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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
Portrait of a Lady with Pink Bow - British c 1820 Old Master art oil painting
Portrait of a Lady with Pink Bow - British c 1820 Old Master art oil painting

Portrait of a Lady with Pink Bow - British c 1820 Old Master art oil painting

By Sir Thomas Lawrence

Located in Hagley, England

This lovely British Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence. Painted circa 1820 it is a seated half length portrait of a beautiful lady in a b...

Category

1820s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Huge I1600's Italian Old Master Oil on Canvas Jesus at House of Mary & Martha
Huge I1600's Italian Old Master Oil on Canvas Jesus at House of Mary & Martha

Huge I1600's Italian Old Master Oil on Canvas Jesus at House of Mary & Martha

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Jesus at the House of Mary & Martha Italian artist, 1600's oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 32.5 x 56.5 inches Provenance: Private collection, England Condition: for a work of such mo...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Escuela flamenca (siglo xviii) - Óleo sobre tela - Paisaje con figura a caballo
Escuela flamenca (siglo xviii) - Óleo sobre tela - Paisaje con figura a caballo

Escuela flamenca (siglo xviii) - Óleo sobre tela - Paisaje con figura a caballo

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

La obra no va firmada, es de autor anónimo Se presenta enmarcada la pintura El estado de la obra se puede ver, es aceptable, pero con algunas restauraciones antiguas y la tela está...

Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Saint James Religious Tempesta Paint 17th Century OIl on canvas Old master Italy
Saint James Religious Tempesta Paint 17th Century OIl on canvas Old master Italy

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

Multiplication Loaves Solimena Paint 17/8th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art
Multiplication Loaves Solimena Paint 17/8th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art

Multiplication Loaves Solimena Paint 17/8th Century Oil on canvas Old master Art

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Angelo Solimena (Canale di Serino 1629 - Barra, 1716) Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes Oil on canvas 60 x 102 cm Framed 76 x 116 cm Work accompanied by an expert repo...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Conversion Saint Paul Antonio Tempesta Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Italy
Conversion Saint Paul Antonio Tempesta Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Italy

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

Rebecca At The Well Pietro Da Cortona Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Italy
Rebecca At The Well Pietro Da Cortona Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Italy

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

18th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait, Major Alexander Brown in Military Uniform.
18th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait, Major Alexander Brown in Military Uniform.

18th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait, Major Alexander Brown in Military Uniform.

By Sir David Wilkie

Located in Cotignac, FR

18th Century Military portrait of a young officer in Napoleonic period military dress. The painting is not signed but the subject is Major Alexander Brown. The work is oil on canvas later mounted on board and presented in a fine 'Regence style' carved gilt frame. There are labels to the back referring to the subject, 'Major Brown of Trinity' and a framers trade label from Edinburgh. A magnificent and imposing portrait of a young military officer in the prime of his life. His red uniform adorned with fine buttons, fringed epaulettes and high gilt collar. His ruddy complexion offset by his stylish hair, a quiff and swept forward to the sides as was the fashion at the time. Sir David Wilkie RA (18 November 1785 – 1 June 1841) was a Scottish painter, especially known for his portraits, including formal royal ones, and scenes from his travels to Europe and the Middle East. He painted successfully in a wide variety of genres, including historical scenes. His main base was in London, but he died and was buried at sea, off Gibraltar, returning from his first trip to the Middle East. He was sometimes known as the "people's painter". He was Principal Painter in Ordinary to King William IV and Queen Victoria. Apart from royal portraits, his best-known painting today is probably The Chelsea Pensioners Reading the Waterloo Dispatch of 1822 in Apsley House. Sir David Wilkie was actually admitted in 1799 (despite only being 14) through the influence of the Earl of Leven...

Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Antique Dutch Oil Painting Figures at Sunset by Coastal Estuary with Buildings
Antique Dutch Oil Painting Figures at Sunset by Coastal Estuary with Buildings

Antique Dutch Oil Painting Figures at Sunset by Coastal Estuary with Buildings

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

A River Landscape With A Figure On A Donkey 1800's Dutch School oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 21 x 27 inches canvas: 18 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, England ...

Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique oil painting, Boy Fleaing a Dog, Gerard ter Borch, Dutch golden age
Antique oil painting, Boy Fleaing a Dog, Gerard ter Borch, Dutch golden age

Antique oil painting, Boy Fleaing a Dog, Gerard ter Borch, Dutch golden age

Located in DEVENTER, NL

Gerard ter Borch (II) (1617-1681), copy after, around 1700 'Boy Fleas a Dog' Oil on canvas Professionally restored (cleaned and relined) In modern frame in 17th century style Dimensions excl. frame: 33 x 27,5 cm. Dimensions incl. frame: approx. 50 x 45,5 cm. Depcited is a boy busy fleaing a dog. The boy sits on a chair with the dog on his lap. On a table on the right there is a book and a pen. On a wooden bench lies the boy's hat. What is unique about this painting by Ter Borch, is the relationship that is depicted between human and animal. Mostly animals like dogs where depicted as an attribute in paintings in the 17th century, and sometimes used to symbolize certain character traits. This boy is lovingly caring for his dog, which he is giving his full attention. Another interesting detail is that Ter Borch's brother Moses, was probably the model for this painting. Ter borch often used family members as models for his paintings. Moses was also a very talented painter and draughtsman. Several copies of this work by Ter Borch are known. One of these copies is in the collection of the Dutch Rijksmuseum (Image included in the image gallery (last image)). The original painting is in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich, Germany. Gerard ter Borch, also known as Gerard Terburg, was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu...

Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Escuela hispano-colonial (siglo xix) - Óleo sobre tela - La sagrada familia
Escuela hispano-colonial (siglo xix) - Óleo sobre tela - La sagrada familia

Escuela hispano-colonial (siglo xix) - Óleo sobre tela - La sagrada familia

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Sin firmar, es de autor anónimo Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco del siglo xviii (el marco presenta algunas leves faltas) Medidas obra: 104 cm. de altura x 80 cm. de anch...

Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Piazza del Popolo con Obelisco Egizio
Piazza del Popolo con Obelisco Egizio

Piazza del Popolo con Obelisco Egizio

By Giuseppe Vasi

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

Fine 18th Century English Aristocratic Portrait of a Lady Oval Canvas Gilt Frame

Fine 18th Century English Aristocratic Portrait of a Lady Oval Canvas Gilt Frame

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist/ School: English School, circa 1740's Title: Portrait of a Lady, traditionally identified as 'Anne of Chesterfield'. Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed Size: painting: ...

Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait Battle Horse Van Der Meulen Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas
Portrait Battle Horse Van Der Meulen Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas

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

Studies of the Galli Statue and Ignudo, Ink on Paper, 16th Century
Studies of the Galli Statue and Ignudo, Ink on Paper, 16th Century

Studies of the Galli Statue and Ignudo, Ink on Paper, 16th Century

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

Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre tela - San Juan Bautista
Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre tela - San Juan Bautista

Escuela española (XVIII) - Óleo sobre tela - San Juan Bautista

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Escuela Española siglo XVIII Se trata de un óleo sobre tela representando a San Juan Bautista Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas: 104 x 83 cm. El estado se puede ver, pres...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Fine 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil on Panel Angelic Visitation to Figures
Fine 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil on Panel Angelic Visitation to Figures

Fine 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil on Panel Angelic Visitation to Figures

By Rembrandt van Rijn

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Angelic Visitation Dutch School, mid 17th century circle of Rembrandt (Dutch 1606-1669) oil on wooden panel, framed in faux tortoiseshell style frame. framed: 25 x 28.75 painting...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Saint John Baptist Pombioli Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy
Saint John Baptist Pombioli Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy

Saint John Baptist Pombioli Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Tomaso Pombioli (Crema, 1579 – Crema, 1636) Saint John the Baptist Oil on canvas 99 x 130 cm. In frame 120 x 152 cm. Reference bibliography: M. Marubbi and C. Piastrella, L'...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Escuela colonial (XVIII) - Óleo en tela - La enseñanza de santa Ana a la virgen
Escuela colonial (XVIII) - Óleo en tela - La enseñanza de santa Ana a la virgen

Escuela colonial (XVIII) - Óleo en tela - La enseñanza de santa Ana a la virgen

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

La obra se presenta enmarcada con su marco original de la época (el marco presenta faltas y desgastes) El estado de la obra se puede ver, tiene perdidas y de pintura y faltas en la ...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

16th Century Italian Renaissance Pen and Ink Study of Figures
16th Century Italian Renaissance Pen and Ink Study of Figures

16th Century Italian Renaissance Pen and Ink Study of Figures

Located in Paris, Île-de-France

Italian School, 16th Century Studies of Figures Pen and ink on paper, 23 × 24 cm Unsigned A finely executed sheet presenting vigorous figure studies, drawn with assured pen strok...

Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Ink

Golden Age Sheep and Goat in a Landscape - Dutch 17thC Old Master oil painting
Golden Age Sheep and Goat in a Landscape - Dutch 17thC Old Master oil painting

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

Study of a Sleeping Girl in a Cap

Study of a Sleeping Girl in a Cap

By Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Located in Middletown, NY

Graphite on greenish gray wove paper. 15 1/4 x 11 5/8 inches (390 x 295 mm). Initialed "G. B." in pencil on the lower right recto. In generally good condition with some minor scattered surface soiling. Condition is consistent with age. ____ This drawing is closely related to two known mid 18th century oils...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Graphite

A Tompe l'oeil still life of hanging birds
A Tompe l'oeil still life of hanging birds

A Tompe l'oeil still life of hanging birds

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

English School, c. 1800 Still life of hanging birds Oil on panel Panel size - 8 x 6 in Framed size - 12 1/2 x 10 1/2 in This trompe-l'œil still life is a striking example of illusio...

Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait Gascard Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master French school
Portrait Gascard Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master French school

Portrait Gascard Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master French school

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Workshop of Pierre Mignard (1612–1695) Attributed to Henri Gascard (Paris 1635–Rome 1701) Unsigned Portrait of Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan (1640-1707), favourite o...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Landscape River Zuccarelli 18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master Italy Art
Landscape River Zuccarelli 18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master Italy Art

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

Portrait of a senior naval officer, c. 1740s
Portrait of a senior naval officer, c. 1740s

Portrait of a senior naval officer, c. 1740s

By Thomas Hudson

Located in Henley-on-Thames, England

Thomas Hudson (Devon 1701 - London 1779) Portrait of a senior naval officer, c. late 1740s Probably a captain or admiral; half-length, holding a telescope, with a warship beyond Oil on canvas 91.3 x 71.1 cm.; (within frame) 114.3 x 93.8 cm. (Unsigned) Provenance: Christie’s, London, 22 November 1985, lot 105 (as Thomas Hudson); Private collection, United Kingdom; Haynes Fine Art, Broadway, Worcestershire; Where acquired, private collection, United States, 16 August 1988; Neal Auction, New Orleans, 14 September 2025, lot 302 (as Attributed to Thomas Hudson); Where acquired by Haveron Fine Art. Literature: Bridgeman Art Library, The Bridgeman Art Library (London: The Library, 1995), p. 89 Christie’s, London, Important English Pictures (London: Christie’s, 22 November 1985) Archival: Witt Library, Courtauld Institute of Art (no. 061487); Heinz Archive and Library, National Portrait Gallery, 1725-50, Thomas Hudson: Men Authentic (1) (Box) This attractive and quintessential half-length is exemplary of Hudson’s leading portrait practice, produced in the years immediately preceding his decade-long dominance over the London market, beginning in 1749. The work is stylistically typical of Hudson's prime 1750s output, displaying a deliberate refinement of his technique: namely the emphasis of directional brushstrokes, which sensitively follow the contours of the facial features. However, since the sitter wears civilian dress and not a naval uniform (introduced officially in April 1748), a late 1740s date of creation is most likely. Displaying the merits of Hudson's evolving handling, a distinctive feathery quality is combined here with a striking chiaroscuro effect, which Hudson borrowed directly from Rembrandt. Amalgamating the rich colouring of the Rococo with a mannered Baroque posing, Hudson renders the senior naval officer with a characteristic presence. Resting one hand assuredly at his hip, the finely worked telescope illustrates the officer’s seniority; the warship sailing on the horizon beyond provides further indication of his commanding rank. The telescope is held by a hand modelled with sculptural poise, and the typically Van Dyck manner (seen elsewhere, e.g. Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain, YCBA B2001.2.246) further illustrates Hudson's studied grounding. The sitter wears civilian clothes, and not the naval uniform first introduced in 1748 (which officers afterwards invariably chose to be shown in). His red waistcoat is of a type popular amongst British officers before 1748, perhaps inspired by French naval uniforms. The officer has previously been suggested as Edward Henry Sartorius, of the prominent naval Sartorius family; however, this identification is improbable on biographical and documentary grounds. Hudson was regularly commissioned by leading naval officers, and produced highly satisfactory portraits praised for their great likeness and genteel swagger. He charged 24 guineas for a standard 50 x 40 inch half-length in the 1750s period, and the present work (somewhat smaller in size) would have cost not much less. Comparable works include those of Admirals of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, and Sir John Norris; Admiral Sir George Pocock; Admiral Sir Peter Warren; Vice-Admiral The Honourable John Byng; and Rear-Admiral Richard Tyrrell. The present portrait is particularly similar in composition to Hudson’s Portrait of a Flag Officer of The White Squadron, which similarly employs the narrative device of a telescope held at a dynamic angle across the composition, with a warship to the left side of the officer’s retracted arm. Thomas Hudson (Devon 1701 - London 1799) Thomas Hudson rose to become the leading British portraitist of the mid-18th century, albeit in close competition with his Scottish counterpart Allan Ramsay. Born in Devon, Hudson studied alongside George Knapton under Jonathan Richardson the Elder (marrying his daughter in 1725, expressly against Richardson’s wishes), and inherited a dignified formality jointly derived from Van Loo. His work is first recorded in 1728, and between 1730-40 he practised in Bath and the West Country, where in addition to portrait commissions, he was employed to retouch and reline old pictures. He returned permanently to London thereafter, and devised a series of stock poses to which he would return with variation throughout his career. Beginning in 1745 with the death of Richardson and the departure of Van Loo, Hudson became the city’s most successful portraitist, and embarked on ambitious defining works such as his Portrait of Theodore Jacobsen ‒ not drastically unlike the continental heights of Pompeo Batoni in conception. Profiting from his success, he relocated from Lincoln’s Inn Fields to a house in Great Queen Street previously inhabited by Van Loo, and one door down from Kneller’s old rooms. An exceptionally productive period began in 1749 which lasted until the late 1750s. Among this output were highly praised portraits of the Prince and Princess of Wales, commissions for most of the preeminent aristocrats, and superlative group portraits including Benn’s Club of Aldermen, and those of the Thistlethwayte, Marlborough and Radcliffe families. Hudson relocated to King Street, Covent Garden, operating a prolific studio operation which resulted in some four hundred paintings ‒ of which at least eighty were engraved. A prodigious assembly of young pupils included Sir Joshua Reynolds (1740-3), Joseph Wright of Derby (1751-3, 1756), Richard Cosway, John Hamilton Mortimer, and the drapery painters Joseph and Alexander van Aken (also employed by Ramsay). As one later reviewer expressed: ‘Hudson, his art may well display to sight / Who gave Mankind a Reynolds and a Wright’ (Miles, ‘Introduction’). The ambitious young Reynolds made many drawings from classical statuary under Hudson’s instruction, and wrote home that, ‘While doing this I am the happiest creature Alive (sic.)’ (Sweetser, p.12). However, he was later dismissed from his pupilage some two years prematurely for refusing to carry a painting to Van Aken’s studio in the rain. It was at this point that Reynolds returned to Plymouth (Devonport), and produced some thirty portraits of the local gentry (including one example presently owned by Haveron Fine Art). Hudson was one of a number of artists who congregated in Old Slaughter’s Coffee House, alongside Hogarth, Ramsay, Hayman, and Rysbrack. Together they supported Thomas Coram’s Foundling Hospital, of which they each belonged to the 600 governors (in whom Hudson met many of his future clients), and promoted the building as London’s first public space of artistic exhibition. He visited the Netherlands and France for five weeks in 1748 accompanied by St Martin’s Lane colleagues, and was arrested with Hogarth for making drawings of the Bastille fortifications. He afterwards stayed in Rome and Naples in 1752 with Roubiliac, meeting Reynolds twice on the return journey. He returned to England and bought a house at Cross Deep, Twickenham (upstream from Pope’s villa), and made an effective museum of the space. He lived there with his second wife, a wealthy widow named Mrs Fynes. Having been involved with early attempts to establish a royal academy of the arts, Hudson exhibited at the Society of Arts in 1761 and 1766, although he had effectively retired from painting by the latter date. His last painting was in 1767, and he died at Twickenham in January 1779 aged seventy-eight. Hudson was also exceptional for the extensive collection of artworks which he amassed during his lifetime. The collection was thoroughly impressive in extent, and included outstanding Old Masters: Breughel, Canaletto, van Dyck, Hals, Holbein, Kneller, Lely, Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Poussin, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tintoretto, Titian, Vasari, and Velázquez. His earliest recorded purchase was in 1741, and he spent heavily at the sale of his father-in-law, even buying works jointly with Van Aken. Likewise, at the posthumous 1750 sale of Van Aken, Hudson spent £215 on the second day (nearly half that day’s sale total). As a pupil, Reynolds had been sent to bid for Hudson in Lord Oxford’s sale of 1742, and proudly recalled having been greeted with a handshake by Hudson’s friend Pope at another picture sale. Hudson also collected extensively from within his own generation, acquiring works by contemporaries including Gainsborough, Reynolds, Richardson, Rysbrack, Vanderbank, and his predecessor Van Loo. Following his death, the works were dispersed in two sales at Messrs. Langford, with the finer works sold at Christie’s in 1785 after the death of his second wife. However, his connoisseurship was not without flaw ‒ having outbid Benjamin Wilson for a Rembrandt drawing, Wilson etched and printed a new ‘Rembrandt’ plate...

Category

1750s Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Mrs James Hoste  - British 18th century art portrait oil painting
Portrait of Mrs James Hoste  - British 18th century art portrait oil painting

Portrait of Mrs James Hoste - British 18th century art portrait oil painting

By John Vanderbank

Located in Hagley, England

This superb large three quarter length British Old Master portrait in a landscape oil painting is attributed to circle of John Vanderbank the Younger. Painted circa 1738 the sitter is Mrs James Hoste of South Wootton and Sandringham, nee Hammond. She was the daughter of Anthony Hamond and Susan Walpole, daughter of Robert Walpole, and was sister to Robert, 1st Earl of Oxford. She married Major James Hoste of Sandringham, Norfolk, and they had two daughters. The sheen of her blue satin dress against her gold cloak is stunning. A really lovely 18th century portrait with excellent provenance. Inscribed with sitter details lower left. Provenance. By descent within the family of the sitter at West Acre High House, Norfolk; Cheffins, Cambridge, 'West Acre High House' sale, 24 November 2010, Lot 519; Wood Hall, Arkesden, Essex. Literature: 'Portraits in Norfolk Houses', Prince Duleep Singh, 1927, No. 36. Sitter's details on two labels verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, image size is 50 inches by 40 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt frame, 58 inches by 48 inches framed and in good condition. John Vanderbank (1694-1739) was an English portraitist and book illustrator, who enjoyed a high reputation for a short while during the reign of King George...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Baroque Italian painter - 17th century figure painting- Baptism of Jesus
Baroque Italian painter - 17th century figure painting- Baptism of Jesus

Baroque Italian painter - 17th century figure painting- Baptism of Jesus

Located in Varmo, IT

Italian painter (17th century) - Baptism of Christ. 122 x 74 cm without frame, 133 x 86 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in wooden frame (not signed). Condition repo...

Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Excuela española (XVIII) -  Virgen con niño - Óleo sobre tela
Excuela española (XVIII) -  Virgen con niño - Óleo sobre tela

Excuela española (XVIII) - Virgen con niño - Óleo sobre tela

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Como pueden apreciar, la obra no va firmada, es de autor anónimo Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco bastante actual El estado de la obra es aceptable, solo comentar que la ...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century British Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady, Large oil painting
Fine 18th Century British Portrait of an Aristocratic Lady, Large oil painting

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

18th century French Old Master Portrait of a woman in oriental costume
18th century French Old Master Portrait of a woman in oriental costume

18th century French Old Master Portrait of a woman in oriental costume

Located in Aartselaar, BE

French 18th century old master portrait of a majestic lady dressed "à la Turque" The sitter at the viewer with a kind and enigmatic smile and twinkling eyes. She looks elegant and kind, yet also has an intelligent and determined aura, reflecting the character of someone who is in charge of her own life and destiny. De Silvestre paid great attention to her spectacular outfit, which is striking in its portrayal of the sumptuous fabrics and their decorative richness. She is wearing a luxurious royal blue robe à la...

Category

1740s Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19thC. Figures Hunting Classical Ruins Mountainous Sunset Landscape North Africa
19thC. Figures Hunting Classical Ruins Mountainous Sunset Landscape North Africa

19thC. Figures Hunting Classical Ruins Mountainous Sunset Landscape North Africa

By Continental School

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Continental, 19th Century oil on canvas, framed Monogrammed 'WM' and dated '1868' lower right framed: 34 x 48.5 inches canvas : 29.5 x 44 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Co...

Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Royal Hospital att Greenwich to the River /// "Vitruvius Britannicus" Engraving
Royal Hospital att Greenwich to the River /// "Vitruvius Britannicus" Engraving

Royal Hospital att Greenwich to the River /// "Vitruvius Britannicus" Engraving

By Colen Campbell

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: Colen Campbell (Scottish, 1676-1729) Title: "Royal Hospital att Greenwich to the River" (Vol. 1, Plates 86, 87) Portfolio: Vitruvius Britannicus; or The British Architect, Co...

Category

1710s Old Masters Art

Materials

Engraving, Etching, Laid Paper, Intaglio

Portrait of a lady in blue dress ”Countess of Peterborough”
Portrait of a lady in blue dress ”Countess of Peterborough”

Portrait of a lady in blue dress ”Countess of Peterborough”

Located in Stockholm, SE

This exquisite portrait, with its new attribution to Theodore Russel, is believed to depict Lady Penelope O'Brien, daughter of Barnabas O'Brien, the sixth Earl of Thomond, and wife of the Earl of Peterborough, whom she married in 1644. The painting thus belongs to a historically significant period, capturing the refined elegance of the time. The portrait has a prestigious provenance from Elleholms Hofgård, a historic estate in Mörrums socken, Blekinge, Sweden. Elleholms Hofgård, whose two-story, timber-framed main building was constructed in 1730 and expanded in 1804, has changed ownership several times since the 17th century. The ancestors of the present owners acquired the estate in 1915, and from the 20th century until 2023, this painting was prominently displayed in the estate’s main building, making it an integral part of the estate’s history. Theodore Russel, an English portrait artist born in 1614, studied under the renowned Sir Anthony van Dyck, whose influence can be seen in Russel’s meticulous style. Russel often painted on cabinet-sized panels, such as this one, which measures approximately 39 x 31 cm. This preference for panels is a notable characteristic that sets him apart from contemporary artists like Sir Peter Lely, who exclusively used canvas. The size of the panel is a key reason for the reattribution to Russel from Peter lely, as Lely never used panels for his works. This distinctive format, along with Russel’s characteristic style, strongly supports the new attribution. Russel, the son of Nicasius Rousseel, a goldsmith and jeweler to James I and Charles I, refined his skills under the mentorship of his uncle, the famous portrait painter Cornelis Janssen. He also worked as an assistant and copyist for van Dyck, further honing his artistic style. This captivating portrait exemplifies Russel’s craftsmanship, reflecting the elegance of the period’s fashion and the artist's refined techniques. oil on wood panel with indistinct inscription Countess of Peter[...] upper left. with inscription on the reverse: ”Countess of Peterborough. P. Lely 1670. S Beatty Picture Restorer [...] Warwick”. unframed 39 x 31 cm = 15.35 x 12.2 inches framed 52 x 41.5 cm = 20.47 x 16.34 inches Condition: The portrait has just been restored by a professional art conservator in Stockholm and is now in a very good condition. The colors are vivid, and the skin tones appear more natural than before. It is a very fine painting. The frame is newly made and included. Provenance: Elleholms Hofgård, Mörrums socken, Blekinge, Sweden **; Stockholms Auktionsverk, Fine Art & Antiques Autumn...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Elegant Company Van Mieris Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Old master
Elegant Company Van Mieris Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Old master

Elegant Company Van Mieris Paint 17/18th Century Oil on canvas Old master

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Frans van Mieris the Elder (Leiden 1635 - Leiden 1681) Workshop Elegant company in an interior (or “Self-portrait with his family”) Oil on canvas 50 x 41 cm In a beautiful fra...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Berghers with Animals Sunset
Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Berghers with Animals Sunset

Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master Oil Painting Berghers with Animals Sunset

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Close of Day Italian School, early 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 17 x 22.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen niña - óleo sobre cobre.
San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen niña - óleo sobre cobre.

San Joaquín, Santa Ana y la Virgen niña - óleo sobre cobre.

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

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

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

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.