Old Masters Art
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.
1750s Old Masters Art
Oak, Oil
18th Century Old Masters Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century Old Masters Art
Oil, Oak, Panel
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oil, Wood
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oak, Oil, Panel
1670s Old Masters Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 18th Century Old Masters Art
Oak, Oil, Panel
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oak, Oil, Wood Panel
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oak, Oil
17th Century Old Masters Art
Gold Leaf
Early 17th Century Old Masters Art
Poplar, Oil
19th Century Old Masters Art
Wood, Oil
1980s Old Masters Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Wood
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
17th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
17th Century Old Masters Art
Engraving, Etching
Late 17th Century Old Masters Art
Engraving
1670s Old Masters Art
Engraving
Late 19th Century Old Masters Art
Etching