18th Century and Earlier Paintings

A portrait of a lady three-quarter length, seated in an interior, wearing a red silk gown draped in a pink silk sash with an exotic bird perched on her hand and one arm resting on a stone plinth, her young daughter wearing a green silk gown standing at her side. Oil on canvas, housed in a period 'Lely' giltwood frame. This double portrait was painted at the height of Dahl's career in circa 1715 when Dahl had become firmly established as one of the leading portrait painters in Britain. Although the identities of the sitters are currently unknown, it is a sensitive depiction of a close and affectionate bond between a mother and daughter, with the young girl's hand resting affectionately on her mothers lap. The tamed exotic bird adds a charming decorative element which also serves to convey the high social status of the lady, given only the very wealthy would be able to own such a rare and expensive pet and the lively colouring of the bird's feathers is reflected in the colours of the sitters' silk gowns. Provenance: Private collection, London Michael Dahl (Stockholm 1659-1743 London) was born in Stockholm in Sweden and studied under Martin Hannibal (d 1741) and later with David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl. In 1682 he travelled to London, where he became acquainted with Godfrey Kneller and Henry Tilson, and in 1685 he left for Europe with Tilson, working briefly in Paris before continuing to Venice and Rome, where they stayed for about two years. In Rome Dahl converted to Roman Catholicism and gravitated towards the circle of Christina, former Queen of Sweden, who sat for him (Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincs). He returned to England with Tilson via Frankfurt and arrived in London in 1689, staying in England for the remainder of his career. During Dahl's absence, Kneller had consolidated his supremacy in London as the most fashionable portrait painter, but Dahl rapidly became Kneller’s closest competitor. His patrons probably had roots in the Swedish diplomatic circles, but it expanded as a result of his ability and his agreeable personality. His prices were lower than those of Kneller and he favoured softer, more diffused, colour tones and could respond to his sitters with sincerity and humanity. Politically, Kneller supported the ascendant Whigs while Dahl was a Tory, but they frequently painted the same sitters from both parties, and in spite of fundamental differences in technique and temperament, their work was sometimes similar in appearance. Dahl was prolific but rarely signed his work, and comparatively few of his portraits were engraved in mezzotint, the method used by Kneller to widen his reputation. By 1690 he had painted the aged Duke of Schomberg (engraved by William Faithorne) and Prince George of Denmark (London, Kensington Palace). He was ignored by William III but received commissions from Princess Anne, including one for a portrait of herself (Oakly Park, Ludlow, Salop). He also painted the future Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, and his informal portrait of the Duchess (Althorp House, Northants), formerly attributed to Kneller, is perhaps the most intimate of all images of her. During the 1690s he secured the patronage of Charles Seymour, the ‘Proud’ 6th Duke of Somerset, who ordered a series of seven full-length portraits of notable contemporary beauties from Dahl (1690s; Petworth House, W. Sussex, NT). This was originally a scheme similar to Kneller’s more famous ‘Hampton Court Beauties’, but the portraits were subsequently reduced to three-quarter-length formats. The features of the sitters are not individualized, but they possess a decorative, languorous glamour that recalls Lely rather than Kneller. Somerset gave Dahl further employment over the next 25 years. In 1698, following the death of Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, Dahl was offered the post of court painter at Stockholm, which he apparently refused, preferring to remain in London at his studio in Leicester Fields, near the Swedish legation. In about 1700 he was joined by a young compatriot, Hans Hysing, who worked with him for many years. Dahl seems not to have married until after 1708, He had a son Michael (d. 1741), also a painter, of whose work nothing is known, and two daughters. After the accession of Queen Anne in 1701, she and Prince George sat for a number of official portraits. His royal patronage ceased with Queen Anne’s death, and when Dahl refused to paint the infant Duke of Cumberland in 1722. He was suspected of Jacobite sympathies, and relations had cooled between him and the Swedish legation. However, his practice continued to prosper, and he acquired another important patron in Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, who shared his political views and whose circle included the architect James Gibbs and the poets Matthew Prior and Alexander Pope, all of whom Dahl painted. Oxford commissioned several portraits of himself. In the earliest (1719; Welbeck Abbey...

Portrait Of Michelangelo (1475-1564), 16th Century Italian School 16th century Italian Old Master portrait of Michelangelo, oil laid to panel. Excellent quality and condition early...

Steps Into The Town, steep stone steps lead figures down amongst town buildings. by Maurice Mazeilie (French, 1924-2021) watercolor painting on artist paper, unframed unsigned to the...

Vibrant street scene by Maurice Mazeilie (French, 1924-2021) watercolor painting on artist paper, unframed signed lower right stamped verso A robustly coloured and lively scene of a ...

- ANNA CATERINA GILLI or GILLI Anna Caterina Turin 1729- 1751 Her paintings recorded in Turin as a decorative artist for the Royal Palace and the Stupinigi, working in a simil...

Giovanni Maria Butteri (Florence, Italy, 1540 - 1606) Title: Portrait of Francesco I Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: without frame cm. 47.7 x 39 - with frame cm. 55.2 x 46.5 Expertise by Carlo Falciani, art historian Fairs: The International Biennial of Antiques in Florence 2024 (BIAF, Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze) Publications: From Sacro to Profano, the Giorgio Baratti art collection from Milan, exhibition catalogue curated by Daiva Mitrulevičiūtė, Giovanni Matteo Guidetti and Ileana Maniscalco, (16 February – 27 September 2020), Vilnius, National Museum - Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, pp. 566-569. This valuable portrait, by the painter Giovanni Maria Butteri, an exponent of Mannerism and active mainly in Florence, portrays Francesco I de' Medici (1541 - 1587) eldest son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany...

Francesco Zuccarelli (Pitigliano 1702 - Florence 1788) - River landscape with shepherds and herds. 31 x 46 cm without frame, 47.5 x 57 cm with frame. Tempera on paper, in a gilded ...

Oil on Canvas. French school of the 2nd half of the 18th century. Bucolic is this verdant countryside landscape, opening up in the background into bluish fields and mountains. In the...

Dutch School Late 18th century Oil on panel 6 1/4 inches x 5 1/2 inches (15.9 x 14 cm) Framed: 14 x 12 inches (35.5 x 30.5 cm) Signed lower right This delightful study of a lute pl...

Colonel Mellish's Spaniels, Mother & Puppies, 18th Century attributed to HENRY BERNARD CHALON (1770-1849) Large 18th Century portrait of Colonel Mellish's hunting spaniels, mother ...

Luca Forte (Naples, 1615 ca. - 1670 ca.) Title: Walnuts, Chestnuts, a Bunch of Grapes and a Quince Medium: Oil on walnut panel Dimensions: 12.5 x 22 cm Expertise by Nicola Spinosa, ...

"Cherubs" (B) Pen and Ink drawing of Putto Italian School Late 17th early 18th century. Pen and ink on paper 6 ½ x 17 ½ (22 ½ x 11 ½) inches Antique scenes of putto and a faun cele...

Portrait Of A Brown & White Setter, 18th Century circle of Sawrey GILPIN (1733-1807) Large 18th Century portrait of a Brown & White Setter in a landscape, oil on canvas. Excellent...

Franz Werner Von Tamm known as Monsieur Daparait (Hamburg 1658-Vienna 1754) Attributed to Still life of fruit with lizard Oil on canvas, 58 x 74 cm. Framed 76 x 92 cm. This magnifi...

Huile sur panneau de pin Dim sans cadre 60/52 Dim avec cadre 68/59 Ecole italienne Entourage de Margherita Caffi Margherita Caffi (Milan, 1648 - Milan, 20 septembre 1710), est une ...

We would like to thank Dr. Ursula Härting who, after examining the work, confirmed the autograph nature of this painting by Frans Francken the Younger in a certificate issued on December 9, 2024. In this previously unpublished painting coming from a French private collection, Frans Francken the Younger tackles one of his favorite themes: the adoration of the Magi, the wise men who come from the East to adore the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, Judea. This theme was often taken up by the artist, but this version, which can be dated around 1610, is one of the earliest interpretations. 1. Frans Francken the Younger, "a surprisingly inventive painter". Frans Francken the Younger is the best-known member of an extended artistic family that worked in Antwerp from the late sixteenth to the late seventeenth century. Born in 1581, he almost certainly studied with his father, Frans Francken the Elder (c. 1542-1616), before becoming a master in the Antwerp Saint Luke's Guild in 1605. In 1627 he became a member of the Antwerp archers' guild De Oude Handboog. Francken was an extremely productive and imaginative artist who specialized in expressively rendered small-scale religious and mythological scenes. He also painted larger altarpieces for Catholic churches. His depictions of collectors' cabinets introduced a genre of painting that influenced several artists, including Jan Brueghel the Elder...

Oil on Canvas. Southern Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. The scene , full of characters, sees standing in the center, well-defined in the details of armor, crest, as well a...

Panfilo Nuvolone (Cremona, Italy, 1581 - Milan, Italy, 1651) Title: Still life Medium: Oil on slate Dimensions: without frame cm. 17 x 19.5 - with frame cm. 31.5 x 37.5 Expertise by...

Oil on Canvas. Second half of the 16th century. The painting comes from the historical family collection of Count Castracane, as is documented by the original handwritten paper recei...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 9 x 7 1/4 inches (23 x 18.5 cm) Period style hand made frame This is a self-portrait is most likely by a 17th century English...

Georgian or early Victorian Marine Oil on Panel of busy shipping scene with figures on Harbour, possibly the Isle of Wight A rare gem of a painting, a Georgian era oil painting sho...

17th century European oil, Christ and is disciples seated around a table. An interesting and very unique painting. Possibly a fragment originally from a piece of furniture. The s...

Antonio Francesco Peruzzini (Ancona, 1643/1646 - Milan, 1724) Rural landscape with river and village center Rural landscape with river and tower (2) Oil on canvas, cm 108 x 62 Expert opinion Prof. Emilio Negro Recognizable in the present pair of paintings is the hand of what Mina Gregori called "the most original and path-breaking landscape painter to emerge in the late seventeenth century," namely Antonio Francesco Peruzzini. Finally identified by Arslan in 1959 as such a "Perugino," author of a St. Sebastian in a private Milanese collection, Peruzzini has in recent times been reevaluated from his former qualification as a mere subordinate of Lissandrino (Alessandro Magnasco), in comparison with whom he turns out to be an excellent coadjutor and original landscape painter. A distant mountainous horizon, of frozen vigor, is proposed in both canvases interspersed with a spindly tree in the background that screws swirlingly to the sky. The anti-academicism and nonconformism that characterized Peruzzini's entire career appear evident here and justify in retrospect his choice of such figurative collaborators as Magnasco and Sebastiano Ricci...

Portrait of Lady Mansfield of Ringwood Oil on Canvas Image size: 25 x 30 inches (63 x 76 cm) Original carved & gilded frame POA Provenance Descended through the Family Estate Born in Poland in 1760 to the 2nd Earl of Mansfield and his wife, Elizabeth Mary Murray would later come under the care of her uncle, William Murray (1st Earl of Mansfield) at Kenwood House in Hampstead. David Murray (2nd Earl of Mansfield) was set to inherit the title and full wealth of his uncle, including Kenwood House. Lady Mansfield’s second cousin would soon join her at Kenwood, where they would be raised together and featured in multiple portraits of the time. Her younger sister, Henrietta, is seen in a separate portrait done by Thomas Hudson as well. At the age of 25 she married George Finch-Hatton, an English aristocrat and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1772-1784. Gazing out at the viewer, Lady Mansfield wears a decorated dress, with an abundance of pearls and lace, and a transparent gold lined veil surrounding her right shoulder. The excess of luxurious fabric matches another Hudson portrait of another Lady Mansfield, with the lace detailing and complementary bodice. The depiction of this Lady Mansfield epitomizes the style of portraiture in the 18th century, such as the styles Hudson’s pupils Joshua Reynolds, Joseph Wright, and Peter Toms. From Hudson’s travels to the Low Countries and Italy, he no doubt brought back artistic inspiration from the international pieces he encountered. Thomas Hudson Hudson was a celebrated 18th century portrait painter. Born in Devon in 1701 he studied under the artist Jonathan Richardson and married his daughter, against Richardson’s wishes. He had many artistic friends including William Hogarth and Francis Hayman and travelled with them in Europe in 1748. He also visited Italy with the sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac in 1752. Hudson’s style of portraiture proved so successful that for a decade from 1745 to 1755 he was London’s most popular portrait painter and made a fortune painting the cream of London society and members of the Royal Family. He was also a talented teacher, perhaps too good, as subsequently a number of his former assistants overtook him in popularity including the artist Joshua Reynolds. Hudson retired in the late 1750’s and died in Twickenham in 1779. His most notable works include portraits of King George II and George Friedrich Handel and his “Portrait of a Nobleman in Van Dyck dress.” Many of Hudson’s works may be seen in art galleries. These include the National Portrait Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Foundling Museum and the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. His works are also in Museums across the world...

Lombard painter active in the 17th century Infant Jesus Oil painting on canvas 70 x 82 cm. - In antique frame 78 x 91 cm. This painting depicts an unusual and pleasant iconographic...

Signed and dated "N MAE / 1691" (lower right) Oil on canvas A masterful example of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, this magnificent oil on canvas comes alive with luminous color, dramatic contrast and extraordinary detail. The work was composed by Nicolaes Maes, an artist widely regarded as the most prominent portrait painter of his era in Amsterdam. Fashionably styled, Portrait of a Noble Lady exemplifies the mature style of Maes, executed with the same artistry and attention to detail he imparted on his most important private commissions. This work by Maes comes from the second half of his career and follows in the rich tradition of the great Flemish Baroque painters Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Like these artists, Maes excels at not only capturing his subjects with a technical perfection but also their inherent elegance and grace. The sitter is draped in luxurious white and red silks and pearls, underscoring the importance and prosperity of his wealthy clientele. She is placed against a dark backdrop, enabling a striking chiaroscuro effect characteristic of the artist’s portraits. Maes’s immense talent for detail and composition is clearly evident. In both palette and proportion, it embodies the somewhat austere style preferred by the artist, which emphasized a painstaking study of the costumes, hairstyles and accessories of his subjects. Such elaborate and highly detailed costuming in portraiture was a fashionable way to show one's wealth in the 17th century, particularly among the emerging class of wealthy merchants. Similar works by the painter can be found in the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), National Gallery (London), National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. Nicolaes Maes was born in Dordrecht in 1634 to a prosperous cloth merchant. Around 1848, he moved to Amsterdam to study under Rembrandt for several years before returning to his native Dordrecht, where he established himself as a painter of genre scenes and portraits. In the 1650s, Maes traveled to Antwerp where he studied the work of Flemish artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens...

Lombard School, 17th century Portrait of a Young Boy oil on canvas 109 x 78 cm - 127 x 97 cm with frame The protagonist of the offered canvas is a chubby little boy, aged approxima...

St. Peter And The Rooster 1600 oil painting on canvas reinteled with new frame. The painting was probably part of a larger composition depicting St. Peter repenting, weeping. Italian...

This painting seduced us with its rich colors. Depicting Diana and her companions surprised by Actaeon, it was inspired by an engraving by Aegidius Sadeler II after a painting by Jos...

Still life with peonies, orange blossom and tulips in a vase on a ledge, 19th Century ANTOINE MONNOYER (1670-1747) sales to $95,000 Large 17th Century French Still Life of peonies,...

Felice Torelli (Verona, Italy, 1667 - Bologna, Italy, 1748) Title: Rachel Hiding the Idols Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 116 cm -...

Portrait of the daughter of Francois Boucher, Marie-Emilie Baudouin, holding a basket of flowers. Pastel on Parchment. The work is related to an oval portrait painting...

(After) Sebastiano Conca (Gaeta 1680 - Naples 1764) The Adoration of the Shepherds oil on canvas, (cm): 122 x 100, framed The proposed table, datable in the first decades of the e...

Hendrick Bloemaert (Utrecht 1601/02 – Utrecht 1672) Venus and Cupid Oil on panel H. 75 cm; W. 61 cm Signed and dated 1636 Hendrick Bloemaert is a notable figure of the Golden Age of...

George Edwards: ""A History of Uncommon Birds"", 1749-1761. A prominent English naturalist and ornithologist, George Edwards (1694 -1773) is best known for his work, ""A Natural His...

George Edwards: ""A History of Uncommon Birds"", 1749-1761. A prominent English naturalist and ornithologist, George Edwards (1694 -1773) is best known for his work, ""A Natural His...

George Edwards: ""A History of Uncommon Birds"", 1749-1761. A prominent English naturalist and ornithologist, George Edwards (1694 -1773) is best known for his work, ""A Natural His...

Portrait of a lady, half-length in a feigned oval wearing a ruby coloured silk gown holding entwined strings of pearls across her bodice. Signed 'PNason' and dated 1667 (lower right)...

This painting by Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, the great Lombard master of the mid-seventeenth century, is striking for its dazzling composition and the brilliant colors of Christ's tuni...

The Poor Widow's Offer is an old master artwork realized by a follower of Marten de Vos (Antwerp 1532-1603) in the half of 17th Century. Mixed colored oil on canvas. Inscribed bottom right “Jesus Laudat Pauperculam […]”. The painting, whose subject is taken from the Gospel episode of the Offering of the poor widow (Mk., 12, 38-44; Lk., 21, 1-4), depicts Jesus in the Temple...

The Holy Family Tuscan school, 17th-18th century Oil on panel 30 x 24 cm In frame 41 x 33 cm This pleasant devotional painting, commonly referred to as “The Holy Family”, dep...

Maria Giovanna Battista Clementi known as La Clementina (Turin, 1692 - Turin, 1761), Attributable to Portrait of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy (Turin 1666 - Moncalieri 1732) king of Sardinia, duke of Savoy, marquis of Saluzzo and duke of Monferrato, prince of Piedmont and count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza from 1675 to 1720. Oil on oval canvas, 79 x 62 cm., Framed 98 x 82 cm. The portrayed in this fascinating virile portrait is King Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy, portrayed in ceremonial armor and red cloak according to the traditional courtly iconography, represented half-length, slightly three-quarter-length, with the towering "courtly" wig, according to the dictates of fashion of the first decades of the century, of French inspiration. In order to represent the power embodied in our austere portrayal, the sovereign is immortalized with the symbolic attributes of the power of the family, identifiable in the ancient crown of the Kingdom of Sardinia, in the scepter with the Mauritian cross and in the necklace of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunziata, established in 1364 by Amedeo VI, as the highest honor of the House of Savoy...

Clan Murray, Coat Of Arms, Duke Of Atholl, 18th Century Scottish School Large 18th Century Scottish Clan Murray Coats of Arms, oil on canvas. The shield bearing allegiance to the c...

Stilllife with dead Birds, Fruits and Vegetables Oil on Canvas, 101 x 84 cm signed (upper left) „G Libald “ (G and L ligated) Provenance: Private Collection, Brussels; Private Coll...

Italian Master (17th century) - The Flight into Egypt Appears to St. Francis. 37.5 x 51.5 cm unframed, 71 x 83 cm framed. Oil on canvas, in a carved wooden frame (not signed). Con...

Great Italian still life from the first half of the 17th century. Artwork oil on canvas depicting an amazing vase with flowers of excellent pictorial quality. Painting of exceptional...

Antonio Calza (1653-1725) Scena di Battaglia Olio su tela in cornice dorata Dimensioni: 45x60 cm (68,5 x 84,5 cm inclusa la cornice) Fine del XVII secolo Nacque nel 1653 a Verona d...

Herman Saftleven the Elder (Rotterdam 1609 - Utrecht 1685) workshop Winter Landscape with the City of Utrecht Oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm. - framed 105 x 91 cm. The painting depicts a...

« A Mediterranean capriccio » Oil on canvas by Abraham STORCK With an appraisal by René Millet ( Well Known French Expert in Paris) Within a tortoise-shell Turtle This oil on canvas...

Saint Nazarius & Celsus (350AD), 18th Century Diptych Of The Christian Knights & Martyrs after lost work by Bartolomeo Montagna (1450-1523) Large 18th Century Italian Old Master de...

Oil on canvas Image size: 22 x 20 inches (22.75 x 51 cm) Pierced gilt frame This half-length portrait shows the sitter with her head and eyes looking over her shoulder, to the right. She is dressed in a delicate blue dress and blue shawl with her hair tied up away from her face. The composition of the painting is simple but effective; the woman stands out and is the undeniable focus of the viewer's attention. George Romney's artistic style is characterised by its focus on the beauty and elegance of human forms. Here, one can appreciate his ability to capture the delicacy of facial features and the soft textures of clothing. In addition, Romney has used a soft and diffuse brushstroke technique that creates a light and soft effect in the work. The dark and diffused background highlights the young woman's figure even more, creating an effect of depth and realism. It is possible that this sitter is Miss Anne Dutton. George Romney Romney was a fashionable portrait painter of late 18th-century English society. In his portraits Romney avoided delving into the character or sensibilities of the sitter. His great success with his society patrons depended largely on just this ability for dispassionate flattery. Line rather than colour dominates; the flowing rhythms and easy poses of Roman classical sculpture underlie the smooth patterns of his compositions. From 1755 to 1757 Romney was the pupil of Christopher Steele, an itinerant portrait and genre painter. Romney’s career began when he toured the northern English counties painting portraits for a few guineas each. In 1762 he went to London. His history painting The Death of General Wolfe won him an award from the Society of Arts; nonetheless he turned almost immediately to portrait painting. In 1764 he paid his first visit to Paris, where he was befriended by Joseph Vernet. Romney especially admired the work of Nicolas Le Sueur, whose use of the antique strongly appealed to him. In 1773 he went to Italy for two years, where he studied Raphael’s Stanze frescoes in Rome, Titian’s paintings...

Portrait of a lady attributed to William Wissing, half-length, wearing a pearl necklace and an amber gown adorned with jewels to the bodice and sleeves, wit...

18th century silk embroidered art work. Depicting children and fairy tales. It is very rare for works from this time period to depict a black...

Portrait Of Lady Mary Villiers, later Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (1622-1685), As Saint Agnes, 17th Century after Anthony VAN DTCK (1599-1641) Portrait Of Lady Mary Villiers, later Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, As Saint Agnes, oil on canvas. Excellent quality and condition three quarter length seated portrait of the Duchess as Saint Agnes holding a palm leaf, accompanied by the lamb and wearing a white satin dress...

Matthijs Schoevaerdt (1663-1703) Genre scene Oil on canvas, 30 x 43 cm - Framed, 44 x 56 cm The present painting can be traced by stylistic and formal figures to the hand of the F...

Judith Beheading Holofernes, 17th Century School of Carlo MARATTA (1625-1713) Carlo Maratta Large 17th century Italian Old Master depiction of Jud...

George Edwards: ""A History of Uncommon Birds"", 1749-1761. A prominent English naturalist and ornithologist, George Edwards (1694 -1773) is best known for his work, ""A Natural His...

Antonio Diziani (1737–1797) "Pond Landscape with Angler and Resting Farmer Couple" This atmospheric oil painting by Antonio Diziani, an 18th-century Venetian artist, captures a sere...

Pietro Bardellino (Naples, Italy, 1731 – 1806) Title: Mary Magdalene Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 75 x 60 cm – with frame 97 x 82 cm Antique shaped and carved wood...

Maid Carrying Roses, 18th Century circle of Antonio ROTARI (1707-1762) Large 18th Century Italian portrait of a young maid carrying ros...