18th Century Art

London: A. Churchill & J. Knapton, 1754 Engraving on fibrous laid paper with a "C" watermark, 9 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches (246 x 297 mm), full margins. Significant edge wear including mul...

London: Society of Antiqauries London, 1744. Engraving on buff wove paper with a large heraldic watermark with Strasbourg lily with a crown and shied and the letters LVG, 9 1/2 x 14 ...

London: Laurie & Whittle, 1799 Engraving on buff wove paper, 10 3/4 x 15 3/4 inches (271 x 338 mm), uneven narrow to wide margins. Soft vertical fold at the center sheet (as issued)...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

"The Fern Gatherers" After a painting by George Morland. 1763-1804. - Mezzotint engraving by John Raphael Smith. 1752-1812. Print: 20.75" x 26" - With Frame: 28" x 33.5" Published:...

Etching with engraving on cream laid paper with a Garden of Holland or Maid of Dort Pro Patria watermark, 11 x 14 1/4 inches (278 x 361 mm), thread margins. Lettered with the title in a cartouche at the top-center sheet, continuing "a Latere Occidentali Prospeus AD MDCCXXXIX," with numbers over the image at right that correspond to a key 1 to 29, and with publication details: "Georgius Vertue Londini delineavit et Sculpsit anno MDCCXXXIX". Multiple expert repairs, notably a Y-shaped, expert paper tape repair on the verso. Handling creases, toning. All issues are consistent with age. An impression of this work may be viewed in the permanent collection of the British Museum, registration No. 1880,1113.3963. A bird's eye view of the college in Broad Street, London, showing the courtyard, adjoining stable yard to the right, and the buildings at the back. This work was included in Frederick Crace...

Sir Joshua Reynolds 1723-1792 | British Sir Henry Bowles Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk and 5th Earl of Berkshire Oil on canvas Sir Joshua Reynolds is unequivocally considered the most important English portraitist of the 18th century who was instrumental in adapting the Grand Manner style in the portrait genre. In fact, when the Royal Academy was founded in 1768, Reynolds was elected its first President, setting the precedent of quality for which all other portraitists would strive. Reynolds's portrait of Henry Bowles Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk, showcases his genius in the genre and mastery over the medium. Reynolds’s portrait of the Earl expertly invokes classical values with strong lighting, rich colors and expert attention to detail to help underscore the prominence and revered echelon of the sitter. Howard was an esteemed British politician and Knight of the Garter. He served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department from 1771 to 1779, and he played a key role in utilizing mercenaries during the American Revolution and safeguarding Sweden's independence. The portrait employs Reynolds's signature style to render Howard rightfully as a gentleman of distinction. Captured seated in a stately library, the Earl appears learned and austere as he places one hand upon a stack of important documents and looks wistfully into the distance. Reynolds makes these compositional choices decisively, as the seated position gives Howard a weighty appearance of importance and the semi-profile turn captures his countenance at an attractive angle that highlights his strong, masculine features. The work draws on the classical conventions of Greek and Roman art and the Italian Renaissance masters, anchoring the nobleman in a history of refinement. Everything from his strong yet welcoming expression to his pale face enlivened by a rush of blood to the cheeks presents the picture of a strong, vital and powerful leader. As the first president of the Royal Academy in London, Reynolds’s commissions raised the status of an artist in Britain during the Romantic period and also established the portrait as an esteemed high art genre that garnered equal import to the history paintings that reigned supreme in decades prior. Today, Reynolds’s works grace the walls of the most important museums in the world, including the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery in London, among others. Circa 1770 Canvas: 50 1/2" high x 40 1/4" wide Framed: 61" high x 52 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" deep Provenance: Sir Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk and 5th Earl of Berkshire, 1739-1779 His mother, Lady Mary Howard, née Finch, Lady Andover, d. 1803 Acquired by descent to her daughter, Frances, and her husband Richard Bagot (later Howard) Acquired by descent to their daughter, Mary (1784-1877), and her husband Col. Fulke Greville Upton (later Howard), d. 1846 Acquired by descent to Lieutenant Colonel H.R.G. Howard Sale, Christie's, London, March 24, 1961, no. 29 Julius Weitzner, London and New York Sale, Paris, Musée Galliéra, December 7, 1965, no. 165 Newhouse Galleries, New York, NY Mr. and Mrs. F. Howard Walsh, Fort Worth, Texas, 1966 Walsh Family Art Trust Private collection, Oregon M.S. Rau, New Orleans Exhibited: British Institution, London, 1844, no. 130, loaned by the Hon. Fulke Greville Howard. South Kensington, "Second special exhibition of National Portraits," 1867, no. 478, lent by the Hon. Mrs. Greville. Agnew's, London, 1903, no. 17. Literature: Algernon Graves and W. V. Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., vol. 3 (London, 1899), p. 945. David Mannings...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

"The Country Stable" After a painting by George Morland. 1763-1804. - Mezzotint engraving by William Ward. 1766-1826. Print: 20.75" x 26" - With Frame: 28.5" x 34" Published: March...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

A Man of the Sandwich Islands Dancing (Hawaii) is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. John Webber (1752-1793) was the official artist for the third voyage of Captain James Cook (1728-1779). The purpose of this voyage was to discover the Northwest Passage and to explore the Pacific Ocean north of the Equator. These engravings were published in 1784-85 by G. Nichol and Thomas Cadell of London in the four large format atlas, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Captain Cook was an extraordinary explorer known for discovering and mapping unknown territory and for his many contributions to the scientific world. These original engravings from Webber’s drawings and paintings are only a glimpse into this great man’s historical contributions that make him one of the greatest explorers of all times. This image shows a Hawaiian dancer...

The Inside of a Hippah in New Zealand is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook John...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

XXXIII Fig. I Avanzo del Tempio di Castore e Polluce .View of the Remains of the Peristyle of the House of Nero, Etching, 1756 Signed in the plate (see photo) From: Le Antichità Roma...

Late 18th Century Bronze Sculpture after the Farnese Hercules Grand Tour bronze with a fine encrusted patination on a later wooden base 16 in. h., overall 12.5 in. h., bronze 3.5 in...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

 A Human Sacrifice in a Morai in Otaheite (Tahiti)  1784 by John Webber is from the  First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

An Inland View in Atooi ( Hawaii ) is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. This engraving depicts ...

A Dance in Otaheite ( Tahiti ) is from the 1784 First Edition Atlas Accompanying Capt. James Cook and King; Third and Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. John Webber (1752-1793) who...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647 and received early artistic training from her stepfather, an established still life painter. She was fascinated by insects and collec...

Laocoön and his Sons Italian Bronze Group after Agesander, Polydorus and Anthenodorus Late 18th Century “The greatest piece of art in the world.” - Michelangelo, Italian sculptor, p...

Original engraving, hand-colored at publication, after the work of Mark Catesby by Johann Michael Seligmann from "Sammlung verschneider auslandischer und seltener Vogel." Nuremberg:...

Inspired by European landscape painting of another era, the artist finds intimacy in an unexpected place. The changeable moon sends forth steady reverberating yellow light with th...

18th Century Continental School Bronze Sculpture of Aphrodite, c. 18th Century 25-3/4 in. h. x 11 in. w. x 9 in. d., without Base 1-1/4...

R. Earlom fecit No. 92, From the Original Drawing in the Collection of the Duke of Devonshire Etching by Claude le Lorrain 13.5 x 9 inches, 21 x 16.5 (framed)

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...

Partridge Shooting/ Snipe Shooting/ and 2 Duck Shooting lithograph scenes on wove paper Art Sz: 10 5/8"H x 12 3/4"W Frame Sz: 7 3/4"H x 19 7/8"W By J. Pocker & Son George Morland...

Attributed to Lemuel Abbott 1760-1803 | English Portrait of Horatio Nelson Oil on canvas This previously unknown portrait is an important discovery in British Naval history. In Admiral Lord Nelson's illustrious and well-studied life, there existed a "silent period" spanning 16 years during which no known portraits of Nelson existed. The discovery of this 1790 portrait, rendered just before his reentry into the Navy, is a significant development for Nelson scholars, adding new insight into the leader's life prior to his legendary command as Admiral of the British Navy. Almost certainly painted by Lemuel Abbott, the official portraitist of Admiral Nelson, the rendering depicts the naval titan in casual dress. This is one of the two final depictions of Nelson before he acquired the war-inflicted injuries that marked his later years. In 1790, Britain was at peace, and Lord Nelson found himself residing in Burnham Thorpe with his newlywed wife, Frances. Having served with great distinction in South America and the West Indies, he garnered much local acclaim. Yet, the uncertainty of returning to the sea weighed heavily on his mind. At the age of thirty, he lived the life of a country gentleman managing his estate. Only one other much smaller portrait of Nelson in civilian attire exists, a much smaller rendering from 1800 currently held at the National Portrait Gallery. Compelling and atmospheric, the oil on canvas offers viewers a rare glimpse into the visage of a youthful and resolute Nelson, a man driven by an unwavering desire to forge his reputation in the art of naval warfare. This portrait had long been believed by the Nelson family to portray Edmund Nelson, Horatio Nelson's father. When connoisseur Jeremy Knight acquired this treasure directly from the Nelson family, he postulated that the work actually depicted the famed Admiral and not his father, as it was painted around 1790, and the elder Edmund Nelson would have been 68 years old at that time. Knight then hired the renowned Nelson scholar Martin Downer, the former Sotheby's expert and author of the bestselling books Nelson's Purse and Nelson's Lost Jewel, to confirm his hunch. It has now been confirmed by Martin Downer that this portrait is the missing...

A finely detailed oil painting on canvas portrait of an unidentified Russian officer, dating to the 18th or 19th century, unsigned, and housed in a spectacular museum quality reprodu...

London: 1799. Copperplate stipple engraving with hand coloring in watercolor, 17 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches (445 x 260 mm) (sheet), full margins. In very good condition with some minor, lig...

Jean-Claude-Richard de Saint Non (French, 1727-1791) Mount Posillipo Near the Tomb of Virgil, Naples, 1779 Watercolor on paper, 15 x 20 inches Inscribed on verso: (in pencil) "l ' A...

Inscriptions: Bottom, plate: Io. Dom. Campiglia del: / Gio: Gir'mo Frerra Sculp. Top right, plate: XXXIII Summary/Description: Engraving by Gir'mo Frerra after drawing by Giovanni Do...

R. Earlom fecit No. 61, From the Original Drawing in the Collection of the Duke of Devonshire Etching by Claude le Lorrain 13.5 x 9 inches, 21 x 16.5 (framed)

R. Earlom fecit No. 48, From the Original Drawing in the Collection of the Duke of Devonshire Etching by Claude le Lorrain 13.5 x 9 inches, 21 x 16.5 (framed)

R. Earlom fecit No. 49, From the Original Drawing in the Collection of the Duke of Devonshire Etching by Claude le Lorrain 13.5 x 9 inches, 21 x 16.5 (framed)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) Tempio antico volgarmente detto della Salute su la Via d'Albano, cinque miglia lontan da Roma... (Ancient Temple popularly known as the Temple of Health on the Via d'Albano five miles outside Rome...), from Vedute di Roma...

Nicolaes Wicart (Dutch, 1748-1815) Village of Lekkerkerk on the River Lek Watercolor on paper, 8 x 12 inches (sight) Signed at lower left: "Wicart" Inscribed in ink on verso: "4 Dorp...

Art Sz: 4 1/4"H x 3 1/2"W Frame Sz: 8"H x 7"W Paul Sandby RA (1731 – 7 November 1809) was an English map-maker turned landscape painter in watercolours, who, along with his older b...

Art Sz: 6 1/2"H x 5 3/4"W Frame Sz: 9 1/2"H x 10"W Sold at Sotheby's London July 7, 1983 lot 10.