18th Century Art

Scena di Battaglia (Battle Scene) is a wonderful hand-watered etching, made in 1760 by Luigi Guidotti ( Bologna, 1751 -1800 c.a), after Francesco Antonio Simonini. On lower margin u...

A late 18th or early 19th century watercolour view of a group of figures in a village square. Though not apparently signed the work is very competent and of high quality. It is frame...

"View of A Morai or Burial Place of Atooi, One of the Sandwich Islands (Kauai, Hawaii)" is an original 18th century engraving from a drawing by John Webber (1751-1793), who was the a...

Roman Goddess "Dea Africa" Goddess Of The African Continent, 18th Century Italian School Large 18th Century Italian School portrait of the Roman Goddess "Dea Africa" holding a shac...

US buyers pay no import tariffs on this item. This splendid mid-18th-century oil painting depicts a marine scene with numerous British and Dutch vessels, including two impressive ‘Men-O’-War’. It’s comparable to the oeuvre of Anglo-French painter, Dominic Serres RA (c.1722-1793). The rich British tradition of marine painting is representative of Britain’s naval power during the 18th century. Such was the dominance of Britain’s navy that paintings such as this were in high demand by patrons, particularly by the landed gentry. These drama-filled ensembles were influenced by the earlier Dutch painters such as Ludolf Backhuysen...

Court Portrait Of Anne Of Cleves (1515-1557), Queen Of England, 18th Century English School - Oil On Oak Panel Antique court portrait of Anne of Cleves, Queen of England, oil on pa...

John Cordrey (c.1765-1825) A light chaise and four signed 'J.Cordrey/1793' lower left Oil on canvas Canvas Size 13 x 17 in Framed Size 15 1/2 x 20 1/2 in John Cordrey (active c. 179...

This lovely 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of noted portrait artist Enoch Seeman. Seeman came from Poland to England as a youngster with hi...

Arabic Calligraphy of praying is a precious manuscript reporting Islamic Sacred Verses in an ancient calligraphy style. One page, one-sided, in Ara...

Oil on Canvas. Central European school of the late 1700s. The large painting depicts a rural landscape, with a peasant dwelling on the left, the shepherdess in the left foreground wa...

The splendour of the tragic sea Francesco Guardi and maritime painting in Venetian art No Venetian painter was a stranger to the sea. After all, Venice was not only one of the most prominent ports of the Mediterranean, but indeed a city literally submerged in the ocean from time to time. Curiously however, the famous Venetian school of painting showed little interest in maritime motifs, favouring scenes from the iconic architecture of the city rather than seascapes. That is why this painting is a particularly interesting window into not only the painter Francesco Guardi himself – but to the significance of the element of water in art history, in absence as well as in the centre of attention. Whether it be calm, sunny days with stunning views of the palaces alongside the canals of Venice or – more rarely – stormy shipwrecking tragedies at sea, water as a unifying element is integral to the works of painter Francesco Guardi (1712–1793). During his lifetime, Venetian art saw many of its greatest triumphs with names like Tiepolo or Canaletto gaining international recognition and firmly establishing Venice as one of the most vibrant artistic communities of Europe. While the city itself already in the 18th century was something of an early tourist spot where aristocrats and high society visited on their grand tour or travels, the artists too contributed to the fame and their work spread the image of Venice as the city of romance and leisure to an international audience, many of whom could never visit in person. Still today, the iconic image of Venice with its whimsical array of palaces, churches and other historic buildings is much influenced by these artists, many of whom have stood the test of time like very well and remain some of the most beloved in all of art history. It was not primarily subtility, intellectual meanings or moral ideals that the Venetian art tried to capture; instead it was the sheer vibrancy of life and the fast-paced city with crumbling palaces and festive people that made this atmosphere so special. Of course, Venice could count painters in most genres among its residents, from portraiture to religious motifs, history painting and much else. Still, it is the Vedutas and views of the city that seems to have etched itself into our memory more than anything else, not least in the tradition of Canaletto who was perhaps the undisputed master of all Venetian painters. Born into his profession, Francesco lived and breathed painting all his life. His father, the painter Domenico Guardi (1678–1716) died when Francesco was just a small child, yet both he and his brothers Niccolò and Gian Antonio continued in their fathers’ footsteps. The Guardi family belonged to the nobility and originated from the mountainous area of Trentino, not far from the Alps. The brothers worked together on more challenging commissions and supported each other in the manner typical of family workshops or networks of artists. Their sister Maria Cecilia married no other than the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo himself, linking the family to the most renowned Venetian name of the time. During almost a decade, Guardi worked in the studio of Michele Giovanni Marieschi, sometimes simply known as Michiel, a painted similar in both style and motif. Canaletto is, however, the artist Guardi is most often compared to since they shared a mutual fascination for depicting the architecture and cityscape of Venice. During the course of his career, Guardi tried his hand in many different genres. He was as swift in painting landscapes, Vedutas of Venice, sacred motifs, interiors and architectural compositions as he was in a number of other motifs. His style is typical of the Venetian school but also distinct and personal once we look a little closer. There is an absolute certainty in the composition, the choice of which sometimes feels like that of a carefully calculated photograph – yet it is also very painterly, in the best sense of the word: fluid, bold, sensitive and full of character. The brushwork is rapid, intense, seemingly careless and extraordinarily minute at the same time; fresh and planned in a very enjoyable mixture. His interiors often capture the breath-taking spacious glamour of the palaces and all their exquisite decor. He usually constructed the motif through remarkably simple, almost spontaneous yet intuitively precise strokes and shapes. The result was a festive, high-spirited atmospheric quality, far away from the sterile and exact likeness that other painters fell victim to when trying to copy Canaletto. The painting here has nothing of the city of Venice in it. On the contrary, we seem to be transported far away into the solitary ocean, with no architecture, nothing to hold on to – only the roaring sea and the dangerous cliffs upon which the ships are just moments away from being crushed upon. It is a maritime composition evoking both Flemish and Italian precursors, in the proud tradition of maritime painting that for centuries formed a crucial part of our visual culture. This genre of painting is today curiously overlooked, compared to how esteemed and meaningful it was when our relationship to the sea was far more natural than it is today. When both people and goods travelled by water, and many nations and cities – Venice among them – depended entirely on sea fare, the existential connection to the ocean was much more natural and integrated into the imagination. The schools and traditions of maritime art are as manifold as there are countries connected to the sea, and all reflect the need to process the dangers and wonders of the ocean. It could symbolize opportunity, the exciting prospects of a new countries and adventures, prospering trade, beautiful scenery as well as war and tragedy, loss of life, danger and doom. To say that water is ambivalent in nature is an understatement, and these many layers were something that artists explored in the most wondrous ways. Perhaps it takes a bit more time for the modern eye to identify the different nuances and qualities of historic maritime paintings, they may on first impression seem hard to differentiate from each other. But when allowing these motifs to unfold and tell stories of the sea in both fiction and reality – or somewhere in between – we are awarded with an understanding of how the oceans truly built our world. In Guardi’s interpretation, we see an almost theatrically arranged shipwrecking scene. No less than five ships are depicted right in the moment of utter disaster. Caught in a violent storm, the waves have driven them to a shore of sharp cliffs and if not swallowed by the waves, crushing against the cliffs seems to be the only outcome. The large wooden ships are impressively decorated with elaborate sculpture, and in fact relics already during Guardi’s lifetime. They are in fact typical of Dutch and Flemish 17th century ships, giving us a clue to where he got the inspiration from. Guardi must have seen examples of Flemish maritime art, that made him curious about these particular motifs. One is reminded of Flemish painters like Willem van de Velde and Ludolf Backhuysen, and this very painting has indeed been mistakenly attributed to Matthieu van Plattenberg...

Utagawa Hiroshige II The Beach at Takanawa from Toto sanjurokkei 東都三十六景 (Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital), 1862 Woodblock Oban Signed Hiroshige ga and published by Sagamiya ...

A fine portrait study dated 1737 portraying a young boy from a noble family bearing his first sword. Dressed in fine military-style clothing, he clutches a small sword in one hand an...

Antonio Joli (Modena, 1700 – Naples, 1777) Pair of views of Rome 1. View of Rome with Trajan's Column and the Church of the Holy Name of Mary 2. View of Rome (Piazza Colonna) ...

(After) Sebastiano Conca (Gaeta 1680 - Naples 1764) The Adoration of the Shepherds oil on canvas, (cm): 122 x 100, framed The proposed table, datable in the first decades of the e...

This vigorous drawing presents a brilliant synthesis between the Venetian tradition of Titian, of which it is a distant echo, and the Neapolitan Baroque of Solimena, which strongly i...

From a wonderful selection of hand-coloured mezzotint engravings from: "Phytanthoza Iconographia", c1739, presented in a hand- made parcel-gilt, ebonised and decalcomania frame...

An exceptionally fine Georgian embroidery by Anne Salmon depicting 'Cheerful Voyagers' punting in the serene English countryside. Executed with rem...

Unknown Artist (Dutch School, late 18th century) Pastoral Scene with Goatherds, ca. 1780–1800 Oil on canvas In this lively pastoral composition, a group of figures reclines in rusti...

Portrait of a well-to-do gentleman in pastel on parchment. Signed left: Marteau L. 1760. French School, possibly by Louis Marteau (1715 – 1804) In a gilded 19th century frame. Dimen...

Francesco Zugno (Venice 1709 - Venice 1787) - Death of St. Joseph. 61 x 48 cm unframed, 76 x 63 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame (not signed). We ...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Self Portrait in a Velvet Cap with Plume, Year: Of Original 1638, Medium: Etching on Somerset paper, Image Size: 5 x...

Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, Plate No. 26; Cocoa plant, caterpillar, pupa, and butterflies. The Netherlands: 1705. En...

Oil on Canvas. Venetian school of the 18th century. The large northern landscape, with verdant mountain slopes in the midst of which a river flows, is inhabited by several figures in...

Artist: Treadway Russell Nash (English, 1724-1811) Title: "A View of Pershore, from Pensham hill", "A View of Shipston upon Stour", and "Kidderminster" Portfolio: Collections for the History of Worcestershire Year: 1781-1782 (First edition) Medium: Set of Three Original Engravings on watermarked laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: John Nichols, London, UK Publisher: T. Payne and Son, J. Robson, B. White, Leigh and Sotheby, London, UK; Fletcher, Oxford, UK; and Lewis, Worcester, UK Reference: Upcott III, page 1330 Sheet size (each): approx. 10.13" x 16.75" Image size (each): approx. 7" x 11.88" Condition: A few light handling creases. Have been professionally stored away for decades. They are all strong impressions in excellent condition Notes: Provenance: private collection - Aspen, CO. All three works were engraved by English artist Thomas Sanders (Active: Mid-Late 18th Century) after drawings by himself. Comes from Nash's two volume "Collections for the History of Worcestershire", (1781-1782) (First edition), which consists of 75 engravings. Each work is printed from one copper plate in one color: black. There was a (Second edition) "with Additions" bound in with Volume II of this portfolio published by John White in (1799). And both the First and Second editions of "Collections for the History of Worcestershire" are based off Thomas Sanders' 1779-1781 "Perspective Views of the Market Towns within the County of Worcester". All three, "A View of Pershore, from Pensham hill", "A View of Shipston upon Stour", and "Kidderminster" have an unidentified watermark in the center of their sheets resembling "XV". Biography: Treadway Russell Nash (24 June 1724 – 26 January 1811) was an English clergyman, now known as an early historian of Worcestershire and the author of Collections for the History of Worcestershire, an important source document for Worcestershire county histories. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Treadway Russell Nash was born on 24 June 1724 born at Clerkenleap, in Kempsey, Worcestershire. His family were from Ombersley. They had lands there and at Claines, and had later bought lands in the Reformation around St Peter's, Droitwich. He was related to James Nash and John Nash, both MPs for Worcester. His father Richard, a grandson of Sir Rowland Berkeley, died in 1740, and Richard's eldest son in 1757. As a result, Treadway Russell Nash inherited the Russells' Strensham estates from his brother, as well as the Nash estates, and took both names. He was educated from the age of twelve at King's School, Worcester, and became a scholar at Worcester College, Oxford aged fifteen. In March 1749, he accompanied his brother on a trip to the continent, to aid Richard's health. They visited Paris for about six weeks, before spending the summer "on the banks of the Loire". They then visited "Bourdeaux, Thoulouse, Montpelier, Marseilles, Leghorn, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Lyons, and again Paris"; such expeditions are often known as the Grand Tour. On his return in late summer 1751, Nash took up a post as Vicar of Eynsham through his friend and future brother-in-law, John Martin. He also had an income as a tutor at Oxford. He took his Doctor of Divinity degree and left Oxford, having "gone out grand compounder", following the death of his brother. He also left his benefice at Eynsham in 1757. While at Oxford he had proposed a road from there to Witney (now the A40 and B4022), and also stood for Parliament. Nash married Margaret Martin...

This exquisite piece, titled Three Cherubs, is a lithographic reproduction from La Calcographie du Louvre, printed on fine Lana paper. The artwork captures the whimsical charm of che...

Claude Michel Hamon Duplessis (active in Versailles from 1791 to 1799) Signed one lower right, the other lower left “M. h. Duplessis” Pair of paintings ...

'India' Italian School, 18th century ink and wash drawing on paper, framed within a light oak wood frame (behind glass) image size: 10.5 x 7 inches overall framed: 17 x 13 inches con...

Benjamin Marshall The Right Honourable Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne with Horse and Dog 1768-1835 Oil on canvas Image size: 33 x 39 1/4 inches Gilt frame Unsigned Provena...

A romantic late 18th-century pastel portrait, attributed to the German portraitist Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751-1829). Exquisitely presented in its original giltwood frame...

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 original oil on canvas is a refined and characterful 18th-century British portrait, signed and dated in the lower left: "Js. Jones P.X. 1780." The work depicts a gentleman of st...

18th Century Spanish Oil on Copper — Virgin Dolorosa Fine mid-18th century Spanish School oil on copper depicting the Virgin Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows). The painting shows excel...

18th Century French Terra Cotta Bust of a Young Gentleman Terra Cotta Unsigned 25 x 18 x 10 inches 41 lb.

La obra no va firmada, es de augtor anónimo Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de conservación de la pintura dse puede ver, presenta faltas y precisará restauración Med...

Pastoral Landscape Dutch Old Master, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 12 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good a...

This formal portrait depicts a woman in early 18th-century dress, wearing an elegant dark gown with white lace trim and a red drape or shawl. She holds jasmine flowers in her hand, s...

US buyers pay no import tariffs on this item. This exquisite and exceedingly rare early 18th-century Russian Staurotek icon depicts The Crucifixion of Christ with an assemblage of s...

Ancient Roman Statue, from the series "Antiquities of Herculaneum", is an original etching on paper realized by Pietro Campana. Signed on plate on the ...

Rome: 1795. Each an engraving with extensive hand coloring on laid paper, some with a partial heraldic watermark, each 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches (165 x 120 mm); (sheet) 10 1/4 x 7 1/8 in...

This exceedingly charming mid-18th-century English oil painting depicts a girl wearing a red gown with a train over a white petticoat. She’s holding a posy or nosegay. Evidently once commissioned for an English country house, the identity of this young lady remains a mystery. Her gown appears to be inspired by the popular ‘robe à la française...

Giuseppe Zais (Canale d'Agordo, Belluno 1709 - Treviso 1781) Pendant of paintings - The assault of the brigands / After the assault Oil on canvas, 108 x 42 cm. each In the frame 128...

A captivating 18th-century oil painting portraying a gentleman in prayer before Saint Peter, who appears celestial in the clouds above. In the distance, a quaint church nestles withi...

Shunga is an original modern artwork realized by Katsukawa Schuncho (1726 – 1793) in the half of the 18th Century. Erotic scene from the series "Koshuko zue juni ko". A courtesan with a customer under a kimono stand...

Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - Le Marchand de Mort aux Rats (B121), Year: 1878 (of original 1632), Medium: Heliogravure, Size: 5.5 x 5 in. (13.97 ...

Escuela española; siglo XVIII. San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen Niña. Óleo sobre cobre anónimo y buena calidad pictórica. Medidas de la obra: 69 x 87 cm. Medidas del marco: 92 ...

Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro the First (Japanese, 1753 - 1806) Publisher: Tsutaya Jūzaburō (Japanese, 1750 - 1797) Page Size: 10 x 15 in. Frame Size: 16 x 22 in. An Edo Period color woo...

This charming British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to noted portrait artist Thomas Hudson. Hudson was most prolific between 1740 and 1760 and, from 174...

Revelry in a Classical Landscape Italian School, early 18th century (circa 1700) oil painting on canvas, laid on board, unframed board: 20 x 36 inches provenan...

This large framed 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi entitled "Veduta dell'interno dell'Anfiteatro Flavio detto il Colosseo" (View of the interior of the Flavian Amph...

Outstanding pair Italian Neoclassical Leons Carrara Marble sculptures. A timeless piece for your garden or interior decoration. Good condition, with visible signs of wear and ...

The Lion of St. Mark Venetian Old Master, mid 18th century circle of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Venetian, 1696-1770) ink and watercolour drawing on paper mounted on a card frame, unf...

US buyers pay no import tariffs on this item. This early 18th-century Spanish oil painting depicts an infant Jesus clutching a cross before a landscape. Dressed in a flowing white ...

Zebra is an etching realized by Jean Charles Baquoy in 1771. It belongs to the suite "Histoire Naturelle de Buffon". The Artist's signature is engraved lower right. Good condition...

Anton Raphael Mengs (Aussig, 1728 - Rome, 1779) Workshop Portrait of a young girl with a book Oil on canvas 64 x 49 cm - Framed 77 x 63 cm , Unsigned The work, depicting a cha...

Italian painter (18th-19th century) - Female nude. 44 x 54 cm unframed, 54 x 64 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on canvas mounted on a panel, in a carved and gilded wooden fram...

A great neoclassical painting from the second half of the 18th century. This artwork oil on canvas depicts a famous episode in the life of Alexander the Great, when, during his campa...

A fine 18th century Flemish Old Master oil on panel depicting three well dressed gents in a tavern interior. Excellent quality work by an accomplished hand, presented in a fine fra...

Portrait Of A Nude Male, 18th Century School of Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) 18th Century French School portrait of a nude male, oil on paper laid to board. Excellent quality an...

"Boats of the Friendly Isles" is an original 18th century engraving from a drawing by William Hodges (1744-1797), who was the artist who accompanies Captain Cook on his second voyage...