16th Century Art

A masterful example of Italian Mannerist painting, this exceptional panel was composed by the renowned Florentine painter Domenico Puligo. Alongside Jacopo Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino, Puligo is remembered as one of the foremost figures of the Mannerist movement that rose to prominence during the 16th century in Florence. This panel of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child and Saint John the Baptist is a characteristic example of his celebrated devotional images, which grace museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Museo del Prado (Madrid), Palazzo Borghese (Rome), and Palazzo Pitti (Florence), among many others. Puligo’s skill with color is fully demonstrated in the beautifully preserved work. Considering its age, the vibrancy and the sheer range of color is remarkable. The Virgin Mary’s crimson dress...

This is a framed 16th century map and city view of Canterbury, England entitled "Cantuarbury" by Braun & Hogenburg, from their famous landmark atlas of city views 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' (Atlas of the Cities of the World), which was first published in Cologne, Germany in 1572. The map of Canterbury was first published in 1588. It depicts a detailed birdseye view of the completely walled and fortified city of Canterbury, with its cathedral the most prominent feature. The coat of arms of England, Canterbury, and the Archbishop of Canterbury are included. This beautifully hand-colored map is presented in a gold-colored wood frame with a beaded inner trim and a paprika-colored mat that highlights details in the map. The frame measures 18.75" high by 22.25" wide by 0.875" deep. There is a central vertical fold, as issued. The map is in excellent condition. Braun and Hogenberg's 'The Civitates Orbis Terrarum' was the second atlas of maps ever published and the first atlas of cities and towns of the world. It is one of the most important books published in the 16th century. Most of the maps in the atlas were engraved by Franz Hogenberg and the text, with its descriptions of the history and additional factual information of the cities, was written by a team of writers and edited by Georg Braun. The work contained 546 bird-eye views and map views of cities and towns from all over the world. It gave graphic representation of the main features of the illustrated cities and towns, including the buildings and streets. Although the ordinary buildings are stylized, the principal buildings are reproduced from actual drawings created on location. The principal landmarks and streets can still be recognized today. In addition, the maps often include the heraldic arms of the city, the nature of the surrounding countryside, the important rivers, streams and harbors, even depicting stone bridges, wooden pontoons, flat-bottomed ferries, ships and working boats, wharves and jetties, as well as land-based activities, including horsemen, pedestrians, wagons, coaches, and palanquins. Small vignettes are often included which illustrate the trade, occupations and habits of the local inhabitants, such as agriculture, paper-making and textiles, as well as local forms of punishment, such as gibbets, wheels, floggings etc. Large figures dressed in their local costume are often presented out of proportion in the foreground. The aim of the authors was to give as much information as possible in a pleasing visual form. They succeeded in creating maps that were both informative and decorative works of art. The atlas is a wonderful glimpse of life in medieval Europe. Georg Braun (1541-1622) was German Catholic...

Etching on paper realized by an unknown italian master in the early 16th century after Battista Franco. Not signed. Full margins, very good condition.

The painting features the enthroned Madonna and Child, two praying angels, and Saints Nicholas of Tolentino, Augustine, Luke the Evangelist, and Monica, below an elegant canopy. The ...

Icon Of Christ With Latin Inscriptions "I am The Way, The Trust & The Life", 16th Century School of The Master Of The Emerald Icons (1580-1610) 16th Century Italian Old Master ...

Studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt 1510 - 1551 The Virgin and Child Enthroned Oil on oak panel, wax seal verso Image size: 10 3/4 x 8 inches (27 x 20.5 cm) Contemporary style frame (image below) POA Provenance Collection of Mrs Marianne Hudson Mary, holding Jesus in her arms, is centrally positioned against a gold detailed architectural backdrop, reflecting the traditional iconography of the enthroned Virgin and Child. This composition suggests the theme of “Maestà” or “Majesty,” emphasising the figures religious significance. In the painting from the studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt, the artist masterfully infuses the scene with rich symbolism and hidden meanings that reflect the cultural and religious context of the period. The infant Christ, seated on the Virgin Mary’s lap, is draped in a delicate, translucent white garment that symbolises his purity. In his hand, he clutches a piece of coral, a multifaceted symbol representing immortality, youth, and health. Notably, coral was also a common teething tool during that era, adding another layer of contemporary relevance. A scarlet-headed blackbird, native to South America, perches gracefully on Christ’s outstretched finger. This bird is a potent symbol of creation and protection, enhancing the divine narrative of the scene. Mary, with a tender and loving gesture, caresses Christ’s back while gazing adoringly at her son, underscoring her role as the nurturing mother of God. Mary is centrally positioned within an architectural alcove, which subtly suggests a heavenly halo without explicitly depicting one. The alcove’s niches, traditionally used to emphasise the importance of sculptures, further highlight her significance. She is adorned in a voluminous red gown, with the undulating folds of the fabric accentuated by white highlights. The red colour of her dress symbolises maternal qualities, while the iridescent blue undercoat, visible in certain areas, signifies sanctity and purity due to its rarity and expense at the time. Moreover, Mary is depicted as the epitome of contemporary Medieval...

Italian sculptor (16th century) - Saint Maurus. 54 x 30 x h 110 cm. Full-length figure in carved, lacquered, and painted wood. Saint Maurus is depicted standing in full figure, id...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Tournai, Belgium, entitled "Tornacum" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, in volume IV of their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne or Augsberg, Germany in 1575. The map provides a bird's-eye view of the walled city of Tournai, the second oldest city in Belgium. It lies approximately one hour by car southwest of Brussels or from Ghent. The names of thirty of its streets, prominent buildings, churches and squares are listed in a key within a strap-work cartouche in the lower left. These locations are numbered in the key corresponding to their locations on the map. This colorful map of Tournai (Tornacum or Tournay as it was called in the 16th century) includes the title in Latin in a cartouche in the upper center. Three crests are present across the upper map. A man and two woman are standing on a hill in the foreground in the lower right dressed in the style of 16th century upper class residents of the town. This is an English translation of an excerpt of Braun's description of Tornai: “Tornacum or Turnacum is a city in Gallia Belgica, situated on the Schelde in the territory of the Nervii, called Tournai by its French inhabitants, but Dorneck by the Germans. Tournai has always been a large and powerful city, with an abundance of goods and commercial activities and wonderfully resourceful craftsmen, who invent new articles every day, and although some of these go out of use they constantly conceive of other new things, both useful and delightful, so that they have at all times something that provides work and a means of livelihood for the poor." ReferencesVan der Krogt 4, 4435, State 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg...

Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch, 16th century Flemish / German school - oil on panel Beautiful large 16th century representation of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch, ...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 20 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches (52 x 60 cm) Hand made frame Herri Met de Bles, also known as Henri Blès, Herri de Dinant and Herry de ...

Jacopo BASSANO (c. 1510-1592, Italian) Portrait of a Procuratore Oil on canvas 30 ¼ x 26 inches (including frame) Provenance: Lucien Bonaparte’s Collection (as Portrait of Doge Priuli, Tiziano); Rich-mond, Virginia Museum, Portrait of Doge Lorenzo Priuli. The painting is a portrait of a man half-length, on a black background. It is a three-quarter portrait, according to a custom very common in the genre of portraiture in sixteenth century. The man is wearing a decorated...

A lovely, well-inked impression true to the "Little Master" style. Copper engraving on cream laid paper, 2 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches (64 x 45 mm), the full sheet. Thread margins. In very g...

Artist: Aegidius Sadeler II Petronia, First Wife of Vitellius, from set of Roman Emperors and Empresses, c. 16th-17th century Engraving Publisher: Marcus Christoph Sadeler Sight: 15 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. Framed: 19 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 1 in. This image was conceived in the 16th century by Aegidius Sadeler II and published by Marcus Christoph Sadeler. It is unclear when the present version was executed. Aegidius Sadeler or Aegidius Sadeler II[1] (1570–1629) was a Flemish engraver who was principally active at the Prague court of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and his successors. Sadeler was born in Antwerp in the Sadeler family of print dealers and engravers. He was the son of Emmanuel de Sayeleer and the nephew of Aegidius I, Jan I en Raphael Sadeler.[2] He was trained by his uncle Jan I and became a member of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1589. He was active in Munich the next year in 1590, in Rome in 1593, in Naples and then again in Munich in 1594–1597. From 1597 he settled in Prague where he became court engraver for Rudolf II and made engraved portraits of notables and engravings after artworks there, most notably paintings by Bartholomeus Spranger, Roelant Savery, Hans von Aachen, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and sculptures by Giambologna and Adriaen de Vries. His early engravings were mostly faithful copies of works by Albrecht Dürer in the Imperial collection and copies of paintings by notable Italian painters such as Raphael, Tintoretto, Parmigianino, Barocci and Titian or by Northern painters who worked there, such as Paul Bril and Denys Calvaert. In Prague he also engraved portraits of the notables of Rudolf's court, and collaborated with Spranger, Joseph Heintz the Elder, Jacobus Typotius and his friend Anselmus Boece de Boodt (1550-1632), Rudolf II's gemologist and physician.[3] After Rudolf II died he enjoyed the favour and protection of the two succeeding Emperors, Matthias and Ferdinand II.[4][5] According to Michael Bryan...

Aden is an original etching realized by George Braun and Franz Hogenberg. The state of preservation of the artwork is good. Interesting B/W etching ...

JACOPO NEGRETTI, called PALMA THE YOUNGER Venice, c. 1548-1628 Studies of Male Heads c. 1590-1600, probably c. 1595 Unsigned Pen and brown ink, brown and grey wash, heightened wit...

Italian school circa 1560, circle of Bernardino Campi Portrait of a woman with a book Oil on panel H. 78 cm ; L. 57cm

Gillis Mostaert Hulst 1534 – 1598 Antwerp Flemish Painter 'Adoration of the Shepherds' Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: image size 38,5 x 46,5 cm, frame size 54 x 62 cm Provenance...

16th Century Venetian Maestro Title: Deposition of Christ Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: without frame 40 x 25 cm Painting without frame Not signed Previously part of the Canesso Collection, Paris. Fairs: The International Biennial of Antiques in Florence 2022 (BIAF, Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze) Publications: Bozzetti, modelletti, sketches: dalla collezione di Giorgio Baratti (From the Giorgio Baratti Collection) curated by Anna Orlando, Agnese Marengo and Annalisa Scarpa, Genoa, 2022, pp. 22, 23. In this precious panel we can admire a lament over the body of Christ by a large group of bystanders among whom we can recognise the Virgin and, in the foreground, St Catherine of Alexandria...

Northern Italian bronze workshop (16th-17th century) - Inkwell with figure of a youth and telamons. 11 x 11 x h 22 cm (4.3 x 4.3 x h 8.7 in). Cast bronze, lost-wax technique, made ...

16th Century Neapolitan Maestro Title: Vision of Saint John in Patmos Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: without frame 113 x 85 cm Painting without frame Not signed Expertise by Profe...

Studio of William Scrots Portrait of Edward VI when Prince of Wales 16th Century Oil on oak panel, unsigned Image size: 11 ½ x 11 ½ inches (29.3 x 29.3 cm) Early hand-carved gilt frame Provenance: The Hunter Blair collection, Blairquhan, Scotland By descent Christie’s London, 24th May 2007, lot 39 Mould Gallery Private Collection This striking portrait depicts Edward VI in the regalia of the Prince of Wales, shortly before he was to become the King of England. The Roman numerals on the painting indicate a creation year of 1546, meaning that Edward was only nine when this likeness was captured. It is believed that this work is a copy of a portrait held by the Met Museum of New York, completed by the Flemish portraitist William Scrots, who worked extensively with Henry VIII as the King’s Painter. Henry VIII had utilised the side-profile perspective as an artistic motif to assert the power of his Tudor dynasty. The perspective became associated with royalty, and its application in this portrait affirms Edward’s succession and future role as the English monarch. Portraits were an important way in which those in the 16th century captured likenesses of important public figures, such as the crown prince - for this reason, Edward VI is one of the most well documented Tudor monarchs, with multiple portraits capturing his childhood. This current work is exquisitely detailed, with great care taken to depict Edward’s lavish clothing. It is possible to make out the most minute of details, from the acorns on his collar to the individual barbs of the feathers on his cap. The gold chains fixing his jacket in place and the metallic aglets on his cap are also remarkable, indicating the absolute wealth and power of the Tudor dynasty. This portrait recently underwent dendrochronological analysis, which revealed that the work was painted during Edward’s lifetime. It was later altered to fit the diamond format that we see currently, which is also likely when the ‘ich dien’ (the motto of the Prince of Wales, meaning ‘I serve’) was added. King Edward VI On the 12th of October 1537, Jane Seymour gave birth to Henry VIII’s only son, who would be named Edward. As a celebration of this new heir to the throne, two thousands rounds of ammunition were shot from the Tower of London, and parties and festivities occurred all across England. Edward was baptised three days after his birth by Thomas Cranmer in a lavish ceremony before retiring to the Queen’s apartments to receive parental blessings. In a sad turn of events, Jane Seymour never recovered from the birth of her son, dying only 12 days after giving birth. Increasingly paranoid about Edward’s wellbeing as his only male heir, Henry VII ordered that he would remain at Hampton Court Palace. Edward was afforded a luxurious suite, but was initially kept in the presence chamber in a ‘cradle of state’ so that nobles and courtiers could visit the young prince. After this, Edward lived in his own bedchamber and was served by his own kitchen to avoid contamination. Once weaned, his food was tested by a servant to ensure it was safe for the prince to consume. Edward’s clothes were washed before he wore them, everything he touched had to be cleaned before he could do so, and the walls, floors and ceilings of his suite had to be scrubbed clean multiple times a day. Any visitors were forced to wash before seeing the prince, and they could not attend the chambers if they had even the smallest sign of sickness. Edward was raised by the women of the court and was known as a healthy, handsome, tall and well-fed young boy. He was shy and looked to his nurses for reassurance, and it is documented that even the most stern of nursemaids doted upon him. His elder half-sister Mary visited him regularly and showered him with lavish gifts - this makes their later divide over religion all the more heartbreaking. He was educated alongside his sister, Elizabeth, to whom he was the closest in age. Edward saw little of his father until he became an ‘adult’ at the age of six. From this point on, Edward was expected to play the heir to the throne. His female attendants were dismissed and his education became that of a prince. His suite and wardrobe were redesigned to match Henry VIII’s own. His schoolmasters noted him for his maturity, but also for his fierce temper. Edward studied humanist subjects such as classics, Latin, Greek and rhetoric, as well as gentlemanly pursuits of fencing, riding, and music. He was also educated in religion and scripture by the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who became somewhat of a father figure for the prince. In 1547, when Edward was nine years old, Henry VII died - his young son was crowned as King only a month later. Due to his young age, Edward was supported by a regency council, but this was quickly overpowered by the King’s uncle, Edward Seymour, who seized control as Lord Protector. Edward kept a diary during this period, whose writings characterise him as a cold and unfeeling young boy - these qualities may well have become disastrous for a monarch if he had survived. Edward is most renowned for his Protestant reforms. He introduced a new Book of Common Prayer in 1549, and again in 1552. This second Book provided the basis for worship within the Church of England for the next four hundred years. He also banned Catholic rituals such as casting of holy water, pilgrimages, and using rosaries...

Braun G., Hogenberg F., "Vindesorium" or Windsor", from the collection "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", Cologne, T. Graminaeus, 1572-1617. Image Dim: cm 18 x 48 , Dim: cm 20.5 x 54. Very...

Etching by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, realized in 1575 and belonging to the Suite "Civitates Orbis Terrarum". The first volume of the Civitates Orbis Terrarum was published in ...

English School Portrait of Sir Henry Guildford 16th Century Oil on oak panel, unsigned Image size: 15 x 11 inches (38 x 28 cm) Contemporary style frame Provenance Private Collection...

STUDIO OF RAFFAELLO SANZIO, called RAPHAEL (Urbino 1483 – Rome 1520) Title The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist Medium Pen and brown ink, brown wash, over black ch...

Attentive observer, may I challenge you to find some unusual elements in this panel painting? One detail has to do with the symbolic use of color, the other with a later adjustment of the image. Indeed! The Blessed Virgin is not dressed in her usual sky blue cloak, which refers to her purity, but in a red robe. During the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, the Virgin often wore such a red garment to refer to the Passion of Christ. After all, the blessing Christ child with his orb would shed his blood for the redemption of mankind. The second strange element catches the eye when one looks closer at the little Jesus. It appears that he was originally depicted completely naked, but got on a transparent loincloth over time. In the past there were several times when nudity in art was subject to some form of censorship. For example, the supervision of Christian art was strongly encouraged by the Council of Trent (1545-1563). This assembly was dealing with the inner-ecclesiastical reform of the Roman Catholic Church. One of the important theologians who followed the council’s guidelines was Joannes Molanus (1533-1585). He did not consider the nakedness of the Christ Child to be edifying and pointed out that children could be endangered in this way. He may have been referring to the dangers of paedophilia. During the 19th century, puritanism emerged. A famous example of a moral preacher was Pope Pius IX...

Jan Van der Straet, known as Giovanni Stradano (Bruges 1523 - Florence 1605), Workshop of The Adoration of the Magi late 16th century - early 17th century oil painting on canvas Mea...

Lady Dormer, Mary Browne c. 1592 oil on panel 35 x 29 inches, unframed; 41 x 34.75 inches, inc. frame Inscribed 'Lady Dormore' Mary married Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton who gave birth to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton - one of the great figures in Shakespears"s circle and founder of the Virginia company, developers of Virginia USA. Henry Wriothesley, born 6 October 1573 at Cowdray House, Sussex, was the only son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, by Mary Browne, the only daughter of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague, and his first wife, Jane Radcliffe.[5] He had two sisters, Jane, who died before 1573, and Mary (c. 1567 – 1607), who in June 1585 married Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour.[6] After his father's death, Southampton's mother married firstly, on 2 May 1595, as his second wife, Sir Thomas Heneage (d. 17 October 1595), Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, and secondly, between 5 November 1598 and 31 January 1599, Sir William Hervey. She died in November 1607.[7] Early life When his father died on 4 October 1581 Southampton inherited the earldom and landed income valued at £1097 6s per annum. His wardship and marriage were sold by the Queen to her kinsman, Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, for £1000. According to Akrigg, Howard then "entered into some further agreement, of which no documentation can now be found, which transferred to Lord Burghley personally the custody and marriage of the young Earl, but left Howard holding his lands", and late in 1581 or early in 1582 Southampton, then eight years of age, came to live at Cecil House in the Strand.[8] In October 1585, at age twelve, Southampton entered St John's College, Cambridge,[9] graduating M.A. on 6 June 1589.[10] His name was entered at the Gray's Inn legal society before he left the university, and he was admitted on 29 February 1588.[11] On Southampton's 16th birthday, 6 October 1589, Lord Burghley noted Southampton's age in his diary, and by 1590 Burghley was negotiating with Southampton's grandfather, Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague, and Southampton's mother, Mary, for a marriage between Southampton and Lord Burghley's eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Vere, daughter of Burghley's daughter, Anne Cecil, and Edward de Vere...

Etching and burin realized by Johannes Sadeler in the late 16th Century. The work depicts Saint Efraim in contemplation. Very good condition except for a missing part on top left s...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of View of View of Meissen, Germany entitled "Misena Hermun Duvorum Urbs" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1575. The map depicts a side view and bird's-eye view, looking across the Elbe River (labelled Albis Fluvius on the map; White River in Latin) from the northeast. In the foreground are three women in conversation on a hill above the city, along with a man and a woman in conversation by a road, all dressed in contemporary costumes of the upper class. A coat-of-arms is present in each upper corner. A great castle sits atop a hill in the background on the left. Meissen grew up around Albrechtsburg castle, built by Emperor Henry I around AD 929, and was granted a municipal charter at the end of the 12th century. From 1471 onwards, the castle complex was reconstructed as the residence of the Saxon electors on the northeast corner of the Domberg (Cathedral Hill). Meissen cathedral is a Gothic hall church begun c. 1270; in 1413 a bolt of lightning destroyed its west towers, which were replaced only in the 20th century. Meissen lies to the northwest of Dresden, Germany in Saxony. Meissen is famous for its Meissen porcelain and the Albrechtsburg castle The following is an English translation of an excerpt from Braun's description of the city:  "This city is surrounded by very many rivers, to the east flows the Elbe, to the south the Triebisch, to the west are the mountains, to the north the Meisse, after which the city is said to be named. The city is well-situated in its surroundings, the navigable rivers, the mountains and the healthy air. Around the city there is a good land to grow grain, fertile vineyards on the hillsides and without doubt the mountains are not without ore, for one mile away, up the Elbe, is Scharfenberg, where silver and lead ore are mined.." 
  References: Van der Krogt 4, 2684; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg...

This is an original 16th century copperplate originally hand-colored engraved map of View of Seravalle, Italy entitled "Seravallum Celeberrimum Marchiae Tarvisiniae in Agro Foro Juliensi Opp. - Seravalli, quam vides, Spectator, iconem, operi huic nostro suis sumptib. . . ." by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Augsberg, Germany in 1575. The map depicts a view of Seravalle, now Vittorio Veneto, in San Marino, Italy, north of Venice, in a topographically accurate bird's-eye view from the south. A water-filled moat is seen to the south of the city walls and farmland to the east. Two men are depicted standing on a hill in the lower right in conversation next to grain sacks and a grazing horse, while a younger man behind them to the right herds a mule carrying presumably pigs. A very colorful and ornate title cartouche is in the upper center and coat-of-arms are in the right and left upper corners. Serravalle lies in an idyllic setting in the foothills and surrounded by orchards. St Mary's Cathedral with its tall bell tower is prominent in the center of the town. The marketplace and town hall with a bell tower in the square are depicted. Houses and shops are around the main square. Serravalle's importance as an agricultural centre is emphasized by the figures in the foreground. In 1337 Serravalle was conquered by the Republic of Venice. In 1866 the town was united with neighbouring Ceneda to form the town of Vittorio Veneto. The following is an English translation of an excerpt from the French description of the city on the back of the map: "Serravalle, a market town renowned for cloth, wine and grain, is in such a beautiful situation that the number of its inhabitants, attracted by the loveliness of the place, has grown so much at times that the wall encircling it has had to be enlarged for the third time. The city with the surrounding town once belonged to the Church in Ceneda as an imperial fief. It subsequently became the seat of the Da Camino family (a princely house that at that time was one of the five most noble in all Italy). Now the city is under the sway of the Venetians but is prudently governed by them. For they send only one city councillor with instructions to ensure that justice prevails and to collect duties. In all else, power lies in the hands of the noble families." This is a translation of the Latin in the title cartouche on the front: "The picture of the town of Serravalle, which you see, viewer, has been contributed to our work entirely at his own expense by Minutius, son of Hieronymus Minutius, a noble gentleman and one renowned for the far-reaching competence of his jurisdiction. We saw him sojourning in Cologne, where he was on business for Gregory XIII; while our good wishes accompany him, we should also like to accompany him on his way with this remembrance, even though it might be against his will, so that even those who have not seen him may learn of his excellence. However, those who do not yet know him will also see his excellence if God the Almighthy does not summon erring souls too soon back to the eternal seat of the Blessed." References: Van der Krogt 4, 4728, State 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.331; Fauser, #14960 This striking hand-colored city view is printed on laid, chain-linked paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 16" high by 21" wide. There is a central vertical fold as issued and French text on the verso, with Latin on the front. There is some discoloration in the upper and right margins which may represent some watercolor paint from the time of the original hand-coloring of the map. There is a small hole to the right of the upper portion of the vertical fold, which is only visible when held up to light and an area of reinforcement on the verso of the lower vertical fold. The map is otherwise in very good to excellent condition. Braun and Hogenberg's 'The Civitates Orbis Terrarum' was the second atlas of maps ever published and the first atlas of cities and towns of the world. It is one of the most important books published in the 16th century. Most of the maps in the atlas were engraved by Franz Hogenberg and the text, with its descriptions of the history and additional factual information of the cities, was written by a team of writers and edited by Georg Braun. The work contained 546 bird-eye views and map views of cities and towns from all over the world. It gave graphic representation of the main features of the illustrated cities and towns, including the buildings and streets. Although the ordinary buildings are stylized, the principal buildings are reproduced from actual drawings created on location. The principal landmarks and streets can still be recognized today. In addition, the maps often include the heraldic arms of the city, the nature of the surrounding countryside, the important rivers, streams and harbors, even depicting stone bridges, wooden pontoons, flat-bottomed ferries, ships and working boats, wharves and jetties, as well as land-based activities, including horsemen, pedestrians, wagons, coaches, and palanquins. Small vignettes are often included which illustrate the trade, occupations and habits of the local inhabitants, such as agriculture, paper-making and textiles, as well as local forms of punishment, such as gibbets, wheels, floggings etc. Large figures dressed in their local costume are often presented out of proportion in the foreground. The aim of the authors was to give as much information as possible in a pleasing visual form. They succeeded in creating maps that were both informative and decorative works of art. The atlas is a wonderful glimpse of life in medieval Europe. Georg Braun (1541-1622) was German Catholic...

Attributed to Francesco Bassano the Younger or his close workshop (Bassano del Grappa 1549 - Venice 1592) - Orpheus Charming the Animals. 93 x 121 cm. Oil on canvas, in a gilded an...

Circa. 1578, Engraving "Siculus" - from the portfolio “The Stables of Don John of Austria” (Equile Austriaci Caroli V)" After Jan van der Straet (Stradanus). An Old Master print from the series of 43 engravings depicting horses of different breeds from the stables of John of Austria (1547-1578), son of Emperor Charles V. Each print shows a horse in the foreground on a hilltop overlooking a distant landscape. Each bears it's title breed, centered upper edge, with two columns of brief explanatory Latin texts in the lower margins. Published by Philips Galle...

Francesco Traballesi (Florence, Italy, 1541 - Mantua, Italy, 1588) Title: Portrait of a young man with a glove Medium: Oil on panel Dimensions: without frame 69.5 × 86.5 cm Painting ...

Attributed to Francesco Bonsignori Italian 1455-1519 Christ as a Boy Oil on wood panel Image size: 12 1/4 x 16 inches (31 x 40.5 cm) Original gilt frame  In this painting on panel, ...

Nicolò Cercignani, known as “il Pomarancio,” *The Transfiguration*, a large-scale oil painting on copper plate. The work is attributed to Nicolò Cercignani, known as il Pomarancio (P...

Virgin with Child, studio of Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli, known as Giampietrino (active Milan 1495-1550) Not signed Oil on poplar panel, h. 63 cm (24.8 in), w. 49 cm (19.29 in) Important...

Prodigus is a beautiful black and white engraving on paper, made by Gerard de Jode around 1570. Title in Latin "Delitys fruitur veneris patrisque liei / Prodigus, the premiere mox miser ecce fame" on the plate on the lower margin and "MC" monogrammed on plate the lower left margin and inscription of the author on the plate on the lower right margin ( the name is partially readable). The parable of the son to the prodigy...

"Machelen", from the collection "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", Cologne, T. Graminaeus, 1575. The “Civitates Orbis Terrarum” (Atlas of Cities of the World) was the second oldest print...

Oil on Canvas. Lombard school of the late 1500s. The large scene depicts an angel in the foreground announcing to Joachim as he grazes his sheep, the imminent birth of his daughter;...

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

Engraving "The Virgin and Child with the parrot" the Virgin seated in front of a window at left; the nude Christ Child standing on her lap; the Virgin holding a parrot in her left ha...

Wonderful black and white aquatint showing an antique view of Munchen, capital of Bavaria. From the collection by Braun G. and Hogenberg F., "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", Cologne, T. ...

L'Annunziata in S. M. sopra Minerva is an original old master artwork realized by Giovanni Fontana. Ivory colored sheet attached on an ivory colored cardboard ( cm 35.8 x 26.7) Bea...

Braun G. and Hogenberg F., Corfu, from the collection Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Cologne, T. Graminaeus, 1572-1617. Image dimensions: cm 19 x 48; dimensions: cm 40 x 70. Very lovely ...

This Map of Methoni is an etching realized by George Braun (1541 – 1622) The state of preservation of the artwork is good but aged and the trace of foxing that doesn't affect the i...

Giovanni Balducci, known as Il Cosci (Florence, 1560 – Naples, after 1631) Madonna in Glory Surrounded by Angels Oil on panel (48 x 37 cm. - In frame 68 x 57 cm.) We are offer...

Italian School, 16th century Virgin and Child Pen, brown ink on paper 16.5 x 11 cm Unsigned Provenance: Private collection This sheet, attributed to the Italian school of the 16...

Enea Vico (1523-1567 engraving, Two Trophies With a Breast Plate and a Ram’s Head, 1550, Bartsch 447, with the name of the publisher Ant[onio] Lafreri at bottom, before numbers. Goo...

After Raphael Conestabile Madonna 1483 - 1520 Oil on poplar panel Image size: 8 x 8 inches (20.5 x 20.5 cm) Original ornate hand carved gilt frame Conestabile Madonna Made in compos...

This recently rediscovered portrait of Santi di Tito depicts a Florentine senator, with a letter in his hand indicating that the painting was executed in 1574 when the sitter was 66 years old. On the basis of these clues, it is tempting to view it as a portrait of Bartolomeo Panciatichi, who was painted some thirty years before by Bronzino (1503 - 1572). While the treatment of the hands recalls the Florentine tradition of Mannerist portraits, the comparison with Bronzino's portrait illustrates Santi di Tito's search for greater realism, despite the stereotyped composition. 1. Santi di Tito, Counter-Reformation painter and portraitist Santi di Tito was the great painter of the Florentine Counter-Reformation. He proposed a new artistic language that broke away from Mannerism. Little is known about his training in Florence (perhaps alongside Bronzino or Baccio Bandinelli), but this period of training enabled him to join the Company of Saint Luke, the guild of Florentine painters, in 1554. Between 1560 and 1564, Santi di Tito spent time in Rome, where he frequented the workshop of Taddeo Zuccari. This stay had a fundamental influence on his work, thanks to the discovery of the late work of Raphael, but also his encounters with the painters Francesco Salviati and Federico Barocci. Around 1565, Santi di Tito returned to Florence, where he remained until the end of his life, dividing his talents between the creation of important religious paintings and countless portraits. He became one of the city's leading painters, distinguishing himself, in particular, in the creation of large religious compositions in which the spirit of the Counter-Reformation was reflected. In 1568, Santi di Tito became a member of the Confraternity of Saint Thomas Aquinas...

Circle of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio 1483 - 1561 Oil on panel Image size: 20 ½ x 16 ½ inches (52 x 42 cm) Handmade contemporary style gilt frame The lamentation of Christ was one of the most popular scenes depicted in European art from the 11th to the 18th century. Depicting the lamentation or pieta from the Italian word for ‘Pity’ of Christ with Jesus’s mother Mary cradling his body. Christ is depicted nude, wearing only a blueish loincloth around his waist, a horizontal scar marking his rib cage. His head and torso are held upright, and his eyes are closed, his right arm lays to his side as does his left. Standing behind him, is the Virgin Mary, outfitted in her traditional dress of a robe with a white veil. She stands behind Christ and bends slightly, looking looking away from Christ to something that has caught her attention, her right hand holding his shoulder. Her left-hand carefully holds his arm. This work is quite unusual with Mary . This stunning work jumps out with its dark background and strong flesh colours. Ridolfo Ghirlandaio was the son of the eminent painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Following his father’s death in 1494, when he was just eleven years old, Ridolfo is thought to have continued his training with his uncle Davide, who had taken over the Ghirlandaio workshop. Vasari noted that Ridolfo also studied with Fra Bartolommeo...

Italian School, 16th Century Studies of Figures Pen and ink on paper, 23 × 24 cm Unsigned A finely executed sheet presenting vigorous figure studies, drawn with assured pen strok...

A rare & important Italian Renaissance tempera on parchment painting, Giuseppe Cesari Il Cavalier d'Arpino (Giuseppe Cesari, 1568-1640), the painting c...

Etching black and white from Civitates Orbis Terrarum. View of the Old Mexico City, built over the ruins of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán from 1520, and Cusco, ancient capital of th...

MUSEUM PAIR FLYING ANGELS Brabant/Brussels Around 1500 Oak wood, full round carved Height 40/38 cm These two figures are a pair of flying angels mad...

Tuscan painter active towards the end of the 16th century Portrait of Captain Niccolò Orsini (Pitigliano, 1442 - Lonigo, 1510), count of Pitigliano and Nola. Tuscany, end of the 16th century Oil on canvas, 64 x 47 cm., Framed 89 x 73 cm. The portrait we present to you shows the effigy of a vigorous high-ranking male figure in armor, in the most typical Renaissance pose, half-length and taken in profile, with his face and gaze turned to the side; the serious and intense expression and the facial features evoke at first glance the portraiture of early Florentine mannerism. He is Niccolò III Orsini (Pitigliano, 1442 - Lonigo, 1510), count of Pitigliano and Nola and son of Aldobrandino Orsini, famous leader and captain (or capitano di ventura) who lived between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, who served for the state Pontifical in Naples and Florence and above all for the Republic of Venice. Portraiture with these characters, which derives from ancient coinage, was used in the sixteenth century in the sequences of Portraits of Illustrious Men, both in painting and in sculpture. The profile portrait was in fact a genre reserved, according to the Renaissance tradition, for celebrations, presenting those characteristics of imperturbability typical of the military role covered. Our painting is a work created by an author active in Tuscany towards the end of the sixteenth century, adhering to those pictorial styles made famous by the portraitist Cristofano di Papi dell'Altissimo (1530-1605), a pupil of Bronzino and then of Pontormo, known for having created a collection of about 500 portraits of illustrious men, known as the 'Gioviana Series' (now in the Uffizi Gallery); and among these it is possible to identify one dedicated to Niccolò Orsini. Our painting is inspired, in particular, by a print taken from the collection of prints...

Ancient View of Loeven is an original etching realized by George Braun and Franz Hogenberg in the Late 16th Century, as part of the famous Series "Civitates Orbis Terrarum" (Atlas of...

Oil on chestnut board. Central European school of the 16th century. The traditional scene, presents the Infant Jesus who, in the arms of his Mother with whom he exchanges a tender gl...

Italian School, late 16th century Head of a Man and Écorché Studies of Arms Red chalk on laid paper, 21 x 11 cm Provenance: Collection of Michael Jaffé CBE (1923–1997), English art historian and Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Private collection, France This drawing, attributed to the Italian School of the late 16th century, demonstrates the influence of Michelangelo’s approach to anatomy and expression. The sheet combines two distinct studies: an anatomical rendering of arms in the écorché technique, focusing on the musculature and skeletal details, and a head of a man, drawn with careful attention to light and shadow. The use of red chalk lends the work warmth and immediacy, qualities often associated with Renaissance studies of the human form. The écorché studies reflect the Renaissance fascination with anatomy as both an artistic and scientific pursuit. The detailed depiction of the musculature suggests the artist’s interest in understanding the mechanics of the body, a practice heavily influenced by Michelangelo’s drawings...