18th Century and Earlier Art

Carcere ascura Etching, 1743 Signed in the plate bottom left corner From: Prima Parte, 1743 Second edition: 1750-1778 Watermark: R 37-39 A lifetime impression printed during Piranesi’s life, before the plates are moved to Paris by his sons in the 1790’s This image foretells Piranesi's famous set, Carceri (Prisons) which is his next creative effort. Condition: Horizontal crease midway in the sheet associated with the manufacture of the paper. Visible watermark verso Small printer crease in the bottom right below the caption plate. Image size: 14 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches Reference: Robison 3 iii/VI Piranesi In Rome: Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive "Although Piranesi studied architecture in Venice, he never was able to find work in the field other than a few jobs involving remodeling in Rome. While Piranesi was struggling to support his architectural endeavors upon his arrival in Rome in 1740, he spent a short period of time in the studio of master painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) in addition to his apprenticeship with Giuseppe Vasi. The first production of Piranesi’s early years in Rome and a culmination of his training under Vasi, Tiepolo, and his uncle, was the Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive (1743). The Prima Parte was a collection of twelve etchings of imaginary temples, palaces, ruins, and a prison. During this time, Piranesi was still developing the unique style of etching he is known for today, and as such the Prima Parte differs significantly in technique compared to later works. In the Frontispiece of the Prima Parte, Piranesi’s lines are definite and exact with very little flow to them, designed in the form of traditional etching. The detail is immaculate, and yet perspective of the piece is oddly simple and familiar to the viewer. Piranesi’s technique employs miniscule markings and lines, intricately woven together to create a stippling effect. The Prima Parte, described as “rigid” by art historian Jonathan Scott, came to be seen as a stark contrast to his later sketches, which were much lighter and freer. Influenced by the style of Tiepolo, which epitomized the lightness and brightness of the Rococo period, Piranesi adopted some of the more painterly techniques of the masters he apprenticed under. Piranesi made the medium of etching appear as though it was a sketch or a painting, hence a “freer” and more fluid design in his later works. For example, the frontispiece of the Prima Parte read as an etching to Piranesi’s audience, but in his later vedute, the style of etching almost appears to be made of brushstrokes. Moreover, at the same time Piranesi was working on the Prima Parte, he aided the artist Giambattista Nolli. There is a small section of Nolli’s map...

Four plates from The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and their Strange Diet of Flowers. “Wolfsmelk Rupsen;" “Wolfsmilch, Raupe und Schmetterling" Amsterdam: J F Bernard, 1730. Each an engraving with hand coloring in watercolor and gouache printed on one sheet of watermarked Honig cream laid paper, each measures 6 1/4 x 5 inches (157 x 121 mm), sheet measures 20 5/8 x 14 inches (522 x 355 mm), full margins. With handling creases in the lower right sheet quadrant, as well as minor, loose cockling, otherwise in very good condition. The colors are superb with exceptionally fresh and bright saturation. Engraved between 1679 and 1683, printed 1730. Plates included: No.1:I; No. 2:1; II & III. MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN was one of the most highly respected entomologists of the 17th century, and remains today one of the field's most significant figures. A German-born naturalist and scientific illustrator, she reared herself on the study of caterpillars, and made tremendous contributions to the knowledge of the life cycles of numerous species. Until her detailed and careful study of the process of metamorphosis it was thought that insects were "born of mud," through spontaneous generation. Trained as a miniature painter by her stepfather, she published her first book of illustrations in 1675, at the age of 28. In 1679, Merian published the first volume of the two-volume series on caterpillars, The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and their Strange Diet of Flowers; the second volume followed in 1683. Each volume contained 50 plates that she engraved and etched. In 1699, Merian traveled to Dutch Guiana...

Domenico Parodi (Genoa, 1672 - 1742) Portrait of Anne Marie d'Orléans (Château de Saint-Cloud, 27 August 1669 - Turin, 26 August 1728), first queen consort of Sardinia and maternal g...

APOTROPAIC DEVIL FIGURE Romansh South Tyrol or Grisons Around 1120/50 Carved pine wood Original version Height 151 cm This singular figure is a demonic, devil-like figure carved fro...

A lovely, early drawing of the Roman god Mercury. Pen and brown ink on cream laid paper, with a partial crown and shield watermark, 7 1/4 x 4 7/8 inches (184x 123 mm) (matrix). In go...

A late 17th c. Italian carved figure of Mermaid, Circle of Filippo Parodi (Genoa, 1630 – July 22, 1702) Dimensions: h. 29.13 in, w. 30.31 in, p. 18.9 in (at the base) Magnificent Italian Baroque sculpture depicting a mermaid seated on the rock. All the virtuosity of the sculptor unfolds in this carved group. The fantastic creature is featured seated, the upper part of the body darting forward, the head looking upwards. Sophisticated hairstyle with rows of pearls intertwined in her hair, her loose locks fly in the wind and bring movement to the whole sculpture. The wide-open eyes with hollowed-out pupils make it possible to follow the mermaid's gaze, towards the sky. The half-open mouth further magnifies this bewitching and seductive attitude. Its long double tail ending in fins wraps on either side of a rocky mound strewn with objects evoking the underwater world: seashells and shells, branches of coral. The ornamental richness combined with the great care taken in its execution make it a work in which the splendor of Italian Baroque art unfolds in such characteristic scenic movement. The composition betrays a strong influence from Filippo Parodi, the leader of Genoese Baroque sculpture, and points to an artist from his circle. Our sculpture was probably part of a decorative monumental palace. The iconographic theme evoking the marine world finds its application in the numerous fountains and artificial grottos, designed in Italian palaces at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Giacomo Filippo Parodi (Genoa 1630 – July 22, 1702) was an Italian Baroque sculptor of the Genoese school, who introduced Bernini's aesthetic to Genoa. In his youth fathers a first apprenticeship with a carpenter, he went to Rome where he became a pupil of Bernini. He had the opportunity to admire in person the works and style of the French sculptor Pierre Puget...

French School circa 1645 Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin - Sketch Oil on canvas H. 41.5 cm; W. 27 cm Provenance: Collection of the Reverend Georges Downing Bowles (1789-1863) Would ...

Portrait of a noblewoman in ceremonial dress with Chantilly lace mantilla Attributed to Jean Ranc (Montpellier 1674 - 1735 Madrid) oil on oval canvas cm.72 ...

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Pulegium Cervinum, Pseudo Pulegium Struthium, Pulegium Regium", depicting flowering Peppermint, Weld and Pennyroyal plants respectively from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713. This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thin laid chain-linked paper. There are subtle creases in the right upper corner, very common with Besler's relating to the drying of the paper during its production. The right margin is thinner than the others. The print is otherwise in excellent condition with striking hand-coloring. Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was an apothecary and botanist. He was curator of the Willibaldsburg Castle garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop...

Inscribed on the verso: EE 27/10

The Penitent Magdalene, 18th Century Studio of Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787) Huge 18th Century Italian Old Master depiction of the Penit...

Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780) Attributable Winter landscape Oil on canvas 76 x 63 cm. - In frame 87 x 75 cm. The compositional and stylistic elements of this pleasan...

Attributed to Ludolf Backhuysen Dutch Coastal Vessels and a Merchantman Off a Harbour Mouth Oil on canvas Canvas Size 22 1/4 x 30 in Framed Size 29 x...

"The Rape of Sabina," large bronze group with brown patina, Roman workshop of the second half of the 18th century, circle of Francesco Righetti (Rome 1749-1819). The exceptional qu...

Work on canvas

We would like to thank Dr. Ursula Härting for confirming that this painting belongs to the studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger, by means of a certificate issued on December 12, 2024. ...

A fine study after Thomas Gainsborough's original painting of two peasant children Hobbinol and Ganderetta. The original was one of Gainsborough's last exhibited pieces in his lifeti...

Battle Scene is an original old masters' artwork realized in the 18th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. The artwork includes frame: 58 x 90 cm.

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to artist Pieter Wouwerman. Painted circa 1660 it is figurative landscape with horseback travellers and their dogs in the foreground with ruins on their right. Beyond is a river and hilly landscape, all in the fading light of approaching dusk. There are some superb details making this an excellent Dutch Golden Age oil painting. Provenance: Devonshire estate. Condition. Oil on canvas, 24 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a complementary gilt frame, 31 inches by 27 inches and in good condition. Pieter Wouwerman (1623-1682) was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter. He was born in Haarlem. According to Arnold Houbraken, a biographer of artists from the Dutch Golden Age, Pieter Wouwerman was the brother of the landscape painters Jan and Philips Wouwerman, who, like his more famous brother, made a living selling Italianate landscapes in the manner of Pieter van Laer...

The Marriage, 15th/16th Century school of BALDASSARE ESTENSE (1443-1504) Large 15th Century Ferrara School portrait of a husband and wife worshipping outside a small hillside town,...

Se presenta enmarcada la pintura con un marco del siglo xviii El estado de la obra se puede ver, tiene faltas de capa pictórica y también comentar que la tela está reentelada Medid...

An early 18th century hand colored engraving of a scene of the city of Venice, Italy entitled "Palazzo Lin, a. S. Samuele sopra il Canal Grande". It depicts Venetian architecture, wa...

A pair of old master paintings by August Querfurt (1696-1761). Oil on panel, one signed with initials in the lower left. Two scenes depicting hawking parties from the 18th century. I...

This is a scarce richly hand colored copper plate engraved map of Africa entitled "Guinea Propria, nec non Nigritiae vel Terrae Nigrorum Maxima Pars" by Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1...

Monogrammed lower left: Johan Philip Korn (1728 - 1796), was a Swedish painter. A beautiful landscape, with a backwater in which carefree ducks swim, hunters and their dogs in passion, in the background you can see a city with a bell tower. Old masters have been depicting animals in their paintings since the Renaissance. In those days, hunting scenes were popular - there is always a share of emotional participation in them. Here it is necessary to understand that in previous centuries people looked at hunting as a means of obtaining food, therefore naturalism dominates in the painting of the old masters. Old oil painting on wooden panel, in a non-original frame of the 19th century. Size app.: 49 x 64 cm (roughly 19.3 x 25.2 in) and nice golden gesso frame ca 65.5 x 81.5 cm (roughly 25.8 x 32.1 in). Very Good condition, age wear, cracks on a wooden board, minor losses, retouches, cleared and conserved. Please study good resolution images for overall cosmetic condition. In person actual painting may appear darker or brighter than in our pictures, strictly depending on sufficient light in your environment. Weight of app. 6.4 kg is going to measure some 10 kg volume weight packed for shipment. Johan Philip Korn first began his career as a decorative painter. He was a student of artist Johan Sevenbom (1721-1784). After further studies he changed to landscape painting in the Rococo style of French artist François Boucher (1703–1770) and often after Dutch copper engravings. In 1759, Korn became master of the Stockholm...

The Christ Child as Redeemer of the World Oil on Canvas, 69.3 x 49.7 cm Provenance Private Collection, Belgium The present painting is known in different versions. One of them is ...

IMPORTANT AMERICAN MAP - ONE OF THE FIRST TO SHOW CALIFORNIA as an ISLAND JOHN SPEED (1552-1629) AMERICA - With Those Known Parts In That Unknown Worlde (sic), 1626-(76) (Burden 217 iv/iv) Engraving, uncolored. Engraved by Abraham Goos and published by Thomas Basset and Richard Chiswell - 4th state of 4 in 1676 15 1/8 x 20 1/2” From “A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World”. Generally good condition. A repaired split in lower centerfold. This is the most common version of this important map...

French school, 17th Century Portrait of the Marquise de Grugieres Oil on canvas 26.1/4 x 21.5/8 in. (66.7 x 54.8 cm.) In a gilded composite frame, later production (possible early 1...

By Giuseppe Vasi after Giovanni Piranesi: Etching and engraving with hand coloring in watercolor on laid paper with an E and R watermark, full margins. Minor...

Oil on Canvas. Second half 18th century. A portion of a large ruined architectural structure fills the entire scene: a portico topped by a balustrade, overgrown with plants, surroun...

This is an 18th century engraved portrait of Brooke Cobham, a nobleman in King Henry VIII's court, created by Francesco Bartolozzi (1728–1815), after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497- 1543) in the 16th century. Holbein was the official artist in the court of King Henry VIII. Bartolozzi used both etching and stipple engraving techniques to create the work which was then was printed in color on pink paper and hand finished with watercolor. It was published by John Chamberlaine in London in 1793 in "The Book of Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein in the Collection of His Majesty". Sir George Brooke, Baron Cobham (1497-1558) was a prominent member of King Henry VIII's royal court. He became a member of parliament in 1529 and served as a peer in the trial of Queen Anne Boleyn, which resulted in her beheading. He was rewarded for his political and military service to King Henry and Britain with land, castles and former monasteries and was made a Knight of the Garter, a prestigious membership limited to the king and a very limited number of prominent British subjects. As a member of the Privy Council following the death of young King Edward VI (Henry VIII's son), he fell out of favor when he signed a ruling disinheriting both of Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, in favor of Lady Jane Grey...

Thomas Hudson 1701 – 1779 Portrait of a Lady Oil on canvas Image size: 30 x 25 inches Original carved giltwood frame Hudson had many assistants, and employed the specialist drapery ...

Map of Lucca is an etching realized by Pierre Mortier in the early 18th Century Good condition.

What is so wonderful and unusual about this 18th Century portrait is the relatability of the sitter. There is an openness to the world in his gaze, curiosity, a sense of humour, pass...

Sitting Madonna Central Italy/Tuscany or Marche Around 1420 Poplar wood carved Original version Height 31 cm Charming Madonna sculpture from the heyday of the Soft or International...

Enoch Seeman Oil on Canvas Canvas Size: 30 x 25" (76 x 64cm) Outside Framed Size: 37 x 32" (94 x 82cm) He was born in Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland, around 1694. His father, also En...

Francesco Tironi (Venice 1745 - Venice 1797) - Venetian landscape with shepherds and herds. 95 x 130 cm without frame, 107 x 140 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on canvas, in a...

This charming 18th century Old Master cartouche portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Philip Mercier. Painted circa 1740 the composition is a three quarter length portrait of a young girl holding a wicker basket of flowers. She is clothed in a white dress and beautiful blue silk shawl and is situated in a landscape. A very lovely British Old Master portrait oil painting. Provenance. Christies. Condition. Oil on canvas, 30 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt carved 18th century frame, 38 inches by 33 inches and in good condition. Philippe Mercier (also known as Philip Mercier; 1689-1760) was a French painter and etcher, who lived principally and was active in England. He was born in Berlin of French extraction, the son of a Huguenot tapestry-worker. He studied painting at the Akademie der Wissenschaften of Berlin and later under Antoine Pesne, who had arrived in Berlin in 1710. Later, he travelled in Italy and France before arriving in London—"recommended by the Court at Hannover"—probably in 1716. He married in London in 1719 and lived in Leicester Fields. He was appointed principal painter and librarian to the Prince and Princess of Wales at their independent establishment in Leicester Fields, and while he was in favour he painted various portraits of...

Rare Vierge à l'Enfant en bois polychrome de tradition romane, région du Fenouillèdes, représentant une Virgo Lactans. Avant cette découverte, seules 3 vierges allaitantes médiévales...

This is an original 18th century hand-colored map entitled "A New & Accurate Map of Europe Drawn from the Best Authorities Assisted by the Most Improved Modern Charts and Maps." by E...

Sacred Conversation: Madonna with child with St. John with idealized landscape background with mountains. Early XVI century. Oil on wooden panel of Venetian conifers. Marco Bello, attributed. (Venezia, 1470 - 1523, Udine), pupil and follower of Giovanni Bellini. Venetian school. Madonna with child with St. John with idealized landscape background with mountains. Dimentions: 57cm x 68cm x 6cm Beautiful late Renaissance frame...

This lovely British Old Master portrait oil painting is by noted British Old Master artist James Cranke. Cranke taught George Romney to paint as a small boy, living near by. Painted ...

Venetian-Cretan master of the early 16th century, icon of Christ the Bridegroom (or Nymphios). Tempera on gold ground on panel. Measure 41 x 29 cm Holy Week, in Eastern tradition an...

The Return Of King Agamemnon, 16th Century circle of Frans I FLORIS (1516-1570) Large 16th Century Flemish Old Master depicting the return of King Agamemnon from the Trojan War, o...

A delightful large oil on canvas of a wooded landscape which dates to circa 1830 and is attributed to Irish artist James Arthur O’Connor. A superb painting and an excellent example o...

Felice Boselli (Piacenza 1650 - Parma 1732) - Shepherd with flock and game. 155 x 112 cm without frame, 170 x 126 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in a faux marble lacquered wooden frame. The painting has stylistic affinities with "Game with children playing with a dog" (Parma, Galleria Nazionale) and with the pair of paintings "Old man and girl...

This early 18th century hand-colored copperplate map of North and South America entitled "Totius Americae Septentrionalis Et Meridionalis Novissima Repraesentatio" was created by Johann Baptist Homann and published in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1710 and 1731. The map details cities, forts, mountains, forests and lakes, as well as districts. There is a decorative cartouche in the lower left which depicts a volcano, scenes representing the people in their native costumes, as well as animals and plants of the Americas. A village is seen in the background on the left. A second smaller decorative cartouche in the upper right includes text and a series of allegorical figures. A large portion if the north central and western portions of North America is left without detail, because the region was largely unexplored at the time this map was created. The map also shows "Terra Esonis Incognita", representing a mythical continuous land bridge from North America to Asia, a northwest passage. The map preceded the French and...

Rest during the Flight into Egypt - The Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist and the angels in a Landscape. Attributed to Pieter Van Avont (1600-1652) 17th century Antwerp School, circa 1630 Oil on oak panel, Dimensions: h. 38 cm, w. 50 cm (14.96 in x 19.68 in) Flemish style frame in ebonized and moulded wood Framed: h. 56 cm, w. 68.5 cm (22.04 in. x 26.97 in.) In the heart of a lush wooded landscape, the Virgin with Jesus rests in a green clearing accompanied by Saint John the Baptist and the cherubs. Seated to the left of the composition, the Virgin Mary holds the Child on her lap; the little Saint John the Baptist wearing the camel-skin tunic (his attribute) stands before Jesus to exchange a few caresses. On the right, the couple of cherubs are playing with the lamb of Saint John the Baptist, bringing a jovial character to the scene. A pair of gardening putti on the left pick flowers to bring bouquets to the Virgin and Jesus. Spring flowers such as tulips, daffodils and anemones that grow abundantly around them and enrich the composition with their shimmering colors. A lush rose bush blooms to the left of the figures offering delicate roses. (The rose is the flower associated with the Virgin Mary, who is the "mystical rose," the one that does not bear the "thorn of sin") At the feet of the Virgin are bunches of grapes (symbol of the future passion of Christ) as well as apples (symbol of the original fall of Man but also of the Redemption in Christ) In the foreground we find a wicker basket filled in profusion with beautiful flowers and guinea pigs nibbling on the blades of grass. In a cleverly arranged disorder, these elements of the still life with their strong symbolic power accentuate the religious theme, but are also an opportunity for the artist to demonstrate his know-how in the still life genre that is gaining momentum in Antwerp. The landscape behind the figures consists of a large tree with a twisted trunk and a luminous opening to the horizon placed on the right. We see Saint Joseph arriving with a donkey, a small reminder from the artist that the composition is associated with the episode of Rest during the flight into Egypt. The calm expanse of this bucolic forest opening onto the luminous distance, with its profusion of symbolic flowers and fruits, is particularly suited to this sacred scene. The theme of Jesus' sacrifice and his tragic fate is mitigated by cherubs who play with innocence and carelessness in the face of the fragility of life symbolized by cut flowers. The great mastery of the painter is manifested by the finesse of the drawing enhanced by the delicacy in the application of the brushstrokes bringing a multitude of details. The richness of the whole is exacerbated thanks to the choice of colours, this varied palette is an undeniable asset of our work. The virtuosity of our artist lies in his versatility, as much concerned with the success of the landscape and flowers as with the modelling of his figures. The cherubs with their naked bodies are gracefully illuminated by warm colours with subtle shadows, while the still life is rendered with astonishing realism, both in the precision of the drawing and in the countless shades of the flowers. There are several compositions similar to ours, of which below are the closest versions: • Sale, Jean-Claude Anaf et Associés, Lyon, 08/02/1998, attributed to Pieter Van Avont, oil on panel, h. 48 cm, l. 71 cm (recorded on RKD n° 31451). Comment: identical composition, only St Joseph with the donkey is different) • Christie's New York sale, 29/01/1998, Pieter Van Avont, oil on copper, h. 23.8 cm, w. 24.8 cm • Dorotheum sale, Vienna, 25/04/2017, Pieter Van Avont and Jan Breughel II, oil on copper, h .26 cm, w. 39 cm • Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Pieter Van Avont, oil on panel, h. 50.5 cm, w. 71.7 cm Peter van Avont, Flemish painter (Mechelen, 1600 - Antwerp. 1652) Born in Mechelen, he is mentioned in 1620 as a member of the painters' guild of his hometown. He left in 1 622 for Antwerp, where he was also a member of the guild. He collaborated with many painters, including Jan Brueguel the Younger, David Vinckboons, Lucas van Uden...

Fine drawing in pencil, oval format. Circle of Angelika Kauffmann. The subject is not clear. It is Amor with his arrows and perhaps Venus with a sp...

Chauve- souris is an etching realized in 1771 by Louis Legrand (1723-1807). Titled and Signed on the plate. The artwork Belongs to the suite "Histoire naturelle, générale et partic...

Large antique oil painting of Samson and Delilah after Anthony van Dyck Dutch, 17th Century Height 165cm, width 233cm This very large artwork ...

George Andreas Böckler, 'Chalice Garden Fountain', antique copperplate engraving, 1664, from the book 'Architectura Curiosa Nova'. A fine, richly inked ...

Oil on Canvas. North Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. The scene has in its center the figure of the Risen Christ who, seated on the clouds, holds the Cross with one hand an...

Sir Godfrey Kneller 1646-1723, was a German born English portrait painter. He was a pupil of Bol and Rembrandt, he was born in Leiden, travelled to Rome , Venice, Hamburg and later t...

Oil on layered paper Image size: 10 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches (26.5 x 21 cm) Contemporary swept frame This is an eighteenth century portrait of a...

BUST In Marble Probably From Carrara Representing King Henry IV Late 18th Century" Marble BUST probably from Carrara representing King Henry IV with a laurel wreath. late 18th centur...

This stunning Old Master 18th century portrait oil painting has previously been attributed to Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Indeed the sitter, Helena Fourment or Hélène Fourment (11 April 1614 – 15 July 1673) was the second wife of Baroque painter Rubens...

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