18th Century and Earlier Art

This magnificent oil on panel portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is a splendid example of the sumptuous female portraits that were painted for members of the upper echelons of so...

Giovanni Agostino Cassana (c.1658 – 6 May 1720) Venetian Birds with an Upturned Basket of Fruit Oil on canvas: 25 x 35 in. Frame: 33 x 43 in. Abate, or Giovanni Agostino Cassana ...

The Battle of the Novogorodians with the Suzdalians 16th century Size 50.5 x 47.5 x 3 cm. The icon is located in the Russian Federation. There is an expert opinion from leading R...

Style of Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) Venetian Canal Scenes, a pair -San Giorgio Maggiore from the Bacino di San Marco -Santa Maria della Salute from the Grand Canal Oils on canvas: 13 X 18 ¼ in. Frame: 18 ½ x 23 ½ in. Late 18th / early 19th century. Francesco Guardi was an Italian painter of veduta, nobleman, and a member of the Venetian School. He was born in Venice in 1712, the son of a minor painter, Domenico Guardi, and went on to become, after Canaletto, the main painter of views of Venice in the mid-18th century. His early figurative paintings were carried out in association with his brother, Gian Antonio, but in about 1760 Guardi turned to view painting, recording both the architecture of the city and the celebrations of its inhabitants in interior and exterior scenes. These works brought him great success. The earliest of these show the influence of Canaletto, but he gradually adopted a looser style characterized by spirited brush-strokes and freely imagined architecture. Gallery notes: This fabulous pair of Venetian scenes are a work by a highly talented but unknown artist painting...

Presented by Titan Fine Art, this painting formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This portrait hung in the Grand Hall. This exquisite grand manner work is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during a large part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The artist has depicted an elegant lady, three quarter length and seated on porch with a luxurious crimson swag curtain by her side. The clothing – known as “undress” at the time, consists of red silk fastened at the front and sleeves by large gold and diamond jewels over a simple white chemise. In her lap she holds a blue wrap and in her other hand, at her chest, she clutches the end of a sheer gauzy scarf that has been draped around her body with the other end a type of headdress – this type of sheer scarf was often employed by Wissing in his portraits. The classical architecture signifies cultivation and sophistication and the luxurious swag curtain is a signifier of wealth. The portrait can be dated to circa 1680 based on the sitter’s attire, the “hurluberlu” hairstyle, and other portraits by Wissing using the same formula. This oil on canvas portrait has been well cared for over its life, which spans almost 350 years. Having recently been treated to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, the finer details and proper colour can now be fully appreciated. Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare. Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone. Much of the attractiveness of this portrait resides in its graceful manner and the utter beauty of the youthful sitter. Presented in a beautiful carved and gilded period frame, which is a work of art in itself. Willem Wissing was a Dutch artist who enjoyed a solid artistic training at The Hague under Arnold van Ravesteyn (c.1650-1690) and Willem Dougijns (1630-1697). He came to London in 1676 and most probably joined the studio or Sir Peter Lely as an assistant that same year. After Lely’s death in 1680 he effectively took over his business and he scaled the heights of patronage with extraordinary ease, creating an independent practise in 1687, and painted for very important aristocratic patrons. King Charles II was so impressed by a portrait Wissing painted of his son, the Duke of Monmouth, in 1683 that he commissioned his own portrait and that of his Queen Catherine...

Antique painting depicting the Face of Christ as Salvator Mundi Flemish painter, 16th-17th century Oil on copper 22 x 18 cm./ framed 42 x ...

Follower of Adriaen Coorte (1665-1707) 18th Century Still Life c1795 A sumptuous still life painting depicting peaches, grapes, plums, exotic birds and butterflies in the style of ...

The scene of Christ carrying the cross is imagined in a rocky landscape. Two soldiers press the cross onto his shoulders, another leads him, holding the rope. A line of soldiers and prisoners moves from right to left. In front of them the three Marys kneel and pray for Christ. A nursing woman, symbol of Caritas, sits in the right foreground. Some dogs and playing kids enliven the scenery. Simon de Vos was born in Antwerp, and was first taught by Cornelis de Vos...

Hyacinthe Rigaud (Perpignan 1659 - Paris 1743) Circle Portrait of Philip V, King of Spain (Versailles 1683 - Madrid 1746) Oil on canvas 72 x 59 cm - framed 87 x 74 cm. The painting...

A superb Han Dynasty pair of terra cotta figures, a horse with its attendant, in superb condition. Ex. Hamrick collection, New Orleans. They purchased...

This magnificent grand-scale work, offered by Titan Fine Art, formed part of a collection of family pictures and heirlooms of the Rivers Baronets and their descendants for over 325 years, before it was dispersed by the last in the line in 1988. The work was painted by the most technically proficient painter in England after the death of Van Dyck, and the dominant court painter to Charles II and James, Duke of York, Sir Peter Lely. It is no surprise that for years Lely had no serious rivals, was enormously influential and successful, and one of the country’s most important painters – and his work influenced countless artists over generations. The exquisite carved and gilded auricular frame is an astounding work of art in itself. The sitters in this exquisite double portrait are Sir John Rivers, who succeeded as the 3rd Baronet Chafford in 1657 (c.1638 - c. 1679), and his wife, Lady Anne Hewitt (c.1640-c.1689). They are seated in an outdoor setting beside a fountain modelled as a female figure with water issuing into a scallop-shell. The water, the elaborate sculpted fountain with its scallop-edged bowl, and the open shell in her hand are symbols of fertility - as such they make an appropriate allusion to Lady Anne’s potential as wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, chapter 5, verse 18: “Let thye fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thye youth”. This reference was realised, as Sir John and Lady Anne produced at least six children; their son George (1665-1734) became 4th Baronet of Chafford. The composition, thus, represents a celebration of marriage and was likely commissioned around the time of the betrothal (the marriage took place 26th Feb 1662 or 1663). The statues in the left margin are 'Youth and 'Old Age' and are a typical form of Memento Mori reminding virile young man that even they will lose their youth and grow old. The Rivers family, originally of Kent, traces its history to Sir Bartholomew Rivers, in the reign of Edward IV. The family included several prominent members including several knights, a Commander in the King's Army, a steward of a ducal estate, a Lord-Mayor of London, and an M.P. John Rivers (c.1659-c.1651) was made 1st Baronet of Chafford in 1622 by King James I. The Chafford estate was the family seat and it remained so until the early 1700s with the death of Sir George Rivers, 4th Baronet (1665–1734), whose sons had all died. The Chafford estate was left to his daughters while the baronetcy passed to nephew John Rivers, 5th Baronet (c. 1718–1743), and then Sir John’s brother, Sir Peter Rivers-Gay, 6th Baronet (c. 1721–1790). Upon Sir Peter Rivers Gay's death the estate passed to his eldest son, Sir Thomas Rivers Gay, 7th Baronet (c. 1770–1805). Sir Thomas, dying in 1805 with no children, bequeathed the estate to his mother Dame Martha Rivers Gay, who managed the estate until 1834 when she settled it on the then Sir Henry Rivers, 9th Baronet (c. 1779–1851) her younger son, before dying shortly thereafter in 1835. Sir Henry had married in 1812 to Charlotte Eales, with whom he had 6 sons and 8 daughters. Upon his death in 1851 the estate passed to his eldest surviving son Sir James Francis Rivers, 10th Baronet (1822–1869). Sir James married Catherine Eastcott in 1867 but died childless in 1869, and the estate passed to his only surviving brother Sir Henry Chandos Rivers, 11th Baronet (1834–1870) but he died a year later in 1870 also childless; with no male heir the Baronetcy was therefore extinguished. The estate was bequeathed, in trust, by Sir Henry Chandos Rivers to Thomas Frederick Inman, a solicitor of Bath, who then managed the estate as a trustee on behalf of Sir Henry Chandos Rivers' sister Katherine Rivers (c.1826-1895). It then passed to Katherine River’s daughter, Katherine Wall (born c.1855), who had also inherited Worthy Park House from her father, George Alfred Ellis Wall (1825-1875). Until 1958 our portrait is known to have hung at Worthy Park House. Upon Katherine Wall’s death, the Rivers estate passed to her daughter, Katherine Eleonora Rivers Fryer (1889-1963), who married Colonel James Alexander Butchart 1877-1853. In 1958 the family sold Worthy Park House but our portrait was loaned to Southampton Museum and Art Gallery. After the death of Katherine and Colonel James, the estate was left to their only son, Charles Bruce Rivers Butchart (1917-2005) and upon Charles’ retirement to a nursing home in 1988, and without heirs, our portrait, along with the residual assets of the Rivers estate were sold, thus ending over 325 years of continual family ownership. Lady Anne Rivers is thought to have been born circa 1640. She was the fourth child of the second marriage of Sir Thomas Hewitt (or Hewett) (1606-1662), 1st Baronet of Pishobury, Herts, and his wife Margaret Lytton (died 1689). Sir Thomas was an English landowner and M.P. for Windsor and upon the English Restoration...

Indistinctly signed and dated In the first quarter of the 17th century a new form of flower painting was developed in Flemish painting, which, recreated by a large group of artists and workshops, would achieve considerable success throughout the century in much of Europe: the garland of flowers surrounding a central figure. Brueghel de Velurs was the initiator of this type of composition, however, it was his pupil, Daniel Seghers, who was the dominant figure in this specialised production and the creator of a prototype that would serve as a model for the numerous artists who followed in his wake. It seems undeniable that the artist of the present painting had seen the Garlands of Flowers Surrounding a Medallion Depicting the Triumph of Love by Daniel Seghers and Domenico Zampieri (now in the Musée du Louvre in Paris). In our painting, the present floral wreath encircles a carved cartouche within which sits Saint Dorothy of Caesarea and the attribute which often accompanies her in art, a basket of roses. The extremely delicate flowers have been rendered in meticulous detail, so that every species can be identified from exotic tulips to roses, irises and forget-me-nots; this obvious attention to naturalism is inherited from the Flemish manner. Each flower is so precise and refined that they are an individual study in their own right. The still-lifes are from the hand of Jan Anton van den Baren, with the central figures by another accomplished hand. Van den Baren’s arrangement of flowers would have delighted connoisseurs in both Flanders and in Vienna, where the impossibility of their all blooming at the same time of year would have been understood as a further statement of the wonder and beauty of the divine. Van den Baren worked first in Brussels, where he collaborated with Erasmus Quellinus II for the figures in his works, before moving with Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, his patron, to Vienna in 1656, where he instead worked with fellow Flemish émigré painter Nikolaus van Hoy. The iconography relates to an eighth century legend where she was presented a basket of roses by a child. In addition to the brilliance of his handling of still-lifes Van den Baren played an important art historical role as Director of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm’s Picture Gallery in Vienna, then one of the greatest collections in the world and the core of what was to become the present collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Van der Baren compiled an inventory of the collection in 1659, and his predecessor as Director of the Archduke’s Picture Gallery (when it was still housed in Flanders), David Teniers, depicted van der Baren (third from right) in his celebrated Archduke Leopold Willem in his gallery at Brussels, conserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It is a shining example of the Flemish Baroque and is a very rare object indeed, considering there are only 14 paintings accepted as authentic works by this artist. We are grateful to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution to Johannes Antonius van der Baren. A feature of this painting is its outstanding carved and gilded frame with a plethora of flowers and foliage. Titan Fine Art

This exquisite work is an accomplished example of the type of portrait in vogue in England during the third quarter of the 17th century. There was a large demand for paintings in England and the demand for portraits was greatest. Many artists worked in this lucrative field, even artists who initially trained in the more respected field of history painting, such as Peter Lely, turned their attention to portraiture to meet this demand. Moreover, it was not uncommon for the British, even for men, to present a gift of one’s portrait to a friend - portraits were first and foremost a memento. Woman at court often vied with one another in displays of rich and fashionable clothing. The drapery was either painted from the customer’s own clothes or was perhaps a creation using fabrics loosely tacked together in the studio. This was a common practice of Lely and his studio props included swathes of fabric and pieces of cloth. The sitter’s sumptuous attire and gauze scarf, fastened by a large diamond brooch, is of the finest material and is representative of wealth. Pearls were an obligatory accompaniment since at least the 1630s and they are worn in abundance – in her hair, on her attire, as a necklace, and as pear-shaped earrings called unions d’excellence, reflecting the difficulty of finding perfectly matched pearls of such large size. They could range up to 20 millimetres in diameter. Her hairstyle help date the painting to the early 1660’s. Peter Lely, the son of a Dutch...

Figures painted by Abraham Hondius Gennaro’s paintings invented a variety of ruined Architecture and other magnificent constructions and made superb underground places and imaginary prisons with horrible appearances,” writes Bernardo de Domenici in his 1743 Vite de Pittore, Scultori, ed Architetti Napoletani. Greco was highly esteemed in his lifetime. De Domenici titles a chapter “Notizie de Gennaro Greco … ,” with the painter’s name followed, in much smaller type, by a number of apparently lesser artists, including Leonardo Coccorante, whose star burns brightly today. When a child, Greco’s face was horribly disfigured in a fire; for the rest of his life he was called Il Mascacotta – literally “he of the cooked face.” His biographer, however, notes several compensations. The apparently prosperous Greco had three young, beautiful wives, and a multitude of sons, including one, Vincenza, who became a painter. A student of Andrea Pozzo’s 1693 treatise on architectural perspective – Perspectiva Pictorum et Architectorum – Greco’s earliest work involved painting ornament, temporary stages for religious celebrations, as well as perspectival frameworks for other artists’ figural projects. Greco’s mature work, of which the example here is characteristic, focuses on very carefully rendered views of imaginary ruins – vedute ideate – often set by a bay with highly detailed ships and other structures beyond. With the present picture, note the skillful manner in which the ruins are made lighter and lower contrast, as they recede into the distance enhancing the picture’s depth. Sebastian Deya

NUREMBERG CHRONICLE, 1493 THE GOLDEN CALF (THE CALF OF GOD) 1493 Woodcut. from "Liber Chronicarum." Printed by Anton Koberger text by Hartmann Sc...

Work on wood Molded frame in wood and gilded plaster 74 x 65 x 3.5 cm

Portrait of an Aristocratic Gentleman British artist, first half 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 50 x 40 inches provenance: private collection, Dorset, England condition...

Master of the Grotesque Vase (active in Rome and Naples in the first quarter of the 17th century) Still life of flowers in a classic vase oil on canvas 66 x 51 cm, In frame cm. 82 x...

A beautiful mid 17th century Flemish Old Master oil on panel depicting figures in a tavern interior by Anthonie Victoryns. Excellent quality early F...

Circle of Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640) The Judgement of King Solomon Oil on copper (41 x 49 cm. - with ebonised and gilded wooden frame 58 x 66 cm.) The proposed painting, executed in oil on copper, depicts the biblical episode known as the 'Judgement of King Solomon' and is taken from the Book of Kings, in the Old Testament (I Kings, 3, 16-28). The work is derived from the painting in the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen depicting the 'Judgement of Solomon', which was largely created by Rubens' workshop with some intervention by the master. The iconography of the painting was certainly made popular by the print made by the Dutch engraver Boetius Adams Bolswert (Bolsward, c. 1585 - Antwerp, 1633) now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. The extraordinary critical and illustrative success of the work is certain, of which several replicas and copies exist, preserved in museums and private collections: Delft, Rouen and Coutrai, Liechtenstein in Vaduz and in Seville Cathedral. The prototype for the original Copenhagen painting...

Ritratto del Re di Sardegna Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia. Ambito di Giovanni Panelalbo. Ritratto di Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia (Torino, 26 giugno 1726 – Moncalieri, 16 ottobre 1...

George Edwards: ""A History of Uncommon Birds"", 1749-1761. A prominent English naturalist and ornithologist, George Edwards (1694 -1773) is best known for his work, ""A Natural His...

This early to mid-17th-century oil on panel depicts Maurice of Nassau (1567-1625), Prince of Orange. It’s a bust-length portrait, presented in a feigned oval, after a full length by ...

Over the Brook (English Fox Hunting scene) English School, 18th century circle of John Nost Sartorius (1759-1828) oil on wood panel, framed framed:...

'Apuleio' (Apuleius) Copper-line engraving by N Billy after Giovanni Domenico Campiglia. Plate number top right corner of image. Giovanni...

Moses Harris ( British 1731-1785) The Aurelian, A Natural History of English Moths and Butterflies – Plate IX Hand-Colored Engraving 17.88 x 11.00 very good condition Plate IX fro...

Giovanni Stanchi (Rome 1608 - 1675) or Niccolò Stanchi (Rome 1623 - 1690), workshop of GARLAND OF FLOWERS WITH PORTRAIT OF THE VIRGIN Rome, First half of the Seventeenth century o...

The Knight is an original oil painting on canvas realized during the XVII century by an anonymous artist. Provenance: Pecci-Blunt collection. Good condition...

15th century, Italian Circle of Antonio del Pollaiuolo (1429-1498) Portrait of an Italian Noblewoman Oil and tempura on poplar panel With partial inscription: ALZETAPIN Provenance:...

Attributed to Dutch artist, youngest Jan Van der Meer (1656-1705) or his circle. Pastoral scene with little livestock and figures of reclining shepherds by town walls, castle or cath...

We present this pair of fascinating coastal views, the fruit of the author's imagination, executed with an elegant descriptive taste and conceived with the scenographic sensitivity t...

Deer Horns is an artwork realized  by  Buvée l'Américain in 1771.   Etching B./W. print  on ivory paper. Signed on  plate on the lower left margin. The work is glued on cardboard. ...

Austrian School, 18th Century A Portrait of a Gentleman, thought to be Moses Diego Lopez Pereira, 1st Baron d’Aguilar, in an elaborate coat and a powdered wig Oil on canvas Provena...

Procession Of A Daimyo - Original Woodblock Print Original woodblock print depicting the procession of a Daimyo. Ten Japanese soldiers are seen as they aid in transporting the Daimy...

John Nost Sartorius (London 1759-1828) Gimcrack with jockey up, wearing the colours of Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor Inscribed and signed 'Gi...

18th century English school portrait of a lady, said to be Mrs. John Ruscombe of Colne, Lancaster, as the muse Erato This very skilfully painted portrait depicts a lady as the muse ...

A late 17th century, devotional oil showing the Virgin Mary with Jesus and St. John the Baptist. Displayed in a fine and period, hand-carved and gilt-wood frame. The Virgin cradles...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Rembrandt van Rijn 1606-1669 Dutch Canal with a Large Boat and a Bridge Etching on paper New Hollstein Dutch 252: second state of two Signed and dated lower left: Rembrandt. f. 16...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Copper-line engraving. 1781. From John Latham's 'General Synopsis of Birds' 1781-1785, and its Supplements. Plate number top left. Laid paper. John Latham was the leading English or...

Oil on canvas Image size: 78 1/4 x 44 inches (199 x 112 cm) Unframed This portrait transports us back to the grandeur and opulence of Jacobean England. The subject stands proudly d...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - The Rat Poison Peddler, Year: Of Original 1632, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 5.5 x 5 inches, Size: 13 x 11 in. (33....

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Bearded Man in a Furred Oriental Cap and Robe, Year: Of Original 1631, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 6 x 5 inches, Si...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Bust of an Old Man with Flowing Beard and White Sleeve, Year: Of Original 1631, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 3.5 x 3...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Beggars receiving Alms at the Door of a House, Year: of Original: 1648, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 7.5 x 5.5 inche...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Self-Portrait, Year: of Original: 1634, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 5.5 x 4.5 inches, Size: 14 x 11 in. (35.56 x ...