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.
$2,840
Saint Mary Magdalene - Oil on canvas - Framed - High pictorial quality
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
No hay ninguna firma ni inscripción La obra se presenta enmarcada (el marco presenta algunos signos de uso) Medidas obra: 55 x 45 cm. Medidas del marco: 71 x 59 cm. Buen estado e...
Oil
Netherlandish School, 18th Century – Monogrammed Old Master Oil Painting on Pane
Located in Holywell, GB
Netherlandish School, 18th Century – Monogrammed Old Master Oil Painting on Panel A captivating Old Master oil painting depicting the Crucifixion at Calvary, set outside the walls o...
Oil
17th century Flemish seascape - Stormy Sea with Merchant Vessels and dolphins
By Bonaventura Peeters the Elder
Located in Aartselaar, BE
Bonaventura Peeters the Elder (1614–1652) attr., Stormy Coastal Scene with Merchant Vessels, Galliot, and Dolphins Framed by rugged cliffs and illuminated under a dark, swirling sk...
Oil, Panel
$5,916
Pair of XIX Century Nord Italian Landscape Giovan Battista Lelli
Located in Roma, IT
Pair of XIX Century Nord Italian Landscape Giovan Battista Lelli This not signed wonderful pair of landscape paintings, can be definitely can be assigned tothe Milanese painter Giov...
Canvas, Oil
Large 17th Century Dutch Old Master Panel Shipping on Stormy Seas Rocky Coast
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Shipping on Rough Seas by Jacob Adriaensz Bellevois (1621-1675, Dutch), unsigned oil painting on wood panel, framed panel: 23.25 x 32.75 inches framed: 29 x 38 inches. condition: s...
Oil, Wood Panel
Venetian School, late 15th century, Saint Paul the Apostle
Located in Stockholm, SE
Venetian School, late 15th century Saint Paul the Apostle oil on panel unframed 44.5 × 23.5 cm (17.5 × 9.3 in) framed 64 × 42 cm (25.2 × 16.5 in) No signature Provenance: Private ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$5,439
Grazing horses
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
English Primitive School, c.1790 Grazing horses Oil on canvas Painting size 17 1/8 x 22 1/4 in Framed size 23 1/2 x 28 1/2 in Painted around 1790, this charming provincial portrait ...
Oil
Large 19th Century Dutch Oil Floral Still Life Roses in Terracotta Vase Garden
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large 19th Century Dutch Floral Still Life Roses in Terracotta Vase Garden Setting Oil Painting Dutch/ German artist, late 19th century indistinctly signed and dated 1896 oil on canv...
Oil
A gentleman on horseback, 16 miles to London
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
John Nost Sartorius (London 1759-1828) A gentleman on horseback, 16 miles to London Signed and dated 1796 Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 25 x 30 in Framed Size - 32 x 37 in John Nost ...
Oil
17th Century Flemish School Adoration of the Magi Oil on Canvas
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
"17th Century Flemish School Old Master Adoration of the Magi." Oil on canvas. Previously relined. Unsigned. Artwork: 81 × 61 cm (31.9 × 24 in.). 88 × 69 cm (34.6 × 27.2 in.). (Fra...
Oil, Canvas
18th Century German Old Master Portrait of an Elderly Bearded Man
By Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich
Located in Stockholm, SE
Circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (1712–1774) Germany Head of an Elderly Bearded Man oil on panel unframed 28 × 22.5 cm (11 × 8.9 in) framed 44.5 × 38.5 cm (17.5 × 15.2 in...
Oil, Wood Panel
Mediterranean Harbour with Lighthouse and Shipping
Located in Stockholm, SE
French School, late 17th Century Mediterranean Harbour with Lighthouse and Shipping oil on panel, circular composition unframed 20 cm (7.9 in) framed 33.5 × 33.5 cm (13.2 × 13.2 in...
Oil, Wood Panel
Fine 1700's Italian Old Master Ink & Wash Drawing Roman Allegorical Insubria
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Insubria' Italian School, 18th century ink and wash drawing on paper, framed within a light oak wood frame (behind glass) image size: 10.5 x 7 inches overall framed: 17 x 13 inches ...
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
A Dutch Whaling Fleet off the Greenland Coast
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Adam Silo (1674-1764) A Dutch Whaling Fleet off the Greenland Coast Oil on canvas No visible signature Canvas Size 16 7/8 x 24 3/8 in Framed Size 24 x 31 1/2 in Provenance With Fran...
Oil
Early 18th-Century Italian Venetian Portrait Painting Tempera on Glass
Located in Roma, IT
Early 18th-Century Italian Venetian Portrait Painting on Glass This wonderful early 18th-century portrait of a lady holding a small dog is a classic example of reverse glass painting...
Glass, Tempera
$14,768Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait Noblewoman Coello Paint 16/17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Spain
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Alonso Sánchez Coello (Valencia, 1531 – Madrid, 1588) Workshop of Portrait of a Noblewoman Oil on canvas 100 x 70 cm. - In an antique frame, 120 x 92 cm. This portrait, ric...
Oil
$4,064Sale Price|20% Off
Fine Antique Classical Roman Landscape Figures Boats Merchant Port Ancient City
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheeba British School, early 19th century, apparently unsigned though the previous owner insisted it was. after the earlier painting by Claude Lorrai...
Oil
Fine 17thC British Portrait Aristocratic Lady Holding Flowers Huge Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady Holding Flowers in a Landscape Setting English School, 17th century, circle of Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680) inscribed 'C Wither of Hall Place' oil on ...
Oil
The Maitland Family Portrait
By Mason Chamberlin
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Mason Chamberlin R.A. (London 1727-1787) Ebenezer Maitland Senior (1752–1834) and his wife Mary Winter (c. 1752–1835) with their son Ebenezer Fuller Maitland (1780–1858) in an interi...
Oil
$5,386Sale Price|20% Off
Fine 17th Century Dutch Golden Age Old Master Oil Figures in Classical Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figures in Classical Landscape Dutch School, 17th century unsigned, as is typical of the period oil on canvas, framed inscribed verso to label framed: 23 x 27 inches canvas : 20 x 24...
Oil
$991Sale Price|20% Off
Fine Large Oil Painting Portrait of the Lady with the Fan Diego Velazquez
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of the Lady with a Fan English School, second half 20th century after Diego Velazquez's (1599-1660) original painting oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas : 36 x 28 inche...
Oil
17th Century Netherlandish Portrait of Gentleman with Ruff c.1620
Located in Stockholm, SE
Provenance: The Raeburn Gallery, as by Maerten de Vos; Bukowskis, Stockholm, 15–18 April 1970, lot 133, as in the manner of Anthony van Dyck; Private collection, Sweden Essay: This ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$8,368Sale Price|20% Off
St. George Dragon Tuscan School 17/18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Tuscan School 17th–18th centuries Saint George and the Dragon Oil on canvas 66 x 50 cm. Framed: 92 x 76 cm. The fascinating painting we present here depicts the victory of ...
Oil
Pair of Grand Tour Italian Neapolitan Costal Landscape
Located in Roma, IT
An important and extremely rare pair of Italian landscapes from the Neoclassical period, painted using the refined technique of tempera. They depict views of the Tyrrhenian coast ne...
Paper, Tempera
$7,711Sale Price|20% Off
Fine 18th Century Italian Classical Huge Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape
By Jan Frans van Bloemen (Orizzonte)
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figures & Animals in Classical Landscape circle of Jans Frans Van Bloemen (Orizzonte 1662 - 1749), unsigned oil on canvas, framed framed: 28.5 x 42.5 inches canvas: 19 x 34 inches P...
Oil
$1,387Sale Price|20% Off
Fine 17th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Portrait of the Madonna
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of the Madonna in Prayer 17th Century Italian School oil on board, framed framed: 6.75 x 6 inches board: 5 x 4 inches Provenance: private collection, England Condition: ver...
Oil
17th Century Dutch Italianate Landscape with Cattle - Prussian Royal Court
Located in Aartselaar, BE
Abraham Begeyn (1637–1697), Italianate Landscape with Ruins and Herdsmen This atmospheric and finely balanced landscape by Abraham Begeyn presents a sunlit ruin beside tranquil wate...
Oil, Panel
A British Man O’War in distress on a rocky coast in a storm
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Johann c. van der Hagen (1676-c.1745) A British Man O’War in distress on a rocky coast in a storm Signed 'J. vanderhagen' lower right Oil on canvas Canvas size - 38 1/2 x 51 in Framed size - 46 x 59 in Provenance The Collection the Most Hon. Marquis of Headfort at Headfort, Kells, Co. Meath; His sale, Christie's, Important Old Master Paintings, 29 November 1968, Lot 28; Private Collection, Oxfordshire Johann C. van der Hagen was a Dutch-born marine and landscape painter whose atmospheric depictions of ships, storms, and coastal scenes earned him recognition in Britain and Ireland during the first half of the eighteenth century. Although relatively obscure today, he was among the group of continental artists who helped shape the development of maritime painting outside the Netherlands during the late Baroque period. Born in The Hague in May 1676, van der Hagen trained within the strong Dutch tradition of marine painting that had flourished during the seventeenth century. Dutch artists of this era were internationally admired for their technical understanding of ships, changing weather conditions, and the dramatic effects of light upon water. Van der Hagen absorbed these influences early in his career, producing works characterised by animated seas, carefully observed rigging, and a keen sense of atmosphere. At some point in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, he moved to London, then one of Europe’s most important centres for maritime commerce and naval power. There he entered an artistic environment already shaped by celebrated Dutch émigré painters such as Willem van de Velde the Younger and his circle. Van der Hagen’s paintings reveal the influence of this Anglo-Dutch marine tradition, especially in his treatment of naval vessels and storm-driven seas. Contemporary records also suggest that his family became connected with artistic circles in London; one source notes that his daughter Bernada married the marine painter Cornelis van de Velde in 1699. Van der Hagen later settled in Ireland, where he appears to have been active from the 1720s onward. Dublin became his principal base, though he travelled widely and worked in several parts of the country, particularly in the south. During this period he established a reputation as a painter of landscapes and especially sea-pieces, which were admired by patrons for their lively handling and dramatic composition. Irish sources describe him as talented but somewhat eccentric and indolent, producing work irregularly and often only when financial necessity compelled him to paint. Among his documented activities was his employment in 1728 by the tapestry manufacturer Robert Baillie...
Oil
Period Marine Landscape Credited to Warren Sheppard
Located in Roma, IT
This beautiful painting, due to its very high quality of execution, style and era, can be referred to the great artist Warren Sheppard, who specialized in seascapes. Of great evocati...
Canvas, Oil
Large Fine 19th Century Landscape Oil on Canvas of Victorian London by Moonlight
By Henry Pether
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Westminster from the Thames by Moonlight’ by Henry Pether (1800-1880). The painting - one of the artist’s finest views of London in the 1860s - depicts the Houses of Parliament, t...
Oil
$4,206Sale Price|20% Off
Adoration of the Shepherds by a follower of Denys Calvaert
Located in Stockholm, SE
Unknown Italo-Flemish Artist (active circa 1600) Adoration of the Shepherds oil on copper unframed: 32 × 25.5 cm (12.6 × 10 in) framed: 43 × 37 cm (16.9 × 14.6 in) Provenance: Acq...
Copper
$3,816Sale Price|20% Off
The Madonna with Christ Child & St. John Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna, Christ Child and St. John Italian School, 18th century oil on wood, framed in period gilt antique frame framed: 16 x 14.5 inches wood: 9 x 6.5 inches provenance: private...
Oil
$1,646Sale Price|20% Off
Fine 1800's French Oil Figures by Monastic Ruins Stream Bucolic Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Monastic Ruins by a Stream French School, early 1800's oil on canvas, framed Framed 15 x 19 inches Canvas : 12.5 x 16 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very go...
Oil
$6,500
17th Century Memento Mori Vanitas Skull Old Master Oil Ex-Christie’s
Located in Yardley, PA
This wonderful 17th-century French School vanitas painting is a meditation on mortality and the transience of earthly pleasures. The composition centers on a finely rendered human sk...
Canvas, Oil
$1,652Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 18th Century British Oil Painting Dusk Landscape Figures Boat & Lake
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dusk Landscape British School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed painting: 32 x 41 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and...
Oil, Canvas
$2,203Sale Price|20% Off
Very Large Antique French Old Master Oil Painting after Rembrandt, self portrait
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century, after the earlier work by Rembrandt Title: Self portrait of the artist Medium: oil on canvas, framed in antique gilt swept frame. Fra...
Oil
$1,982Sale Price|20% Off
Antique French Old Master Oil Painting Christ Healing the Sick in Jersusalem
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Christ Healing the Sick French School, 19th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 15 x 20.5 inches Provenance: private collection, Europe Condition: some craquelure throughout, mo...
Oil
$1,652Sale Price|20% Off
Large 18th Century English Old Master Oil Painting Portrait of Lady on canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Lady English School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 31 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good and sound condition
Oil, Canvas
Saint Bruno of Cologne - Oil on Canvas - 19th Century
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Old religious themed oil painting on canvas representing Saint Bruno of Cologne, founder of the Carthusian Order, recognizable by his white habit and the characteristic gesture of si...
Oil
Italian School, Late 17th Century Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
Located in Woodbury, CT
Italian School, Late 17th Century (circa 1670–1700) Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane Oil on panel, in a carved and gilded Baroque frame The painting is unsigned A moving devotiona...
Copper
$15,000
“Hon. George King, 1788” Pastel Portrait, Young Boy with Cricket Ball and Dog
By John Russell
Located in Yardley, PA
“Hon. George King, 1788” by John Russell (1745-1806) Regarded as Britain’s foremost pastellist, John Russell is well known for his portraits of the wealthy middle class. In particul...
Canvas, Paper, Pastel
$22,767Sale Price|20% Off
Venus Adonis Giaquinto Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italian Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Corrado Giaquinto (Naples, 1703 – Naples, 1765) Venus tries to dissuade Adonis from going hunting Oil on canvas 131 x 100 cm. – With an important period frame (imperfections, mi...
Oil
$2,864Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Still Life Fruit in Basket
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Classical Still Life of Fruit in Basket with other objects Italian artist, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24.5 x 33 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition:...
Oil
$2,643Sale Price|20% Off
Large 17th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Shepherd in Ancient Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Berger with Animals in Classical Landscape 17th Century Italian Old Master, we cannot see a signature oil painting on canvas, unframed 23 x 27 inches condition: very old reline, mino...
Canvas, Oil
A peacock surrounded by other birds, in a landscape
By Marmaduke Cradock
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Attributed to Marmaduke Craddock (1660-1716) A peacock surrounded by other birds, in a landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size 40 x 50 in Framed Size 46...
Oil
$8,757Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Figures & Animals Arcadian
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Arcadian Landscape Italian School, 18th century oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 32 x 40 inches condition: excellent condition for its age, fully restored. provenance: from a private collection in Paris, France. Large scale classical 18th century Italian Old Master...
Canvas, Oil
$8,812Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Sixty Year Old Woman - Dutch Old Master art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This strong Dutch Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to a follower of Anthony Van Dyck. Van Dyck painted the original portrait in 1618 as he noted top right Anno 1618. He...
Oil
French school, circa 1840, Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on wood, signed
Located in Paris, FR
French school, circa 1840, Portrait of a Gentleman, monogrammed D.L. on the lower right oil on wood panel 28.8 x 24,8 In a beautiful antique frame : 48 x 43.5 cm This gentleman’s...
Oil
$1,542Sale Price|20% Off
Fine 18th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Cattle & Sheep Ancient Ruins
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastoral Landscape Dutch Old Master, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 12 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good a...
Oil
17th century English Birds on a pond and in flight, Ducks, Swans, Kingfisher
By Francis Barlow
Located in Woodbury, CT
Studio of Francis Barlow, English, late 17th century Birds on a Pond with Waterfowl and Birds in Flight Oil on canvas Un-signed Presented in an antique English carved wood frame A f...
Canvas, Oil
$8,313
VENICE -In the Manner of Canaletto- Italian Landscape Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Venice - Mario De Angeli - Italia 2009 - Oil on canvas cm. 80x120. Gold leaf gilded wooden frame ext. mis. cm.100x140 Mario De Angeli's canvas is an extraordinary work of Italian l...
Gold Leaf
$2,643Sale Price|20% Off
Large Traditional Dutch River Landscape with Old Town & Houses Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Landscape in Holland (titled verso) Dutch School, 20th century signed oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 30 x 42 inches canvas: 24 x 36 inches provenance: private collection, Eng...
Oil, Canvas
17th century follower of Rubens, two military men on horse back in a landscape
Located in Woodbury, CT
17th century English/Dutch School, from the Circle of Sir Peter Paul Rubens A very interesting and well-painted 17th-century oil on canvas of two men seated on horseback in a landsc...
Canvas, Oil
$662Sale Price|20% Off
Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre cobre - Virgen orando
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La pintura representa a la Virgen María por su iconografía tradicional. Viste un manto azul verdoso que cubre su cabeza y hombros, y una túnica rosada con detalles en tonos claros. S...
Oil
$1,420Sale Price|20% Off
Virgin and Child Oil on Canvas, Colonial School, Mid-19th Century
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Interesting oil on canvas depicting the Virgin and Child, belonging to the Colonial School, almost certainly Cusco (Peru). It dates from the mid-19th century and is unsigned. The wor...
Oil
Madonna and Child
Located in Genève, GE
No signed This 18th-century oil on copper painting, by an anonymous artist, exemplifies the refinement and technical sophistication associated with this highly prized medium in Euro...
Copper
$1,538
CAVALRY BATTLE- Antonio Savisio - Neapolitan School - Oil on canvas Painting,
Located in Napoli, IT
Land Battle - Antonio Savisio Italia 2006 - Oil on canvas diam. cm. 30 Gold leaf gilded and laquered wooden frame cm. 47x47 Maestro Antonio Savisio drew inspiration from the master...
Canvas, Oil
$1,305Sale Price|20% Off
17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Oval Shape Figures in Tavern Interior
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Tavern Interior Dutch School, 17th century oil on metal, framed framed: 8 x 6.75 inches painting: 6 x 4.25 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound condit...
Oil
$99,141Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of a Spanish Noble Lady - 17th Century Old Master art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning, large portrait oil painting is attributed to Spanish Old Master Claudio Coello who is considered the last great Spanish painter of the 17th century. It has formerly been the property of Lady Beatrice...
Oil Crayon
Flemish School, Oil on Panel – Interior Scene with Figures
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Charming 19th-century oil on panel attributed to the Flemish School, anonymous artist. This work depicts an intimate interior scene with several figures engaged in daily life, charac...
Oil, Panel