Encompassing centuries of change in Europe between 1300 and 1800, from booms of prosperity to bloody revolutions, Old Masters describes a wide range of artists. The informal term was derived from the title of an artist who trained in a guild long enough to become a master, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who studied in a Florence painters’ guild. However, Old Masters paintings, prints and other art is now used to refer to work made by any artist with a high level of skill in painting, drawing, sculpture or printmaking who worked during this era.
The 15th century’s expansive trade and commerce spread culture across borders. A vibrant period of art emerged, bolstered by studies of anatomy and nature that influenced a new visual realism. From Raphael and Michelangelo in the Renaissance to Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer in the Dutch Golden Age, artists expressed emotion, naturalism, color and light in new ways. El Greco and Paolo Veronese were leaders in the dramatic style of Mannerism, while Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens demonstrated the movement and meticulous detail of Baroque art.
Historically, most attention was concentrated on male artists, but recent research and exhibitions have elevated the impactful work of women such as Rachel Ruysch and Artemisia Gentileschi. In late-18th-century France, female artists like Adélaïde Labille-Guiard and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun were prominent names. Nevertheless, access to the academies and guilds was highly restricted for women, and even those able to establish practices were expected to adhere to portraits and still lifes rather than the grand history paintings being created by men.
Find a collection of Old Masters prints, paintings, drawings and watercolors and other art on 1stDibs.
Roman Bronze Sculpture - 19th Century Mythological Group - The Farnese Bull
Located in Varmo, IT
Bronze sculptural group - The Farnese Bull (The Punishment of Dirce) - Rome, 19th century. 39.5 x 39.5 x h 54 cm. Technique in brief: Sculptural group in cast and chased bronze, br...
Bronze
Late 15th-century Old Master Burgundian Netherlands carved walnut figure
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful late 15th-century Burgundian Netherlandish portrait of a woman. Carved walnut. Original polychrome has been removed with traces at base and lower portions of figure. Minor ...
Walnut
$660Sale Price|20% Off
Napoleón III Jerusalem Cross, or Stations of the Cross, wood and mother of pearl
Located in Valladolid, ES
Outstanding Jerusalem Cross, or Stations of the Cross, crafted with an olive wood core and adorned with carved mother-of-pearl pieces, dating from the late 19th century. At its cente...
Wood
$1,375Sale Price|33% Off
Pair of Thai gilt bronze Hong sacred temple birds with bells, Rattanakosin
Located in Varmo, IT
Pair of Thai gilded bronze temple birds (Hong/Hamsa) with bells. Thailand, 19th century. 24 x 10 x h 53.5 cm each, base included. The hong — the sacred bird of Thai Buddhist tradit...
Bronze
$1,375Sale Price|33% Off
Empire Italian sculptor - Early 19th century bronze bust - Retour d'Égypte
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian sculptor (early 19th century) - Bust of a woman. 8 x 8 x h 29 cm (with base) - h 23 cm (without base). Bust in patinated and gilt bronze, on a square veined marble base of ...
Marble, Bronze
$6,304
Italian Neoclassical Grand Tour Bronze “Girl of Anzio” by G. Nisini, Rome
Located in Roma, IT
This refined patinated bronze sculpture represents the celebrated Fanciulla di Anzio (The Maiden of Anzio), one of the most evocative sculptural compositions of the Hellenistic tradi...
Bronze
Virgin of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá with Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Andre
Located in New York, NY
Provenance: Private Collection, Uruguay, for the last 90 years. Dated 1673 on the reverse (Fig. 1), this exceptional relief is an early example of a distinctly Spanish American art...
Alabaster
$38,000
Nude Male Bronze Runner patinated Runner of Herculan Classical After the Antique
Located in Miami, FL
The present work is a beautifully proportioned, handsome bronze nude male with classically refined Roman features in the Antique style. The statue weighs around 135 to 175 lbs. It's...
Bronze
Antique Sculpture Female Moor Venice 19th Century Gold Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antique sculpture of a female Moor with flowering cornucopia Venice, 19th century Carved, lacquered and gilded/silvered wood Total height 202 cm (co...
Gold
$6,222Sale Price|20% Off
Wooden Sculptures Roman Soldiers Rome 18th Century Italy Art Gold
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Wooden sculptures depicting a pair of full-length Roman soldiers Rome, 18th century Carved and gilded wood (walnut?) Dimensions: Maximum height (at lance) 62 cm./ Maximum width: 28 ...
Gold
Eustace-Hyacinthe Langlois, called Langlois de L'Arche
Located in London, GB
Plaster 480 mm; 19 inches diameter Inscribed: ‘H. Langlois du Pont de l’Arche Archeologue Peintre Graveur par son ami P. J. David (D Angers) 1838’ Collections: Sotheby’s, 22nd May...
Plaster
$21,750Sale Price|25% Off
Erotic Sexual Mythological Marble Figural, Nude woman, Bacchante and Satyr Herm
Located in Miami, FL
Bacchic revelry. A sexy and nude curvaceous young Nymph/Bacchante makes amorous advances to a Herm - whose facial expression reflects her erotic touch. The Herm is stylized where his...
Marble
$30,537Sale Price|20% Off
Late 15th Century By Florentine School Madonna with Child Bas-relief
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Late 15th Century Florentine School Madonna with Child Bas-relief Pietra serena (a blue-gray sandstone) 85.5 x 60.5 cm Provenance: - via Stefano Bardini purchased in 1896 by Prince ...
Sandstone
$1,375Sale Price|69% Off
Fabergé-style Russian hardstone figure - 19th/20th century - Boy samovar
Located in Varmo, IT
Russian manufacture (19th-20th century) - Young man with samovar. 6 x 6 x h 15 cm the sculpture, 17 x 12 x h 20 cm the box. Full figure in various marbles and hardstones, in a disp...
Marble
Large Bronze Head Grand Tour Pseudo-Seneca Naples late 18th century
Located in Pistoia, IT
Large bronze head from the Grand Tour period depicting Pseudo-Seneca, Italian workshop, late 18th to early 19th century. The Pseudo-Seneca is a Roman bronze head from the late 1s...
Bronze
$1,146Sale Price|74% Off
Fabergé-style Russian hardstone figure - 19th/20th century - Elderly man
Located in Varmo, IT
Russian manufacture (19th-20th century) - Seated elderly man. 7.5 x 8 x h 13.5 cm the sculpture, 14 x 14 x h 18 cm the box. Full figure in various marbles and hardstones, in a disp...
Precious Stone
Bronze Sculpture of a Woman's Head, 19th Century, Old Masters Style
Located in Florence, IT
Bronze jug (20.5 x 12 cm, with a wooden base measuring 10 cm high x 10 cm in diameter) shaped like a woman's head. The young woman has wavy hair reminiscent of ancient statues, parti...
Bronze
Italian Baroque carved wood Pietà - 18th century devotional sculpture
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian sculptor (18th century) — Pietà. 13 x 7 x h 22.5 cm. Full figure in carved, lacquered and painted wood. The group depicts the Pietà according to traditional iconography: t...
Wood, Paint
17th Century Flemish Sculpture of a Religious Figure
Located in Rochester, NY
Antique carving of a saint or martyr. 17th century Flemish hardwood carving. Wonderful wear and rich color.
Wood
Saint Barbara France 16/17th Century Sculpture Wood Religious Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
High relief panel depicting 'Saint Barbara' Southern France, 16th-17th century Polychrome carved wood with traces of gilding 64 x 32 cm. (good condition, with minor missing and cra...
Wood, Wood Panel
$32,096Sale Price|20% Off
Vanitas Vanitatum, 180 cm, bronze sculpture, Old Masters style, limited edition
Located in Villafranca Di Verona, IT
Numbered and limited to 8 copies Signature: Hand-signed by artist Authenticity: Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the gallery Invoice from the gallery Sculpture: bronze, me...
Metal, Bronze
Antique Sculpture Female Moor Venice 19th Century Gold Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antique sculpture of a female Moor with flowering cornucopia Venice, 19th century Carved, lacquered and gilded/silvered wood Total height 202 cm (co...
Gold
Virgin and Child
Located in Wien, Wien
OUTSTANDING MADONNA Bavaria Around 1515/20 Lime wood carved Original, polychrome version Height 60 cm This masterfully carved, full-round Madonna was created around 1515-20 in...
Wood
$21,750Sale Price|25% Off
H 54.5 in W 24 in D 13.5 in
Erotic Sexual Mythological Marble Figural, Nude woman, Bacchante and Satyr Herm
Located in Miami, FL
Bacchic revelry. A sexy and nude curvaceous young Nymph/Bacchante makes amorous advances to a Herm - whose facial expression reflects her erotic touch. The Herm is stylized where his...
Marble
$6,222Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.41 in W 11.03 in
Wooden Sculptures Roman Soldiers Rome 18th Century Italy Art Gold
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Wooden sculptures depicting a pair of full-length Roman soldiers Rome, 18th century Carved and gilded wood (walnut?) Dimensions: Maximum height (at lance) 62 cm./ Maximum width: 28 ...
Gold
$43,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.5 in W 4 in D 2.75 in
Henry Moore Two Standing Women 1983 Cast Bronze Sculpture Signed Edition of 9
By Henry Moore
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Artist: Henry Moore Title: Two Standing Women Medium: Cast Bronze Sculpture Edition: 1/9 Size: 6.5" x 4" x 2.75" Year: 1983 Inscription: Incised signature and edition number 1/9 on b...
Bronze
$32,500
H 11.5 in W 8.63 in D 0.88 in
Virgin of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá with Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Andre
Located in New York, NY
Provenance: Private Collection, Uruguay, for the last 90 years. Dated 1673 on the reverse (Fig. 1), this exceptional relief is an early example of a distinctly Spanish American art...
Alabaster
$4,012
H 13.39 in Dm 16.93 in
VALTON Charles. The Griffin Marco. Patinated bronze. Marble base. Signed.
Located in Paris, FR
The Griffin Marco. Patinated bronze. Marble base. Signed and titled. Charles Valton was a French sculptor known for his works created in the animalier style, a 19th-century movement ...
Bronze
$4,321
H 25.2 in W 12.6 in
Saint Barbara France 16/17th Century Sculpture Wood Religious Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
High relief panel depicting 'Saint Barbara' Southern France, 16th-17th century Polychrome carved wood with traces of gilding 64 x 32 cm. (good condition, with minor missing and cra...
Wood, Wood Panel
$1,250,000
H 100.5 in W 23.5 in D 23.5 in
Monumental Pair French 19th Century Putto Flambeaux Urns Torchere Urn Sculptures
Located in LA, CA
A Monumental Museum Quality Pair of French 19th Century Figural Gilt and Patinated Bronze Rosso Granite Marble Flambeaux Urns, each depicting a pair of standing allegorical and whims...
Granite, Marble, Brass, Bronze
$38,000
H 50 in W 46 in D 19.5 in
Nude Male Bronze Runner patinated Runner of Herculan Classical After the Antique
Located in Miami, FL
The present work is a beautifully proportioned, handsome bronze nude male with classically refined Roman features in the Antique style. The statue weighs around 135 to 175 lbs. It's...
Bronze
$4,500
H 8.2 in W 4.6 in D 2.75 in
Ferdinand Preiss Hoop Girl And Sonny Boy Painted Bronze Figures
By Ferdinand Preiss
Located in Dallas, TX
Ferdinand Preiss (German, 1882 - 1943) Hoop Girl & Sonny Boy Cold-painted bronze Circa 1930, Art Deco Period Dimensions: 8.18 Inches Tall x 4.65 Inches wide x 2.75 inches deep. ...
Marble, Bronze
$1,146Sale Price|74% Off
H 7.09 in W 5.52 in D 5.52 in
Fabergé-style Russian hardstone figure - 19th/20th century - Elderly man
Located in Varmo, IT
Russian manufacture (19th-20th century) - Seated elderly man. 7.5 x 8 x h 13.5 cm the sculpture, 14 x 14 x h 18 cm the box. Full figure in various marbles and hardstones, in a disp...
Precious Stone
Sold
H 11.42 in W 14.97 in D 2.37 in
Bas-relief - Sketch of an antique scene, the procession.
Located in PARIS, FR
School of the first half of the 19th century. Bas-relief - Sketch of an antique scene, the procession. Terracotta. 29 x 38 x 6 cm With sketch on the back
Terracotta
Sold
H 37.01 in W 27.96 in
Sculpture Nativity Spain 16th Century Wood Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
High relief sculpture depicting the Nativity Spain (Seville) - second half of the 16th century Carved and engraved wood, polychrome with gold finishes Dimensions: 94 x 71 cm. ...
Wood
Sold
H 7.09 in W 6.3 in D 9.85 in
Antique Italian sculptor - 18/19th century terracotta sculpture - Memento Mori
Located in Varmo, IT
Terracotta sculpture - Memento mori. Italy, 18th-19th century. 16 x 25 x h 18 cm. Entirely in terracotta. - This item is sold with a certificate of authenticity with legal validi...
Terracotta
Sold
H 13 in W 9.45 in D 10.63 in
Large White Marble Head of Alexander the Great Rome 17th century Sculpture
Located in Pistoia, IT
Bellissima e imponente testa neoclassica in marmo di Alessandro Magno, Italia, Roma, XVII secolo. Fine Arts export certificate available. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.), who enj...
Marble
Sold
H 7.49 in W 4.34 in D 5.52 in
Ancient style Italian sculptor - Late 18th century figure sculpture - Spinario
Located in Varmo, IT
Bronze table sculpture - Spinario (copy from the antique) - Italy, late 19th century. 11 x 14 x h 19 cm. Entirely in chiseled bronze. - The work is a late nineteenth-century copy ...
Bronze
Sold
H 13.78 in W 31.89 in D 5.12 in
Baroque Italian Sculptor - 17th century carved wood sculpture - God father
Located in Varmo, IT
Carved wooden sculpture - God the Father blessing - Italy, 17th century 81 x h 35 x 13 cm. Entirely in carved wood. Condition report: Good state of conservation of the sculptural ...
Wood
Sold
H 46.46 in W 20.08 in D 10.24 in
Pair of 19th century scagliola sculptures (Italian Neoclassicism) - Roman figure
Located in Varmo, IT
Pair of scagliola sculptures - Roman figures. Italian manufacture, 19th century. 51 x 26 x h 118 cm (left) - 41 x 28 x h 118 cm (right). Made entirely of scagliola. Depicting two f...
Plaster
Sold
H 31.89 in W 11.82 in D 11.82 in
Follower of Antonio Canova - Pair of 19-20th century neoclassical sculptures
By Antonio Canova
Located in Varmo, IT
Pair of sculptures in glazed scagliola - Dancers (from Canova). Italy, 19th-20th century. h 81 x 30 x 30 cm. Entirely in glazed terracotta. The sculptures take inspiration from th...
Terracotta
Sold
H 8.27 in W 11.82 in D 1.58 in
Georg Christian Freund, Terracotta Relief, Signed and Dated 1899
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
A fine terracotta relief of Venus and Cupid by Georg Christian Freund, (1821 - 1900), a Danish sculptor. Signed and dated 1899. Mounted in the original hand carved frame, possibly m...
Terracotta
Sold
H 17.72 in W 5.52 in
Pair Bas-reliefs Spring Autumn Flemish Sculptor 17th Century Wood
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antichità Castelbarco SRLS is proud to present: Flemish sculptor of the 17th century Pair of bas-relief panels depicting the Allegory of Spring and the Allegory of Autumn Oak wood ...
Wood
Sold
H 27.96 in W 18.12 in D 7.09 in
Neoclassical sculpture in Rome- Late 18th century Italian marble - Old centaur
Located in Varmo, IT
White marble sculpture (Italy, 18th-19th century) - Old Centaur. 46 x 18 x h 71cm. Entirely in white marble. - The work takes up the Roman original from Villa Adriana and kept in ...
Marble
Sold
H 9.82 in W 16.13 in D 2.75 in
Hercules carrying the World, a sculpture after Annibale Carracci's fresco
By Annibale Carracci
Located in PARIS, FR
This vigorous terracotta was inspired by a fresco created by Annibale Carracci to decorate the ceiling of the Camerino Farnese, a room on the ground ...
Terracotta