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Old Masters Art

OLD MASTERS

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.

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Style: Old Masters
16th Century by Neapolitan Maestro Vision of Saint John in Patmos Oil on Panel
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Without frame. Expertise by Prof. Antonio Vannugli A brightly lit gash opens up in the middle of the sky; within it appears the figure of the Virgin with the Child and beside her a...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Josephus Augustus Knip (1777-1847), Picturesque Landscape Of The Alps
Located in PARIS, FR
Josephus Augustus KNIP Tilbourg 1777 - Berlicum 1847 Picturesque landscape of the Alps with anthropomorphic rock Circa 1800 Watercolor, gouache and brown ink Signed lower left 47 x ...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Watercolor, Laid Paper

Saint Jerome, Antwerp, 16th century, circa 1550, cercle of Lambert Van Noort
Located in PARIS, FR
Saint Jerome in the desert Cercle of Lambert Van Noort (1520-1571, Antwerp) Antwerp School, mid-16th century Oil on oak panel. Dimensions: panel h. 69 cm (27.16 in), l. 52.5 cm (20.6...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

18th-19th Century By Natale Schiavoni Portrait of the Sister Oil on Cardboard
By Natale Schiavoni
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Original frame in gilded wood and gilded pastiglia. Autograph dedication of the artist in the back of the painting. Natale Schiavoni (Chioggia (Venice), 1777 – Venice, 1858) wan a...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

17th-18th Century By Benedetto Luti Head of a Girl Oil Pastel on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Original "cassetta" frame in carved and gilded wood. Expertise by Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri.
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil Pastel

18th Century By Francesco Fontebasso Allegory of Vanity Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
With a "cassetta" frame in gilded and carved wood. Publications: - Expertise by Prof. Egidio Martini; - G. M. Guidetti, in From Sacro to Profano. The Giorgio Baratti...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pair of Italian 18' century Paintings with Gardens
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of Italian 18' century paintings , oil on canvas with Venetian Palace gardens , antiques sculptures and various figures . Measurements with frame cm 75 x101
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Huge 17th Century Italian Old Master painting The Return of the Ark of Covenant
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Late 17th Century Italian School. The Return of the Ark on the Covenant, Oil on Canvas, in a Fine 17th Century Italian Frame, canvas: 40.25" x 49.75" (102.3 x 126cm) Fine quality and rare 17th century Italian Old Master...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

View of the Posillipo coastline near Naples by William Marlow (1740 - 1813)
By William Marlow
Located in PARIS, FR
In this drawing, inspired by his stay in Naples in 1765, William Marlow presents us with a view of Cape Posillipo, to the west of Naples, an essential stage during the Grand Tour. Th...
Category

1760s Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink

Study for « The Chinese Masquerade » by Jean-Baptiste Pierre (1714 - 1789)
By Jean-Baptiste Pierre
Located in PARIS, FR
Arriving in Rome in June 1735 as a resident at the Royal Academy, Pierre was unable to attend the Winter Carnival festivities of 1735, which he nevertheless immortalised in an engrav...
Category

1730s Old Masters Art

Materials

Graphite

18th Century Oil Painting Portrait of Phillip, 6th Viscount Wenman.
By Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Located in London, GB
Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1750-1811) was an English portrait painter and one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768. Justly celebrated in his lifetime he won several...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

18th Century Lanscape Oil Painting of Matlock High-Torr
By Thomas Smith (b.1720)
Located in London, GB
Thomas Smith of Derby Matlock High-Torr Landscape Oil on canvas 27 x 34.5 inches unframed 34 x 41.5 inches including frame Thomas Smith of Derby (died 12 September 1767) was an Engl...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Dutch Old Master Portrait of Maurits, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Oil on Panel
Located in London, GB
In 1607, the Delft city council decided to commission a portrait of Stadholder Maurits of Nassau for the town hall, with Michiel van Mierevelt as the chosen artist due to the passing...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Two spaniels working with a huntsman beyond
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
William Jones (c.1798-1860) Two spaniels working with a huntsman beyond Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 16 x 21 in Framed Size - 21 x 26 in William Jones’s work is well-known, emanating...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

A view at Tivoli
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
John Rathbone (1750-1807) View at Tivoli Signed lower right Oil on Canvas Canvas size - 18 x 24 in Framed size - 24 x 30 in John Rathbone was born in Cheshire in 1750 and worked as ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

A horse and groom with a dog
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) A horse and groom with a dog signed 'F.Sartorius.Pinxt' (lower right) Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 14 1/4 x 18 in Framed Size - 16 1/2 x 19 1/2 in Franc...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

A horse and groom with a dog
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) A horse and groom with a dog signed and dated 'F.Sartorius.Pinxt.1777' (lower right) Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 14 1/4 x 18 in Framed Size - 16 1/2 x 1...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Ancient Roman Statue - Etching by Giovanni Morghen - 18th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Ancient Roman Statue, from the series "Antiquities of Herculaneum", is an original etching on paper realized by Giovanni Morghen in the 18th century. Signed on plate on the lower le...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

View Venice See Giudecca Guardi 18/19th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Giacomo Guardi (Venice, 1764 - Venice, 1835) View of Venice with the Giudecca Canal and the Gesuati Church oil on canvas 34 x 42 cm. - framed 40 x 50 cm. Expertise dott Federica Sp...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Resurrection Christ Tiziano 16/17th Century paint Oil on canvas Old master Italy
By Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore 1490 - Venice 1576)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
The Resurrection of Christ Follower of Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore 1490 - Venice 1576)   Venetian school of the late 16th/early 17th century Oil on canvas 108 x 78 cm. - Frame...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Children Landscape Jeaurat Paint Oil on canvas 18th Century Old master French
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Étienne Jeaurat (Vermenton 1699 - Versailles 1789) Game of children intent on harvesting grain (Allegory of Summer) Mid-18th century Oil on canvas 97 x 129 cm - Framed cm. 112 x 14...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Annunciation Flemish Paint Oil on canvas Old master 16/17th Century Religious
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Flemish painter of the 16th-17th century The Annunciation Oil on canvas 844 x 33 cm./ in frame 63 x 52 cm.) The work presents itself with a canonical iconographic and stylistic scheme, with the Archangel Gabriel devoutly delivering the supreme annunciation to the Virgin child, although there are some details that make the composition very interesting. Entering into the details of the study of the painting, of excellent workmanship, we can immediately appreciate a style rooted in the Flemish tradition, recognising in the compositional layout strong references to the great masters of the Renaissance such as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Dieric Bouts and Hans Memling...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait Noblewoman Dog Van Loo Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Louis Michel van Loo (Toulon 1707- Paris 1771) attributable Portrait of a noblewoman with her little dog Oil on canvas (79 x 66 cm. - with frame 92 x 78 cm.) A qualitative portrait depicting an elegant noblewoman of French origin, presumably belonging to the wealthy court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XV; this work fully reflects the pictorial qualities as well as the refinement of the compositional style of the French painter Louis Michel van Loo (1707- 1771), one of the most significant portrait painters of his time, and for this reason in demand at the most noble European courts. The work, taking up the traditional formula for portraits of members of the aristocracy, shows the effigy in a half-length pose, slightly turned to the right and looking directly at the viewer. The woman, with a regal bearing, is here portrayed intent on completing her daily beauty ritual, wearing a cape during her make-up, which must have just been completed as pink powder is visible on her cheeks. This luxurious garment reveals a corset with a daring neckline, made of silk and lace, and a coral-coloured dress ending in wide jabote cuffs. Her hair is styled in the French fashion in a hairstyle that highlights her facial features. Having finished her beauty ritual, the woman is intent on removing her cape with one hand, an elegant gesture that emphasises her noble pose. At her side is her small pet dog, sitting on a blue velvet cushion with gold trim. The canvas may have been made on the occasion of a wedding, elegantly celebrating the role of a member of the aristocracy. The presence of the pet depicted in her arms had in fact a precise meaning: the fidelity that is such a well-known characteristic of the dog, declared at the same time the virtues of the effigy. Louis Michel van Loo (Toulon 1707- Paris 1771) was the son of the painter Jean Baptiste van Loo, with whom he studied in Rome and Turin. He attended the Paris Academy, where he won the first prize for painting in 1726. In 1728 he returned to Rome, where he met Francois Boucher. In 1732, passing through Turin, he returned to Paris. In 1737 van Loo became court painter in Madrid, succeeding Jean Ranc...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Large 17th century Portrait of a noble lady - Castle Caufeild - Godfrey Kneller
Located in Antwerp, BE
17th century Portrait of a lady, possibly from the Caulfeild family, seated in a luxurious landscape holding a basket of flowers The sitter is looking sweetly at the spectator, whil...
Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Coastal Landscape See Paint Lacroix de Marseille Oil on canvas 18th Century Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Coastal view at sunset with fishermen and boats Atelier of Charles François Grenier De Lacroix, called de Marseille (Marseille 1700 - Berlin 1782) Oil on canvas 50 x 62 cm. - in fra...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

French School, Academic Study (Male Nude)
Located in London, GB
Charcoal on paper, 60cm x 42cm, (74cm x 60cm framed). The picture is framed behind museum quality non-reflective UV glass. Drawings and paintings of the nude were central to academ...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Paper, Carbon Pencil

Old Northumberland House, London, c. 1770
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Herbert Pugh (Ireland Fl. 1758-1788 London) Old Northumberland House, c. 1770 Oil on panel 20 x 30 in (50.8 x 76.2 cm) Provenance An important private collection Born in Ireland he went to England about 1758, and in 1765 when he was living in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden, he obtained a premium of twenty-five guineas from the Society of Arts for a landscape in oil. He was a Member of the Society of Artists and contributed forty-five works to its exhibitions between 1760 and 1776, nearly all landscapes and topographical views, but including 'The Italian and British Quack Doctors', 'The Amorous old Beau' and 'The Procuress'. These were probably of the same nature as two of three pictures done by him in imitation of Hogarth which, says Edwards (Anecdotes of Painting) "are nothing but mere representations of vulgar debauchery". In 1777 he had two works exhibited at 'The Exhibition or Grand Museum of Arts and Sciences at the Great Room, Royal Exchange, Strand. Pugh's intemperate habits hastened his death which took place shortly after 1788. There is a large landscape by him in the Lock Hospital, London and two views of London Bridge were exhibited in the Grosvenor Gallery...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

A hound and game in a woodland landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Hendrick Jan Scholl (1717-1792) A hound and dead game in a woodland landscape Signed "H.J. Scholl pinx 1763" lower right Oil on canvas 46 1/2 x 36 1/4 in ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Figures resting by a fire with a wagon in a wooded landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Benjamin Barker of Bath (Pontypool 1776-1838) Figures resting by a fire with a wagon in a wooded landscape Oil on canvas 28 x 35 7/8 in 71.1 x 91.2 cm Benjamin Barker, the younger ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

'Prime Minister' with jockey John Shepherd up, and owner Sir Mark Sykes
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Henry Bernard Chalon (London 1770-1849) 'Prime Minister' with jockey John Shepherd up, and owner Sir Mark Sykes Signed and dated 'H.B. Chalon pinxit 181...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Italian 18th Century Oil Painting Portrait of a Merchant
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
A Venetian Gentleman 18th Century Venetian School oil painting on board, framed framed: 7.25 x 6 inches board: 5.25 x 4 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: sound bu...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

A large wooded river landscape with drovers
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Benjamin Barker of Bath (Pontypool 1776-1838) A wooded river landscape with drovers Signed and dated 'B.Barker pinxt/ 1807' lower right Oil on canvas 46 x 68 3/4 in (116.8 x 174.5 cm...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Landscapes Finder (Buscador de paisajes) Figurative painting. Old masters style
Located in Segovia, ES
Landscape Finder. Goyo painted this intriguing painting in 1994, when his inspiration from the old masters was most noticeable. The artist declares: “I feel a powerful attraction to ...
Category

1990s Old Masters Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Acrylic

Portrait of a Young Gentleman, Pieter Van Der Dvssen; by Jan van Haensbergen
By Jan Van Haensbergen
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Young Gentleman, Pieter Van Der Dvssen c.1664 Jan van Haensbergen (1642–1705) This charming portrait is an excellent example of late 17th century child portraiture and is from one of the most prolific periods in art history – the Dutch Golden Age. A vast number of artists produced work to fulfil the demands and tastes of a broad Dutch society, and many cities in the Netherlands developed into distinct artistic centres, characterised by style and specialities of subject. The quality of our portrait is similar to the works of the highly specialised ‘fijnschilders’, who were working in Leiden at the time; these artists executed meticulous small-scale paintings. As with the artist’s other works of children, Haensbergen painstakingly recorded many details including a fine depiction of the face, and the surface effects of the materials and the pearl clasps. The young sitter is Walther Bernt Pieter Van der Dussen. He was born into a wealthy noble Catholic family in Delft in 1654. In this portrait he would be around ten years of age, dating the work to circa 1664, which is also the year before the artist’s marriage to Johanna van Heusden. The Van der Dussen family were great patrons of the arts and commissioned a number of major works from eminent artists in Delft & Amsterdam. Van der Dussen died in 1716. The wooded setting, the lamb, and the “picturesque” or “Roman” dress...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Piazza Navona in Rome: A Framed Original 18th Century Etching by Barbault
Located in Alamo, CA
This early 19th century etching entitled "Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del Circo" was created by Jean Barbault (1718-1762) after a painting by...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Column of Trajan in Rome: A Framed Original 19th C. Etching by Luigi Rossini
Located in Alamo, CA
This early 19th century etching entitled "Veduta dello scavo del Foro Trajano" was created by Luigi Rossini and included in his publication "Le Antichita Romane" (The Rome of Antiquity), published in Rome in 1823. It depicts the historical victory column of Trajan standing amidst the rubble of broken columns that remain around it. The etching is presented in a black wood frame with a light brown outer mat and a dark brown inner mat. There are several frame abrasions. The print and mats are in very good condition. The frame measures 27" high, 29.07" wide and 0.5" deep. The print is framed and matted in the identical style as the another etching of an ancient Roman landmark, the Piazza Navona, which is also listed on 1stdibs, see item # LU117326144172. The pair would make an attractive display grouping of Roman architecture. A discount is available for purchase of the pair of prints. Luigi Rossini (1790-1857) like his predecessors, Giovanni Piranesi (1720–1778) and Giuseppi Vasi (1710-1782), was an architect and artist. Like Piranesi and Vasi, he wanted to glorify the architecture of ancient Rome, which he felt was deteriorating and needed to be documented. Several of the ruins he illustrated have, in fact, since disappeared leaving only his images as a record of their appearance. His images of the grand edifices of the city dramatically depict the power and glory...
Category

1820s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Michiel Jansz. Van Mierevelt (Follower), Portrait of Maurice of Orange
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This early to mid-17th-century oil on panel depicts Maurice of Nassau (1567-1625), Prince of Orange. It’s a bust-length portrait, presented in a feigned oval, after a full length by ...
Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

A German Pointer with hunting Equipment
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
German School (18th century) A German Pointer with hunting Equipment Oil on canvas Canvas Size 42 x 35 in Framed Size 48 x 41 in
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

17th Century French School, Saint John the Baptist, oil on copper
Located in Paris, FR
17th Century French School Saint John the Baptist in a landscape oil on copper 17 x 11.5 cm In good condition except very small loss of painting in the lower left part In a modern f...
Category

1680s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

18th-Century Dutch School, Portrait Of A Seated 17th-Century Gentleman
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This mid-18th-century Dutch oil painting depicts a seated 17th-century gentleman within a room by a forge. During the 17th century, the Netherlands flourished as a hub for trade and...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Original Study of Rembrandt’s Portrait of an Old Woman
Located in Soquel, CA
Early 20th Century Study of Rembrandt’s Portrait of Old Woman Russian for Niello Engraving A wonderful study of Rembrandt’s portrait of an Old Woman used for Niello engraving by Ru...
Category

Early 20th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink, Paper

King Solomon Rubens Paint Oil on copper 17th Century Old master Flemish Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Circle of Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640) The Judgement of King Solomon Oil on copper (41 x 49 cm. - with ebonised and gilded wooden frame 58 x 66 cm.) The proposed painting, executed in oil on copper, depicts the biblical episode known as the 'Judgement of King Solomon' and is taken from the Book of Kings, in the Old Testament (I Kings, 3, 16-28). The work is derived from the painting in the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen depicting the 'Judgement of Solomon', which was largely created by Rubens' workshop with some intervention by the master. The iconography of the painting was certainly made popular by the print made by the Dutch engraver Boetius Adams Bolswert (Bolsward, c. 1585 - Antwerp, 1633) now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. The extraordinary critical and illustrative success of the work is certain, of which several replicas and copies exist, preserved in museums and private collections: Delft, Rouen and Coutrai, Liechtenstein in Vaduz and in Seville Cathedral. The prototype for the original Copenhagen painting...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Italian Vanitas painter - 19th century figure painting - Memento Mori
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (19th century) - Memento Mori. 43 x 67 cm without frame, 48.5 x 72.5 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on wood, in a wooden frame. Condition report: Original can...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

The Abduction of the Sabine Women , a Renaissance drawing by Biagio Pupini
Located in PARIS, FR
This vigorous drawing has long been attributed to Polidoro da Caravaggio: The Abduction of the Sabine Women is one of the scenes that Polidoro depicted between 1525 and 1527 on the façade of the Milesi Palazzo in Rome. However, the proximity to another drawing inspired by this same façade, kept at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and to other drawings inspired by Polidoro kept at the Musée du Louvre, leads us to propose an attribution to Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist whose life remains barely known, despite the abundant number of drawings attributed to him. 1. Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist in the light of the Roman Renaissance The early life of Biagio Pupini, an important figure of the first half of the Cinquecento in Bologna - Vasari mentions him several times - is still poorly known. Neither his date of birth (probably around 1490-1495) nor his training are known. He is said to have been a pupil of Francesco Francia (1450 - 1517) and his name appears for the first time in 1511 in a contract with the painter Bagnacavallo (c. 1484 - 1542) for the frescoes of a church in Faenza. He then collaborated with Girolamo da Carpi, at San Michele in Bosco and at the villa of Belriguardo. He must have gone to Rome for the first time with Bagnacavallo between 1511 and 1519. There he discovered the art of Raphael, with whom he might have worked, and that of Polidoro da Caravaggio. This first visit, and those that followed, were the occasion for an intense study of ancient and modern art, as illustrated by his abundant graphic production. Polidoro da Caravaggio had a particular influence on the technique adopted by Pupini. Executed on coloured paper, his drawings generally combine pen, brown ink and wash with abundant highlights of white gouache, as in the drawing presented here. 2. The Abduction of the Sabine Women Our drawing is an adaptation of a fresco painted between 1525 and 1527 by Polidoro da Caravaggio on the façade of the Milesi Palace in Rome. These painted façades were very famous from the moment they were painted and inspired many artists during their stay in Rome. These frescoes are now very deteriorated and difficult to see, as the palace is in a rather narrow street. The episode of the abduction of the Sabine women (which appears in the centre of the photo above) is a historical theme that goes back to the origins of Rome and is recounted both by Titus Livius (Ab Urbe condita I,13), by Ovid (Fasti III, 199-228) and by Plutarch (II, Romulus 14-19). After killing his twin brother Romus, Romulus populates the city of Rome by opening it up to refugees and brigands and finds himself with an excess of men. Because of their reputation, none of the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities want to give them their daughters in marriage. The Romans then decide to invite their Sabine neighbours to a great feast during which they slaughter the Sabines and kidnap their daughters. The engraving made by Giovanni Battista Gallestruzzi (1618 - 1677) around 1656-1658 gives us a good understanding of the Polidoro fresco, allowing us to see how Biagio Pupini reworked the scene to extract this dynamic group. With a remarkable economy of means, Biagio Pupini takes over the left-hand side of the fresco and depicts in a very dense space two main groups, each consisting of a Roman and a Sabine, completed by a group of three soldiers in the background (which seems to differ quite significantly from Polidoro's composition). The balance of the drawing is based on a very strongly structured composition. The drawing is organised around a median vertical axis, which runs along both the elbow of the kidnapped Sabine on the left and the foot of her captor, and the two main diagonals, reinforced by four secondary diagonals. This diamond-shaped structure creates an extremely dynamic space, in which centripetal movements (the legs of the Sabine on the right, the arm of the soldier on the back at the top right) and centrifugal movements (the arm of the kidnapper on the left and the legs of the Sabine he is carrying away, the arm of the Sabine on the right) oppose each other, giving the drawing the appearance of a whirlpool around a central point of support situated slightly to the left of the navel of the kidnapper on the right. 3. Polidoro da Caravaggio, and the decorations of Roman palaces Polidoro da Caravaggio was a paradoxical artist who entered Raphael's (1483 - 1520) workshop at a very young age, when he oversaw the Lodges in the Vatican. Most of his Roman work, which was the peak of his career, has disappeared, as he specialised in facade painting, and yet these paintings, which are eminently visible in urban spaces, have influenced generations of artists who copied them abundantly during their visits to Rome. Polidoro Caldara was born in Caravaggio around 1495-1500 (the birthplace of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who was born there in 1571), some forty kilometres east of Milan. According to Vasari, he arrived as a mason on the Vatican's construction site and joined Raphael's workshop around 1517 (at the age of eighteen according to Vasari). This integration would have allowed Polidoro to work not only on the frescoes of the Lodges, but also on some of the frescoes of the Chambers, as well as on the flat of Cardinal Bibiena in the Vatican. After Raphael's death in 1520, Polidoro worked first with Perin del Vaga before joining forces with Maturino of Florence (1490 - 1528), whom he had also known in Raphael's workshop. Together they specialised in the painting of palace façades. They were to produce some forty façades decorated with grisaille paintings imitating antique bas-reliefs. The Sack of Rome in 1527, during which his friend Maturino was killed, led Polidoro to flee first to Naples (where he had already stayed in 1523), then to Messina. It was while he was preparing his return to the peninsula that he was murdered by one of his assistants, Tonno Calabrese, in 1543. In his Vite, Vasari celebrated Polidoro as the greatest façade decorator of his time, noting that "there is no flat, palace, garden or villa in Rome that does not contain a work by Polidoro". Polidoro's facade decorations, most of which have disappeared as they were displayed in the open air, constitute the most important lost chapter of Roman art of the Cinquecento. The few surviving drawings of the painter can, however, give an idea of the original appearance of his murals and show that he was an artist of remarkable and highly original genius. 4. The façade of the Milesi Palace Giovanni Antonio Milesi, who commissioned this palace, located not far from the Tiber, north of Piazza Navona, was a native of the Bergamo area, like Polidoro, with whom he maintained close friendly ties. Executed in the last years before the Sack of Rome, around 1526-1527, the decoration of Palazzo Milesi is considered Polidoro's greatest decorative success. An engraving by Ernesto Maccari made at the end of the nineteenth century allows us to understand the general balance of this façade, which was still well preserved at the time. The frescoes were not entirely monochrome, but alternated elements in chiaroscuro simulating marble bas-reliefs and those in ochre simulating bronze and gold vases...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink, Gouache, Pen

Fine Classical Still Life Summer Flowers, British Oil Painting Exhibition label
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Summer Flowers' by Margaret Ryder (British b. 1908) signed oil on canvas, framed frame: 33 x 26 inches canvas: 27 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, UK Exhibited at the Roy...
Category

Mid-20th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

The Knight - painting - XVII century
Located in Roma, IT
The Knight is an original oil painting on canvas realized during the XVII century by an anonymous artist. Provenance: Pecci-Blunt collection. Good condition...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Portrait of a Victorian Lady, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Painted in the 19th century, this exquisite miniature portrait wonderfully exemplifies realism in traditional oil painting. The small artwork is painted in the conventional portraiture style of the Old Masters, and achieves soft realism with fine brushwork and a subdued, neutral palette. The half length portrait depicts a fine Victorian woman dressed in all black with a delicate lace collar and bonnet. She wears a ruby broach...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Ghisolfi Paint Oil on canvas Old master 17th Century Architectural Capriccio Art
By Giovanni Ghisolfi (Milan 1623 - 1683)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Giovanni Ghisolfi (Milan 1623 - 1683) Architectural capriccio with ruins of an Ionic temple Oil painting on canvas 73 x 87 cm., within a gilded wooden frame 87 x 100 cm. This quali...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Flower Garland Virgin Paint Oil on canvas Old master 17th Century Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Giovanni Stanchi (Rome 1608 - 1675) or Niccolò Stanchi (Rome 1623 - 1690), workshop of GARLAND OF FLOWERS WITH PORTRAIT OF THE VIRGIN Rome, First half of the Seventeenth century o...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Lady Caroline Price
Located in Miami, FL
DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the best Romney in private hands. If Vogue Magazine existed in the late 18th century, this image of Lady Caroline Price would be ...
Category

1970s Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Baroque Italian painter - Set of four 18th century figure paintings - Evangelist
Located in Varmo, IT
Italian painter (early 18th century) - Four Evangelists. 25.5 x 19 cm without frame, 29 x 22.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on panel. in wooden frames. Condition report: In...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Garden Landscape De Moucheron Paint Oil on canvas 18th Century Old master Italy
By Isaac de Moucheron (Amsterdam 1667 - 1744)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Flemish painter active in Rome in the 17th-18th centuries Circle of Isaac de Moucheron (Amsterdam 1667 - 1744) Italian garden with water features in a villa Oil on canvas (49 x 65 c...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Christ Crucified Rubens Paint Oil on canvas Old master 17th Century Religious
By Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640) Workshop / circle Crucifixion of Christ with Saint Mary Magdalene Oil painting on canvas 112 x 62 cm. - In antique frame 126 x 73 cm. ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century British Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady, Large oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Circle of Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) British. 18th Century Bust Portrait of a Lady, Oil on Canvas, Inscribed on a label verso, canvas: 30" x 25" (76.2 x 63.5cm). frame: 30 x 25 in...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Woman Princess Diziani Paint 18th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Gaspare Diziani (Belluno 1689 - Venice 1767) Portrait of a Young Princess (Salome?) Oil on canvas 42 x 33 cm Framed 70 x 63 cm A charming portrait of a beautiful young woman with ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

River landscape, studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger 17th century Antwerp school
Located in PARIS, FR
River landscape Studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-1678) 17th century Antwerp school Oil on copper: h. 7.48 in, w. 10.43 in Ebonized wood and moulded frame Framed: h. 18.4 in, ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

17th century religious old master - Hagar and the Angel
Located in Antwerp, BE
17th century old master, Hagar and the Angel In Genesis 16, Hagar, Sarah's maidservant, fled into the wilderness after facing mistreatment. There, she encountered an angel who instr...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

17th Century by Jacob de Heusch Pair of Landscapes Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Dimensions: 50 x 80 cm without frame, 70 x 100 cm with frame. Gilded, carved, sculpted and chiselled wooden box frames. Publications: Jacob de Heusch (1656 – 1701). Un pittore ol...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Old Masters art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, yellow, blue and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Charles Amand Durand, Giuseppe Vasi, Thomas Holloway, and Vincenzo Campana. Frequently made by artists working with Etching, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Old Masters art, so small editions measuring 0.4 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $1,495,000, while the average work sells for $546.

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