18th Century and Earlier Paintings

17th Century French School Saint John the Baptist in a landscape oil on copper 17 x 11.5 cm In good condition except very small loss of painting in the lower left part In a modern f...

Ritratto del Re di Sardegna Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia. Ambito di Giovanni Panelalbo. Ritratto di Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia (Torino, 26 giugno 1726 – Moncalieri, 16 ottobre 1...

Work on canvas

This vigorous drawing has long been attributed to Polidoro da Caravaggio: The Abduction of the Sabine Women is one of the scenes that Polidoro depicted between 1525 and 1527 on the façade of the Milesi Palazzo in Rome. However, the proximity to another drawing inspired by this same façade, kept at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and to other drawings inspired by Polidoro kept at the Musée du Louvre, leads us to propose an attribution to Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist whose life remains barely known, despite the abundant number of drawings attributed to him. 1. Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist in the light of the Roman Renaissance The early life of Biagio Pupini, an important figure of the first half of the Cinquecento in Bologna - Vasari mentions him several times - is still poorly known. Neither his date of birth (probably around 1490-1495) nor his training are known. He is said to have been a pupil of Francesco Francia (1450 - 1517) and his name appears for the first time in 1511 in a contract with the painter Bagnacavallo (c. 1484 - 1542) for the frescoes of a church in Faenza. He then collaborated with Girolamo da Carpi, at San Michele in Bosco and at the villa of Belriguardo. He must have gone to Rome for the first time with Bagnacavallo between 1511 and 1519. There he discovered the art of Raphael, with whom he might have worked, and that of Polidoro da Caravaggio. This first visit, and those that followed, were the occasion for an intense study of ancient and modern art, as illustrated by his abundant graphic production. Polidoro da Caravaggio had a particular influence on the technique adopted by Pupini. Executed on coloured paper, his drawings generally combine pen, brown ink and wash with abundant highlights of white gouache, as in the drawing presented here. 2. The Abduction of the Sabine Women Our drawing is an adaptation of a fresco painted between 1525 and 1527 by Polidoro da Caravaggio on the façade of the Milesi Palace in Rome. These painted façades were very famous from the moment they were painted and inspired many artists during their stay in Rome. These frescoes are now very deteriorated and difficult to see, as the palace is in a rather narrow street. The episode of the abduction of the Sabine women (which appears in the centre of the photo above) is a historical theme that goes back to the origins of Rome and is recounted both by Titus Livius (Ab Urbe condita I,13), by Ovid (Fasti III, 199-228) and by Plutarch (II, Romulus 14-19). After killing his twin brother Romus, Romulus populates the city of Rome by opening it up to refugees and brigands and finds himself with an excess of men. Because of their reputation, none of the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities want to give them their daughters in marriage. The Romans then decide to invite their Sabine neighbours to a great feast during which they slaughter the Sabines and kidnap their daughters. The engraving made by Giovanni Battista Gallestruzzi (1618 - 1677) around 1656-1658 gives us a good understanding of the Polidoro fresco, allowing us to see how Biagio Pupini reworked the scene to extract this dynamic group. With a remarkable economy of means, Biagio Pupini takes over the left-hand side of the fresco and depicts in a very dense space two main groups, each consisting of a Roman and a Sabine, completed by a group of three soldiers in the background (which seems to differ quite significantly from Polidoro's composition). The balance of the drawing is based on a very strongly structured composition. The drawing is organised around a median vertical axis, which runs along both the elbow of the kidnapped Sabine on the left and the foot of her captor, and the two main diagonals, reinforced by four secondary diagonals. This diamond-shaped structure creates an extremely dynamic space, in which centripetal movements (the legs of the Sabine on the right, the arm of the soldier on the back at the top right) and centrifugal movements (the arm of the kidnapper on the left and the legs of the Sabine he is carrying away, the arm of the Sabine on the right) oppose each other, giving the drawing the appearance of a whirlpool around a central point of support situated slightly to the left of the navel of the kidnapper on the right. 3. Polidoro da Caravaggio, and the decorations of Roman palaces Polidoro da Caravaggio was a paradoxical artist who entered Raphael's (1483 - 1520) workshop at a very young age, when he oversaw the Lodges in the Vatican. Most of his Roman work, which was the peak of his career, has disappeared, as he specialised in facade painting, and yet these paintings, which are eminently visible in urban spaces, have influenced generations of artists who copied them abundantly during their visits to Rome. Polidoro Caldara was born in Caravaggio around 1495-1500 (the birthplace of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who was born there in 1571), some forty kilometres east of Milan. According to Vasari, he arrived as a mason on the Vatican's construction site and joined Raphael's workshop around 1517 (at the age of eighteen according to Vasari). This integration would have allowed Polidoro to work not only on the frescoes of the Lodges, but also on some of the frescoes of the Chambers, as well as on the flat of Cardinal Bibiena in the Vatican. After Raphael's death in 1520, Polidoro worked first with Perin del Vaga before joining forces with Maturino of Florence (1490 - 1528), whom he had also known in Raphael's workshop. Together they specialised in the painting of palace façades. They were to produce some forty façades decorated with grisaille paintings imitating antique bas-reliefs. The Sack of Rome in 1527, during which his friend Maturino was killed, led Polidoro to flee first to Naples (where he had already stayed in 1523), then to Messina. It was while he was preparing his return to the peninsula that he was murdered by one of his assistants, Tonno Calabrese, in 1543. In his Vite, Vasari celebrated Polidoro as the greatest façade decorator of his time, noting that "there is no flat, palace, garden or villa in Rome that does not contain a work by Polidoro". Polidoro's facade decorations, most of which have disappeared as they were displayed in the open air, constitute the most important lost chapter of Roman art of the Cinquecento. The few surviving drawings of the painter can, however, give an idea of the original appearance of his murals and show that he was an artist of remarkable and highly original genius. 4. The façade of the Milesi Palace Giovanni Antonio Milesi, who commissioned this palace, located not far from the Tiber, north of Piazza Navona, was a native of the Bergamo area, like Polidoro, with whom he maintained close friendly ties. Executed in the last years before the Sack of Rome, around 1526-1527, the decoration of Palazzo Milesi is considered Polidoro's greatest decorative success. An engraving by Ernesto Maccari made at the end of the nineteenth century allows us to understand the general balance of this façade, which was still well preserved at the time. The frescoes were not entirely monochrome, but alternated elements in chiaroscuro simulating marble bas-reliefs and those in ochre simulating bronze and gold vases...

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

Giovanni Ghisolfi (Milan 1623 - 1683) Architectural capriccio with ruins of an Ionic temple Oil painting on canvas 73 x 87 cm., within a gilded wooden frame 87 x 100 cm. This quali...

Giovanni Stanchi (Rome 1608 - 1675) or Niccolò Stanchi (Rome 1623 - 1690), workshop of GARLAND OF FLOWERS WITH PORTRAIT OF THE VIRGIN Rome, First half of the Seventeenth century o...

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...

Italian painter (early 18th century) - Four Evangelists. 25.5 x 19 cm without frame, 29 x 22.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on panel. in wooden frames. Condition report: In...

Flemish painter active in Rome in the 17th-18th centuries Circle of Isaac de Moucheron (Amsterdam 1667 - 1744) Italian garden with water features in a villa Oil on canvas (49 x 65 c...

Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640) Workshop / circle Crucifixion of Christ with Saint Mary Magdalene Oil painting on canvas 112 x 62 cm. - In antique frame 126 x 73 cm. ...

Lorenzo Gramiccia (Cave 1702/1704 - Venice 1795) - Two Venetian interiors. 45 x 60 cm without frame, 55 x 70 cm with frame. Pair of antique oil paintings on canvas, in carved and g...

Antique oil on canvas painting depicting the mystical marriage of St. Catherine. The work is rich in iconographic invention and intoned in full-bodied, ringing colors, with effects ...

Circle of Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) British. 18th Century Bust Portrait of a Lady, Oil on Canvas, Inscribed on a label verso, canvas: 30" x 25" (76.2 x 63.5cm). frame: 30 x 25 in...

Thomas Whitcombe (1760 - 1824) A Royal Navy Three-Decker announcing her Departure from the Anchorage at Spithead (1787) Oil on canvas Signed and dated 'Thos Whitcombe. / 1787' lower ...

17th century old master, Hagar and the Angel In Genesis 16, Hagar, Sarah's maidservant, fled into the wilderness after facing mistreatment. There, she encountered an angel who instr...

Follower of El Greco The Adoration of the Shepherds Oil on canvas The present work bares close similarity to a painting of the same name in the collection of the Museo del Prado, Ma...

Dimensions: 50 x 80 cm without frame, 70 x 100 cm with frame. Gilded, carved, sculpted and chiselled wooden box frames. Publications: Jacob de Heusch (1656 – 1701). Un pittore ol...

This magnificent oil on panel portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is a splendid example of the sumptuous female portraits that were painted for members of the upper echelons of so...

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...

Oil on canvas Image size: 12 x 10 inches (30.5 x 25.5 cm) Period hand carved gilt frame This 17th century Dutch genre painting depicts a young woman holding a jug with a landscape l...

Jan Kupetsky (1667 - 1740) Czech School An artist grinding colours, possibly a self-portrait Oil on canvas Signed, verso : "Joseph Prinzig" Provenance: Private Collection, Hungary ...

Austrian School, 18th Century A Portrait of a Gentleman, thought to be Moses Diego Lopez Pereira, 1st Baron d’Aguilar, in an elaborate coat and a powdered wig Oil on canvas Provena...

Dimensions: 41 x 32 cm without frame - 47 x 55.5 cm with frame Antique box frame made of solid wood and walnut burl. Publications: unpublished The painting by Bernardino Detti (14...

Artist/ School: Italian School, 18th century Title: Figures/ Travellers walking through a Baroque landscape admiring the ancient classical, Roman ru...

The Bloody-Shouldered Arabian Oil on canvas Inscribed below, 'Bred by Lord Oxford in 1755 & Sire of many famous Racers, including the Duke of Bolton's "Sweepstakes' Description: The...

Giovanni Agostino Cassana (c.1658 – 6 May 1720) Venetian Birds with an Upturned Basket of Fruit Oil on canvas: 25 x 35 in. Frame: 33 x 43 in. Abate, or Giovanni Agostino Cassana ...

15th century, Italian Circle of Antonio del Pollaiuolo (1429-1498) Portrait of an Italian Noblewoman Oil and tempura on poplar panel With partial inscription: ALZETAPIN Provenance:...

Dimensions: 165 x 123 cm without frame - 194 x 152 cm with frame Black painted, carved, sculpted and guilloché wooden frame, gilded parts in the inner groove. Publications: unpubl...

This incredibly rare early depiction of an Eastern Mediterranean or North African honey merchant is thought have been painted circa 1620. It predates the Flemish-French painter Jean ...

Literature: cf. 'Catalogue of Paintings in the Wellington Museum Apsley House' by C.M. Kauffman, revised by Susan Jenkins, English Heritage in association with Paul Holberton publish...

George Morland (1763-1804) "Piglets" Watercolor. Original Signed & Dated 1791 Unframed 14" x 18" Framed 21 x 26

The Battle of the Novogorodians with the Suzdalians 16th century Size 50.5 x 47.5 x 3 cm. The icon is located in the Russian Federation. There is an expert opinion from leading R...

“A portrait of three children, one of them holding a basket of grapes, while another plays the flute” Oil on canvas Housed in a blackened 17th-century frame. We'd like to thank dr...

Oil on canvas: 25 ½ x 30 ½ in. frame: 32 x 37 in. Period Empire frame. Circa 1780. George William Sartorius was a British artist, born in 1759. The Sartorius family were painters o...

Style of Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) Venetian Canal Scenes, a pair -San Giorgio Maggiore from the Bacino di San Marco -Santa Maria della Salute from the Grand Canal Oils on canvas: 13 X 18 ¼ in. Frame: 18 ½ x 23 ½ in. Late 18th / early 19th century. Francesco Guardi was an Italian painter of veduta, nobleman, and a member of the Venetian School. He was born in Venice in 1712, the son of a minor painter, Domenico Guardi, and went on to become, after Canaletto, the main painter of views of Venice in the mid-18th century. His early figurative paintings were carried out in association with his brother, Gian Antonio, but in about 1760 Guardi turned to view painting, recording both the architecture of the city and the celebrations of its inhabitants in interior and exterior scenes. These works brought him great success. The earliest of these show the influence of Canaletto, but he gradually adopted a looser style characterized by spirited brush-strokes and freely imagined architecture. Gallery notes: This fabulous pair of Venetian scenes are a work by a highly talented but unknown artist painting...

Matthias de Visch (La Reninge, 1701 - Bruges, 1765) Signed and dated on the edge of the globe: M. De Visch 1739. Allegory of the triumph of Art over Time (Music and Astrology that c...

Oil on panel Signed lower right At the forefront, a child barely reaching the height of the table, sits upon a modest chair, engaged in her simple meal. Her youthful visage captivat...

Oil on panel Signed and dated lower left. Quiringh van Brekelenkam was a Dutch genre painter, who studied under Gerard Dou. As a result, his paintings from the 1640s and 50s are si...

Oil on panel In the refined strokes of a 17th-century Dutch artist, a captivating still life unfolds, showcasing a meticulous arrangement of culinary delights that transcend the mun...

Catherine of Braganza, Queen Consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland, circa 1660. Italian School. Oil Painting." This stunning oil painting, dating to the mid-17th century , depic...

In questa “Madonna col Bambino”, Francesco Solimena esprime diversi elementi della sua poetica con una delicatezza pienamente rococò. Il pittore campano, variando i toni del chiaros...

Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi) 1609-1685 Italian Madonna Addolorata Oil on canvas Celebrated Italian artist Sassoferrato and his moving religious imagery are the epitome ...

Large 17th century Italian old master - Noli me tangere - Christ in the garden with Mary Magdalene The Italian art historian Federico Zeri has conserved a painting in his archives w...

English School 18th Century Old Master Portrait Dated 1767. An intriguing painting dating to the mid 18th century bearing a label verso which is indistinct, but appears to read, “Mr...

Oil on canvas, 62 x 51 cm (without the frame) Even if on the background there is an attribution to “Francesco Gessi pupil of Guido Reni” by the bolognese art historian Guido Zucchini (dated 1945), recent studies are tending to add it to the corpus of Girolamo Negri called Il Boccia (Bologna 1648-1718) due to lots of similarities with his style (the pale and warm palette chosen, the profile) The painting represents a lady on profile wearing a brown turban, a yellow clock...

Oil on Canvas. The identification of the saint is given by the presence of the large wooden wheel, symbolic of the instrument of her martyrdom. Usually the saint is depicted with a ...

Figure with Cherubim in Wilderness Italian School, 17th century oil painting on wood panel framed 13 x 11 inches condition: overall for its age very good, though the work is most likely a preparatory...

Oil on Canvas. The sacred figures are depicted in glory, that is, seated in the heavens and surrounded by angels . Mary, crowned with stars, holds on her knees the Child Jesus, who e...

Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780) Attributable Winter landscape Oil on canvas 76 x 63 cm. - In frame 87 x 75 cm. The compositional and stylistic elements of this pleasan...

Charles Jervas Possibly Frances Thynne, Lady Worsley 1673-1750 Oil on Canvas Picture Size: 50 x 40" Outside Frame Size: 58 x 48" 1675 – 1739 Charles Jervas, who was born in Clonli...

Charles Jervas Possibly Arthur, 6th Viscount Irwin (Temple Newsam) Oil on Canvas Picture Size: 50 x 40" Outside Frame Size: 58 x 48" 1675 – 1739 Charles Jervas, who was born in Cl...

Dipinto antico olio su tela raffigurante ritratto di Maria Giovanna Battista di Savoia Nemours con cornice in legno dorato coeva allo stesso. La nobildonna di alta estrazione social...

Attributed to Dutch artist, youngest Jan Van der Meer (1656-1705) or his circle. Pastoral scene with little livestock and figures of reclining shepherds by town walls, castle or cath...

Giovanni Maria DELLE PIANE, known as IL MULINARETTO (Genoa, 1660 – Monticelli d'Ongina, 1745) Portrait of a man Oil on oval canvas H. 108 cm; L. 83 cm Provenance: Nino Ferrari Colle...

This painting fits well into the Dutch pictorial production of the Golden century. The composition, built on the harmonious presentation of rich wild game and fine details such as th...

In 1607, the Delft city council decided to commission a portrait of Stadholder Maurits of Nassau for the town hall, with Michiel van Mierevelt as the chosen artist due to the passing...

“Timete Deum et date Illi honorem quia venit hora iudicii Eius” (Fear the Lord and honour Him, for the hour of His judgement has come): the passage from John's Apocalypse (chapter 14...