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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
Figures Chatting outside Village Tavern in Mountain Landscape, Period Oil
By 19th century Dutch or Flemish school
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dutch/ Flemish School, early 1800's oil on canvas, framed framed: 19 x 24 inches canvas: 13.5 x 18.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The raising of Lazarus
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, called Il Grechetto (Genoa 1609–1664 Mantua) The Raising of Lazarus Brush drawing in red and brown oil paint, heightened with blue and white, on laid...
Category

1650s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Laid Paper

18th CENTURY FRENCH GRAND TOUR WATERCOLOUR - ROMAN MONUMENT ST. REMY PROVENCE
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 18th century Title: The Roman Ruins at St. Remy de Provence, France. Inscribed verso to the frame: ‘Ruins at Roman Monument...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Watercolor

The Flagellation of Christ Antique Oil on Wood Panel Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Flagellation of Christ Eastern European artist, late 19th century oil on wood panel, framed framed: 35 x 25.5 inches panel: 32 x 21 inches Provenance: private collection, Franc...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Military Camp Scene and Battle. Pietro Graziani (XVII/XVIII century), entourage
Located in Firenze, IT
Military Camp Scene and Battle. Pietro Graziani (XVII/XVIII century), entourage. A pair ( two) of small paintings. Antique XIX century frames in gilt wood.  In good condition. Oi...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil on Panel Cavalry Skirmish Soldiers & Horses
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Cavalry Skirmish Flemish School, mid 17th century circle of Lambert de Hondt (Flemish, 1620-1665) oil on panel, framed Framed: 21 x 27 inches Board: 16 x 22 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very good condition, with old repairs and thinning in places. This painting, attributed to the circle of Lambert de Hondt (Flemish, 17th century), depicts an intense battle scene, typical of Flemish military compositions of the time. Lambert de Hondt was known for his battle scenes, landscapes, and hunting scenes, often filled with dynamic action and fine detail, and this work clearly reflects his influence. The artwork portrays a cavalry skirmish with soldiers in traditional 17th-century military dress, including red tunics...
Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Bartholomeus Spranger with an Allegory on the Death of his Wife
Located in Middletown, NY
Sadeler, Aegidius II, after Bartholomeus Spranger Portrait of Bartholomeus Spranger with an Allegory on the Death of his Wife, Christina Muller Engraving on hand made laid paper wit...
Category

Early 17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Engraving

Portrait Battle Horse Van Der Meulen Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Circle of Adam Frans van der Meulen (Brussels 1632 – Paris 1690) Equestrian portrait with battle scene in the background Oil on canvas? 81 x 103 cm.?In frame 105 x 124 cm. ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil Pastel

"Earthly Paradise" Frédérick Bouttats (Antwerp, 1590-1661)- Studio of
Located in SANTA FE, NM
The Earthly Paradise Frédérick Bouttats (Antwerp, 1590-1661) Painting is Circa 1610-1612 Oil on wood panel, circa 42 7/8 x 29 3/8 (ca. 52 x 39 frame) inches The inner frame is c18th ...
Category

1610s Old Masters Art

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Escuela Valenciana (XVIII), tras Juan de Juanes - Inmaculada Concepción
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra no va firmada El estado de conservación de puede ver, es bastante bueno, solo aconsejaría una limpieza ya que está un poco sucia, pero por lo demas, muy aceptable Se presen...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Anne Evelyn - British 18thC Old master oil painting excellent prov.
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting, with exceptional provenance, is by noted artist George Romney. It was painted in 1788, commissioned by James Evelyn of Felbridge as it is of his younger daughter Anne, aged 20 years old. James was a Doctor of Law and Anne's mother was his second wife, Jane. Felbridge house, Anne's home, was in the village of Godstone in Surrey. This superb oil painting is a seated portrait of Anne, wearing a white dress with a green sash, her forearms exposed and her hands in her lap. Anne is blessed with the most wonderful long auburn curly hair and is visually stunning. Her body is partly turned away from the artist/viewer and she is slightly gazing down at us with confident, clear eyes. Anne is pictured in a landscape with a dramatic sky behind her. Romney's brushwork on her dress, hair and the background is superb. The delicate detailing of her facial features is also stunning. Sometimes Old Master portraits can be a little staid, but this one of Anne with her wild auburn hair and bold look is just magnificent. This is a fantastic example of George Romney's work and of an 18th century British Old Master with exceptional detailed provenance. Name plate states: Anne, younger daughter of James Evelyn of Fellbridge Esq. 1788, aged 20. Romney. Provenance. With Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool (1784-1851) With The Hon. Henry Berkeley Portman (1860-1923), Later 3rd Viscount Portman; with Emma, Viscountess Portman (1862-1929) By 1926; with her daughter Lady Moyra Dawson-Damer (1897-1962) Thence by family descent. Painted in 1788. There are various labels verso. Mentioned in Lord Hawkesbury's Catalogues of Portraits at Compton Place and at Buxted Park, in Sussex, 1903, p.18, no. 3, at Buxted Park, as in the 'Dining Room, South Wall'. Further Bibliography: Gower (R. S.) Romney, London, 1904, p. 175 Kidson (Alex) George Romney, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015, I, p. 205, no. 422 (illus).Ward (Humphrey) and Roberts (William) Romney: A Biographical and Critical Essay, London: T Agnew & Sons, 1904, p. 51 Condition. Oil on canvas. Image size 30 inches by 24 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt frame with name plate, 37 inches by 31 inches and in good condition. George Romney (1734-1802) was born in Dalton-on-Furness, Lancashire, on 15 December 1734, the third of the eleven children of John Romney and Anne Simpson. Leaving school at the age of eleven, he worked for eight years in his father's cabinetmaking workshop before being apprenticed to a local painter, Christopher Steele, with whom he served for two years, from 1755 to 1757, in Kendal, York, and Lancaster. He married a Kendal girl, Mary Abbot...
Category

1780s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Classical Landscape - French 17th century art Old Master oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb 17th century French Old Master oil painting is attributed to Jean Francois Millet. Painted circa 1670 it is a classical landscape with figures by a bend in a river in the...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of an Old Bearded Man
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are pleased to offer a captivating portrait, most likely painted in the late 18th century, attributed to an artist within the circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich. This oil ...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Studies of the Galli Statue and of an Ignudo
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Florentine School, early 16th century Studies of the Galli Statue and of an Ignudo Pen and brown ink on laid paper 19.1 × 13 cm Executed c. 1510–1520 Unsigned This remarkable doub...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink

Still Life of Fruit - Dutch 17th century art Old Master still life oil painting
By Jan Davidsz. de Heem
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning Dutch 17th century Old Master still life oil painting is attributed to the circle of Jan Davidsz de Heem. Painted circa 1660 it is a magnificent vibrant painting of gra...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Escuela española (XIX) - Óleo sobre tela - Castillo de Cardona
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado en la parte trasera, parece poner Sevilla Urtado (desconozco el artista) y también va titulada "Castillo de Cardona) Se presenta enmarcada la pintura con un marco del siglo ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Perseus and Andromeda
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Carle Vanloo (Nice 1705 – Paris 1765) Perseus and Andromeda Oil on canvas. H. 081; W. 065. Alongside François Boucher (1703-1770) and Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700-1777), Carle Vanlo...
Category

1720s Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Trois Tetes de Chevaux, Heliogravure by Leonardo da Vinci
By Leonardo da Vinci
Located in Long Island City, NY
Leonardo da Vinci, After by Amand Durand, Italian (1452 - 1519) - Trois Tetes de Chevaux, Year: circa 1878, Medium: Heliogravure, Size: 6 x 8.5 in. (15.24 x 21.59 cm), Printer: Am...
Category

1870s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Fine 1700's Italian Old Master Ink & Wash Drawing Roman Allegorical Providenza
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Providenza' 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 inche...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Large 18th Century English Old Master Oil Painting Portrait of Lady on canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Lady English School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 31 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good and sound condition
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Arrival of the Angel - Etching By Simone Cantarini - 17th Century
Located in Roma, IT
The Arrival of the Angel is an old master artwork realized by Simone Cantarini in 17th Century. Black and white etching. Image dimensions: 21x17 Mo...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Pair of Large 18' century Paintings The Wedding Feast of Bacchus and Ariadne
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of large painting oil on canvas with the Wedding Feast of Bacchus and Ariadne scene . Italy 18' century . Amazing landscape background and roman Temple with classical archite...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Golden Age Sheep and Goat in a Landscape - Dutch 17thC Old Master oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
Abraham Begeyn, Dutch Golden Age painter and Prussian court painter painted this wonderful 17th century Old Master oil painting. Painted circa 1690 and signed lower right, the subject matter is sheep and a goat under a tree in the foreground, amongst beautiful flora and fauna. Through the trees one can see some classical ruins to the left and to the right some buildings with a shepherd and his flock in front of the buildings and mountains beyond. Above is a beautiful sky tinged with pink, suggestive of dawn. There is tremendous detail in the flora and fauna and also the sheep's woolly coat. Begeyn particularly favoured painting this sort of scene with the elements of landscape, ruins or buildings and animals and was a master at it and highly prized in the Netherlands. This is an excellent example of Begeyn's work and is good condition given its age as a 17th century Old Master oil painting. Signed lower right. Provenance: Collection of Mr P. Vienna (label on the reverse) Sale, Sotheby's, London, 18 October 1995, lot 70. Condition. Oil on canvas, 24 inches by 21 inches unframed and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a gilt swept frame, 31 inches by 28 inches framed and in good condition. Abraham Begeyn (c. 1637 Leiden - 11 June 1697 Berlin), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Begeyn was born in Leiden. Though perhaps known mostly for his Italianate landscapes and cattle in the manner of Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Begyn was a highly skilled painter active in many genres, who travelled widely. According to the RKD, Begeyn's earliest known work is from 1653, though he was first accepted into the Guild of St. Luke in Leiden in 1655. He stopped paying dues in 1667, because he set off for a trip to Italy. He is registered in Rome and Naples from 1659–1660. In the rampjaar or disaster year, of 1672, he is registered in Amsterdam, and after that he lived in London, where he painted at Ham House, Surrey, together with Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) and Dirck van Bergen...
Category

1690s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Wood Panel Figures in Tavern Interior
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Topers in a Tavern' Circle of Jacob Toorenvliet (Dutch 1635 - 1719) oil on panel, framed framed: 9 x 7 inches panel: 7.5 x 6 inches provenance: priv...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Madonna at Prayer - Italian Old Master art religious oil painting
By Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Located in Hagley, England
This rather special Italian Old Master religious portrait oil painting is attributed to a follower of Giovanni Battista Salvi, or Sassoferrato as he is better known. Painted circa 17...
Category

1790s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Very Large Marine Shipping Scene Impressive Statement Piece
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large Marine Scene Dutch or Flemish, 20th century color print on canvas, framed framed: 27 x 34 inches canvas: 20 x 27.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very goo...
Category

20th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Color

Landscape River Zuccarelli 18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master Italy Art
By Francesco Zuccarelli (Pitigliano 1702 - Florence 1788)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Francesco Zuccarelli (Pitigliano 1702 - Florence 1788), circle of Landscape with river and resting shepherds First half of the 18th century   oil painting on canvas cm. 60 x 93, wit...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

VEDUTA DEGLI AVANZI De’MAUSOLEI E DELLE FABBRICHE…...
Located in Santa Monica, CA
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI (Italian 1720-1778) VEDUTA DEGLI AVANZI De’MAUSOLEI E DELLE FABBRICHE…c 1756 (Hind 83; Focillon 20.A.293; Giesecke 116; Wilton-E...
Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Very Large Antique French Old Master Oil Painting after Rembrandt, self portrait
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century, after the earlier work by Rembrandt Title: Self portrait of the artist Medium: oil on canvas, framed in antique gilt swept frame. Fra...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Saint James Religious Tempesta Paint 17th Century OIl on canvas Old master Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555 - Rome 1630) Circle Saint James defeating the Moors in battle Oil on canvas 112 x 102 cm - Framed 125 x 114 cm A valiant knight with his sword...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Huge 19th Century Italian Classical Still Life Ornamental Birds Fruit & Flowers
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Ornamental Still Life with fruit, flowers and birds Italian School, 19th century, unsigned oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 31.5 x 47 inches condition: relined canvas and in very good and presentable condition provenance: from a collection here in England. A very beautiful and decorative oil painting on a huge scale, depicting this classical landscape scene, with ornamental birds...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique oil paining, A laughing man with an upturned glass, Dutch golden age
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Anonymous, 18th century Inspired by a painting by Petrus Staverenus (1610/1612 – 1654-07-28/1664-07-28) from a series of Five Senses 'Taste: A laughing man...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Early 1800's English Oil Painting Figure in Rural Woodland Landscape, original
By circle of John Constable
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: English School, early 1800's, circle of John Constable (British 1776-1837) Title: The Woodland Path Medium: oil on canvas, framed, unsigned Size: 12 x 22 inches Picture: 9 x 18 inches Provence: from a private collection in East Anglia...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Early 1800's Italian Classical Landscape with Ancient Ruins & Sea Port Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Italian Classical Landscape Italian artist, circa 1800's oil on canvas laid on board, framed framed: 9.5 x 13 inches board: 7 x 11 inches provenance: private collection condition...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

18th Century French Oil Painting Tavern Scene Interior Merry Making Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Merry Makers in the Tavern French School, 18th century oil on canvas canvas: 8 x 11 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Piazza del Popolo con Obelisco Egizio
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Piazza del Popolo con Obelisco Egizio Etching, 1752 Signed in the plate lower left (see photo) From: Della Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna ( The Magnificense of Ancient and Modern Rome) , (1747-1761) Volume II, The Main Squares and Obelisks, columns and other ornaments, 1752, Plate No. 21 Della Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna_ (1747-61), a collection of 238 plates that was published in ten volumes. Vasi recorded all types of architecture and organized these images of contemporary Rome by subject, with each volume representing a different category of architecture. This comprehensive project provides one of the most complete views of eighteenth-century Rome Condition: Excellent Image/Plate size: 8.25 x 12.63 inches Sheet size: 11 x 15 7/8 inches Vasi was Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s teacher. Piranesi (1720-1778) entered Vasi’s studio as an apprentice at age 20 c. 1740. Piranesi left Vasi’s employment after stabbing Vasi over the perception that Vasi was withholding secrets of the etching process. Giuseppe Vasi was an Italian engraver and painter born and trained in Sicily. He received a classical education in his hometown of Corleone and trained as a printmaker in nearby Palermo, perhaps under the tutelage of the etchers Antonino Bova and Francesco Cichè. He moved to Rome in 1736, already an established printmaker, and spent most of his career documenting the urban landscape of the city in engravings. Through his patron, the politically and culturally influential Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona, Vasi met other artists working in Rome, such as Sebastiano Conca, Ferdinando Fuga, and Luigi Vanvitelli. He was also influenced by his predecessors, including Giovanni Paolo Panini, Giovanni Battista Falda...
Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Five mid 20th century Italian oil landscapes with figures, castles, Churchs
Located in Woodbury, CT
A very interesting set of five mid-20th-century Italian oils on copper. All five are classical landscape subjects and are signed Roger, though we don't know which artist with the n...
Category

1950s Old Masters Art

Materials

Copper

View of Castello dell'Acqua Felice - Etching by G. B. Piranesi - 1751
Located in Roma, IT
View of Castel of Acqua Felice is an original etching realized by the italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1751. Very precoius and rare lifetime impression. Roman edition. I...
Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

The Nativity of Christ
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Anonymous 15th Century Italian, Probably Milan area The Nativity of Christ Pigments, ink and gold leaf on vellum Unsigned as is always the case with illuminated manuscripts The Virgi...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Old Masters Art

Materials

Pigment

Annunciation Ferri Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Religious Rome
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Ciro Ferri (Rome, 1634 – Rome, 1689) Attributed to Annunciation (probably a preparatory sketch) Oil on canvas 61 x 41 cm - In frame 79 x 49 cm The work, certainly commission...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

17th Century Old Master Drawing
Located in San Francisco, CA
17th Century Old Master Drawing Old master drawing with figure and putti Housed in a handsome contemporary wooden frame Drawing dimensions 4...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Graphite

The Ponte and Castel S. Angelo (Veduta del Ponte e Castello Sant' Angelo)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
The Ponte and Castel S. Angelo Veduta del Ponte e Castello Sant' Angelo Etching, 1754 Signed in the plate lower right above the caption From: Vedute di Roma A proper Roman printing w...
Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Tavern Interior Drinkers Sloped over Tables
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Tavern Interior Flemish School, 17th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 13.5 x 18 canvas: 11 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound cond...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Rare Jacobean Portrait on Panel Lady Elizabeth Wheeler née Cole 1623 Historical
Located in London, GB
A Rare Jacobean Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Wheeler (née Cole), 1623 Attributed to Cornelius Johnson (1593–1661) This remarkably rare early oil on panel, presented by Titan Fine Art, has emerged as far more than an anonymous “Portrait of a Lady.” Preserved in outstanding condition—its surface retaining exceptional clarity in the lace and textiles—it has only recently been reunited with the identity of its sitter: Elizabeth Cole (1607–1670), later Lady Elizabeth Wheeler, a Westminster gentlewoman whose later life brought her into intimate royal service as laundress for His Majesty’s person. That combination—high quality, uncommon survival, a newly identified sitter, and a life that intersects directly with the last acts of Charles I—places this portrait in a category of genuine rarity. It is not simply a beautiful Jacobean likeness; it is a rediscovered historical document - legible and compelling. The sitter is presented half-length against a dark ground, enclosed within a painted sculpted oval surround that functions like an architectural frame. This device, fashionable in the 1620s, concentrates the viewer’s attention and heightens the sense of social presentation: the sitter appears both physically and symbolically “set apart,” as if viewed through a refined aperture. The portrait’s immediate power, however, lies in the costume—an ensemble of striking modernity for c. 1623 and rendered with a precision that survives with remarkable crispness. She wears a deep green gown—a fitted overgown with open sleeves—over a finely embroidered linen jacket (a stiffened bodice/waistcoat garment). The sleeves form pronounced “wings” at the shoulder, a structurally assertive fashion detail of the early 1620s that enlarges the silhouette and signals sophistication. Beneath the green overlayer, the white linen jacket is richly ornamented in gilt embroidery. The goldwork is arranged as scrolling foliate forms—looping, curling tendrils punctuated by seed-like stippling—organised into balanced compartments across the bodice and sleeves. The motifs read as stylised botanical forms with rounded fruit-like terminals and leaf elements: not literal naturalism, but controlled abundance. The technique is described with extraordinary intelligence, mimicking couched metallic thread through patterned, “stitched” marks, while tiny dots and short dashes create a lively tactile shimmer. This embroidered jacket sits above a newly fashionable high-waisted, sheer apron or overskirt. The translucent fabric falls in soft vertical folds and is articulated with narrow lace-edged bands, giving the skirt a crisp rhythm of alternating sheer and patterned strips. At the neck, a fine ruff frames the face: a disciplined structure of pleated linen finished with delicate lace. Draped diagonally across the torso are long gold chains, painted to suggest weight and metallic gleam; they function both as ornament and as a further signifier of status. The cumulative effect is controlled luxury: she is not overloaded with jewels, but clothed in textiles whose cost and craftsmanship speak unmistakably. The recent sitter’s identification rests on heraldic and genealogical analysis: the arms shown on the painting correspond to those recorded for several families in armorial sources, but when the lines of descent are tested against survival and chronology, the viable bearer by 1623 resolves to Cole, and—crucially—to the London branch. That resolution matters because it anchors the portrait to a very specific social world: London/Westminster civic gentry and Crown administration, the milieu in which portraiture served as both self-fashioning and social instrument. The recent identification of the sitter (the London Cole branch of the family) is not merely genealogical; it has direct implications for authorship. A London-based mercantile or civic-gentry family would have ready access to leading immigrant artists, familiarity with heraldic display conventions, and the means to commission oil on panel, still standard among Netherlandish-trained painters. In that context, the portrait’s age inscription and date become especially revealing. The painting states the sitter to be nineteen years of age. Yet Elizabeth Cole’s birth in 1607 suggests she would be younger if the portrait is dated as early as 1623. The key insight is that the “incorrect” age is best understood not as a mistake but as a deliberate social adjustment, a performative statement rather than a documentary one. The most persuasive explanation is strategic. Portraits of high-status unmarried women were frequently made in connection with marriage negotiations. In the early 1620s, Elizabeth’s future husband, William Wheeler, was resident abroad at Middelburg in Zeeland in the Dutch Republic. If a portrait was intended to support or facilitate a match with an educated, ambitious man—“a man of learning and letters,” —then presenting a seventeen-year-old as nineteen would subtly reposition her as more mature and more nearly a peer in age, Wheeler being around twenty-two. The portrait thus becomes an instrument of alliance, not merely a likeness: an image designed to persuade, reassure, and elevate. This reading aligns perfectly with the period’s wider conditions. The early 1620s in England were charged with anxiety and expectation: James I’s later reign was marked by court faction, diplomatic tension, and the pressures of European conflict. The so-called “art market” was inseparable from these dynamics. Portraiture flourished because it served multiple functions: it fixed lineage, advertised alliance, signalled readiness for marriage, and projected the stability of elite households in an uncertain world. For Westminster families whose power came through office, portraiture was also a declaration of belonging—proof that administrative elites possessed the cultural polish traditionally associated with older aristocratic rank. Elizabeth’s later life vindicates the portrait’s impression of steadiness. Although no record survives of her marriage ceremony to William Wheeler, wills suggest she had married him by the mid-1630s, and there are strong grounds—consistent with the portrait’s implications—for a union already in place by the early 1630s, possibly earlier. Wheeler himself rose rapidly. By 1639 he held a manor at Westbury Leigh in Wiltshire and sought letters of denization due to overseas birth, enabling him to stand as Member of Parliament for Westbury. He leased the principal manor of Westbury the following year, coinciding with his election. In government service he became Remembrancer of the Exchequer and held office across regime change, a testament to administrative skill and political pragmatism. It is Elizabeth, however, who makes this portrait exceptional. She became laundress for His Majesty’s person, responsible for the washing and oversight of the King’s personal linen—an office that, despite its domestic description, required unusual trust, discretion, and access. Her role becomes visible in 1643 when she was granted a warrant signed by the Speaker of the House of Commons to follow the King to Oxford with her servant after the outbreak of the Civil War. She continued to serve during the King’s captivity after 1646, and at Carisbrooke Castle in 1647 she and her maid were implicated in smuggling secret correspondence to and from Charles I, in service of escape plans. After the King’s failed attempt to escape in March 1648, she was removed—yet the King’s trust persisted: he was permitted to send her remaining jewels in an ivory casket...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Old Master Royal Stallion Engraving by Crispin de Passe
Located in New York, NY
Crispin van de Passe The Younger (c. 1594-1670) Untitled (Royal Stallion), c. 1620-1660 Engraving Sight: 11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in. Framed: 18 3/4 x 22 5/8 in. Inscribed in plate: Le Bonit...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Engraving

Rebecca At The Well Pietro Da Cortona Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Rebecca at the Well Follower of Pietro da Cortona (Cortona 1596 - Rome 1669) Oil on canvas (50 x 66 cm. - Framed 63 x 84 cm.) The painting depicts the biblical episode from the...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of an artistic Gentleman, c. 1720s
Located in Henley-on-Thames, England
John Vanderbank (London 1694 - London 1739) Portrait of an artistic Gentleman, c. 1720s Three-quarter-length, wearing a turban Oil on canvas 125.5 x 101.7 cm.; (within frame) 145.6...
Category

1720s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

VEDUTA del SEPOLCRO della Famiglia PLAUZIA per la strada che Conduce da Roma....
Located in Santa Monica, CA
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI (Italian 1720-1778) VEDUTA del SEPOLCRO della Famiglia PLAUZIA per la strada che Conduce da Roma a Tivoli vicino a Ponte Lugan...
Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Italian School, late 16th century - Head of a Man and Écorché Studies of Arms
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Italian School, late 16th century Head of a Man and Écorché Studies of Arms Red chalk on laid paper, 21 x 11 cm Provenance: Collection of Michael Jaffé CBE (1923–1997), English art historian and Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Private collection, France This drawing, attributed to the Italian School of the late 16th century, demonstrates the influence of Michelangelo’s approach to anatomy and expression. The sheet combines two distinct studies: an anatomical rendering of arms in the écorché technique, focusing on the musculature and skeletal details, and a head of a man, drawn with careful attention to light and shadow. The use of red chalk lends the work warmth and immediacy, qualities often associated with Renaissance studies of the human form. The écorché studies reflect the Renaissance fascination with anatomy as both an artistic and scientific pursuit. The detailed depiction of the musculature suggests the artist’s interest in understanding the mechanics of the body, a practice heavily influenced by Michelangelo’s drawings...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Chalk

Mythological combat scene with Roman soldiers on horseback.
By Virgil Solis
Located in Middletown, NY
Pen and brownish black ink on grayish-cream laid paper, 6 1/2 x 8 inches (165 x 175 mm), irregular hexagonal sheet with margins. Some archival repairs along the top sheet edge, scatt...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink, Laid Paper, Pen

17th Century Memento Mori Vanitas Skull Old Master Oil Ex-Christie’s
Located in Yardley, PA
This wonderful 17th-century French School vanitas painting is a meditation on mortality and the transience of earthly pleasures. The composition centers on a finely rendered human sk...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Saint Michael Angels Roman School 17/18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Saint Michael the Archangel expels the rebellious angels from paradise (probably a preparatory sketch) Roman school, 17th/18th century Oil on canvas 99 x 73 cm Framed 119 x 94 ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

17th Century French Old Master Oil Painting Classical Robed Semi Nude Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
17th century French School circle of Nicolas Poussin (French 1594-1665) "Figures in Arcadia" oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 16 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very good and sound condition Nicolas Poussin was a renowned French painter of the 17th century. He is considered one of the greatest figures of classical French Baroque art...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of Lady in Silver Dress - Dutch Old Master art portrait oil painting
By Willem Wissing
Located in Hagley, England
This lovely Dutch Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Willem Wissing. Wissing settled in England and emerged as Peter Lely's most important pupil after his de...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Very Large Antique French Classical Romantic Oil Painting Ancient Ruin Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 19th century Title: Classical Landscape with figures amongst ancient ruins. Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed. canvas: 24.5 x 36 inches P...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

French School 18th century, Portrait of a gentleman, oil
Located in Paris, FR
French School 18th Century Portrait of a gentleman holding his hat Oil on paper transferred on wood panel 34 x 27 cm Not signed which is normal for this type of artwork In a beautifu...
Category

1760s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Ancient Roman Fresco - Original Etching by Vincenzo Aloja - 18th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Ancient Roman Fresco, from the series "Antiquities of Herculaneum", is an original etching on paper realized from a design by Vincenzo Aloja in the 18th century. Signed on the plate...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

Conversion Saint Paul Antonio Tempesta Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Italy
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555 - Rome 1630) Circle The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus Oil on canvas 112 x 102 cm Framed 125 x 114 cm The scene depicts the e...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Italian Landscape - Dutch Old Master art Grand Tour landscape oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This simply stunning large Old Master landscape oil painting is attributed to noted Dutch artist Adriaen van Diest. Painted circa 1700 this Mediterranean Italian landscape painting has everything; A really interesting landscape with land, river, sea and mountains, interesting figures and cattle and a wonderful sky with fading light. The details and the capturing of the light make this a really fantastic Dutch Old Master country house Grand Tour oil painting. Irresistible. Provenance. Dorset estate. Condition. Oil on canvas, 42 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an English carved giltwood frame, 50 inches by 28 inches framed and in good condition. Adriaen van Diest (1655-1704) was born in the Hague in the Netherlands. Like his father and his brother, he pursued a career as a marine painter, that is, a painter of seascapes and sailing ships. In 1673, attracted by the thriving English market for portraits and marine paintings, he joined the exodus of Dutch artists leaving to work in England. It is thought that his master was Willem van de Velde the Younger...
Category

Early 1700s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Goddess of Love - Original Etching by Martino Rota - 17th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Goddess of Love is an original hand-colored etching on creamy-colored paper realized in the 17 century by Martino Rota. Signed on the plate on the low...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Etching

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.