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Period: 17th Century
Painting Moses Saved by the Waters, 17th century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on Canvas.
The scene recounts the biblical episode from the book of 'Exodus in which baby Moses, whom his mother had entrusted to the river inside a basket to save him from the ...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Bronze Urns with Citrus Trees, 2 prints
Located in Middletown, NY
Pair of reproductive prints after Jean le Pautre’s engravings after Claude Ballin, 1670s, heightened with gouache and gold, on Fabriano wove paper, a deckle edge at bottom. 22 x 14 3...
Category
French School 17th Century Art
Materials
Watercolor, Handmade Paper
Profile of an Oriental Man - Etching - 17th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Profile of an oriental man is an artwork realized in 17th Century, after HARMENSZ VAN RIJN REMBRANDT, (1606 Leiden - 1669 Amsterdam)
Etching on paper. 13 x 12 cm.
Slightly stained, heavily trimmed.
The motif shows reminiscences of similar motifs of Rembrandt, as well as of Salomon Koninck...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Etching
Religious Subject Oil on Canvas Italy XVII Century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil painting on canvas. It is a vintage copy of the engraving of the same name made by Annibale Carracci (1560-1609), which had immediate success and gave rise to a series of printed replicas and painted copies. It presents the moment of the Passion in which Christ is crowned with the crown of thorns, the object of torture, the disparaging symbol of his proclamation as King of Kings. The act is performed by two figures, the Roman soldier and the Jew, representing the two people who they took part in Christ's death sentence. The figures, vigorous and sanguine, those of the two tormentors paler and more inert than the victim, create an intertwined composition of bodies, with that of the central Jesus joining the other two, uniting them in the shared responsibility of what they are doing; placed sideways, Jesus has his head bent forcibly to the left by the soldier who imposes the crown of thorns on him, while the Jew on the right places the bamboo cane in his hand, replacing the scepter. The scene is dominated by gloomy and dark colors, among which only the bright red of Christ's robe stands...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Painting with a Healing Scene 17th Century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on copper. Flemish school of the seventeenth century.
The painting, attributed by oral tradition to Frans Francken the younger (1581 -1642), depicts a miraculous healing perform...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Pair of Antique 17th Century Floral Still Life Paintings, attr. Vincenzino
Located in London, GB
Pair of Antique 17th Century Floral Still Life Paintings, Attributed to Vincenzino
Italian, second half 17th Century
Dimensions: Frame height 111cm, width 170cm, depth 7cm; Canvas he...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert, Dancing Putti, Pan, Satyr, Rubens School, Model
By Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert
Located in Greven, DE
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert
Pan plays to the dance of the putti
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (1614 Bergen op Zoom - 1654 Antwerp)
Pan plays to the dance of the putti
Oil sketch
Oil on canvas, 35 x 51 cm
Provenance:
Belgian private collection, ca. 1980 to 2020.
The oil sketch shows a flute-playing man with dark curls sitting at the left edge
of the picture in a recess draped with cloth. In the lower left corner, a fallen
bowl with leaking water can be seen. The right half of the picture shows a circle
of five dancing putti, whereby the left putti can be recognized as a satyr due to
the goat legs. The background is dominated by a dark mountain landscape. In
the sky a rising or setting sun can be guessed. It is possible that the flute player
represents Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy. This fits with the flute as a
symbol of celebration, as well as the bowl of water, which could refer to
Bacchus' mother, Lethe. Lethe is a river in the underworld, which at the same
time symbolizes "oblivion". Thus, the spilling water bowl is not only a reference
to this river, but it also symbolizes "oblivion". Moreover, Bacchus is usually
depicted with satyrs in his retinue, which would explain the putto with goat legs.
However, the interpretation of the flute player as the god Pan would be
possible. He is usually shown with his flute and associated with dance.
Moreover, he is native to the mountainous landscape of Arcadia.
The present work is an oil sketch, i.e. a preparatory study. This is suggested by
the partly unfinished parts, as well as the structure of the picture. Some parts
are already almost completely laid out, such as the flute player, while others, for
example the horizon and also the figures of the putti, are only sketched in
outline.
The painting can be attributed to the Baroque painter Thomas Willeboirts
Bosschaert. This attribution was also confirmed by Prof. Hans Vlieghe.
Bosschaert lived and worked in Antwerp with Peter Paul Rubens and Anthonis
van Dyck, among others. He studied with Gerard Seghers...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas
The Queen of Great Britain arriving in Portsmouth 25 May 1662 & The Arrival in L
Located in Middletown, NY
Two images of Queen Catharina of Braganza; one before her marriage to King Charles II, the other after, as Queen of Great Britian. Engraved by Matthiäus Merian, father of Maria Sybli...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Laid Paper, Engraving
Painting Penitent Magdalene 17th century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on Canvas. Lombard school of the seventeenth century.
According to classical iconography, the penitent Magdalene is depicted with tears in her eyes, her hair down, unkempt, hold...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Anthony van Dyck, Engraving Ernest de Mansfeld, c. 1654, Portrait, Iconographie
Located in Greven, DE
A wonderfully detailed and charismatic portrait, this exquisite work illustrates the technical mastery and artistic vision of Van Dyck. Ernest de Mansfeld's stately yet approachable expression reflects Van Dyck's refined ability to comfort and relax his subjects, resulting in a realistic and acute portrait. Ernest de Mansfeld was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years War. Donning his armor and an ornate, lace collar, de Mansfeld appears as a strong commander. Without a hint of a smile, he calmly gazes out, the definition of cool and collected. Van Dyck accurately captures the sense that de Mansfeld is a man who takes his job seriously, a man worthy of commanding an army in battle.
This portrait is a Mauquoy-Hendrickx State II (of II), engraved by Robertus van Voerst in collaboration with Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp, 1559 - London, 1641) as part of his Iconographie series of engraved portraits of famous people...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Engraving, Laid Paper
Abstract Yellow & Green (Mid-Century Modern Abstract, Table Still-Life Painting)
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract Yellow and Green (Yellow, Green and Black Tablescape Oil Painting) by New York School Painter and WPA artist, Lionel Gilbert
Signed, lower left
This horizontal painting was...
Category
Abstract Geometric 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Feast in the Garden of Love, 17th century Antwerp, Louis de Caullery
Located in PARIS, FR
Louis de Caullery (1582-1621)
Antwerp School early 17th century
Oil on oak panel
Dimensions: h. 51 cm (20.08 in), w. 43 cm (16.93 in)
Ebonized wooden frame
Framed: h. 67 cm (26.38 in...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Painting with Female Bust with Flower Garland, late 17th, early 18th century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on Canvas. Central-Italian school of the late 17th-early 18th century.
The composition proposes a female bust in the center, portrayed as if it were a sculptural effigy, because ...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Still Life with Flowers, Fruits and Animals
Located in Milan, IT
Oil painting on canvas. Neapolitan school of the seventeenth-eighteenth century. The large composition is rich in numerous different elements: in the center stands a large floral com...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Study Of King David, 17th Century School Of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
By Peter Paul Rubens
Located in Blackwater, GB
Study Of David, 17th Century
School Of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
17th Century Dutch study of the head of David before the battle against Goliath & The Philistines, oil on canva...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Eastern European Mannerist Portrait, woman in traditional dress
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Eastern European young woman in traditional dress with silver lacings and jewelry holding an open book. This portrait pose is in the Renaissance period Mannerist style, and the young...
Category
Mannerist 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Duchess of St. Albans: A 17th C. Portrait After a Kneller Painting
By (After) Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a 17th century engraved mezzotint portrait of the Duchess of St. Albans by John Smith, after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller. It was published in London by John Boydell in 1694.
The Duchess of St. Albans (1642-1712) was a woman named Diana de Vere. She was born in 1642, the daughter of Aubrey de Vere, the 20th Earl of Oxford. In 1662, she married Charles Beauclerk, the illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mistress, Nell Gwyn. As a result of her marriage, Diana became the Duchess of St. Albans, and she and Charles had several children together. Diana was known for her beauty and charm, and she was a prominent figure in the court of King Charles II. Despite her husband's illegitimate birth, Diana was highly respected in the royal court and was known for her intelligence and wit. She was a patron of the arts and supported many artists and writers of the time. Diana lived through a tumultuous period of English history, including the Great Fire of London and the Glorious Revolution, which saw King James II replaced by William of Orange. She died in 1712 at the age of 70 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Descendants of Diana and her husband, who was an illegitimate son of King Charles II, include Diana, Princess of Wales and her son William, Duke of Cambridge.
An author wrote of her: "The line of Vere, so long renown’d in arms,
Concludes with luster in St. Albans’s charms;
Her conquering eyes have made their race complete,
It rose in valor, and in beauty set."
This striking mezzotint engraving depicts Diana, Duchess of St Albans in a three-quarter length pose, standing, wearing loose flowing dress and a wrap. She has a very serene, calm appearance as she is looking straight at the viewer. There is a landscape of trees in the background. The print is adhered in the corners to an archival backing, which is itself adhered in the upper corners to a larger backing. The print is trimmed to just beyond the plate mark. There are areas of discoloration in the margins and in the inscription area, but the print is otherwise in very good condition. The sheet measures 14.5" high and 10" wide. This mezzotint is held by multiple museums and institutions, including The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery London, The Fine Arts Museum of Boston, The Lewis Walpole Library at Yale, The Yale Center for British Art, The Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge and The National Galleries of Scotland. The original Kneller painting is part of the British Royal Collection Trust and hangs in the King's Private Dining Room at Hampton Court Palace.
Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) was a leading portrait painter of his time, particularly renowned for his depictions of the British aristocracy and royalty. He was born in Lübeck, Germany, and trained in Amsterdam under the painter Ferdinand Bol...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Mezzotint
Landscape with a Bridge and Fishermen - Original etching
Located in Paris, IDF
PERELLE Family (17th Century)
Landscape with a Bridge and Fishermen
Original Engraving
Signed in the plate
On laid paper, 15.5 x 28 cm
INFORMATION: This family of artists, led by G...
Category
Academic 17th Century Art
Materials
Etching
17th Century Upper Torso Fragment
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Glorious, c. 1650, hand-carved, solid Carrara marble upper torso fragment of a Roman soldier. The piece featuring fish-scale armor atop a tunic. The rig...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Marble, Iron
Young Man with a Sword, a Fist on his Hip, a drawing by Cornelis Saftleven
Located in PARIS, FR
Black chalk and white highlights on paper (originally washed in blue)
Monogrammed and dated 1630 on the right
This drawing, executed in black chalk and enhanced with white brushwor...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Paper, Chalk
The Plank Bridge – Landschap met een bruggetje van planken
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching on thin cream laid paper with a partial "M" or "W" watermark, 5 x 5 15/16 inches (126 x 150 mm), thread margins. Inscribed in the plate in the upper-right: “Antoni Waterlo fe...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Etching, Laid Paper
The Continence of Scipio, XVIIth century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on panel. Northern European school of the 17th century. The scene depicts an episode in the life of Scipio narrated by Tito Livio and Valerio Massimo. Publius Cornelius Scipio, l...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Cleopatra Queen of Egypt 17' century Painting Oil on Canvas
Located in Rome, IT
Amazing painting of Cleopatra oil on canvas with a gilt wood frame.
Attributed to Giuseppe Diamantini (Fossombrone 1621-Venice 1705)
The dramatic subje...
Category
Academic 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
17th Century Oil on Canvas Rudolphine School Painting Cherubs Game, 1670
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Antique painting from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting an allegorical subject from the Rudolphine school, a game of cherubs with wild game, of exc...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
unknown
Located in Los Angeles, CA
17th century oil on panel of Piazza di Spagna. Italian school. Frame later.
Category
Italian School 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Southern Landscape with Cows, circle of Both, Dutch 17th Century Old Master
By Jan Dirksz Both
Located in Greven, DE
Circle of Andries Both, Southern Landscape with Cows. Both moved to Italy ( Rome and Venice) where is work was influenced by the warm Italian light.
Decorative Painting
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas
Still Life with Flowers, Fruit and Goldfinch, 17th century
Located in Milan, IT
Oil painting on canvas. In the beautiful composition you can see, resting on an inlaid wooden sideboard, a basket full of cherries, some of which are scattered on the top, and a plat...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Portrait of Lady Frances Norcliffe (1654-1731) , 17th Century
By John Michael Wright
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait of Lady Frances Norcliffe (1654-1731) , 17th Century
by John Michael WRIGHT (1617-1694) to $600,000
Large 17th century portrait of Lady Frances Norcliffe, oil on canvas by...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Normandy Region of France: A 17th C. Hand-colored Map by Sanson and Jaillot
Located in Alamo, CA
This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Duché et Gouvernement de Normandie divisée en Haute et Basse Normandie en divers Pays; et par evêchez, avec le Gouvernement General du Havre ...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Engraving
Important 17' Century Mythological Painting Diana and Actaeon Oil on Canvas
Located in Rome, IT
Fascinating mythological story of Diana and Actaeon can be found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Very important provenance from a royal collection. Fabulous finely carved gilt wood coeval...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Still Life Of Pears, Apples and Grapes in an upturned basket, 17th Century
Located in Blackwater, GB
Still Life Of Pears, Apples and Grapes in an upturned basket, 17th Century
circle of BARTHOLOMEUS ASSTEYN (1607-1667)
Huge 17th Century Dutch Still Life of apples, pears and grape...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait Of A Young Lady, Rachel Russell, Duchess of Devon
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of A Young Lady, Traditionally Identified As Rachel Russell, Duchess of Devonshire (1674-1725)
circle of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Cartusia Bruxellensis Monastery in Brussels: A 17th C. Hand-colored Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a 17th century hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Cartusia Bruxellensis" by Lucas Vorsterman, the Younger, after a drawing by Jacob van Werden or Jacques van Weerden, published in 1659 in Antonius Sanderus' book 'Chorographia sacra Brabantiae sive celebrium aliquot in ea provincia ecclesiarum et coenobiorum descriptio . . . Brussel' (A sacred chorography of Brabant, or a description of several famous churches and convents in that province). It also appeared in other publications by Sanderus. In the 17th century, Brussels was within the Duchy of Brabant.
This engraving depicts a bird's-eye view of the Scheut Carthusian Monastery in Brussels. Scheut is a district of Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. The monastery housed monks, who took a vow of silence, in 20 rooms. There is a central courtyard with trees and shrubs. Monks are depicted strolling along its pathways. The cells for the friars are in the middle the cloister. There are people along the streets in the foreground and to the right of the large, imposing monastery. Some are on horseback, others are walking. In the lower right, what appears to be a dog pulls a small cart containing barrels, possibly of beer or wine. Districts and neighborhoods are labelled in the background, including Scheut, Anderlecht and Ransfort. A very ornate cartouche in the lower left contains Latin and the artist's attribution. Another decorative cartouche in the upper central area contains the title.
This beautifully hand-colored and detailed engraving is printed on laid, chain-linked paper with wide, full margins. The sheet measures 17.25" high and 21.25" wide. It has Latin text on the verso. It has a central vertical fold, as issued, which is reinforced on the verso. Two small spots in the lower margin may actually represent drops of watercolor paint used to color the engraving. It is otherwise in very good condition.
Antonius Sanderus (1586-1664) was a Flemish Catholic cleric and historian. He was born "Antoon Sanders", but Latinized his name like many writers and scholars of his time. He was the author of several books, including 'Chorographia Sacra Brabantiae', which was illustrated with this engraving.
Lucas Vorsterman the Younger (1624-between 1666 & 1676) was a Flemish Baroque engraver and draughtsman. He produced engravings after the work of contemporary painters and for books by Antwerp publishers.
Jacob van Werden or Jacques van Weerden (active 1643-1669), was a Flemish draughtsman, cartographer, military engineer and archer who was active in the Habsburg Netherlands. His drawings were used as designs for prints executed by various printmakers. He worked on maps, topographical views, historical scenes, portraits and book illustrations. He had a career as a military engineer and a member of the guard of the Spanish King. He advised on various military engineering projects and was an engineer of the Spanish army...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Engraving
Portugal: A Large 17th Century Hand-colored Map by Sanson and Jaillot
Located in Alamo, CA
This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Royaume de Portugal et des Algarves Divisee en see Archeveches, Eveches et Territoires Par le Sr Sanson" was originally created by Nicholas S...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Engraving
Roman master carver 17th century (II/II) Mirror Gold Italy Old master Wood Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Pair of large oval-shaped baroque mirrors (II / II)
Roman master carver of the seventeenth century
Carved, lacquered and gilded wood
Antique mercury silvered glass mirror
92 x 76 cm.
(at the mirror 59 x 43 cm.)
We present this pair of prestigious oval-shaped mirrors (of which a second pair is also available, of excellent executive level, which interprets the period of the Italian Baroque in an exemplary way.
The works are in carved and gilded wood with a black lacquered background, richly decorated with a deep volute carving with particularly vigorous leaf motifs, coping and lateral ends embellished with cherub heads.
This type of boldly carved volute acanthus mirrors...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Gold
17th Century Dutch School Painting of a Goshawk
Located in London, GB
DUTCH SCHOOL 17TH CENTURY
A Goshawk perched on a Falconer's Gloved Hand
Oil on Canvas
Circa. 1660
29 3/4 x 24 7/8 inches (75.5 x 63 cms)
Provenance: Private Collection, Paris
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Attributed à H. Francken II, 17th c. Anwerp - The prodigal son among courtesans
Located in PARIS, FR
The Prodigal Son Among Courtesans
Attributed to Hieronymus Francken II (Antwerp 1578-1623)
Early 17th century Antwerp school
Oil on oak panel,
Dimensions: H. 52.5 cm (20.67 in), W. 74 cm (29.14 in)
Flemish-style moulded wood frame
Frame: h. 78 cm (h. 30.70 in.), w. 100 cm (39.37 in.)
At first glance, this festive and joyful painting depicts a group of elegantly dressed people dancing to the sound of an orchestra in a richly decorated interior with a wide opening onto a rural exterior. However, the real theme is cleverly concealed by the painter and is only discernible through the artifice of a small scene in the background where we see a half-naked man, in the company of the pigs next to a makeshift shelter.
In fact, beyond the pleasant and apparently superficial character of the painting, it is a subject taken from the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel. The illustrated episode is the prodigal son among courtesans.
Even if the viewer's attention is drawn to the central couple (prodigal son embracing a pretty courtesan) doing the dance steps, the artist takes care in a narrative approach of all the groups and ancillary scenes in order to create a rich and varied composition. Thus the musicians seated on a raised platform are depicted with great skill, their faces animated, their clothes abundantly varied.
The theme of music, which has always been associated with that of sensuality and physical love, helps to exacerbate licentious pleasures.
The merry company dances "Spanish pavane", a slow court dance from the sixteenth century, danced close to the ground by couples arranged in a procession, which was probably introduced to the south of the Netherlands around 1600 during the governance of Albrecht VII and the daughter of the King of Spain Isabella Clara Eugenia in Brussels.
The interior of the house is also carefully elaborated, the embossed leather dyes on the walls, the middle sideboard (typical in Francken interiors), where the rich gold and silver crockery is placed in front of the painting "Andromeda chained to the rock and Perseus arriving to rescue her". The inclusion of a contemporary and probably extant pictorial work is also one of the characteristics of the Francken family, among them Frans Francken the Younger...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Oak, Oil
Sleeping Man
Located in Middletown, NY
A superb impression from an important mid-19th century collection.
Etching on white laid paper with a partial crown and shield watermark, 4 x 2 7/8 inches (102 mm x 73 mm), margins....
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Laid Paper, Etching
17th Century Still Life Felice Boselli Natura Morta Animals Oil on Canvas Yellow
By Felice Boselli
Located in Sanremo, IT
Pair of paintings, still on the first canvas, oil on canvas measuring 70 x 82 cm without frame and 80 x 92 cm with coeval frame by the painter Felice Boselli (Piacenza 1650 - Parma 1732) depicting a still life with popular characters, animals and game.
Felice Boselli was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, best known for still lifes of game...
Category
Italian School 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Early 17th Century Portrait
Located in London, GB
English School, (circa 1600)
Portrait of William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke
Oil on panel, oval
Image size: 29¼ x 23⅞ inches
Painted wooden frame
Provenance:
176, Collection of Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick.
The Trustees of the Lord Brooks’ Settlement, (removed from Warwick Castle).
Sotheby’s, London, 22nd March 1968, lot 81.
Painted onto wooden panel, this portrait shows a dark haired gentleman in profile sporting an open white shirt. On top of this garments is a richly detailed black cloak, decorated with gold thread and lined with a sumptuous crimson lining. With the red silk inside it’s all very expensive and would fall under sumptuary laws – so this is a nobleman of high degree.
It’s melancholic air conforms to the contemporary popularity of this very human condition, evident in fashionable poetry and music of the period. In comparison to our own modern prejudices, melancholy was associated with creativity in this period.
This portrait appeared in the earliest described list of pictures of Warwick castle dating to 1762. Compiled by collector and antiquary Sir William Musgrave ‘taken from the information of Lord & Lady Warwick’ (Add. MSS, 5726 fol. 3) is described;
‘8. Earl of Essex – an original by Zuccharo – seen in profile with black hair. Holding a black robe across his breast with his right hand.’
As tempting as it is to imagine that this is a portrait of Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl Essex, we might take this with a pinch of salt. Its identification with this romantic and fatal Elizabethan might well have been an attempt to add romance to Warwick Castle’s walls. It doesn’t correspond all that well with Essex’s portraits around 1600 after his return from Cadiz. Notably, this picture was presumably hung not too far away from the castle’s two portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. The first, and undoubtedly the best, being the exquisite coronation portrait that was sold by Lord Brooke in the late 1970s and now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. The second, described as being ‘a copy from the original at Ld Hydes’, has yet to resurface.
The portrait eventually ended up being hung in the State Bedroom of Warwick Castle.
Archival documents present one other interesting candidate. The Greville family’s earliest inventory of paintings, made in 1630 at their home Brooke House in Holborn, London, describes five portraits of identified figures. All five belonged to the courtier, politician and poet Sir Fulke Greville (1554-1628), 1st Baron Brooke, and were hung in the ‘Gallerie’ of Brooke House behind yellow curtains. One of them was described as being of ‘Lord of Pembrooke’, which is likely to have been William Herbert (1580-1630), 3rd Earl of Pembroke. William was the eldest son of Greville’s best friend’s sister Mary Sidney, and was brought up in the particularly literary and poetically orientated household which his mother had supported. Notably, the 3rd Earl was one of the figures that Shakespeare’s first folio was dedicated to in 1623.
The melancholic air to the portrait corresponds to William’s own pretensions as a learned and poetic figure. The richness of the robe in the painting, sporting golden thread and a spotted black fabric, is indicative of wealth beyond that of a simple poet or actor. The portrait’s dating to around the year 1600 might have coincided with William’s father death and his own rise to the Pembroke Earldom. This period of his life too was imbued with personal sadness, as an illicit affair with a Mary Fitton had resulted in a pregnancy and eventual banishment by Elizabeth I to Wilton after a short spell in Fleet Prison. His illegitimate son died shortly after being born. Despite being a close follower of the Earl of Essex, William had side-stepped supporting Devereux in the fatal uprising against the Queen and eventually regained favour at the court of the next monarch James I.
His linen shirt is edged with a delicate border of lace and his black cloak is lined on the inside with sumptuous scarlet and richly decorated on the outside with gold braid and a pattern of embroidered black spots.
Despite the richness of his clothes, William Herbert has been presented in a dishevelled state of semi-undress, his shirt unlaced far down his chest with the ties lying limply over his hand, indicating that he is in a state of distracted detachment. It has been suggested that the fashion for melancholy was rooted in an increase in self-consciousness and introspective reflection during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In contemporary literature melancholy was said to be caused by a plenitude of the melancholy humor, one of the four vital humors, which were thought to regulate the functions of the body. An abundance of the melancholia humor was associated with a heightened creativity and intellectual ability and hence melancholy was linked to the notion of genius, as reflected in the work of the Oxford scholar Robert Burton, who in his work ‘The Anatomy of Melancholy’, described the Malcontent as ‘of all others [the]… most witty, [who] causeth many times divine ravishment, and a kind of enthusiamus… which stirreth them up to be excellent Philosophers, Poets and Prophets.’ (R. Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, London, 1621 in R. Strong, ‘Elizabethan Malady: Melancholy in Elizabethan and Jacobean Portraits’, Apollo, LXXIX, 1964).
Melancholy was viewed as a highly fashionable affliction under Elizabeth I, and her successor James I, and a dejected demeanour was adopted by wealthy young men, often presenting themselves as scholars or despondent lovers, as reflected in the portraiture and literature from this period. Although the sitter in this portrait is, as yet, unidentified, it seems probable that he was a nobleman with literary or artistic ambitions, following in the same vain as such famous figures as the aristocratic poet and dramatist, Edward de Vere...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait of Noble Lady
Located in New Orleans, LA
Signed and dated "N MAE / 1691" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
A masterful example of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, this magnificent oil on canvas comes alive with luminous color, dramatic contrast and extraordinary detail. The work was composed by Nicolaes Maes, an artist widely regarded as the most prominent portrait painter of his era in Amsterdam. Fashionably styled, Portrait of a Noble Lady exemplifies the mature style of Maes, executed with the same artistry and attention to detail he imparted on his most important private commissions.
This work by Maes comes from the second half of his career and follows in the rich tradition of the great Flemish Baroque painters Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Like these artists, Maes excels at not only capturing his subjects with a technical perfection but also their inherent elegance and grace. The sitter is draped in luxurious white and red silks and pearls, underscoring the importance and prosperity of his wealthy clientele. She is placed against a dark backdrop, enabling a striking chiaroscuro effect characteristic of the artist’s portraits.
Maes’s immense talent for detail and composition is clearly evident. In both palette and proportion, it embodies the somewhat austere style preferred by the artist, which emphasized a painstaking study of the costumes, hairstyles and accessories of his subjects. Such elaborate and highly detailed costuming in portraiture was a fashionable way to show one's wealth in the 17th century, particularly among the emerging class of wealthy merchants. Similar works by the painter can be found in the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), National Gallery (London), National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others.
Nicolaes Maes was born in Dordrecht in 1634 to a prosperous cloth merchant. Around 1848, he moved to Amsterdam to study under Rembrandt for several years before returning to his native Dordrecht, where he established himself as a painter of genre scenes and portraits. In the 1650s, Maes traveled to Antwerp where he studied the work of Flemish artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Sketch of a Man in Profile
Located in London, GB
Sketch of a Man in Profile
17th Century French School
Ink on paper
Image Size: 10 1/2 x 7 inches (26.5 x 17.5 cm)
Framed
Provenance
The estate of Joseph McCrindle
Christies Old Masters and British Pictures and Old Master Drawings Sale 12th December 2008
This highly worked picture shows us a man depicted in profile is seen interacting with a scene that extends beyond the boundaries of the paper's composition, the pen strokes intricately portraying the man's face, rendering a detailed, textured complexion. He points his left hand out to something in the distance, with a look of almost alarm.
The artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-64) did a series of oriental head studies.
The exotic headgear that he wears and this type of oriental head studies, had its principal source was of course Rembrandt, who etched many similar heads during the 1630s.
In the seventeenth-century Western European imagination, the turbaned figure represented the epitome of alterity: the Ottoman Turk. Ottoman costume...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Paper, Ink
Hungary & Eastern Europe: A Large 17th C. Hand-colored Map by Sanson & Jaillot
Located in Alamo, CA
This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Royaume De Hongrie et les Estats qui en ont este sujets et qui font presentement La Partie Septentrionale de la Turquie en Europe" was origin...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Engraving
Two botanical prints after Cornelisi Bloemaert & Vincenzo Leonardi
Located in Middletown, NY
Two botanical prints after Cornelis Bloemaert & Vincenzo Leonardi
"Lemon", from Hesperides. Reproductive print on thick C.M. Fabriano cotton wove paper; and Pierre Joseph Buchot (17...
Category
French School 17th Century Art
Materials
Watercolor, Engraving
"Putti games in a park"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
François Liberti (17th-18th Century) – "Putti Games in a Park"
An enchanting Baroque-era oil painting attributed to François Liberti (17th-18th century), depicting a joyous scene of ...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Frontispiece, from La Nuit, La Faim (The Night, The Hunger), 1960
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Georges Braque Frontispiece, from La Nuit, La Faim (The Night, The Hunger), 1960 is an abstract work which takes inspiration from a poem by Georges Riebmont-Dessaignes. Georges Riebm...
Category
Modern 17th Century Art
Materials
Lithograph
17th Century Old Master Religious Oil painting - Rest on the Flight into Egypt
By Pier Francesco Mola
Located in London, GB
Attributed to Pier Francesco MOLA, called Il TICINESE (1612-1666)
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
oil on canvas
25.5 x 27 inches including ...
Category
Baroque 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
1600’s Flemish Old Master Ink Wash Drawing Biblical Figures Group on paper
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figure Studies
Attriubted to Cornelis Schut
(1597 - 1655) Flemish
ink drawing on paper, inscribed on mount
size: 4.75 x 7 inches
private collection, France
The painting is in overa...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
By Philipp Peter Roos, Roman countryside with herds
By Philipp Peter Roos (Rosa di Tivoli)
Located in Milan, IT
Philipp Peter Roos, known as Rosa da Tivoli (Sankt Goar, August 30, 1657 - Rome, January 17, 1706)
Pair of landscapes of the Roman countryside with catkins
(2) Oil on canvas, 22 x ...
Category
Other Art Style 17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
View of an Antique City, a wash landscape by Jan de Bisschop (1628 - 1671)
Located in PARIS, FR
The attribution to Jan de Bisschop has been confirmed by the RKD with the following comment: "We base this attribution on the dark washes, the subject represented and the monogram".
...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Ink, Pen
Carvaly Skirmish At Night, 17th Century
By Jacques Courtois
Located in Blackwater, GB
Carvaly Skirmish At Night, 17th Century
school of Jacques Courtois (1621-1676)
Large 17th Century Italian Old Master night battle with cavalry offic...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait Of William II Prince Of Orange, circa 1650 Dutch School
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of William II Prince Of Orange, circa 1650
Dutch School
Large 17th Century Dutch Schoo Old Master portrait of William II Prince Of Orange, oil on panel. Early important original court portrait on an oak panel of the young prince and father of William III, his only child and later King...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Nobleman in Armour, 17th Century Oil Painting
Located in London, GB
Oil on canvas
Image size: 30 x 35 inches (76.25 x 89 cm)
Carved gilt frame
A half-length portrait of a man turned slightly to the left, gazing at the spectator, standing, wearing st...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait Of Essex Finch, Countess Of Nottingham, 17th Century
Located in Blackwater, GB
Portrait Of Essex Finch, Countess Of Nottingham, 17th Century
circle of Sir Peter LELY (1618-1680)
Large 17th Century English Old Master po...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Parrot, Snake, Lizard and Ducks, 17th Century Genoese School
Located in Blackwater, GB
Parrot, Snake, Lizard and Ducks, 17th Century
Genoese School
Fine Large 17th Century Italian Old Master from the Genoese School of a parrot, ducks a lizard and snake, oil on canva...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves" 1653, is an etching on paper After Rembrandt Van Rijn, 1606-1669, plate engraved By French renown engraver Charles Arma...
Category
Realist 17th Century Art
Materials
Etching
Still Life Of Grapes In The Vineyard, 17th Century
Located in Blackwater, GB
Still Life Of Grapes In The Vineyard, 17th Century
Pierre Antoine Lemoyne (French 1605-1665) similar to $250,000
Huge 17th Century French Old Master study of grapes in the vineyard, oil on canvas by Pierre Antoine Lemoyne. Excellent quality and condition study of the vines and grapes growing before a rustic building. Exceptional detail and rare early work of art on the subject of wine making...
Category
17th Century Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Saint John the Baptist Paint Pasinelli 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Lorenzo Pasinelli (Bologna, 1629 - 1700)
Sermon of Saint John the Baptist Circa 1650.
Oil on canvas 115 x 154 cm With frame 136 x 174 cm
Provenance Milan, Porro 6 June 2006 ...
Category
Old Masters 17th Century Art
Materials
Oil
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