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Old Masters Portrait 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
Period: 18th Century
17th-18th Century By Benedetto Luti Head of a Girl Oil Pastel on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Original "cassetta" frame in carved and gilded wood. Expertise by Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri.
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil Pastel

18th Century Oil Painting Portrait of Phillip, 6th Viscount Wenman.
By Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Located in London, GB
Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1750-1811) was an English portrait painter and one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768. Justly celebrated in his lifetime he won several...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Noblewoman Dog Van Loo Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Louis Michel van Loo (Toulon 1707- Paris 1771) attributable Portrait of a noblewoman with her little dog Oil on canvas (79 x 66 cm. - with frame 92 x 78 cm.) A qualitative portrait depicting an elegant noblewoman of French origin, presumably belonging to the wealthy court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XV; this work fully reflects the pictorial qualities as well as the refinement of the compositional style of the French painter Louis Michel van Loo (1707- 1771), one of the most significant portrait painters of his time, and for this reason in demand at the most noble European courts. The work, taking up the traditional formula for portraits of members of the aristocracy, shows the effigy in a half-length pose, slightly turned to the right and looking directly at the viewer. The woman, with a regal bearing, is here portrayed intent on completing her daily beauty ritual, wearing a cape during her make-up, which must have just been completed as pink powder is visible on her cheeks. This luxurious garment reveals a corset with a daring neckline, made of silk and lace, and a coral-coloured dress ending in wide jabote cuffs. Her hair is styled in the French fashion in a hairstyle that highlights her facial features. Having finished her beauty ritual, the woman is intent on removing her cape with one hand, an elegant gesture that emphasises her noble pose. At her side is her small pet dog, sitting on a blue velvet cushion with gold trim. The canvas may have been made on the occasion of a wedding, elegantly celebrating the role of a member of the aristocracy. The presence of the pet depicted in her arms had in fact a precise meaning: the fidelity that is such a well-known characteristic of the dog, declared at the same time the virtues of the effigy. Louis Michel van Loo (Toulon 1707- Paris 1771) was the son of the painter Jean Baptiste van Loo, with whom he studied in Rome and Turin. He attended the Paris Academy, where he won the first prize for painting in 1726. In 1728 he returned to Rome, where he met Francois Boucher. In 1732, passing through Turin, he returned to Paris. In 1737 van Loo became court painter in Madrid, succeeding Jean Ranc...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in New York, NY
Circle of Jacques-Louis David (French, 18th Century) Provenance: Private Collection, Buenos Aires Exhibited: “Art of Collecting,” Flint Institute of Art, Flint, Michigan, 23 November 2018 – 6 January 2019. This vibrant portrait of young man was traditionally considered a work by Jacques-Louis David, whose style it recalls, but to whom it cannot be convincingly attributed. Rather, it would appear to be by a painter in his immediate following—an artist likely working in France in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Several names have been proposed as the portrait’s author: François Gérard, Louis Hersent, Anne-Louis Girodet (Fig. 1), Theodore Gericault, and Jean-Baptiste Wicar, among others. Some have thought the artist Italian, and have proposed Andrea Appiani, Gaspare Landi...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Italian 18th Century Oil Painting Portrait of a Merchant
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
A Venetian Gentleman 18th Century Venetian School oil painting on board, framed framed: 7.25 x 6 inches board: 5.25 x 4 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: sound bu...
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18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century British Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady, Large oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
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...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Abigail, Countess of Kinnoull, Signed Dated Godfrey Kneller Painting
Located in London, GB
Presented by Titan Fine Art, this elegant and beautiful portrait depicts Abigail Hay, Lady Dupplin, Countess of Kinnoull; it is an excellent example of English portraiture from the f...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Lady in a Blue & Pink Silk Dress, possibly Mrs Rowe, Signed Dated
Located in London, GB
This charming picture, which has been signed and dated: H. Pickering pinxt 1752 is a type favoured by the highly successful artist Henry Pickering. Pickering’s painting life, from 1...
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18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

circa 1700s Huge Old Master Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady Oil Painting canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Noble Lady circa 1700 circle of John Closterman (German 1660-1711) oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 50 x 40 inches provenance: private collection, Somerset, England con...
Category

Early 1700s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Woman Princess Diziani Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Gaspare Diziani (Belluno 1689 - Venice 1767) Portrait of a Young Princess (Salome?) Oil on canvas 42 x 33 cm Framed 70 x 63 cm A charming portrait of a beautiful young woman with ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait 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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Copper

English School 18th Century Old Master Portrait Dated 1767 Oil Painting
Located in Holywell, GB
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...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Hon. John Spencer
Located in London, GB
PROVENANCE Presumably commissioned by the sitter’s father-in-law, John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, Haynes Park, Thence by descent, Lady Louisa Carteret , who married Thomas Thynne,...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine Italian Old Master Oil Painting Angel & Saints Appearing to Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Italian Old Master, 18th century Title: Angel and Saints appearing to figures, one dressed in a white ruff collar. Medium: oil on canvas...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 18th Century British Oil Painting Mother & Infant Child in Adoration
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mother & Child British artist, late 18th century after the painting by Sir Anthony van Dyke oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 20 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, Berkshire,...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Early 18th century portrait painting of Henrietta Paulet, Duchess of Bolton
By Maria Verelst
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of Henrietta Paulet, Duchess of Bolton, née Crofts, (c. 1682–1730), three-quarter length, standing on a colonnaded terrace wearing an ivory silk gown and holding a sprig of ...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait 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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

English 18th century portrait of Henrietta Pelham-Holles, Duchess of Newcastle.
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of Henrietta Pelham-Holles (née Godolphin) (1701-1776), Duchess of Newcastle, standing in a wooded landscape with a river beyond, three-quarter length wearing an ivory silk ...
Category

1720s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Manner of Guido Reni (1575-1642) The Prophecy of Simeon Large Antique Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Manner of Guido Reni (1575-1642) Italian Title: The Prophecy of Simeon Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed Painting: 21.5 ...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Lady Anne Tipping née Cheke c.1705, English Aristocratic Collection
Located in London, GB
Titan Fine Art present this exquisite portrait, that formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Reg...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cupid Portrait Parmigianino Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Follower of FRANCESCO MAZZOLA, known as IL PARMIGIANINO (Parma, 1503 - Casalmaggiore, 1540) Cupid Carving His Bow (as the triumph of love and desire over reason and knowledge) Oil o...
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18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th century painting of the Dalbiac family in the gardens of a country house
By Charles Philips
Located in Bath, Somerset
The painting depicts James (Jacques) Dalbiac, his wife Louise (ne de la Porte) and their five children, James, Charles, Louise, Marianne and Martha in the ornamental gardens of a grand country estate. The extensive gardens extend into the distance with gardeners working in the background and figures strolling through the avenues of trees. A peacock and peahen can be seen on the wall to the left and a potted orange tree to the right. Susan Dalbiac holds an orange taken from the orange tree, aluding to the family's faith and their loyalty to the protestant King William of Orange and their adopted country. The Dalbiacs were wealthy London silk and velvet merchants of French Huguenot origin who had fled France at the end of the 17th century to escape persecution for their protestant faith. England offered safe refuge and their skills and industriousness allowed them to establish one of the most successful businesses in London's Spitalfields which became a new centre of the silk trade, effectively leading to the collapse of the once dominant French silk industry. Both sons, James and Charles followed their father and Uncle into the family business, successfully growing the family's fortune and each going on to own their own country estates. A conversation piece is a genre of painting used to describe group portraits of families and friends, often depicted with their servants and family pets and set within an elegantly furnished interior or the garden of a grand country house. They were a celebration of the intimacy of family relations as well as a sign of status, property and the power of succession. The informality of conversation pieces grew popular in 18th century England, allowing the sitters to present themselves in a more relaxed pose, perhaps engaged in intellectual conversation or showing their talents or interests. In this present portrait, the Dalbiacs are shown richly dressed and and at leisure in a grand country house setting, conveying their success and cultural and social aspirations. Charles Philips (c.1703–1747) was an English artist known for painting a number of portraits and conversation pieces for noble and Royal patrons in the mid-eighteenth century. He was the son of portrait painter Richard Philips...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

French school late 18th Century, Portrait of a young man, oil on metal
Located in Paris, FR
French school late 18th Century Portrait of a young man oil on metal 10.2 x 7.7 cm Framed under glass : 24.4 x 21.8 cm This small portrait painting, quite original in its technique...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

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...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th century Portrait of a young girl, Miss Cator in a landscape, white dress
Located in Woodbury, CT
Portrait of a young British Girl, in her white dress with Pink Sash. Choosing to acquire an 18th-century portrait of a young girl by English artist John Russell is an opportunity to...
Category

1780s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of count Evreux, French, 18th c. studio of Hyacinthe Rigaud, circa 1705
Located in PARIS, FR
Portrait of Henri-Louis de la Tour d'Auvergne, Comte d'Evreux Studio of Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743) Early 18th century French school, circa 1705 Oil on canvas Dimensions: h. 72 cm, ...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Perroneau Portrait Lady Woman Paint Oil on canvas 18th Century Old master French
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Jean-Baptiste Perroneau (Paris, 1715 – Amsterdam, 1783) Portrait of a lady Oil on oval canvas 60 x 50 cm. - In frame 77 x 66 cm. Work accompanied by expertise: Raffaelle Colace (Cremona), Ferdinando Arisi Reference bibliography: d’Arnoult, Dominique (2014) Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, c 1715-1783, un portraitiste dans l’Europe des Lumières Excerpt from the expertise of Dr. Colace: This refined portrait of a lady is a perfect example of the style of Jean-Baptiste Perroneau, a very talented French painter, whose most beautiful works are located, just like this one, between the fifth and sixth decades of the eighteenth century. "Perroneaeu is more naturally colored than La Tour, the est, in the peinture de poussière colorée, tout plein de tons clairs, frais, presque humides": this is how his brothers wrote about him in La Maison d...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge 18th Century English Oil Aristocratic Portrait of a Gentleman Standing
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Aristocratic Gentleman British artist, first half 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 50 x 40 inches provenance: private collection, Dorset, England condition...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th Century English School Portrait of a handsome young gentleman, half length
By Sir William Beechey
Located in Harkstead, GB
A very skilfully captured portrait of a handsome young gentleman. The painter, in the circle of Sir Willliam Beechey, has imparted great character and vitality to the sitter, giving ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique British Oil Painting Portrait of William Shakespeare Fine Oil on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of William Shakespeare British artist, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very good and sound con...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Italian painter - 18th-19th century figure painting - Oil on canvas
Located in Varmo, IT
Bolognese painter (18th-19th century) - Maddalena. 70 x 50 cm without frame, 89 x 69 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame. Condition ...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman - British 18th Century Old Master art oil painting
By Lemuel Francis Abbott
Located in London, GB
This superb British Old Master portrait is by noted artist Lemuel Francis Abbott. Painted circa 1790, the composition is a half-length standing portrait of a gentleman gazing to his ...
Category

1790s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large 1700's Italian Oil Painting on Canvas Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
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...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th-Century Dutch School, Portrait Of A Seated 17th-Century Gentleman
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This mid-18th-century Dutch oil painting depicts a seated 17th-century gentleman within a room by a forge. During the 17th century, the Netherlands flourished as a hub for trade and...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

John Hervey Portrait on occasion of receiving the Title 1st Earl of Bristol
By (Circle of) Godfrey Kneller
Located in Firenze, IT
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 the German-British cour...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of Major General James Hanson Salmond - British 18thC art oil painting
By Sir Thomas Lawrence
Located in London, GB
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...
Category

1790s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of an Elegant Lady in a Red Silk Dress, Beautiful Antique Frame c.1720
By Jonathan Richardson the Elder
Located in London, GB
This beautiful portrait was painted circa 1725 and is a fine example of the English eighteenth century portrait style. The artist has chosen to depict the lady against a plain background wearing a simple red silk dress and transparent headdress hanging down the back. The sitter is not shown with jewellery or any other elements to distract the viewer’s attached, thus highlighting the beauty of the young sitter. This restrained manner achieves a sense of understated elegance. The portrait genre was valued particularly highly in English society. Neither landscapes nor allegorical pictures were ever priced so highly at exhibitions and in the trade as depictions of people, from the highest aristocracy to scholars, writers, poets and statesmen. With the rich colouring and lyrical characterisation, these works are representative of the archetypal English portrait and is are very appealing examples of British portraiture...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th-18th Century By Benedetto Luti Head of a Girl Oil Pastel on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Original "cassetta" frame in carved, gilded wood. Expertise by Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri.
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil Pastel

Portrait of Archibald Ogilvy - British art Old Master portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
This rather handsome British Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Thomas Gainsborough. Painted circa 1780 the sitter is identified on the name plate as Archiba...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century By Dalla Rosa Portrait of Angela GuggerottiFracastoro Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Frame in lacquered and gilded wood. The painting is mentioned in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Treccani in the biography of the artist.
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Infant St John the Baptist with Lamb - Italian Old Master art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This beautiful 18th century Italian Old Master oil painting is something rather special. Painted circa 1750 the subject matter is Saint John the Baptist as a very young child. He is ...
Category

1750s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Silvestra Monypenny - British 18th century art female oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to the manner of Thomas Beach. The sitter is Silvestra Monypenny when she was about 12. She is the on...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a gentleman in red military uniform
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
David Morier (1705-1770) Portrait of a gentleman in red military uniform Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 32 x 24 in Framed Size - 39 1/2 x 31 in Provenance: Sale, Christie's London, 21s...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

English Portraits of Lady, Dorothy & Jane Wood c.1750, Remarkable Carved Frames
By John Theodore Heins
Located in London, GB
Portraits of a Lady, Dorothy and Jane Wood c.1750, Fine Carved Frames By John Theodore Heins (1697-1756) Titan Fine Art present these works, which formed part of a collection of family heirlooms of the Wood family who were from Bracon Ash, Norfolk, since the medieval period. Jane’s daughter Ann, was famously married on board the Foudroyant, off Naples, in a lavish ceremony in 1799, with Lord Nelson himself giving away the bride. The paintings descended within the family for around 275 years until recent and are exquisite examples of Georgian portraiture in England and are some of the best works by the artist. The original hand carved and gilded pierced frames are magnificent works of art in their own right. The sitters were two children, out of several, of Thomas Wood (1682-176) and Dorothy Huby (1700-1759). The family is from Norwich, which in 1720 was a city second in importance only to London. Their aunt, Jane Wood (1677-1756), was a Franciscan nun in Bruges. Dorothy Wood (in the blue dress) was baptised 2nd June 1726 and she died unmarried around 1759. Jane (in the pink dress) gave birth to at least six children during her thirty two-year marriage. She was baptised 14 Oct 1727 at Bracon Ash. Jane married Knipe Gobbet (1730/5-1791) who was Sheriff in 1768 (and Mayor in 1771) of the City of Norwich, and later Lieutenant-Colonel of the West Norfolk Regiment, in which corps he had served in for many years. According to Payne’s Universal Chronicle or Weekly Gazette the marriage took place on 7th July 1758. Knipe was born at his family seat, Tacolneston Hall, to parents George Gobbet, who was Sheriff in 1710, and Ann. The couple bought and lived in a house in Norwich (later known as Gurney’s Bank House) until 1778 before moving to another one at 10 St Stephen’s Street, Norwich. Later, they inherited the family seat of Tacolnestan Hall and lived there for the remainder of their lives. Knipe Gobbet was a prominent individual and in 1779 he gave the corporation of Norwich 100 pounds, to be disposed of as they might think proper, and soon after that he was presented with a handsome field tent, marquee, and camp equipage, in testimony of their esteem for his dedication to the defence and service of this country at a time when threatened by an invasion. Although Jane was baptised a Roman Catholic Knipe was a prominent local wine merchant, JP, Alderman, sheriff, mayor and Lieutenant. Roman Catholics may have paid lip service to religious conformity as they were excluded from certain areas of public life before the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829. Such discrimination probably lies behind the why their children are included in the registers of both the Anglican church in Tacolneston and the Norwich Catholic church in the 1760s. Jane and Knipe had one son, Thomas, who died at the age of four of a small-pox inoculation in 1762 (memorial stones in the Church of All Saints, Tacolneston) and many daughters who were schooled at the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, in Paris. Their oldest daughter, Anne (1760-1817) was born at Tacolneston Hall. She came to the convent 30 Sept 1774 and ten days later she went to Dames St Sacrament, Rue St Louis in Paris. Their second daughter, Dorothy (died suddenly of apoplexy 21st Nov 1813), came to the convent 19th July 1777 when she was 16 years old and returned to England 23 March 1779. Frances (baptised 22 Feb 1763) came to the convent 16th April 1772 when she was 9 years old and returned 29th May 1777 – however she returned again to the convent 16th May 1778 and left 15th Oct 1778 to return home again. She later married and her surname became Negri. Another daughter, Jane, is thought to have married Juan Manuel Martinez in 1784. There was also another daughter, Mary. The eldest daughter, Ann, first married Peter Bottalini of London 27 Oct 1783 at Tacolneston Hall. They had one son together. She then married on 9th July 1799, Dr William Compton (1733- Clifton 1824), the Chancellor of Ely and the next collateral male relation to the Earl of Northampton (he had earlier marriages to Caroline and Catherine). William Compton later retired from the Commons and spent many years on the continent acting as Chancellor of Ely by proxy from 1777 for the remainder of his life. The couple were British residents of Posilipo Naples and the marriage was hosted on board the Foudroyant, off Naples, where the bride was given away by the Right Hon. Lord Nelson himself. The marriage document, signed by Lord Nelson, Lady Emma Hamilton, Captain Thomas Hardy, and others descended within the family, until sold in a sale that raised worldwide interest in 2023, for £20,160. The document is accompanied by a contemporary manuscript account of the wedding, headed 'Paragraph for the papers, sent to Messrs Coutts & Co with request to have it inserted'. Lord Nelson was a household name in Britain due to his many victories, including the Battle of the Nile against the French Navy in August 1798 – which came before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The document states: 'This is to certify that, on board the Foudroyant lying in Naples Bay, on the ninth of July 1799 the marriage between William Compton & Mrs Anne Bottalin, widow, was solemnized by me S. G. Comyn HM. Chaplain to the Right Honble Lord Nelson, H.M.S. Foudroyant, in the presence of'. With the following autograph signatures: Sir William Hamilton (1731-1803), Lady Emma Hamilton (1765-1815), Horatio Nelson, Viscount Nelson (1758-1805); Sir John Thomas Duckworth (1747-1817), Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839), John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick (1769-1859), Josiah Nisbet (1780-1830), John Tyson, William Compton and Anne Bottalin, and 2 others” The document sheds light on Nelson's lesser-known side of his character. William Compton ... received "a great many favours and kindnesses" from Nelson, and most especially "the kind interest" taken in sealing his union with a wife who made him "the happiest of mortals". Anne, the aforesaid spouse, said that the admiral's "good heart" had made her "as happy as I can possibly be on this earth" ... Midshipman Parsons remembered those days nostalgically, noting Emma's "graceful form" bending over her harp to bestow "heavenly music" upon the diners on the quarterdeck and the large-decked galley, flush with opera singers, that glided alongside to serenade the sunset of each day'. Tacolneston has an ancient history of which according to the Domesday Book, Edward I granted a weekly market to be held on a Wednesday at the manor of Tacolneston and two annual fairs. The church was rebuilt in 1503 and is dedicated to All Saints. The earliest view of Tacolneston is a print of 1781 when it belonged to Knipe Gobbet Esq. John Theodore Heins (1697-1756) was a painter whose work, at his best, shows detail of an exceptionally high quality. His portraits of Anna Maria Kett nee Phillips and her husband Henry Kett, painted in 1741, are exceptional and evidence that he had the ability to portray a likeness on par with some of the best portraitists in England at the time. Heins appears to have originated in Germany but moved to the UK and settled in Norwich around 1720. From 1720 to his death in 1756, Heins built up a fine reputation as a portrait painter and painted many members of prominent Norfolk families right up to his last year. He was commissioned in 1732 to paint a portrait of the Mayor of Norwich, Francis Arnam and also the previous year's Mayor Robert Marsh...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Italian 18th Century Oval Religious Oil on Canvas Painting with Saint Dominic
Located in Firenze, IT
This beautiful Italian 18th Century old masters oil painting on oval canvas with giltwood frame is attributed to Solimena and features a religious scene. In this splendid oval-shaped painting are depicted Saint Dominic...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of a Young Boy Thomas Wagstaff - Scottish art 18th century oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb late 18th century portrait oil painting is attributed to noted Scottish artist Alexander Nasmyth. Painted circa 1790 the sitter is of the Wagstaff family, either Thomas o...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Elizabeth Banks - British 18th Century art Old Master oil painting
Located in London, GB
This Beautiful British 18th century British Old Master portrait oil painting is by noted artist Joseph Highmore. Painted circa 1740 it is a half length portrait of a young woman, Eli...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, French prince, 18th c. French school
Located in PARIS, FR
Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1674 -1723), Regent of France Workshop of Jean Baptiste Santerre (Magny en Vexin, 1658 - Paris, 1717) French school circa 17...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Lady with a Blue Bow - British 18thC art Old Master oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to Matthew William Peters. Painted circa 1780 it is a fine half length portrait of a woman gazing to her left. She has a lovely blue bow and sash on her dress. The sympathetic detail in her face is sublime. A really wonderful 18th century Old Master portrait. Matthew William Peters was known for his late 18th century portraits which had both the influence of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. Provenance. Lincolnshire estate. Condition. Oil on canvas 30 inches by 25 inches unframed and in good condition. Has has restoration. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt carved swept period frame, 40 inches by 35 inches framed and in good condition. Matthew William Peters (1742-1814) was an English portrait and genre painter who later became an Anglican clergyman and chaplain to George IV. He became known as "William" when he started signing his works as "W. Peters". Peters was born in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, the son of Matthew Peters (born at Belfast, 1711), a civil engineer and member of the Royal Dublin Society; by Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of George Younge of Dublin. The family moved from England to Dublin when Peters was young. Peters received his artistic training from Robert West in Dublin; in 1756 and 1758 he received prizes from the first School of Design in Dublin. In 1759, he was sent by the Dublin Society to London to become a student of Thomas Hudson and won a premium from the Society of Arts. The group also paid for him to travel to Italy to study art from 1761 to 1765. On 23 September 1762 he was elected to the Accademia del Disegno in Florence. Peters returned to England in 1765 and exhibited works at the Society of Artists from 1766 to 1769. Beginning in 1769, Peters exhibited works at the Royal Academy. In 1771 he was elected an associate and in 1777 an academician. He returned to Italy in 1771 and stayed until 1775. He also probably traveled to Paris in 1783–84, where he met Léopold Boilly, Antoine Vestier, and was influenced by the work of Jean-Baptiste Greuze. On 27 February 1769, Peters became a freemason, and he was made the grand portrait painter of the Freemasons and the first provincial grand master of Lincolnshire in 1792. In 1785, he exhibited portraits of the Duke of Manchester and Lord Petre as Grand Master at the Royal Academy exhibition. According to Robin Simon's article in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, no British contemporary had such an Italian manner of painting as Peters, reflecting the old masters he copied. Many of Peters' works were erotic and although these works did not damage his career, according to Simon, Peters later regretted these when he became an ordained clergyman in 1781. He served as the Royal Academy's chaplain from 1784 to 1788, at which time he resigned to become chaplain to the Prince of Wales. In 1784, Peters was awarded the living of Scalford, Leicestershire by Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland. In 1788, the Dowager Duchess gave him the living at Knipton, at which time he also obtained that at Woolsthorpe. These livings were near to Belvoir Castle...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Robert Monypenny with Racket - British 18th century art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This lovely British 18th century Old Master oil painting is attributed to the manner of Thomas Beach. The sitter is Robert Monypenny (1771-1834) aged seven. He is the youngest son of...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Cleric - British 18th century art Old Master oil painting
Located in London, GB
This fantastic portrait oil painting is attributed to British Old Master Joseph Highmore and was painted in 1770. The half length standing portrait is of a Cleric, dressed in his wig...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Madonna at Prayer - Italian Old Master art religious oil painting
By Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Located in London, GB
This rather special Italian Old Master religious portrait oil painting is attributed to a follower of Giovanni Battista Salvi, or Sassoferrato as he is better known. Painted circa 17...
Category

1790s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Madonna and Child- Italian Old Master religious art portrait oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb Italian Old Master religious portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Bartolomeo Schedoni. Painted circa 1700 it is a half l...
Category

Early 1700s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Girl with Basket of Flowers -British 18thC Old Master oil painting
Located in London, GB
This charming 18th century Old Master cartouche portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Philip Mercier. Painted circa 1740 the composition is a three quarter length portrait of a young girl holding a wicker basket of flowers. She is clothed in a white dress and beautiful blue silk shawl and is situated in a landscape. A very lovely British Old Master portrait oil painting. Provenance. Christies. Condition. Oil on canvas, 30 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt carved 18th century frame, 38 inches by 33 inches and in good condition. Philippe Mercier (also known as Philip Mercier; 1689-1760) was a French painter and etcher, who lived principally and was active in England. He was born in Berlin of French extraction, the son of a Huguenot tapestry-worker. He studied painting at the Akademie der Wissenschaften of Berlin and later under Antoine Pesne, who had arrived in Berlin in 1710. Later, he travelled in Italy and France before arriving in London—"recommended by the Court at Hannover"—probably in 1716. He married in London in 1719 and lived in Leicester Fields. He was appointed principal painter and librarian to the Prince and Princess of Wales at their independent establishment in Leicester Fields, and while he was in favour he painted various portraits of...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman in Green Coat -British 18thC art Old Master oil painting
By Francis Cotes
Located in London, GB
This lovely 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is by noted British artist Francis Cotes. It was painted circa 1760 when Cotes was preferring oil as a medium and comparison...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Crucifixion - Flemish 18th century religious Old Master art oil painting
By Anthony van Dyck
Located in London, GB
This stunning Old Master oil painting is attributed to a follower of Anthony Van Dyck. Painted in the 18th century it is a superb large religious art work of the crucifixion of Chris...
Category

1720s Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Young Boy - British art 1780 Old Master male portrait oil painting
By Joseph Wright of Derby
Located in London, GB
This lovely Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Joseph Wright of Derby. Painted circa 1780 the painting is of a boy in a tunic and wide collar. A really c...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Old Masters portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters portrait 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. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including (After) Giampietrino, Henri-Joseph Castaing, Charles Towne, and Jean Alexandre Rémy Couder. 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 portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 4.53 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait 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 $695 and tops out at $339,912, while the average work sells for $4,791.

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