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Old Masters 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
Color:  Black
HUGE 17thC ITALIAN OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING - KING & COURT FIGURES ROMAN BUILDING
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Italian School, 17th century. Title: A King and Queen before court figures, amidst a classical landscape with Roman columns. Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

COMMODO - Italian School - Italia - Figurative - Oil on canvas painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Commodo - Maximilian Ciccone - Italia - Oil on canvas, portrait of Roman Emperor Commodo.Mis. cm. 210x120-
Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Very Large Antique French Classical Romantic Oil Painting Ancient Ruin Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century Title: Classical Landscape with figures amongst ancient ruins. Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed. canvas: 24.5 x 36 inches P...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century British Portrait of a Gentleman in Grey Jacket, large oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: British School, late 18th century Title: Portrait of a gentleman wearing a grey jacket, painted within a feigned oval. Medium: oil pa...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Claude Vignon (towers 1593 - Paris 1670), The Fortune Teller
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Claude Vignon (Tours, 1593 - Paris, 1670) The Fortune Teller Oil painting on canvas (65 x 84 cm. - In frame 94 x 113 cm.) The work is accompanied by a critical study drawn up by prof. Emilio Negro (Bologna) The subject immortalized in this intriguing painting, called 'Good luck', is a scene of everyday life that we would have seen frequently in the crowded streets of central Rome at the time. The protagonists of the canvas are a young fortune teller and a well-dressed nobleman who lets himself be predicted by reading the hand. The gentleman, who listens curiously to the response and with a hint of malice holds his gold necklace in his hands, is in the meantime robbed by an accomplice of the woman, intent on taking the purse out of his pocket. Although this type of paintings were intended for the decoration of the residences of the Roman aristocrats, who with a hint of self-irony saw themselves in the figure of the unfortunate grullo, were actually harbingers of moralizing messages. Among the many proposals there was certainly the warning towards the desire to know one's destiny without respecting the priority of the divine will that determines it, relying for this on cunning charlatans. It must be said that, although more than four centuries have passed and certain dynamics have naturally changed, this subject appears extremely current. Clearly inspired by the Buona Ventura painted by Caravaggio, the painting is part of that line of scenes taken from the painter's favorite street life and which, given the collector's fortune already at the time, were often reworked by many artists, considered a stimulating theme and full of psychological implications. In particular, the work in question is attributed to the French painter Claude Vignon (Tours 1593 - Paris 1670), presumably to be placed during his years spent in Rome, before his return to Paris, showing the artist's masterful interpretation of the work conceived by Caravaggio. After his training in Paris by Jacob Bunel, one of the most famous masters of the reign of Henry IV, he moved to Rome around 1609-1610, being part of that large community of French painters, including Simon Vouet and Valentin de Boulogne...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Veronica of the Virgin (Verónica de la Virgen)
Located in New York, NY
The panel has been attributed both to Joan de Joanes and his son Vicente Macip Comes (Valencia, ca. 1555 – 1623). Provenance: Private Collection, England, by 1886 (according to stencils on the reverse) Private Collection, New Jersey, until 2010 The Veil of Veronica, often called the Sudarium, is one of the most important and well-known relics of Christ. According to legend, Veronica offered Christ her veil as he carried the cross to his crucifixion. He wiped his face with the veil, which left the cloth miraculously imprinted with his image. Depictions of Christ’s face on a veil, or simply images that focused in on Christ’s face, were treasured objects of religious devotion. The popularity of this format also inspired similar images of the face of the Virgin. The iconographic type of the present painting is known as the Veronica of the Virgin, which was especially favored in late medieval and early Renaissance Spain. Distinct from the images of the suffering Christ, the Veronica of the Virgin is based on the legend that Saint Luke painted a portrait of Mary from life. Although scholars have sometimes mistaken them for portraits of Queen Isabella I of Castile (known as Isabel la Católica) or as a depiction of Saint Maria Toribia (known as María de la Cabeza, or, Mary of the Head), paintings like this one were clearly intended as images of the Virgin in the style of Saint Luke’s lost portrait. The Veronica of the Virgin was especially popular in Valencia, and depictions of this subject produced there all stem back to one visual prototype: a Byzantine image in the city’s cathedral (Fig. 1). This early treatment of the Veronica was given to the cathedral in 1437 by Martin the Humane, King of Aragon and Valencia, who promoted religious veneration of the Veronica of the Virgin as part of the celebration of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. This devotion spread throughout Martin’s kingdom and particularly took hold in Valencia, where the Byzantine image resided. The image, which is displayed in a gold reliquary...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Testa di Santo Martire
Located in Balerna, TI
Sebastàn de Llanos Valdès (circa 1605-1677) testa di santo martire Olio su tela, cm 50,5x72,5 Non vi sono dubbi in merito all’autografia del dipinto che spetta a Sebastian de Llanos y Valdes (1616-1677), come testimonia l’ iscrizione frammentaria posta nel margine inferiore destro della composizione. Il pittore spagnolo fu allievo di Herrera il Vecchio (1576-1656), poliedrico artista suo conterraneo, abile oltre che nel dipingere anche nella lavorazione del bronzo e nel campo della medaglistica. Nella famosa bottega dell’ Herrera, cui viene attribuito il ruolo di fondatore della famosa Scuola di Siviglia, gravitarono anche il tredicenne Velasquez, che vi rimase per un intero ano, e Ignacio de Riarte. Nel nostro dipinto raffigurante la testa...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pair of Italian 18' century Paintings with Gardens
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of Italian 18' century paintings , oil on canvas with Venetian Palace gardens , antiques sculptures and various figures . Measurements with f...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th century antique portrait Edmund Hoyle Circle of James Latham, Edmund Hoyle,
Located in York, GB
18th century Bust portrait of a gentleman in a blue coat with gold buttons (Said to be Edmund Hoyle, inventor of Whist) circle of James Latham. Housed in a gilt frame the size overall is 71 x 84 cm (28 x 33 inches approx) whilst the painting is 56 x 69 cm ( 22 x 27 inches approx) The overall condition is very good having had some restoration. The painting has been relined, cleaned and re varnished. There has been some strengthening/overpainting. There is a Rectangular patch repair along lower edge, centre, reverse approximately 5 x 7cm with associated retouching to front,all essentially done sympathetically. some fine stable craquelure throughout. Some minor self coloured losses to frame. None of the above detracting from a very attractive portrait. Edmond Hoyle Edmond Hoyle English card game authority, "the Father of whist" Born 1672 England Died 29 August 1769 (aged 96–97) London, England Edmond Hoyle (1672 – 29 August 1769)[1] was a writer best known for his works on the rules and play of card games. The phrase "according to Hoyle" came into the language as a reflection of his generally perceived authority on the subject James Latham James Latham was born in Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland and possibly related to the family of Lathams of Meldrum and Ballysheehan. After some practice of his art, Latham studied for an academic year in Antwerp (1724–25) where he became a Master of the Guild of St Luke. He returned to Dublin by 1725, and may have visited England in the 1740s, as the influence of Joseph Highmore, as well as Charles Jervas and William Hogarth, is evident in his work of this period. Anthony Pasquin memorably dubbed Latham "Ireland's Van Dyck". Latham died in Dublin on 26 January 1747. Several of James Latham's portraits are in the National Gallery of Ireland collection in Dublin; one is of the famous MP Charles Tottenham (1694–1758) of New Ross, Co. Wexford, "Tottenham in his Boots" (Cat. No.411) and a second is a portrait of Bishop...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ritratto di Uomo di Legge
Located in Balerna, TI
Marcantonio Bassetti (Verona 1586-1630) Ritratto di uomo di legge Olio su tela, cm 38x27,5; con cornice cm 59,5x48,5 Le caratteristiche pittoriche della persona ritratta sembrano rin...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Young Man - 17th Century Portrait in Oil
By Pieter Harmensz Verelst
Located in London, GB
Circle of Pieter Harmensz Verelst 1618 - 1678 Portrait of a Young Man Oil on oak panel Image size: 7 ½ x 5 ¾ inches Dutch ripple frame
Category

18th Century and Earlier Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Portrait Gentleman Armor Carbone Van Dyck Paint Oil on canvas 17th Century Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Giovanni Bernardo Carbone (Genoa, 1616 - 1683), workshop Portrait of a gentleman in armor with battle scene in the background Oil on oval canvas (117 x 105 cm. - In gilded frame 124...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Young Gentleman, Lord George Douglas, Arcadian Landscape c.1710
Located in London, GB
Portrait of Young Gentleman, Lord George Douglas, in an Arcadian Landscape c.1710 Attributed to Charles D'Agar (1669-1723) Depicted with bow in hand and situated against an Arcadian...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19thC French Classical Still Life Flowers & Ornamental Fruit, Ideal Interiors
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century Title: Classical Still Life with ornamental flowers and fruit. Medium: oil painting on canvas,framed Size: framed: 17 x 20 inches c...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

IN THE WOOD - Italian landscape oil on board painting, Raffaele Tafuri
Located in Napoli, IT
IN THE WOOD - Italian oil on board framed painting, Italy, xx sec, Raffaele Tafuri. External measurement cm.66x59 Raffaele Tafuri (1857-1929) was an I...
Category

Early 1900s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Place in bustling Italy
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Molded frame in plaster and gilded wood 49 x 39 x 6 cm
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Lady Pulzone Paint Oil on canvas Old master 16th Century Italian Roma
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Scipione Pulzone, called Il Gaetano (Gaeta 1544 - Rome 1598) - workshop of Portrait of Bianca Cappello (Venice, 1548 - 1587) Grand Duchess of Tuscany, second wife of Francesco I de 'Medici Second half of the 16th century oil on canvas, cm. 70 x 56 cm., Framed 103 x 87 cm. The proposed painting illustrates the portrait of Bianca Cappello (Venice, 1548 - 1587), a noblewoman of Venetian origins, second wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Francesco I de 'Medici, whose expressive power is wisely highlighted by the composite cut of light three quarters, with the head and gaze directed at the observer. The beam of light coming from her right brings out the volumes of her face plastically and lingers on her features, highlighted by the large white lace ruff that surrounds his neck and by the details of her precious clothing. Bianca wears a dark red dress, perhaps a zimarra, embroidered in gold with a plunging neckline and a raised collar of the shirt curled in a ruff and also edged with precious lace, embroidered with the motif of the Florentine lily.   The favorite jewels of the noblewoman were pearls: we see them on a choker that adorns the neckline, in the earrings and again in the hairstyle, which sees the hair gathered at the nape of the neck and adorned with a string of small black pearls and embellished with a clasp. It is a high-quality painting that can be confined to the workshop of the painter Scipione Pulzone called Gaetano, representing at best a pictorial genre, that of portraiture, in which the master excelled. This attribution would be confirmed by comparisons with the numerous portraits that Pulzone dedicated to the Medici family. Our painting, in particular, could represent one of the versions that the workshop has replicated, at the request of the numerous art collectors who wish to have a portrait of one of the most influential personalities of the Florentine scene. The characters drawn by Pulzone were icons of incomparable elegance: noblewomen, knights and religious lent their faces to the eye of the artist who was able to grasp every meticulous detail with his superb technique. A photographic wealth and surprising material attention that trace the pictorial prototypes of Flemish inspiration, in particular of Antonis Mor...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th century English portrait of a lady beside an urn, with a basket of flowers
By Tilly Kettle
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of a lady wearing a white gown with a red cloak, pearls in her hair and draped over one shoullder, standing beside a classical urn with a basket of flowers, c.1765. The portrait is believed to be a companion portrait of a John (1741-1816) or James (1751-1807) Durno which is housed in an identical frame. The sitter is possibly either the wife of John who was Janes Byres of Stonywood or John and James's sister Elizabeth. (James never married). The Durno family were based around the Aberdeen area of Scotland and John was an advocate in the area and then later a customs official in Jamaica. James was a successful timber merchant, spending time in the Baltic before being made His Majesty's Consul in Memel, Prussia. The portrait is likely to have been painted before Tilly travelled to India in 1768, when John, Jane and Elizabeth would have been in their twenties. We are gtrateful to Mark Beattie for sharing his family knowlege and research on the portrait. Provenance: With W. C. Beattie in the mid 19th century, and by descent through the family Private collection, Kent With thanks to Hugh Belsey who has confirmed this to be the work of Tilly Kettle from photographs. Tilly Kettle (1735-1786) was born in London, the third of six children by Henry Kettle (c.1704-c.1773), a coach painter, and his wife Ann. He attended William Shipley...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lively square
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Molded frame in plaster and gilded wood 49 x 39 x 6.5 cm
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

The new comers
Located in Genève, GE
Artwork on canvas Empire style frame in plaster and gilded wood 49.7 x 58 x 5.5 cm
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Lady, Maria Virginia Borghese Chigi Princess Farnese Oil on canvas
Located in London, GB
This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, belongs to a type of portrait known as ‘Les Belle Romanes’. Voet is perhaps best remembered for his series of them – a great set of portraits...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Dutch School, 18th Century oil painting, Merry making at the encampment
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Dutch School, 18th Century Merry making at an encampment Oil on canvas 30.1/8 x 46 in. (76.8 x 116.8 cm.)
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th century portrait of a lady
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of a lady by Dutch Golden Age painter Nicolaes Maes (1634-1693). Half-length, within a feigned oval, the lady wears a pearl necklace and earrings, an ivory silk gown adorned...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

15th Century by Circle of Nicolò Zafuri Madonna with Child Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Nicolò Zafuri (circle of) (documented in Candia between 1487 and 1500, died before 10 July 1501) Madonna with Child oil on panel, cm. 49 x 40 This precious panel depicting the Mado...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Cotton, Oil

Portrait Of Thomas Smythe (1514-1577) School of Hans HOLBEIN (1497-1543)
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of Thomas Smythe (1514-1577), 16th Century School of Hans HOLBEIN (1497-1543) Fine huge 16th Century English Old Master portrait of Sir Thomas...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid 19th Century "Susanna And The Elders" After The Old Master by Martinelli
Located in San Francisco, CA
Outstanding Mid 19th century old master "Susanna and the Elders" after Martinelli Brilliant old master painting of Susanna and the Elders. Original oil on canvas. Dimensions 26.5" ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th Century by Giuseppe Pianca Shepherd with Goat and River Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Giuseppe Antonio Pianca (Agnona di Borgosesia/VC, 1703 - after 1757) oil on canvas, cm. 49 x 57 - with frame cm. 67 x 77 Antique shaped wooden cassetta frame, ebony and gold decora...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

17th/18th century portrait , Circle Godfrey Kneller, wife, Earl of westmorland
By (Circle of) Godfrey Kneller
Located in York, GB
Portrait Circle of Sir Godfrey Kneller Bt. (British, 1646-1723) of Katharine, wife of Thomas, 6th Earl of Westmorland, oil on canvas late 17th early 18th century in date. The sitter Katharine is facing dexter and is wearing a cream dress, blue and gold cloak and lace mantilla...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Girl, 18th Century Oil Old Master
By George Knapton
Located in London, GB
George Knapton 1698-1778 Portrait of a Girl Oil on canvas Image size: 20 x 18 inches Original giltwood frame This beautiful half length portrait  of a young woman, turned to left, gazing at the spectator, wearing a pink, white lace-embroidered, dress, in her hair a pink bonnet trimmed with lace to match her dress. The depiction of a young girl epitomises child portraiture of the late eighteenth century, in which painters such as William Beechey, Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough had begun to discover and express the true character of children, in contrast to the stiff, miniature-adults of previous generations. The Artist Knapton was born in Lymington, one of four sons of James Knapton. He was apprenticed to Jonathan Richardson from 1715 to 1722, and in 1720 was a founding subscriber to the academy of St. Martin's Lane established by Louis Chéron...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

17th Century portrait oil painting of a gentleman
By John Riley
Located in Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Circle of John Riley British, (1646-1691) Portrait of a Gentleman Oil on canvas Image size: 29 inches x 24 inches Size including frame: 36 inches x 31 inch...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stag Hunting in the Vicinity of Nuremberg by a German Artist Peter von Bemmel
Located in PARIS, FR
This small landscape shows a hunting scene: two riders are chasing a stag with their dogs at the edge of a forest. Signed by Peter von Bemmel, it is typical of the production of this...
Category

1720s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Copper

The Misunderstanding - Still Life with Honey Bee on Edge of Crystal Decanter
Located in Chicago, IL
While still life painting can be dated back to the Ancient Egyptians, this still life takes on a modern theme. A crystal decanter and whiskey glass are set upon a piece of fraying tapestry. The curiosity comes when the viewer takes a closer look to discover a bee has flown in and is perched precariously on the neck of the decanter. This piece is framed in a heavy wooden frame with a gold insert. The framed dimensions are H 14.5 x W 16.5 inches. Matthew Cook...
Category

2010s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Saint Mark Evangelist Guercino Paint Oil on canvas Old master 17th Century Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Workshop of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Il Guercino (Cento, 1591 - Bologna, 1666) Saint Mark the Evangelist Oil on canvas - 85 x 71 cm., Framed 100 x 86 cm. Of great cha...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

GOUACHE NAPLES MARINE - Italian landscape gouache
Located in Napoli, IT
Gouache Nealopitane Marine, Italy, 2011, cm.22x33. Lacquered wooden frame. Delicious gouache made in 2011 by an unknown artist, using the method of the ancient masters of the landscape. Gouache paint is a non-permanent, water-based, opaque and opaque paint made opaque with the addition of a chalky white pigment. Invented in Europe in 500, it was initially used to carry out preliminary sketches of large oil works. It is characterized by a great ease of drafting and a lively color rendering, but it requires great skill, certainty in drawing and an extreme speed of execution, as it dries quickly and cannot be retouched. Precisely these characteristics give a particular liveliness and freshness to the works, characterized by light and opaque tones, very different from the glossy compactness of egg tempera and the transparency of the oil. Widely used in canvas paintings and miniatures. The technique was often used by landscape painters, such as Xavier Della Gatta, Pietro Fabris, Alessandro d'Anna...
Category

2010s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Tempera, Wood Panel

Shipping in Stormy Waters, Attributed to Italian Artist Francesco Guardi
By Francesco Guardi
Located in Stockholm, SE
The splendour of the tragic sea Francesco Guardi and maritime painting in Venetian art No Venetian painter was a stranger to the sea. After all, Venice was not only one of the most prominent ports of the Mediterranean, but indeed a city literally submerged in the ocean from time to time. Curiously however, the famous Venetian school of painting showed little interest in maritime motifs, favouring scenes from the iconic architecture of the city rather than seascapes. That is why this painting is a particularly interesting window into not only the painter Francesco Guardi himself – but to the significance of the element of water in art history, in absence as well as in the centre of attention. Whether it be calm, sunny days with stunning views of the palaces alongside the canals of Venice or – more rarely – stormy shipwrecking tragedies at sea, water as a unifying element is integral to the works of painter Francesco Guardi (1712–1793). During his lifetime, Venetian art saw many of its greatest triumphs with names like Tiepolo or Canaletto gaining international recognition and firmly establishing Venice as one of the most vibrant artistic communities of Europe. While the city itself already in the 18th century was something of an early tourist spot where aristocrats and high society visited on their grand tour or travels, the artists too contributed to the fame and their work spread the image of Venice as the city of romance and leisure to an international audience, many of whom could never visit in person. Still today, the iconic image of Venice with its whimsical array of palaces, churches and other historic buildings is much influenced by these artists, many of whom have stood the test of time like very well and remain some of the most beloved in all of art history. It was not primarily subtility, intellectual meanings or moral ideals that the Venetian art tried to capture; instead it was the sheer vibrancy of life and the fast-paced city with crumbling palaces and festive people that made this atmosphere so special. Of course, Venice could count painters in most genres among its residents, from portraiture to religious motifs, history painting and much else. Still, it is the Vedutas and views of the city that seems to have etched itself into our memory more than anything else, not least in the tradition of Canaletto who was perhaps the undisputed master of all Venetian painters. Born into his profession, Francesco lived and breathed painting all his life. His father, the painter Domenico Guardi (1678–1716) died when Francesco was just a small child, yet both he and his brothers Niccolò and Gian Antonio continued in their fathers’ footsteps. The Guardi family belonged to the nobility and originated from the mountainous area of Trentino, not far from the Alps. The brothers worked together on more challenging commissions and supported each other in the manner typical of family workshops or networks of artists. Their sister Maria Cecilia married no other than the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo himself, linking the family to the most renowned Venetian name of the time. During almost a decade, Guardi worked in the studio of Michele Giovanni Marieschi, sometimes simply known as Michiel, a painted similar in both style and motif. Canaletto is, however, the artist Guardi is most often compared to since they shared a mutual fascination for depicting the architecture and cityscape of Venice. During the course of his career, Guardi tried his hand in many different genres. He was as swift in painting landscapes, Vedutas of Venice, sacred motifs, interiors and architectural compositions as he was in a number of other motifs. His style is typical of the Venetian school but also distinct and personal once we look a little closer. There is an absolute certainty in the composition, the choice of which sometimes feels like that of a carefully calculated photograph – yet it is also very painterly, in the best sense of the word: fluid, bold, sensitive and full of character. The brushwork is rapid, intense, seemingly careless and extraordinarily minute at the same time; fresh and planned in a very enjoyable mixture. His interiors often capture the breath-taking spacious glamour of the palaces and all their exquisite decor. He usually constructed the motif through remarkably simple, almost spontaneous yet intuitively precise strokes and shapes. The result was a festive, high-spirited atmospheric quality, far away from the sterile and exact likeness that other painters fell victim to when trying to copy Canaletto. The painting here has nothing of the city of Venice in it. On the contrary, we seem to be transported far away into the solitary ocean, with no architecture, nothing to hold on to – only the roaring sea and the dangerous cliffs upon which the ships are just moments away from being crushed upon. It is a maritime composition evoking both Flemish and Italian precursors, in the proud tradition of maritime painting that for centuries formed a crucial part of our visual culture. This genre of painting is today curiously overlooked, compared to how esteemed and meaningful it was when our relationship to the sea was far more natural than it is today. When both people and goods travelled by water, and many nations and cities – Venice among them – depended entirely on sea fare, the existential connection to the ocean was much more natural and integrated into the imagination. The schools and traditions of maritime art are as manifold as there are countries connected to the sea, and all reflect the need to process the dangers and wonders of the ocean. It could symbolize opportunity, the exciting prospects of a new countries and adventures, prospering trade, beautiful scenery as well as war and tragedy, loss of life, danger and doom. To say that water is ambivalent in nature is an understatement, and these many layers were something that artists explored in the most wondrous ways. Perhaps it takes a bit more time for the modern eye to identify the different nuances and qualities of historic maritime paintings, they may on first impression seem hard to differentiate from each other. But when allowing these motifs to unfold and tell stories of the sea in both fiction and reality – or somewhere in between – we are awarded with an understanding of how the oceans truly built our world. In Guardi’s interpretation, we see an almost theatrically arranged shipwrecking scene. No less than five ships are depicted right in the moment of utter disaster. Caught in a violent storm, the waves have driven them to a shore of sharp cliffs and if not swallowed by the waves, crushing against the cliffs seems to be the only outcome. The large wooden ships are impressively decorated with elaborate sculpture, and in fact relics already during Guardi’s lifetime. They are in fact typical of Dutch and Flemish 17th century ships, giving us a clue to where he got the inspiration from. Guardi must have seen examples of Flemish maritime art, that made him curious about these particular motifs. One is reminded of Flemish painters like Willem van de Velde and Ludolf Backhuysen, and this very painting has indeed been mistakenly attributed to Matthieu van Plattenberg...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century Portrait Spencer Perceval Attributed To George Francis joseph
By George Francis Joseph
Located in York, GB
A late 18th early 19th century oil on canvas Portrait of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, bust-length, in an interior, holding papers.Attributed to George Francis Joseph...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

St Paul With Sword and Book, Mannerist School, Oil on Copper
Located in Stockholm, SE
Mannerism, derived from the Italian term "maneria," which simply means "style," was an artistic movement that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance, around 1520, and extended into the early 17th century. It is often referred to as the "stylish style" due to its emphasis on self-conscious artifice rather than realistic depiction. Historians debate whether Mannerism should be classified as a style, a movement, or a period. In contrast to the harmonious ideals embraced by renowned artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, Mannerist painters took a step further and created compositions that were almost bizarre. They introduced fresh color schemes, elongated proportions, and exaggerated anatomy of figures, portraying them in convoluted and serpentine poses. These artists skillfully exhibited their techniques and abilities, aiming to evoke a sense of sophisticated elegance. Among the notable Mannerist painters are Jacopo da Pontormo, Bronzino, Lavinia Fontana...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Copper

17th Century by Giovan Battista Discepoli Coronation of Thorns Oil on Panel
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Giovan Battista Discepoli, called the Zoppo from Lugano [Castagnola (Lugano) 1590 - Lugano 1654] Coronation of Thorns Oil on panel, cm. 34.2x39.5 – with frame cm. 46x52 Shaped and ...
Category

Early 17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

16th Century Spanish portrait of Saint Fermin of Pamplona
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Spanish School (16th century) Saint Fermin of Pamplona oil on canvas 40.1/8 x 32.½ in. (102 x 82.5 cm.) Condition: oil on canvas re-lined. Extensive surface dirt and varnish discolouration, craquelure throughout, possible stretcher bar marks. Probable retouches in a 17th century wood frame with painted decoration to corners and central spans. The frame has abrasions and knocks but suits the painting well. There is some shrinkage to some of the paint on the frame. Following some detailed research, we are confident this is a portrait of San Fermin...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with Apples and Nuts, 17th Century, Old Master, Spanish Painting
Located in Greven, DE
Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560 - 1627) was one of the most important still life painters in Spain and beyond. He developed a certain type of still life with a ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Joseph Highmore Portrait of a lady, 18th century
Located in York, GB
Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Grace Loftus,of Beverley hall yorkshire.Three-quarter-length, before a window. Dressed in blue and wearing a white bonnet. The paintin...
Category

1740s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Stunning 17th Century Oil Painting - Study of a Head of a Man
By Anthony van Dyck
Located in London, GB
Studio of Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641, Flemish) Study of a Head of Man Circa 1627-32, Van Dyck’s second Antwerp period Oil on paper, laid down on canvas Dimensions 15 x 14 inches...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Henry Raeburn, (circle) 19th Century portrait of Sir Charles Forbes Edinglassie
By Henry Raeburn (circle)
Located in York, GB
Portrait of Sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie, Oil on canvas. The size of the portrait is 75 cm x 59.5 cm whilst overall the size is 106 cm x 91 cm In very good condition.There has been some restoration/overpainting etc.There is some minor craquelure. Housed in a period gilt frame decorated with acorns and leaves Overall a good portrait, circle of a fine scottish artist , with an interesting sitter, his details below. sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie Sir Charles Forbes, 1st Baronet (1774–1849) was a Scottish politician, of Newe and Edinglassie, Aberdeenshire. Forbes was the son of the Rev. George Forbes of Lochell. He was a descendant of Alexander Forbes of Kinaldie and Pitsligo, and was in 1833 served heir male in general to Alexander Forbes, 3rd lord Forbes of Pitsligo, father of Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord Forbes of Pitsligo, attainted in 1745. Forbes was of a bluff but kindly nature, diffident as to his own merits, of a straightforward and manly character. On the death of his uncle in 1821 Forbes succeeded to the entailed estates of the Forbeses of Newe, and was created a baronet by patent in 1823.[1] He married in 1811. His daughter, Elizabeth, married General, Lord James Hay, second son of the seventh Marquess of Tweeddale. Sir Henry Raeburn FRSE, RA, RSA (1756-1823) Scottish portrait painter and Scotland's first significant portrait painter since the Union to remain based in Scotland. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland Raeburn had all the essential qualities of a popular and successful portrait painter. He was able to produce a telling and forcible likeness; his work is distinguished by powerful characterisation, stark realism, dramatic and unusual lighting...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th/18th century Portrait studio Godfrey Kneller of George Granville
Located in York, GB
A fine oval portrait of George Granville, PC, 1st Baron Lansdowne and "Duke of Albemarle" in the Jacobite peerage (1666-1735) Studio of Sir Godfrey ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Painting 18th Century Vanitas Still Life Skull Religion Esotericism Occult
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Vanitas 18th century French School Oil on canvas Old frame gilded with gold leaves Dim canvas : 73 X 60 cm Dim frame : 93 X 80 cm Certificate of authenticity
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

STILL LIFE WITH FLOWER FRUIT AND BIRDS - Oil on canvas Italy Alfredo Mayeux
Located in Napoli, IT
Oil painting on canvas - Composition of flowers in a metal vase with fruit, and landscape in the background - Alfredo Mayeux; early XX century.
Category

Mid-20th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

ATTRIBUTED TO ANTOINE FELIX BOISSELIER (19TH CENTURY) FRENCH CLASSICAL FIGURES
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Attributed to Antoine Felix Boisselier (19th Century) French 'Classical figures in a bed chamber Medium: oil on canvas, with inscription verso Size of pain...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Italian, 17th Century old master oil painting of the Annunciation
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Circle of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Guercino (Italian, 1591 – 1666) An annunciation Oil on canvas 30 x 45 in. (76.2 x 114.4 cm.)
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th century portrait of Lady Sarah Cowper, Circle of Michael Dahl
By (Circle of) Michael Dahl
Located in York, GB
Portrait of Lady Sarah Cowper, nee Holled [1644-1720]-Circle of Michael Dahl 17th century, oval,bust-length . She has dark hair tied high and wearing a b...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century by Pietro Bardellino Mary Magdalene Painting Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Pietro Bardellino (Naples, 1731 – Naples, 1806) Mary Magdalene Oil on canvas, cm. 75 x 60 – with frame cm. 97 x 82 Antique shaped and carved wooden frame Publications: unpublished T...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Portrait Of A Young Woman Oil On Canvas
Located in York, GB
Fine 19th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait of a Young Woman in large gilt gesso frame Identity of the sitter as yet unknown. The artist has managed to capture her ethereal beauty perfe...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th Century by Felice Torelli Rachel Hiding the Idols Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Felice Torelli (Verona 1667 - Bologna 1748) Rachel Hiding the Idols Oil on canvas, 41 x 116 cm without frame - 52,5 x 127 cm with frame Original shape...
Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

18th Century portrait oil painting of a boy
By Robert Byng
Located in Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Circle of Robert Byng British, (1666-1720) Portrait of a Boy Oil on canvas Image size: 28.5 inches x 23.5 inches Size including frame: 34.5 inches x 29.5 inches A fine half-length ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century English School Portrait of a Gentleman, with Riding Crop & Dog
Located in York, GB
(early 19th century) English School Portrait of a Young Gentleman, with Riding Crop and Dog The reverse stamped T Brown, High Holborn, Linen, oil on canvas, The size overall being 104 cm x 84 cm whilst the painting is 89cm x 70cm A charming portrait in overall very good condition housed in a gilt frame The painting has been cleaned recently . There is some old restoration in the form of a small patch to the rear,barely visible to the front. some texturization to top right in certain light Certainly does not detract from this charming painting SHIPPING Free uk delivery Delivery usually within 14 working days.Fully insured delivery. please provide telephone/email details for courier. We ship worldwide for free. 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...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait Of A Gentleman John Dalziel Kenworthy
Located in York, GB
John Dalziel Kenworthy portrait of a gentleman . Fine, large and imposing oil on canvas housed in a gilt frame. The sitter is unidentified, he has an aristocratic and characterful lo...
Category

Early 1900s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

19th century landscape/portrait horse with army officer, William Edward Millner
Located in York, GB
Portrait of a bay horse with army officer seated on a drinking trough, signed with monogram and and dated 81', inscribed verso 'by W E Milner, Gainsborough', oil on canvas. The size overall being 44 x 57 cm (17.5 x 22.5 inches) whilst the image is 35 x 48 cm ( 19 14 inches ) In very good condition housed in a gilt frame. William Edward Millner...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Madonna Child Tiarini Paint Oil on canvas Old master 17th Century Italy Baroque
By Alessandro Tiarini (Bologna, 1577 - 1668)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Emilian Caravaggesque painter of the early seventeenth century Alessandro Tiarini (Bologna, 1577 - 1668), attributable Madonna and Child Early seve...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

16th Century by Cristofano Roncalli Saint Catherine of Siena Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Cristofano Roncalli (Pomarance 1552 - Rome 1626) Saint Catherine of Siena chooses the crown of thorns oil on wood, cm. 101,5x59.5 - with frame cm. 120x76 Shaped, carved and sculpted wooden cassetta frame, partly gilded and partly ebonized wood Expertise: Marco Ciampolini The marvellous scene that opens before our eyes is that of Christ's apparition to Saint Catherine of Siena; she must choose between a golden crown, the symbol of earthly royalty, and a crown of thorns, the symbol of virtuous Christian sacrifice. Catherine does not hesitate to choose the crown of thorns, her life in imitation of...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Old Masters paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters 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. If you’re looking to add paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, blue, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antonio Savisio, Pietro Colonna, Goyo Dominguez, and Nicolaes Maes. 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 4.5 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $338 and tops out at $1,495,000, while the average work sells for $7,505.

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