frame 86 x 105 x 7 cm
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Animated biblical scene
Animated biblical scene
$4,017 Sale Price
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!8th century Irish or English portrait of a woman with Ermin, blue dressing lace
Located in Woodbury, CT
Wonderful 18th century Irish or English portrait, attributed to the Irish painter Nathaniel Hone. Nathaniel Hone was born in Dublin but by 1748 had set...
Category

1780s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

YOUTH AND WISDOM Ciro De Rosa Italian School - Italy Figurative Oil on painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Youth and wisdom -Ciro De Rosa Italia 2007 - Oil on canvas cm.60x50 Gold leaf gilded wooden frame cm.82x73 available on request The painting by Ciro De Rosa is characterized by light...
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th Century Large Italian Old Master Oil Christ and the Penitent Canaanite
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
17th Century Italian School Christ and the Canaanite Woman oil on canvas, framed Framed: 30.5 x 35 inches in an antique gilt 'hollow' fra...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Pastoral scene
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Madonna with Christ Child & St. John Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna, Christ Child and St. John Italian School, 18th century oil on wood, framed in period gilt antique frame framed: 16 x 14.5 inches wood: 9 x 6.5 inches provenance: private...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

J. Clays (British painter) - 19th century Still Life painting - Fruits
Located in Varmo, IT
J. Clays (British, 19th-20th century) - Still life with fruit basket. 61 x 51 cm without frame, 67.5 x 58 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a gilded wooden frame. ...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Penitent Mary Magdalene c1750 Oil on Copper Old Master
Located in Holywell, GB
A finely painted picture, possibly of the penitent Mary Magdalene, painted in oil on to a copper plate and dating to c1750. Condition Two old touch ins, tiny chip to the forehead...
Category

1750s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Shipping in Stormy Waters, Attributed to Italian Artist Francesco Guardi
By Francesco Guardi
Located in Stockholm, SE
The splendour of the tragic sea Francesco Guardi and maritime painting in Venetian art No Venetian painter was a stranger to the sea. After all, Venice was not only one of the most prominent ports of the Mediterranean, but indeed a city literally submerged in the ocean from time to time. Curiously however, the famous Venetian school of painting showed little interest in maritime motifs, favouring scenes from the iconic architecture of the city rather than seascapes. That is why this painting is a particularly interesting window into not only the painter Francesco Guardi himself – but to the significance of the element of water in art history, in absence as well as in the centre of attention. Whether it be calm, sunny days with stunning views of the palaces alongside the canals of Venice or – more rarely – stormy shipwrecking tragedies at sea, water as a unifying element is integral to the works of painter Francesco Guardi (1712–1793). During his lifetime, Venetian art saw many of its greatest triumphs with names like Tiepolo or Canaletto gaining international recognition and firmly establishing Venice as one of the most vibrant artistic communities of Europe. While the city itself already in the 18th century was something of an early tourist spot where aristocrats and high society visited on their grand tour or travels, the artists too contributed to the fame and their work spread the image of Venice as the city of romance and leisure to an international audience, many of whom could never visit in person. Still today, the iconic image of Venice with its whimsical array of palaces, churches and other historic buildings is much influenced by these artists, many of whom have stood the test of time like very well and remain some of the most beloved in all of art history. It was not primarily subtility, intellectual meanings or moral ideals that the Venetian art tried to capture; instead it was the sheer vibrancy of life and the fast-paced city with crumbling palaces and festive people that made this atmosphere so special. Of course, Venice could count painters in most genres among its residents, from portraiture to religious motifs, history painting and much else. Still, it is the Vedutas and views of the city that seems to have etched itself into our memory more than anything else, not least in the tradition of Canaletto who was perhaps the undisputed master of all Venetian painters. Born into his profession, Francesco lived and breathed painting all his life. His father, the painter Domenico Guardi (1678–1716) died when Francesco was just a small child, yet both he and his brothers Niccolò and Gian Antonio continued in their fathers’ footsteps. The Guardi family belonged to the nobility and originated from the mountainous area of Trentino, not far from the Alps. The brothers worked together on more challenging commissions and supported each other in the manner typical of family workshops or networks of artists. Their sister Maria Cecilia married no other than the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo himself, linking the family to the most renowned Venetian name of the time. During almost a decade, Guardi worked in the studio of Michele Giovanni Marieschi, sometimes simply known as Michiel, a painted similar in both style and motif. Canaletto is, however, the artist Guardi is most often compared to since they shared a mutual fascination for depicting the architecture and cityscape of Venice. During the course of his career, Guardi tried his hand in many different genres. He was as swift in painting landscapes, Vedutas of Venice, sacred motifs, interiors and architectural compositions as he was in a number of other motifs. His style is typical of the Venetian school but also distinct and personal once we look a little closer. There is an absolute certainty in the composition, the choice of which sometimes feels like that of a carefully calculated photograph – yet it is also very painterly, in the best sense of the word: fluid, bold, sensitive and full of character. The brushwork is rapid, intense, seemingly careless and extraordinarily minute at the same time; fresh and planned in a very enjoyable mixture. His interiors often capture the breath-taking spacious glamour of the palaces and all their exquisite decor. He usually constructed the motif through remarkably simple, almost spontaneous yet intuitively precise strokes and shapes. The result was a festive, high-spirited atmospheric quality, far away from the sterile and exact likeness that other painters fell victim to when trying to copy Canaletto. The painting here has nothing of the city of Venice in it. On the contrary, we seem to be transported far away into the solitary ocean, with no architecture, nothing to hold on to – only the roaring sea and the dangerous cliffs upon which the ships are just moments away from being crushed upon. It is a maritime composition evoking both Flemish and Italian precursors, in the proud tradition of maritime painting that for centuries formed a crucial part of our visual culture. This genre of painting is today curiously overlooked, compared to how esteemed and meaningful it was when our relationship to the sea was far more natural than it is today. When both people and goods travelled by water, and many nations and cities – Venice among them – depended entirely on sea fare, the existential connection to the ocean was much more natural and integrated into the imagination. The schools and traditions of maritime art are as manifold as there are countries connected to the sea, and all reflect the need to process the dangers and wonders of the ocean. It could symbolize opportunity, the exciting prospects of a new countries and adventures, prospering trade, beautiful scenery as well as war and tragedy, loss of life, danger and doom. To say that water is ambivalent in nature is an understatement, and these many layers were something that artists explored in the most wondrous ways. Perhaps it takes a bit more time for the modern eye to identify the different nuances and qualities of historic maritime paintings, they may on first impression seem hard to differentiate from each other. But when allowing these motifs to unfold and tell stories of the sea in both fiction and reality – or somewhere in between – we are awarded with an understanding of how the oceans truly built our world. In Guardi’s interpretation, we see an almost theatrically arranged shipwrecking scene. No less than five ships are depicted right in the moment of utter disaster. Caught in a violent storm, the waves have driven them to a shore of sharp cliffs and if not swallowed by the waves, crushing against the cliffs seems to be the only outcome. The large wooden ships are impressively decorated with elaborate sculpture, and in fact relics already during Guardi’s lifetime. They are in fact typical of Dutch and Flemish 17th century ships, giving us a clue to where he got the inspiration from. Guardi must have seen examples of Flemish maritime art, that made him curious about these particular motifs. One is reminded of Flemish painters like Willem van de Velde and Ludolf Backhuysen, and this very painting has indeed been mistakenly attributed to Matthieu van Plattenberg...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Bacchanal Painting Dancing of the Nymphs 1850
By Cornelius van Poelenburgh
Located in Portland, OR
A good antique Dutch/Flemish oil on panel painting, after Cornelis van Poelenburgh, circa 1850. The painting portrays a number of nude and par...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Fine 17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Painting Travellers Country Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Travellers in a Country Landscape circle of Jacques d'Arthois (Flemish 1613-1686) oil on canvas, framed frame: 13.5 x 18.5 inches canvas: 11 x 16 inches provenance: private collectio...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 19th Century French Oil Painting Classical Roman Figures Interior Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Attributed to Antoine Felix Boisselier (19th Century) French (unsigned) 'Classical figures in a bed chamber Medium: oil on canvas, with inscription verso S...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Tavern Interior Drinkers Sloped over Tables
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Tavern Interior Flemish School, 17th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 13.5 x 18 canvas: 11 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound cond...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early 1800's English Oil Painting Figure in Rural Woodland Landscape, original
By circle of John Constable
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: English School, early 1800's, circle of John Constable (British 1776-1837) Title: The Woodland Path Medium: oil on canvas, framed, unsigned Size: 12 x 22 inches Picture: 9 x 18 inches Provence: from a private collection in East Anglia...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Figures Dancing Classical Ancient Ruins & Landscape Large Old Master Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Revelry in a Classical Landscape Italian School, early 18th century (circa 1700) oil painting on canvas, laid on board, unframed board: 20 x 36 inches provenan...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Answer Within
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Painting Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery)
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Answer Within
Answer Within
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre tela - Virgen Dolorosa
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra no va firmada, es de augtor anónimo Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de conservación de la pintura dse puede ver, presenta faltas y precisará restauración Med...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Old Masters figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antonio Savisio, Goyo Dominguez, Paul Emile Léon Perboyre, and William Anderson. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Old Masters figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 4.53 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $384 and tops out at $1,495,000, while the average work sells for $4,898.

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