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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
AMERICA
AMERICA

John SpeedAMERICA, 1626-76

$4,250Sale Price|50% Off

AMERICA

By John Speed

Located in Santa Monica, CA

IMPORTANT AMERICAN MAP - ONE OF THE FIRST TO SHOW CALIFORNIA as an ISLAND JOHN SPEED (1552-1629) AMERICA - With Those Known Parts In That Unknown Worlde (sic), 1626-(76) (Burden 217 iv/iv) Engraving, uncolored. Engraved by Abraham Goos and published by Thomas Basset and Richard Chiswell - 4th state of 4 in 1676.15 1/8 x 20 1/2” From “A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World”. Generally good condition. A repaired split in lower centerfold. This is the most common version of this important map...

Category

1620s Old Masters Art

Materials

Engraving

Large 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape
Large 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape

Large 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Follower of Dirck van Berghen (Dutch School, 17th Century) Pastoral Landscape with a Shepherdess and Livestock Oil on canvas, framed in a French Empire period gilt frame canvas dimensions: 18 x 22 inches framed dimensions: 22.5 x 26 inches This charming pastoral scene, rendered in oil on canvas, is attributed to a follower of the 17th-century Dutch painter Dirck van Berghen, who was known for his bucolic landscapes featuring cattle and rural life. The composition reflects the influence of van Berghen’s mentor, Adriaen van de Velde...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Victorious Judith Galizia Fede Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy
Victorious Judith Galizia Fede Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy

Victorious Judith Galizia Fede Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master Italy

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Galizia Fede (Milan c. 1578 – c. 1630) Circle Victorious Judith Oil on canvas 116 x 91 cm. – In an antique frame 149 x 125 cm. The work depicts a captivating portrait of the ...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Coastal Landscape See Paint Lacroix de Marseille Oil on canvas 18th Century Art
Coastal Landscape See Paint Lacroix de Marseille Oil on canvas 18th Century Art

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

17th Century Dutch Flemish Old Master Oil on Panel Figures Grape Harvest
17th Century Dutch Flemish Old Master Oil on Panel Figures Grape Harvest

17th Century Dutch Flemish Old Master Oil on Panel Figures Grape Harvest

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Grape Harvest Flemish/ Dutch School, 17th century oil on wood panel panel: 13 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, Belgium condition: very good and sound condition

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Figures Chatting outside Village Tavern in Mountain Landscape, Period Oil
Figures Chatting outside Village Tavern in Mountain Landscape, Period Oil

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

Very Large Marine Shipping Scene Impressive Statement Piece
Very Large Marine Shipping Scene Impressive Statement Piece

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

Large 1700 Italian Old Master Nude Bather with Classical Figures Water Fountain
Large 1700 Italian Old Master Nude Bather with Classical Figures Water Fountain

Large 1700 Italian Old Master Nude Bather with Classical Figures Water Fountain

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Italian School, circa 1700's Classical figures in landscape oil on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 32 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very goo...

Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Allegory Poetry Trémolières Paint 18th Century OIl on canvas Old master France
Allegory Poetry Trémolières Paint 18th Century OIl on canvas Old master France

Allegory Poetry Trémolières Paint 18th Century OIl on canvas Old master France

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Pierre Charles Trémolières (Cholet, 1703 - Paris, 1739) Allegory of Poetry (the Muse Calliope) Oil on canvas (86 x 112 cm - In original lacquered frames 122 x 95 cm.) Work ac...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Singer by Candlelight (Dutch School Old Master Genre Scene)
Singer by Candlelight (Dutch School Old Master Genre Scene)

Singer by Candlelight (Dutch School Old Master Genre Scene)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Beautiful Dutch School painting dating from 17th century. Oil on wood panel measuring 10 3/8 x 14 7/16 inches. Unsigned. No inpainting or conservation. Depicted is a scene with a beautiful young woman singing...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Set of Three Engravings from Nash's "History of Worcestershire" /// Landscapes
Set of Three Engravings from Nash's "History of Worcestershire" /// Landscapes

Set of Three Engravings from Nash's "History of Worcestershire" /// Landscapes

By Treadway Russell Nash

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: Treadway Russell Nash (English, 1724-1811) Title: "A View of Pershore, from Pensham hill", "A View of Shipston upon Stour", and "Kidderminster" Portfolio: Collections for the History of Worcestershire Year: 1781-1782 (First edition) Medium: Set of Three Original Engravings on watermarked laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: John Nichols, London, UK Publisher: T. Payne and Son, J. Robson, B. White, Leigh and Sotheby, London, UK; Fletcher, Oxford, UK; and Lewis, Worcester, UK Sheet size (each): approx. 10.13" x 16.75" Image size (each): approx. 7" x 11.88" Reference: Upcott III, page 1330 Condition: A few light handling creases. Have been professionally stored away for decades. They are all strong impressions in excellent condition Notes: Provenance: private collection - Aspen, CO. All three works were engraved by English artist Thomas Sanders (Active: Mid-Late 18th Century) after drawings by himself. Comes from Nash's two volume "Collections for the History of Worcestershire", (1781-1782) (First edition), which consists of 75 engravings. Each work is printed from one copper plate in one color: black. There was a (Second edition) "with Additions" bound in with Volume II of this portfolio published by John White in (1799). And both the First and Second editions of "Collections for the History of Worcestershire" are based off Thomas Sanders' 1779-1781 "Perspective Views of the Market Towns within the County of Worcester". All three, "A View of Pershore, from Pensham hill", "A View of Shipston upon Stour", and "Kidderminster" have an unidentified watermark in the center of their sheets resembling "XV". Biography: Treadway Russell Nash (24 June 1724 – 26 January 1811) was an English clergyman, now known as an early historian of Worcestershire and the author of Collections for the History of Worcestershire, an important source document for Worcestershire county histories. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Treadway Russell Nash was born on 24 June 1724 born at Clerkenleap, in Kempsey, Worcestershire. His family were from Ombersley. They had lands there and at Claines, and had later bought lands in the Reformation around St Peter's, Droitwich. He was related to James Nash and John Nash, both MPs for Worcester. His father Richard, a grandson of Sir Rowland Berkeley, died in 1740, and Richard's eldest son in 1757. As a result, Treadway Russell Nash inherited the Russells' Strensham estates from his brother, as well as the Nash estates, and took both names. He was educated from the age of twelve at King's School, Worcester, and became a scholar at Worcester College, Oxford aged fifteen. In March 1749, he accompanied his brother on a trip to the continent, to aid Richard's health. They visited Paris for about six weeks, before spending the summer "on the banks of the Loire". They then visited "Bourdeaux, Thoulouse, Montpelier, Marseilles, Leghorn, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Lyons, and again Paris"; such expeditions are often known as the Grand Tour. On his return in late summer 1751, Nash took up a post as Vicar of Eynsham through his friend and future brother-in-law, John Martin. He also had an income as a tutor at Oxford. He took his Doctor of Divinity degree and left Oxford, having "gone out grand compounder", following the death of his brother. He also left his benefice at Eynsham in 1757. While at Oxford he had proposed a road from there to Witney (now the A40 and B4022), and also stood for Parliament. Nash married Margaret Martin...

Category

1780s Old Masters Art

Materials

Engraving, Laid Paper

Large Antique Oil Painting The Mona Lisa after da Vinci's Famous Painting
Large Antique Oil Painting The Mona Lisa after da Vinci's Famous Painting

Large Antique Oil Painting The Mona Lisa after da Vinci's Famous Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Mona Lisa after Leonardo da Vinci French artist, 20th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, Paris condition: good and sound condi...

Category

20th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th Century Portrait Of A Young Woman Oil On Canvas
19th Century Portrait Of A Young Woman Oil On Canvas

19th Century Portrait Of A Young Woman Oil On Canvas

Located in York, GB

Fine 19th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait of a Young Woman in large gilt gesso frame .unsigned. Identity of the sitter as yet unknown. The artist has managed to capture her ethereal b...

Category

19th 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

Sleeping Herdsman by Charles Amand-Durand
Sleeping Herdsman by Charles Amand-Durand

Sleeping Herdsman by Charles Amand-Durand

By Rembrandt van Rijn

Located in Middletown, NY

A an impression after Rembrandt's only state of this image. Paris: 1644. Etching and engraving on high quality buff wove paper 4 7/8 x 4 1/2 inches (124 x 114 mm); sheet 12 5/8 x 1...

Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Etching, Engraving

Mythological combat scene with Roman soldiers on horseback.
Mythological combat scene with Roman soldiers on horseback.

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

ALLEGORICAL SCENE - Giovanni Faliero - Italy  Oil on Canvas Painting
ALLEGORICAL SCENE - Giovanni Faliero - Italy  Oil on Canvas Painting

ALLEGORICAL SCENE - Giovanni Faliero - Italy Oil on Canvas Painting

By Giovanni Faliero

Located in Napoli, IT

Allegorical Scene - Giovanni Faliero Italia 2009 - Oil on canvas cm. 90x110. This beautiful oil on canvas is the personal reinterpretation of the magnificent painting “Bacchant playing the Cymbals” by Jean-Simon Berthélemy, a French painter of the 18th century. Here we admire a mythological scene showing a naked bacchant playing cymbals next to a wooded stream, with a small sleeping faun...

Category

Early 2000s Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Anglers
The Anglers

The Anglers

By Herman van Swanevelt

Located in Middletown, NY

Etching with engraving on cream laid paper with a large unidentified alphabetic watermark, 6 1/2 x 9 7/8 inches (165 x 251 mm), the full sheet. In good condition with handling wear a...

Category

Early 17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Engraving, Etching

Escuela griega (XIX) - Icono de estilo Bizantino - Firmado
Escuela griega (XIX) - Icono de estilo Bizantino - Firmado

Escuela griega (XIX) - Icono de estilo Bizantino - Firmado

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Esta obra es un icono religioso de estilo bizantino, característico por su fondo dorado y la representación solemne de figuras sagradas. La escena central muestra a la Virgen María, ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Diana Boullogne Mythological Paint Oil on canvas old master 17/18th Century
Diana Boullogne Mythological Paint Oil on canvas old master 17/18th Century

Diana Boullogne Mythological Paint Oil on canvas old master 17/18th Century

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Bon Boullogne (Paris, 1649 - Paris, 1717) workshop of Episodes from the myth of Diana oil painting on canvas Dimensions: 84 x 114 cm. with antique frame 100 x 132 cm. The beautiful painting proposed shows a series of episodes taken from the myth of the divinity Diana, the Roman divinity of hunting, forests and wild animals, masterfully captured in this valuable painting, which shows a luxuriant wood, a favorite place of the divinity, as a theater of his adventures. The composition opens, on the left, with a sort of presentation of the divinity, portrayed as an attractive young girl, surrounded by her faithful Nymphs, one of whom holds her quiver with arrows, and by one of her beloved dogs. hunting her. The 'story' continues in the central part where we can see the divinity during a wild boar hunt...

Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Temptations Of Saint Anthony Mola Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master
Temptations Of Saint Anthony Mola Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master

Temptations Of Saint Anthony Mola Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Pier Francesco Mola ‘il Ticinese’ (Coldrerio, 1612 – Rome, 1666) workshop The Temptations of Saint Anthony Oil on canvas 75 x 62 cm. - Framed (with defects) 82 x 71 cm. The the...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Rembrandt van Rijn - Christ Between His Parents, Returning from the Temple -1820
Rembrandt van Rijn - Christ Between His Parents, Returning from the Temple -1820

Rembrandt van Rijn - Christ Between His Parents, Returning from the Temple -1820

By Rembrandt van Rijn

Located in Dallas, TX

Offered here is a compelling later impression of one of Rembrandt’s most intimate biblical subjects, Christ Between His Parents, Returning from the Temple. Executed originally in 1654, the composition captures the youthful Christ walking between Mary and Joseph following the episode in Jerusalem, rendered with remarkable psychological nuance and economy of line. This impression was printed in the early nineteenth century from Rembrandt’s original copperplate and is accompanied by a historical letter attesting to its authenticity and dating. The letter states in part: “In my opinion and to the best of my knowledge, the etching presented to me by Antonio’s Collection and entitled Rembrandt E van RIJM is an authentic Rembrandt etching made from the plates owned by the Museum of Amsterdam. It is probably an etching third state and would date approximately 1820.” The reference to plates held by the Rijksmuseum situates this impression within the long tradition of posthumous printings drawn from Rembrandt’s original matrices—objects that have been preserved, studied, and occasionally re-inked for carefully supervised editions. With its rich burr, velvety shadows, and expressive linear handling, this impression remains faithful to the master’s conception while offering collectors the opportunity to acquire an authentic Rembrandt etching from a later, historically significant printing. Like many of Rembrandt’s etched works, Christ Between His Parents, Returning from the Temple exists in several states, meaning the copperplate was altered over time as the artist reworked details, added lines, or strengthened passages of shadow. First State (1654) The earliest impressions are prized for their freshness and painterly light effects, with delicate burr and subtle modeling in the figures’ garments and faces. These are rare and typically reside in museum collections. Subsequent States Later states reflect adjustments to shading, contours, and background architecture—often deepening contrasts or clarifying forms as Rembrandt refined the narrative focus of the scene. Third State (circa 1820) By the early nineteenth century, impressions were occasionally pulled from the preserved original plates, producing prints that retain the fully developed image while often showing slightly firmer lines and less burr than seventeenth-century impressions. Such examples are historically important, documenting the continued reverence for Rembrandt’s graphic work and the custodial role of European institutions in safeguarding his plates. The accompanying letter provides valuable documentary support, linking this impression to early twentieth-century scholarship and reinforcing its status as an authentic pull from Rembrandt’s plate...

Category

19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Paper

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

19th Century English Antique, Two Country farmers drinking beer in a landscape
19th Century English Antique, Two Country farmers drinking beer in a landscape

19th Century English Antique, Two Country farmers drinking beer in a landscape

By George Morland

Located in Woodbury, CT

Attributed to George Morland. 19th Century English Antique, Two Country farmers drinking beer in a landscape. Wonderful early 19th-century original oil on canvas. A classic 'Morland' composition as the painter was a big fan of English Pub scenes...

Category

Early 1800s Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, 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

The Windmill by François Vivares, after Rembrandt
The Windmill by François Vivares, after Rembrandt

The Windmill by François Vivares, after Rembrandt

By Rembrandt van Rijn

Located in Middletown, NY

Engraving on cream laid paper, 8 x 5 7/8 inches (202 x 149 mm), trimmed at the platemark. Adhered at each corner to a small sheet of archival laid paper. Horizontal edge loss at the ...

Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Etching

Portrait Dante Alighieri Cristofano Papi Dell'altissimo Paint 16/17th Century
Portrait Dante Alighieri Cristofano Papi Dell'altissimo Paint 16/17th Century

Portrait Dante Alighieri Cristofano Papi Dell'altissimo Paint 16/17th Century

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Florentine school of the sixteenth century Cristofano di Papi dell'Altissimo (Florence 1525 – 1605) workshop Portrait of Dante Alighieri (Florence 1265 - Ravenna 1321) Oil o...

Category

16th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Large 18th Century European Oil Painting Portrait of Noble Lady Lace Collars
Large 18th Century European Oil Painting Portrait of Noble Lady Lace Collars

Large 18th Century European Oil Painting Portrait of Noble Lady Lace Collars

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Portrait of a Noble Lady European School, 18th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 37.5 inches canvas: 30 x 24.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good ...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Fine 18th Century Italian Classical Huge Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape
Fine 18th Century Italian Classical Huge Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape

Fine 18th Century Italian Classical Huge Oil Painting Figures Animals Landscape

By Jan Frans van Bloemen (Orizzonte)

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Figures & Animals in Classical Landscape circle of Jans Frans Van Bloemen (Orizzonte 1662 - 1749), unsigned oil on canvas, framed framed: 28.5 x 42.5 inches canvas: 19 x 34 inch...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Wooded Landscape Waterfall Van Ruisdael Paint Oil on canvas 17th Century Flemish
Wooded Landscape Waterfall Van Ruisdael Paint Oil on canvas 17th Century Flemish

Wooded Landscape Waterfall Van Ruisdael Paint Oil on canvas 17th Century Flemish

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Jacob van Ruisdael (Haarlem 1628-Amsterdam 1682) attributable Wooded Landscape with Waterfall Oil on canvas 74 x 94 cm. - framed 91 x 111 cm. A wooded view crossed by a tumultuous...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Freshwater fish, an eel and a frog, on a table
Freshwater fish, an eel and a frog, on a table

Freshwater fish, an eel and a frog, on a table

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

Isaac Van Duynen (Dordrecht 1628-1679 The Hague) Freshwater fish, an eel and a frog, on a table Oil on canvas Canvas size 37 x 51 in Framed size 44 x 58 in Provenance with Simon Dic...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Oil

Fishing at Dawn Old Trading Port with Many Figures Large Oil Painting
Fishing at Dawn Old Trading Port with Many Figures Large Oil Painting

Fishing at Dawn Old Trading Port with Many Figures Large Oil Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Fishing at Dawn English artist after an earlier work (see inscription verso) signed oil painting on canvas, framed inscribed verso framed: 23 x 31 inches canvas: 18 x 26inches proven...

Category

Late 20th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rare Jacobean Portrait on Panel Lady Elizabeth Wheeler née Cole 1623 Historical
Rare Jacobean Portrait on Panel Lady Elizabeth Wheeler née Cole 1623 Historical

Rare Jacobean Portrait on Panel Lady Elizabeth Wheeler née Cole 1623 Historical

By Cornelius Johnson

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

Mid 19th Century "Susanna And The Elders" After The Old Master by Martinelli
Mid 19th Century "Susanna And The Elders" After The Old Master by Martinelli

Mid 19th Century "Susanna And The Elders" After The Old Master by Martinelli

Located in San Francisco, CA

Outstanding Mid 19th century old master "Susanna and the Elders" after Martinelli Brilliant old master painting of Susanna and the Elders. Original oil on canvas. Dimensions 26.5" ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Herding cattle through a wooded river landscape
Herding cattle through a wooded river landscape

Herding cattle through a wooded river landscape

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

James Stark (1794-1859) Herding cattle through a wooded river landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size 18 x 24 in Framed Size 23 x 29 in James Stark (1794-1859): A Pioneer in Landscape P...

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.