Portrait Paintings

Portrait of a young Lady Robert Le Vrac Tournières (1667-1752) 18th century French school, circa 1725 Oil on canvas Dimensions: h. 81 cm, w. 65 cm Important 18th century Régence per...

This stunning Old Master 18th century portrait oil painting has previously been attributed to Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Indeed the sitter, Helena Fourment or Hélène Fourment (11 April 1614 – 15 July 1673) was the second wife of Baroque painter Rubens...

Portrait of a young lady By Henri Millot (Paris, active between 1699 and 1756) Signed "peint par h. millot" and dated 1706 on the entablature Oil on canvas: h. 81 cm, l. 64 cm A Loui...

Portrait Of Lucas Cranach The Elder (1472-1553), 16th Century German Renaissance School Large 16th Century German School portrait identified as Lucas Cranach The Elder, oil on canv...

This portrait, attributed to the American painter Ralph Earl, captures Benedict Arnold, one of the most controversial figures of the American Revolutionary War. Ralph Earl, known for...

Circle of George Stubbs (1724-1806). English 18th century portrait of a water spaniel standing in a wooded landscape. This charming painting is a wonderful example of the style of English dog painting made popular by artists such as George Stubbs and other sporting artists working in England in the 18th century who painted the dogs and horses of the aristocracy and wealthier classes. It follows in the ancient tradition of celebrating and commemorating our faithful canine companions through portraiture. Oil on canvas in a giltwood frame Provenance: Private collection, Somerset George Stubbs (1724-1806) was classified in his lifetime as a sporting painter, and as such was excluded from full membership of the Royal Academy. He is best remembered for his paintings of horses and his conversation pieces. Having studied anatomy, Stubbs's pictures of horses are among the most accurate ever painted. Stubbs was born in Liverpool, the son of a leather worker...

Portrait of a Young Boy French Rococo School, 18th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 24 x 20 inches Canvas : 20 x 16 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very...

Portrait of John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751). Early 18th-century near-life-size portrait of a noble man richly dressed in a long wig. Circle of...

Scandinavian Family Portrait Artist 18th century 18th Century Scandinavian School Signature: Not signed Medium: Miniature Dimensions: Image size ...

After a copper engraving (46 x 34 cm) by Gilles Rousselet after Van Dyck, ca. 1640 Paris. Oil on cardboard, 44 x 35 cm Trompe-l'oeils are pictures whose depicted objects are painte...

Portrait Of Lady Margaret Hasting, posing as a Shepherdess 18th Century CHARLES JERVAS (1675-1739) Large 18th Century portrait of Lady Margaret Hasting, oil on canvas, by Charles J...

Bernardino Detti (Pistoia, Italy, 1498 - 1572) Title: Face of Christ Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 32 cm - with frame 47 x 55.5 cm Antique box frame made of solid wood and walnut burl. Publications: unpublished The painting by Bernardino Detti (1498 - 1572) depicts the face of Jesus...

Portrait Of Sir James Hamlyn (1735-1811), MP for Carmarthen, Sheriff of Devon, 18th Century follower of Sir Joshua REYNOLDS (1723-1792) Large 18th Century portrait of Sir James Ham...

Florentine painter, 17th-18th century Equestrian portrait of Pietro Strozzi (Florence, 1511 - Thionville, 1558) Oil on canvas 79 x 115 cm. - Framed cm. 92 x 127 A valiant knight, p...

French School, Portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Pastel /oil Pastel on Paper, Rococo, 18th Century. The Pastel is made in the style...

This lovely Italian Old Master portrait oil painting is by Domenico Maria Sani. Painted circa 1732 the sitter is of Maria Anna Vittoria (1718 - 1788), daughter of Philip V and Elisabetta Farnese, who in 1729 married Joseph prince of Brazil and king of Portugal...

This elegant portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, depicts a beautiful young lady seated in a wooded area, resting one arm on a rock, before a landscape and a warm evening sky. She is wearing a white smock under russet-coloured silks, loosely held in place by an immense black diamond clasp on the sleeve, and her body is enveloped in a voluptuous swag of azure silk; the costly fabrics and jewels reveal that the sitter was a paragon of a wealthy and privileged society that she belonged to. Much of the attractiveness of this portrait resides in its graceful composition and the beauty of the youthful sitter. The flowing water in the left margin of the picture and the shell that she holds are compositional devises often used at the time to allude to her potential as wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, Chapter 5, Verse 18: “Let thye fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thye youth”. Symbolism was a key component to many works of this period and contemporary viewers would have deciphered them immediately. Such images exude a sense of status and Augustan decorum, and were highly influential in transmitting these values into the first half of the eighteenth century. Held in a good quality and condition gilded antique frame. Herman Verelst was from a great dynasty of painters, with many members achieving great success. Specialising in portraits and still life paintings, he was one of the legions of foreign-born artists working in England at the time. Today, many of his pictures are given to other artists or are simply relegated to that term “circle of” which is a great disservice because he had an ability to render faces and drapery on par with some of the best artists at the time. Herman’s work is quite distinctive in the way he rendered faces and this particular pose was a favourite. His faces were portrayed with great skill often using the sfumato technique which gave them a very smooth feel to the skin with no hard lines, and many known works by him show that he could also render drapery with great affect. Our painting was painted in the 1690’s. His father, Pieter Hermansz Verelst...

Friedrich Wigand (Russian, 1800-1853). Portrait of a Young Man, 1841. Oil on canvas, 12.5 x 16 inches. Framed measurement: 17 x 20.5 inches. Signed an...

This charming British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to noted portrait artist Thomas Hudson. Hudson was most prolific between 1740 and 1760 and, from 174...

Giacomo Stella (Brescia 1545 - Rome 1630) Allegory of Wisdom (or prudence) Oil painting on canvas 193 x 75 cm., In frame 199 x 82 cm. The work is accompanied by critical study drawn...

18th/19th Century School 'A scene of Christ entering Jerusalem' Medium: oil on canvas, framed Size of painting: 21.5" x 18.25" inches condition: overa...

Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress and Blue Cloak c.1709-1719 By Charles Jervas (1675-1739) This elegant and graceful portrait, presented by Titan Fine Ar...

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...

Benedetto Luti (17 November 1666 – 17 June 1724) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, recognized for his contributions to the Roman and Florentine art scenes. Born in F...

David Finsonius (Veere 1597- Bergen op Zoom 1646/1648) Portrait of a girl with a rose and a red coral necklace With traces of the artist’s signature and annotated AETATIS S.V. 2 1⁄2 Ao 1631 Oil on panel, H. 104.5 x 79.5 cm Provenance: Purchased by Jonkheer Helenus Marius Speelman (1857-1909), Kasteel de Wittenburg; thence by descent The work shows a strong resemblance to a portrait by Finsonius in the North Brabant Museum. This signed and dated "Girl with Basket and Cherries" (Inv. 15529), was painted just a year later, in 1632. Not only are the paintings remarkably similar in overall size and format, in painting style, and in the positioning of the girls in full length in their white lace dresses. They are also connected by the iconographic scheme of the respective coral necklaces, each with a gold memorial medal hanging from it. Although they are of course individuals, the faces are very similar in their depictions of features such as eyes, nose, and lips. This points to the same technique applied by the same painter. Finally, the handwriting is almost the same on the works by Finsonius known so far. About the painter, David Finson named 'Finsonius' (related to the better-known Louis Finson...

George Knapton (London 1698 - 1778), attributable Portrait of a young aristocratic maiden sitting by a fountain in a garden in the company of a lamb Oil on canvas (127 x 102 cm - Fr...

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...

Titan Fine Art presents this exquisite oil on panel portrait depicting a handsome young gentleman in an exuberant black damask doublet. The pose, with one hand holding gloves and the other akimbo, was one that was well-established for gentleman of the upper echelons of society by the time this work was painted. The principle governing portraits at this time was the recording and defining in visual terms of the position of a sitter in society. In addition to brilliant and complex symbols of luxury, they often contained many symbolic elements too; the inclusion of gloves was often used in portraits that celebrated a betrothal as in ancient times gloves were used to seal a marriage contract. The extraordinary costume of a black shimmering doublet, the brilliant white reticella ruff, and the cuffs edged with lace were immensely costly… this attire proclaims to every onlooker that this is a superior being. The rendering of the reticella lace ruff is exquisite and the artist has recorded the design that runs through the black damask fabric with meticulous attention to detail. The preservation of this black pigment is remarkable considering the age of the work. Black pigments are especially vulnerable to fade and wear over time partly due to environmental condition but also from unprofessional cleaning. This work is an exquisite example from the period. According to the inscription in the upper right, the gentleman was in his 22nd year of age in 1624. The coat of arms, which is displayed without a crest, may be ‘blazoned’ in the language of heraldry, as: Sable on a Chevron between in chief two Roundels and in base a Billet [or possibly Square] Or three Martlets Sable. In plainer English this means a black (Sable) background, spanned by a gold (Or) chevron, above which are two golden solid circles (Roundels), and below which is a gold rectangle (Billet); on the chevron are three small black birds (Martlets). Martlets are a stylised form of heraldic bird, believed to be based on the swift, which are conventionally drawn with small tufts instead of feet. In Continental Europe it is also conventional for them to be drawn without beaks, as appears to be the case here. The birds in this instance also have a vaguely duck-like appearance. Five families have been identified with very close armorial bearings to the one in our portrait. They are the (van) Houthem’s (of Brabant), the Prévinaire’s (of Flanders and Holland), and the Proveneer’s (of Liège) and it must be noted that the locations of these families also fit with the painting’s Flemish origins. However the French Grenières’s (of Île-de-France) and the Jallot’s (of Normandy) are the next closest matches and plausible matches, as Frans Pourbus had settled in Paris just a few years before our portrait was painted. This painting has been assessed by a professional conservator prior to going on sale, and as thus, it can be hung and enjoyed immediately. Frans Pourbus the Younger...

Miniature Portrait French School, late 18th/ early 19th century framed: 5.5 x 5.5 inches board: 2 x 2 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound c...

Portrait The Honourable Mrs Elizabeth Tufton (Wilbraham), circa 1710 Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) Large circa 1710 portrait of The Honourable Mrs E...

Portrait of Thomas Collard (rector of Withycombe, Somerset 1670-1691) the city depicted in the distance is thought to be Antwerp. the portrait historically has been thought to be fr...

Hunting dogs and a deer, British oil painting Richard ANSDELL 19Th c Description Title: End of the run Materials: oil on canvas Signature: not signed Provenance: private collection...

This superb French Old Master oval portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Nicolas de Largilliere. Painted circa 1700 it is a half length portrait of a gentleman in a red co...

Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman Italian artist, mid 18th century Circle of Giovanni Battista Carboni (1725-1790) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 26 x 22 inches provenance: private c...

This lovely British Old Master portrait oil painting is by noted British Old Master artist James Cranke. Cranke taught George Romney to paint as a small boy, living near by. Painted ...

The Flagellation of Christ, 17th Century Italian School Fine huge 17th Century Italian Old Master depiction of the Flagellation of Christ, oil on canvas. Excellent quality full len...

Antique Flemish Baroque painting, 17th century, portrait, Medici. Oil on canvas. The painting is probably attributed to the Flemish painter Justus Sustermns. Pictured is most likel...

Portrait of Mr. Gilbert (believed to be the founder of 'Gilberts Charity, Bridgwater, Somerset) English School artist, late 17th/ early 18th century oil...

Tempera on wood depicting a half-length female figure; she wears a red dress over a light-colored tunic, while a green drape rests on her right shoulder. The red hair is tied up with a central parting and is partly covered by a white headdress; the full face has an absorbed expression: a thoughtful gaze, arched eyebrows and slightly furrowed lips. Presented in a frame made with parts of an ancient larger frame. Historical-critical analysis: Our table in question is one of the numerous derivations from a lost fresco by Andrea del Sarto...

A fine, imposing 18th century portrait of an unknown aristocrat,housed in a gilt frame The artist is also unidentified but certainly a talented hand, in the circle of one of the fine old masters of the period The size overall is 148 x 121 cm whilst the painting is 128 x 101 cm In overall good condition the frame at the bottom has bowed slightly The painting has been checked whilst being cleaned and has not been affected in any way . SHIPPING Free delivery to mainland uk ,worldwide shipping available please email for quote Delivery usually within 14 working days, insured please provide telephone/email details for courier. All taxes/customs etc to be paid for by purchaser. RETURNS (The Consumer Contracts Regulations) Whilst we are sure that you will be extremely happy with your purchase, if for any reason you are not, then you are entitled to return the item to us for a refund. For all purchases made you are entitled to return the item(s) for a period of up to 14 days following receipt by you or a representative indicated by you. Please contact us to confirm that you are returning the item(s) and the reason for doing so. Upon receipt of the item(s) we will refund the purchase price via your original payment method...

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 society during the early part of the 1600’s. The artist has rendered this portrait with meticulous attention to detail and the surface effects of the fine materials. The elaborate lace coif and cuffs are painstakingly delineated, as is the bold black damask, and sumptuous gold decoration of her skirt and stomacher, which is wonderfully preserved and quite remarkable considering the age of the work and the fact that darker pigments are particularly vulnerable to fading and wear. This work with its spectacular depiction of costume is of absolute quality, it can be rated as one of the best works in the artist’s oeuvre and as such it is an important and splendid example of Dutch portraiture. The Dutch Golden Age of painting was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. Dutch explorers charted new territory and settled abroad. Trade by the Dutch East-India Company thrived, and war heroes from the naval battles were decorated and became national heroes. During this time, The Dutch Old Masters began to prevail in the art world, creating a depth of realistic portraits of people and life in the area that has hardly been surpassed. The Golden Age painters depicted the scenes that their discerning new middleclass patrons wanted to see. This new wealth from merchant activities and exploration combined with a lack of church patronage, shifted art subjects away from biblical genres. Dress was a key component in portraits, and the exuberant attire reiterates the incredible wealth of this woman. The sitter will have visited the artist’s workshop and inspected examples on display. They would have chosen the size and the sort of composition and on that basis negotiated the price – which would have also been determined by the complexity of the clothing and the jewels that were to be depicted, and by the materials to be used. When all was considered, this portrait would have cost the sitter (or her husband) a substantial sum. The colour black was regarded as humble and devout yet at the same time refined and sophisticated and the most expensive colour of fabric to dye and to maintain. Citizens spent fortunes on beautiful black robes. Such uniformity must also have had a psychological side-effect and contributed to a sense of middle-class cohesion; the collective black of the well-to-do burgess class will have given its members a sense of solidarity. The colour was always an exciting one for artists and when this portrait was painted there were at least fifty shades of it, and as many different fabrics and accoutrements. Artists went to great lengths to depict the subtle nuances of the colour and the fabrics and textures and how they reflected light and it was an ideal background against which gold and crisp white lace could be juxtaposed to dramatic effect. The sitter is either a married women or a widower as is evident by the clothing that she wears and the position, toward her right, it is highly likely that this portrait was once a pendant that hung on the right-hand side of her husband’s portrait as was convention at the time. She wears a vlieger which was a type of sleeveless over-gown or cape worn by well-to-do married women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Variations with short sleeves or high shoulder rolls are known. Sometimes sleeves were attached with aiglets, and often slits were made to allow belts or the hands to pass through. Three-piece vlieger costumes of this kind were standard items of clothing in portraits of the women of the civic elite in the period 1600-40 and was a variant of the Spanish ‘ropa’ and served as a trademark of well-to-do married burgher women. Girls and unmarried woman, including beguines, wore a bouwen (a dress with a fitted bodice and a skirt that was closed all round) instead. This clear distinction between apparel for married and unmarried women is clear not only from inventories and trousseau lists, but also from contemporary sources such as the Dutch Spanish dictionary published by Juan Rodrigues in 1634. In it, a bouwen is described as a ‘ropa de donzella’ (over-gown worn by a virgin) and a vlieger as a ‘ropa de casada’ (overgown worn by a married woman). It is striking how few women are depicted wearing a bouwen, unless they are part of a group, family or children’s portrait and it can therefore be assumed that independent portraits of unmarried women were seldom commissioned. It is also believed that the clothing worn in these portraits existed and were faithfully reproduced when cross-referenced with the few exact documents. These sources also demonstrate that clients wanted their clothing to be depicted accurately and with this in mind precious garments and jewels were often left in the painter’s studio. The prominent white lawn molensteenkraag (or millstone ruff) is held up by a wire supportasse and was reserved only for the citizens that could afford this luxurious item that often required 15 meters of linen batiste. The fabulous wealth of this sitter is also evident by the elaborate lace coif and cuffs which have been exquisitely depicted; lace was often literally copied by artists in thin white lines over the completed clothing. The gold bracelet with jewels is a type that was evidently fashionable as it is seen in a number of portraits during the 1610s and 1620. Clothing and jewellery were prized possessions and were often listed in inventories of estates and passed down from generation to generation. There were a great number of jewellers of Flemish origin working at all the courts and cities of Europe, competing with the Italians, and then the French, adapting themselves to the tastes and positions of their patrons and the raw materials available in the country where they worked. The fashion for jewels “in the Flemish style” succeeded that of the Italian style. Cornelis van der Voort, who was probably born in Antwerp around 1576, came to Amsterdam with his parents as a child. His father, a cloth weaver by trade, received his citizenship in 1592. It is not known who taught the young Van der Voort to paint, but it has been suggested that it was either Aert Pietersz or Cornelis Ketel. On 24 October 1598 Van der Voort became betrothed to Truytgen Willemsdr. After his first wife’s death he became betrothed to Cornelia Brouwer of Dordrecht in 1613. In addition to being an artist, Van der Voort was an art collector or dealer, or both. In 1607 he bought paintings from the estate of Gillis van Coninxloo, and after an earlier sale in 1610 a large number of works he owned were auctioned on 7 April 1614. Van der Voort is documented as appraising paintings in 1612, 1620 and 1624. In 1615 and 1619 he was warden of the Guild of St Luke. He was buried in Amsterdam’s Zuiderkerk on 2 November 1624, and on 13 May 1625 paintings in his estate were sold at auction. Van der Voort was one of Amsterdam’s leading portrait painters in the first quarter of the 17th century. Several of his group portraits are known. It is believed that he trained Thomas de Keyser (1596/97-1667) and Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy (1588-1650/56). His documented pupils were David Bailly (c. 1584/86-1657), Louis du Pré...

Portrait of a Levantine Merchant, 18th Century Italian school. Oil on canvas. Circle of Giuseppe Nogari (1699-1763) Dimensions with frame cm 71 x 5...

French School Portrait of a young woman in Louis XV period dress Pastel on paper mounted on oval canvas H. 68 cm; W. 54 cm (Frame: H. 102 cm; W. 71 cm) 18th century frame, anti-refle...

Portrait of a Noble Lady English artist, mid 18th century circle of Thomas Gainsborough (English 1727-1788) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collect...

Enoch Seeman - 1894 - 1744 An excellent example of Seeman's work. It is typically unsigned as was the case of many portraits of that time. A three quarter length portrait showing a r...

Thomas Hudson (Devon 1701 - London 1799) Portrait of a Notable in his Study Oil on canvas 124 x 102 cm. In antique frame 142 x 120 cm. This fascinating portrait is a valuable te...

Portrait of a Noble Lady French School, early 1700's period oil painting on copper, unframed copper: 5 x 3 inches condition: very good, minor paint fading and deteriation. provenanc...

Nicolò Zafuri (circle of) (documented in Candia between 1487 and 1500, died before 10 July 1501) Title: Madonna with Child Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: without frame 49 x 40 cm ...

This superb Italian Old Master religious portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Bartolomeo Schedoni. Painted circa 1700 it is a half l...

This superb British Old Master oil painting is attributed to circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence. Painted circa 1795, the sitter is Major-General James Hanson Salmond (1766–1837) an office...

This fine French Old Master portrait oil painting on canvas dates to circa 1770 and is attributed to the circle of Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun. The sitter is Madam van Robais. The van R...

Titan Fine Art present this striking portrait, which was painted by one of the most talented artists working in England during the last half of the 17th century, John Greenhill. Gre...

French School circa 1645 Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin - Sketch Oil on canvas H. 41.5 cm; W. 27 cm Provenance: Collection of the Reverend Georges Downing Bowles (1789-1863) Would ...

Carlo Ceresa (San Giovanni Bianco 1609 - Bergamo 1679) attributable Full-length portrait of Giacomo Pesenti Oil on canvas (206 x 121 cm - in frame 212 x 133 cm.) This fascinating portrait, portraying a full-length gentleman and datable to the 17th century, illustrates the stylistic and compositional details typical of the pictorial production of the Lombardy area, Bergamo in particular. This reference is reflected in elements such as the natural light, the sober and austere setting and, above all, the subtle psychological characterisation of the face. We are inclined to identify the hand of portrait painter Carlo Ceresa, one of the most illustrious Bergamasque figure painters of the 17th century, capable of developing a style of intense realism and acute psychological investigation. In his works, and our portrait perfectly reflects his canons, an extraordinary naturalistic imprint, great realism and remarkable essentiality are evident. Those traits of severity, moral rigour and austerity typical of his portraiture find a perfect balance here: never courtly or rhetorical, his portraits are profoundly linked to the concept of counter-reform. Immortalising the main personalities of the time, he established himself as a point of reference for the Bergamasque aristocracy, from the Vertova to the Pesenti to the Secco Suardo. The subject of the portrait is Giacomo Pesenti, here immortalised life-size in a rigorous black suit, his left hand resting on a table, on which is placed the necessities for writing and a manuscript, and his right hand, with a sealed ring on his little finger, abandoned along his side while he holds his gloves. He wears a suit of incredible rigour, dressed as befits a man of his high social standing, while the sharp light focuses on his face, with an intensity that seems to be accentuated by the reflection of the white collar, with its sharp profile. For Ceresa, it is not the richness of the garment that gives value to the person portrayed, it is the need to give feeling and bring out the character of the person, and this he succeeds in marvellously, aided by his ability to capture the essence of the person and return it to us in painting through the face and light used as a strong expressive element. In fact, the image highlights that 'counter-reformed' composure typical of the portraiture of painters active in this area and era, adhering to a verism...

Madonna and Child Workshop of Andrea del Sarto, pseudonym of Andrea d'Agnolo di Francesco (Florence 1486 - 1530) Attributable to Jacopo di Giovanni di Francesco, known as Jacone (...

This museum quality old master oil on canvas formal portrait painting depicting the family of the Count Zanardi is signed by the artist- the female painter Lucia Casalini Torelli- and published in a book dedicated to Casalini Torelli’s workshop and academy. This palatial masterpiece artwork comes directly from the ancient Villa Maraini Guerrieri - Palidano di Gonzaga (Mantua), an historic Italian heritage building owned by the descendants of the family portrayed for more than two centuries, until 1998. The big scale of this oil on canvas masterpiece painting states the relevance of Lucia Casalini Torelli as a painter. The present artwork is a formal family portrait painting that aim to introduce the characters depicted according to their social role in the society. The noble family is all gathered under a loggia overlooking a park, the landscape in the background is partially covered by a beautiful red cloth on the right side. The father stands up and holds the hand of his eldest son, proudly introducing his future heir. The son wears a light-blue dress and red boots, he is depicted in a serious pose holding a black tricorn hat under his arm and a rapier sword on his belt. The mother wears an elegant gold and dark green brocade dress, she is sitting with her youngest daughter on her knees while her second son is by her side. The little daughter wears a lovely long red and dress with white lace and holds an apple on her hand. The son stands next to his mother and is dressed in a brown priestly clothes. This palatial old masters piece was probably painted in 1740 due to the similarities with Cardinal Doria’ s portrait, now on display at the Doria Palace Museum, the official residence of the Prince of Genoa. The painting features original canvas (“prima tela”) and antique original patina, it is in excellent overall condition considering the age, use and its large scale. A formal detailed condition report and the results of the inspection with the UV lamp accompanied by photos is available on request. As well as for its exceptional quality and quite perfect state of conservation, this painting is particularly important and even more valuable both for the artist who painted it and for its absolutely exclusive provenance. Lucia painted the most prominent and powerful noble families of her time, the location of these paintings is unknown to the art market as it is extremely likely that the portraits are still kept in private collections. Furthermore, Lucia was one of the most appreciated artists of her time, so important that she was admitted as a member of the academy at a time when women were forbidden to attend these studies. In 1706, Felice Torelli...

Outstanding early 18th century English portrait of James Bellevue. The portrait was always believed to be the work of Sir Godfrey Kneller who was known to have painted James Bellevu...

Presented by Titan Fine Art, this painting formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This portrait hung in the Grand Hall. This exquisite grand manner work is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during a large part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The artist has depicted an elegant lady, three quarter length and seated on porch with a luxurious crimson swag curtain by her side. The clothing – known as “undress” at the time, consists of red silk fastened at the front and sleeves by large gold and diamond jewels over a simple white chemise. In her lap she holds a blue wrap and in her other hand, at her chest, she clutches the end of a sheer gauzy scarf that has been draped around her body with the other end a type of headdress – this type of sheer scarf was often employed by Wissing in his portraits. The classical architecture signifies cultivation and sophistication and the luxurious swag curtain is a signifier of wealth. The portrait can be dated to circa 1680 based on the sitter’s attire, the “hurluberlu” hairstyle, and other portraits by Wissing using the same formula. This oil on canvas portrait has been well cared for over its life, which spans almost 350 years. Having recently been treated to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, the finer details and proper colour can now be fully appreciated. Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare. Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone. Much of the attractiveness of this portrait resides in its graceful manner and the utter beauty of the youthful sitter. Presented in a beautiful carved and gilded period frame, which is a work of art in itself. Willem Wissing was a Dutch artist who enjoyed a solid artistic training at The Hague under Arnold van Ravesteyn (c.1650-1690) and Willem Dougijns (1630-1697). He came to London in 1676 and most probably joined the studio or Sir Peter Lely as an assistant that same year. After Lely’s death in 1680 he effectively took over his business and he scaled the heights of patronage with extraordinary ease, creating an independent practise in 1687, and painted for very important aristocratic patrons. King Charles II was so impressed by a portrait Wissing painted of his son, the Duke of Monmouth, in 1683 that he commissioned his own portrait and that of his Queen Catherine...