Old Masters Art

Tavern Interior Dutch School, 17th century oil on metal, framed framed: 8 x 6.75 inches painting: 6 x 4.25 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound condit...

Albrecht Dürer 1471-1528 German The Penance of St. Chrysostom Monogrammed in the plate lower center "AD" Copper engraving on laid paper “Whatever was mortal in Albrecht Dürer li...

Franz Werner Von Tamm known as Monsieur Daparait (Hamburg 1658-Vienna 1754) Attributed to Still life of fruit with lizard Oil on canvas, 58 x 74 cm. Framed 76 x 92 cm. This magnifi...

Portrait of an Eritrean Sibyl who writes the prophecy Circle of Lorenzo Pasinelli (Bologna 1629 - 1700) - Attributable to Giampietro Cavazzoni Zanotti ...

Wonderful 18th century English gouache on paper of a 18th century English scene of a groom with a horse in a landscape. One of a set of five all framed in Hogarth frames. L.Green ...

‘Fire and Moonlight’ by Abraham Pether FSA (1752–1812). The painting – which depicts an extensive moonlit view across the City of London with a cottage on fire in the foreground – w...

Portrait of a lady by Dutch Golden Age painter Nicolaes Maes (1634-1693). Half-length, within a feigned oval, the lady wears a pearl necklace and earrings, an ivory silk gown adorned...

This superb Old Master later 17th/early 18th century oil painting is attributed to Baroque painter and German born animal artist Philipp Peter Roos. He was active in and near Rome fr...

This superb Italian 17th century Old Master animal oil painting is attributed to Baroque artist Giovanni Agostino Cassana. Painted circa 1650 the composition is of two rabbits, a guinea pig and a dove in an interior. The two rabbits, one brown one grey are in the immediate foreground, head to head eating something and the dove is standing to their right. The brown and white guinea pig is sitting above and behind them. As the background is dark the animals really stand out and there is superb detail in their respective fur and feathers. This is a charming Italian Old Master animal oil painting and an excellent example of Cassana's work. Provenance. Scottish estate. Condition. Oil on canvas, 24 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a ebonised frame, 32 inches by 28 inches, in good condition. Giovanni Agostino Cassana (c.1658 – 6 May 1720) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was a son of Giovanni Francesco Cassana and an elder brother of Niccolò and Giovanni Battista. He was born at Venice, and was initially instructed by his father. In 1670 he worked at the court of Ferdinando de' Medici in Florence and travelled regularly between the two cities, but spent at least the years 1718–1720 in Genoa, where he later died. He painted portraits with some success, but preferred painting animals in the style of Antonio Maria Vasallo, Benedetto Castiglione, and Joannes Fyt, a style which he learned from Jacques van de Kerckhove...

Adriaen de Gryef (Leiden 1657 - Brussels 1722) Signed ‘A Gryeff f’(ecit) - centre left Peasant in the courtyard with still life of animals and fruit Oil on canvas Dimensions (cm): ...

Mythological Figures in Woodland Glade Dutch School, late 17th century oil on wood panel, unframed panel: 11 x 9 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: minor surface sc...

Revelry in a Classical Landscape Italian School, early 18th century (circa 1700) oil painting on canvas, laid on board, unframed board: 20 x 36 inches provenan...

Capital letter for the Antiquities of Herculaneum Exposed,  etching from the end of the 18th century, made by Various Old Masters. In very good condition, except for some stains alo...

Portrait of Arab Man in Turban French artist, 18th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 21 x 16.5 inches Canvas : 18.5 x 14 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: ...

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...

A very fine Italian 17th century oval oil on canvas "Head of Christ Crowned with Thorns" Circle of Pierre Mignard (French, 1612-1695) within...

This charming 18th century French Old Master oil painting is attributed to circle of Joseph Frans Nollekens. Painted circa 1740 it is described as a fete champetre - a form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. They were often elegant affairs and became very popular in 18th French paintings. Antoine Watteau invented the genre, from around 1710 and they were also included as a category in the French Academy. In this painting, several well dressed figures are sat in the foreground by a fountain and statue, being entertained by a musician. Beyond, a wide avenue of trees leads towards a very grand country house with countryside beyond. There is superb detail in the figures and their colourful clothing. The brushwork in the trees and sky is also superb. This is a charming example of an 18th century fete champetre and of a French Old Master oil painting. Provenance. Gloucester estate. Condition. Oil on canvas. Image size 49 inches by 30 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a fine gilt frame, 56 inches by 37 inches and in good condition. Josef Frans Nollekens or Joseph Frans Nollekens (1702–1748)[2] was a Flemish painter who was principally active in England where he is often referred to as "Old Nollekens" to distinguish him from his famous son, the sculptor Joseph Nollekens. He painted conversation pieces, galant companies and fêtes champêtres in the style of Watteau, genre scenes as well as portraits. He was also active as a picture restorer. A fête champêtre was a form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. This form of entertainment was particularly practised by the French court, where in the Gardens of Versailles and elsewhere areas of the park were landscaped with follies, pavilions, and temples to accommodate such festivities. The term is a French expression, very literally translating as "party in the fields", meaning a "pastoral festival" or "country feast" and in theory was a simple form of entertainment, perhaps little more than a picnic or informal open air dancing. In practice, especially in the 18th century, the simplicity of the event was often contrived. A fête champêtre was often a very elegant form of entertainment involving on occasions whole orchestras hidden in trees, with guests sometimes in fancy dress. Such events became a popular subject in French 18th-century painting, representing a glamourized aristocratic form of pastoral, with "scenes of well dressed dalliance in a park setting". Antoine Watteau invented the genre, from around 1710, and is its best exponent, imitated by others such as Nicolas Lancret and Jean-Baptiste Pater...

Girolamo Bonini, called Anconitano (Ancona, circa 1600 - Bologna 1680) Annunciation (or Madonna of the Beautiful Angel) Oil on canvas (115 x 91 cm. - Framed 134 x 108 cm.) Work accompanied by the expertise of Prof. Emilio Negro The work, undoubtedly commissioned as an object of private devotion, shows the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, a Gospel episode here set on the two figures portrayed in the foreground, the Archangel Gabriel with outstretched wings, a portrait of supernatural beauty, and the Virgin; We see her here absorbed in reading a prayer book with her eyes turned humbly downwards as a sign of devotion, while a small cherub hands her white lilies, a symbol of purity and chastity.   In the upper part of the composition is the austere image of God the Father, with the dove radiating with light, emblem of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by a flock of angels fluttering in the clouds charged with intense glow and play of light, in full Baroque style. It should also be noted that the image of the Saviour's mother in a delicately pious attitude, with her yellow veil, her broad blue mantle and her usual modest red dress from which the edges of her white blouse protrude, is to be interpreted as a kind of tender allegory of sacred love. The painting in question is an interesting replica with variants of the composition commissioned from Francesco Albani for the Fioravanti chapel in the ancient church...

Pietro Della Vecchia (Venice, Italy, 1603 - Vicenza, Italy, 1678) Title: The Alchemists Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 73 x 97 cm – with frame 90.4 x 114.3 x 6 cm ...

This very busy oil on panel is a Dutch Old Master painting dating to around 1620 by artist and poet Willem van Nieulandt. It is an incredibly detailed and colourful scene composed of...

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...

Jacques Waben (Alkmaar ca. 1575-1641/1642 Hoorn) Signed in the bottom centre and dated ‘J. Waben f./1620’. The Announcement to the Shepherds Oil on oak panel 103 x 63 cm in frame 107 x 67 Provenance: Vienna Palais Dorotheum Old master painting 10.12.2015 (lot 143) This is a spectacular depiction of the theme of the annunciation to the shepherds, set in a nocturnal atmosphere dense with photos but refined, the episode of the birth of Jesus reported in the Gospel according to Luke (Lu 2:8-15), in which an angel announces the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds. We see the scene just as described in the Gospel passage that sets the event at night where the shepherds, intent on watching over their flock, were startled by the sudden appearance of an angel of astonishing beauty who we see here radiating a powerful golden light, while at his side a multitude of other angels from the heavenly army sing praises to God. After exhorting them not to be afraid, he informed them that a saviour, the Messiah, had been born in Bethlehem, whom they would find wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, cared for by the Virgin and St Joseph. The annunciation to the shepherds was the most depicted night scene in Flemish painting from the 15th century...

The Hunting Party Attributed to Dirk Maes (1659-1717) Dutch. Figures in a Classical Landscape, Watercolour and wash on paper, Mounted, unframed image 6.75" x 9.75" (17.1 x 24.7cm)...

This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is by Michael Dahl; it was part of the extensive collection owned by Thomas Wyndham of Clearwell Court in Gloucestershire. It ma...

Giovanni Giacomo Sementi (Bologna, Italy, 1580 - Rome, Italy, 1636) - Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan, Italy, 1616 - Bologna, Italy, 1681) Danae Oil on canvas, without frame 119 x 179 cm, with frame 140 x 200 x 12 cm, weight 35 kg Expertise by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri Publications: Carne - la materia dello spirito, exhibition catalogue curated by Father Alessio Geretti, project of the scientific catalogue curated by Father Alessio Geretti, Nicole Pravisani and Giulia Toffoletti, (21 May - 22 October 2023), Illegio, Casa delle Esposizioni, pp. 56-59; Body, Love and Feelings - Works of Ancient Masters from the 16th to the 19th century. In the paintings of Giorgio Baratti private collection, Milan, exhibition catalogue curated by Alessandro Marchi, (27 July - 18 September 2011), San Marino - Historical Centre, pp. 38-39; Giorgio Baratti Collezione. Selezione di opere d’arte antica (Giorgio Baratti Collection. Selection of ancient works of art), curated by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri and with the participation of Professor Andrea Emiliani, Grafiche Veneziane, Venezia 2011, pp. 22-23. It is a gentle and graceful Danae the one portrayed by Giovanni Giacomo Sementi. A painting in which the Milanese painter Pier Francesco Cittadini also collaborated by painting the golden basin filled with flowers to the left of the scene. The work shows various pictorial influences; from the Bolognese Emilian style, to that of Ludovico Carracci (1555 - 1619) and Guido Reni (1575 - 1642), to the Baroque and Roman style. The work features an elegant red drapery which serves as the background to the entire scene, but the real protagonist is the young woman with long red hair who is lying on a bed covered by a white sheet. The girl is naked except for a lapis lazuli blue mantle...

Porta Pia Viminalis is an original etching of the Late 18th century realized by Giuseppe Vasi. Signed and titled on plate lower margin. Good conditions except for consumed margins...

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...

"The Fortune Teller" is an original oil painting on canvas by Abraham Willemsens, Maitre aux Beguins (Master of the Hats). It depicts a fortune tell...

The Passenger is an original artwork realized by Antoine de Marcenay de Ghuy in 1775. Original etching on paper. Titled on the lower margin at the center. The artwork is glued on ca...

"Two Rams Looking Down & To Their Left" is an original etching by Karel DuJardin. DuJardin completed many delicate etchings of rams. 3 3/4" x 7 3/4" art 16 3/8" x 19 1/2" frame Du Jardin was a master of various genres of painting, including refined and tranquil Italianising landscapes, monumental historical paintings and superb portraits of the aristocracy. Unlike the majority of his contemporaries, Karel du Jardin (b. Amsterdam 1626, d. Venice 1678) was a talented painter in not one, but many different genres. He is especially famous for his small-scale landscapes, such as the charming Italian landscape with a woman milking a goa" (1652) from the Rijksmuseum's collection. Du Jardin depicted both sun-filled Italianate scenes and Dutch farmyards with pigs and sheep. He also painted a range of elegant portraits of aristocrats and merchants. His self-portrait (1662) on copper is one of the most fascinating 17th-century portraits of a Dutch artist. Du Jardin's spectacular large-scale historical pieces, represented is the show by the impressive Conversion of Saint Pau" (1662) from the collection of the National Gallery of London, are among his most remarkable achievements; he often chose themes that were only rarely depicted by other Dutch painters of the period. During his own lifetime Du Jardin was praised by poets and writers, particularly for his attention to detail and elegant painting technique. As Cornelis de Bie, the artist’s biographer, wrote in 1661: "the surety of the brush at his finger and such sharpe clarity […] that the eye thereon doth linger." Du Jardin's valuable paintings were mainly purchased by rich individuals with an eye for elegance, but were also commissioned by prominent institutions such as the Amsterdam 'Spinhuis' (a women's prison), for whom he painted a vast group portrait of the prison-governors. Karel du Jardin was an artist who liked to travel. He lived for a time in Lyon and in Paris, and sailed with Joan Reynst, Heer van Drakestein, by ship via England, Portugal and Spain to Tangier and Algiers, where they met Michiel de Ruyter...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Frankfort, Germany entitled "Francenbergum, vel ut alij Francoburgum Hassiae Opp" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1595. This is an English translation of an excerpt from the original text in the atlas: "Frankenberg or, according to others, Francoburgum, a town in Hesse. Charlemagne vested the town of Frankenberg with many freedoms and privileges, which it still enjoys to this day, and on account of its valiant and victorious soldiers awarded a signet, upon which there formerly appeared a golden castle with a tower, together with the letter F and a golden crown. Frankenberg, seen here from the northeast, lies on a hill above the River Eder. The hillside is covered with fields neatly separated by bushes and fences. Soaring above the town is the massive Liebfrauenkirche, which was modelled on St Elizabeth's church in Marburg. The New Town was founded in 1335 at the foot of the hill (right) and merged with the Old Town as late as 1556. Frankenberg was founded by Conrad of Thuringia in 1233/34 to prevent the archbishops of Mainz from expanding their sphere of influence...

Ancient painting depicting Jesus with the Commissioner's son (Alternative reading: St. Joseph with the Child, or the 'Paternity') Giovan Battista Salvi known as "the Sassoferrato" (1609 - 1685) circle / follower Oil painting on canvas 76 x 59 cm. -With frame in the shape of a small temple, not coeval 99 x 84 cm. The interesting canvas that we are pleased to offer you recalls the iconographic model of classic paternity, which traditionally sees Saint Joseph holding the sleeping baby Jesus...

Work on canvas Work re-lined Plaster and gilded wood frame 86 x 105 x 7 cm

Guido Reni (Bologna, Italy, 1575 – 1642) Title: Masculine Head Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 44.7 × 51.2 cm – with frame 62.8 x 68.3 x 5.5 cm Expertise by Claudio...

Engraving on cream laid paper, 8 x 5 3/8 inches (203 x 137 mm), trimmed at the platemark. A fine impression with a Coat of Arms watermark. Second state, after the addition of the Frederick de Witt...

Family Devotion with Cherubs French School, 18th century after the earlier work by Sir Peter Paul Rubens oil on canvas, unframed Canvas : 29 x 24 inches Provenance: private collectio...

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...

This superb Dutch Old Master marine oil painting is attributed to the circle of Jacob de Heusch. Painted circa 1690 the setting is an Italian coast with fish...

Luca Giordano (Naples, 1634 - 1705) workshop of Psychostasy of the Archangel Michael, or the Weighing of Souls (probable preparatory sketch) Oil on canvas 58 x 43 cm. Framed 73 x 6...

This superb German Old Master still life oil painting is attributed to circle of Johann Amandus Winck and also shows the influences of the Dutch Old Masters. Painted circa 1780 the p...

Nicola Maria Rossi masterfully captures the biblical tale of Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, a story from the Book of Genesis. In this scene, Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, arrives at ...

This is an 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi entitled "Veduta del Tempio detto della Tosse su la Via Tiburtina, un miglio vicino a Tivoli" (View of the so-called Tem...

Portrait of Raimondo di Montecuccoli in armor with a marshal's staff. Dutch School. Oil on canvas Dutch School. Circle of Peter Nason (Amsterdam, 1612 - 1690 The Hague). Portrait of a military commander in armor with a marshal's staff. In the portrait of the illustrious general Raimondo Montecuccoli, it can be observed that he still appears without the Order of the Golden Toson. This detail suggests that the portrait could be dated before 1664. Raimondo Montecuccoli was a famous general and military strategist of the 17th century in the service of the Habsburg Empire. Born in 1609 in Italy, Montecuccoli fought in numerous European wars, distinguishing himself for his tactical and strategic abilities. He is best known for his victories during the Thirty Years' War and the war against the Turks. Montecuccoli is also remembered for his writings on military theory, which influenced subsequent generations of commanders. He died in 1680. Montecuccoli came from a noble Italian family but chose to pursue a military career in the service of the Habsburg Empire. He studied in Vienna and fought in numerous battles and military campaigns, earning the trust of Emperor Leopold I. Montecuccoli was known for his discipline, his ability to adapt to situations on the battlefield, and his skill in leading troops with cunning and determination. Montecuccoli fought in many significant battles during the Thirty Years' War and the wars against the Turks. Some of his most famous battles include the Battle of Lens in 1648, where he achieved a decisive victory against French forces, and the Battle of Vezekény in 1664, where he defeated the Ottoman army. He faced adversaries such as the renowned French general Turenne and the great Turkish commander Kara Mustafa...

Artist: Unknown (Likely French, 18th Century) Title: "La Femme Muse" *No signature found Circa: 1780 Medium: Original Pastel Drawing on heavy laid paper Frami...

A rare pair of three-quarter length 'marriage' portraits by one of the foremost dutch portrait painters of the 17th century, Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht 1634-1693 Amsterdam). The gentleman signed middle left 'Maes 1679'. Oil on canvas in dutch style ebonised frames. Dimensions 58 x 47.5cms each. The gentleman is shown in a landscape at dusk, leaning against a stone capital, wearing a white chemise decorated with lace, a black coat and a brown silk cloak draped across his body. The lady is elegantly dressed in an ivory silk gown decorated with jewels on the neckline and shoulders, the contrasting sleeves in gold fabric, with a rose pink silk cloak draped over her shoulder and bodice. She wears a pearl necklace and earrings with her fair hair worn up with ringlets falling down onto her chest in the fashionable style of the day. She stands with one hand touching a lock of her hair as she rests her arm on the bowl of a stone water drinking fountain...

Saint George A follower of Giovanni Battista Cima, known as Cima da CONEGLIANO (Conegliano c. 1449 - Conegliano c. 1517) Oil on canvas 126 x 49 cm. Framed 143 x 65 cm. The painting...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of View of View of Meissen, Germany entitled "Misena Hermun Duvorum Urbs" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1575. The map depicts a side view and bird's-eye view, looking across the Elbe River (labelled Albis Fluvius on the map; White River in Latin) from the northeast. In the foreground are three women in conversation on a hill above the city, along with a man and a woman in conversation by a road, all dressed in contemporary costumes of the upper class. A coat-of-arms is present in each upper corner. A great castle sits atop a hill in the background on the left. Meissen grew up around Albrechtsburg castle, built by Emperor Henry I around AD 929, and was granted a municipal charter at the end of the 12th century. From 1471 onwards, the castle complex was reconstructed as the residence of the Saxon electors on the northeast corner of the Domberg (Cathedral Hill). Meissen cathedral is a Gothic hall church begun c. 1270; in 1413 a bolt of lightning destroyed its west towers, which were replaced only in the 20th century. Meissen lies to the northwest of Dresden, Germany in Saxony. Meissen is famous for its Meissen porcelain and the Albrechtsburg castle The following is an English translation of an excerpt from Braun's description of the city:  "This city is surrounded by very many rivers, to the east flows the Elbe, to the south the Triebisch, to the west are the mountains, to the north the Meisse, after which the city is said to be named. The city is well-situated in its surroundings, the navigable rivers, the mountains and the healthy air. Around the city there is a good land to grow grain, fertile vineyards on the hillsides and without doubt the mountains are not without ore, for one mile away, up the Elbe, is Scharfenberg, where silver and lead ore are mined.." 
  References: Van der Krogt 4, 2684; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg...

Christ and St John the Baptist embracing Studio of Joos van Cleve (1485 – 1541), Antwerp First half of 16th century Oil on oak panel, h. 55 cm, w. 43 cm A 17th century ebonized wood frame Framed: h. 100 cm, w. 83 cm Provenance: • Advertisement in Burlington Magazine, 1929, at the antique dealer Paul Larsen, 34 Duke's Street, London, United Kingdom • Clowes Sale, Christie's London, 7 July 1950, lot 153 (as Joos Van Cleve) • Acquired from the Katz antique dealers in Dieren (Netherlands) in the 1950s (one of the most important art galleries in the Netherlands specialising in Old Masters) • By descent, private European collection The composition of our painting depicting two naked babies embracing, Jesus and Saint John the Baptist, draws its source from a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, probably executed in Milan around 1490 (kept at Windsor Castle, United Kingdom). This scheme, widespread early in the Lombard school, was widely reproduced by Leonardo's Milanese followers (Marco d'Oggiono, Bernardino de Conti or Bernardino Luini.) It is very likely that Joos Van Cleve was inspired by one of the works of his artists during his stay in Italy, however some historians hypothesize that he borrowed the figures from the painting by Marco d'Oggiono who had copied it on site in Flanders (it would have belonged to Margaret of...

Miss Ada Gossett, circa 1673, half-length in a landscape at dusk, wearing an amber silk gown adorned with a gold trimmed gauze shawl and fine jewels, wearing a pearl necklace, her fa...

The Madonna & Christ Child Italian, 17th century oil on wood panel, unframed board: 9.5 x 7.5 inches provenance: private collection, Paris condition: very good and sound condition fo...

"Saint Lawrence Looking at the Treasures" is a captivating painting attributed to the Bolognese School, a prominent art movement from Bologna, Italy, flourishing primarily in the 16t...

Rembrandt van Rijn 1606-1669 Dutch Naked Woman on a Mound Etching on paper Etched by Rembrandt New Hollstein 88, second state of II; Bartsch, Hollstein 198; Hind 43 One of the gr...

Bernardino Detti (Pistoia, Italy, 1498 - 1572) Title: Face of Christ Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 32 cm - with frame 47 x 55.5 cm Antique box frame made of solid wood and walnut burl. Publications: unpublished The painting by Bernardino Detti (1498 - 1572) depicts the face of Jesus...

Ornate Classical Fruit Still Life Italian School, 17th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 22 x 27 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condi...

18th-century Neapolitan master Pair of paintings ‘Hagar and the Angel’ and ’The Sacrifice of Isaac’ Pair of oils on oval canvas 75 x 60 cm. - In frame 84 x 69 cm. The proposed pair...

Sin firmar, es de autor anónimo Se presenta sin enmarcar la pintura El estado de conservación de la obra se puede ver, presenta algunas faltas que precisarán restauración y el bast...

Flemish painter 17th-18th century Construction of the Tower of Babel Oil on canvas 51 x 64 cm Framed 66 x 78 cm If there is a subject in art that has been taken up several times t...

Rembrandt van Rijn 1606-1669 Dutch Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook Etching on paper New Hollstein's 309, second state of II Signed and dated "Rembrandt f. 1658" (upper left) Created from observations of a live model, this work started as a figure study before evolving into a more imaginative setting. It remains ambiguous whether the scene is set indoors, as suggested by the cushion the figure is seated on, or outdoors, indicated by the foliage in the background. The omission of her feet, suggesting they may be dangling in a brook, adds a charming touch to Rembrandt’s imaginative scene. The figure seems unaware of the viewer, presenting a dignified yet sensual demeanor. The son of a miller, Rembrandt van Rijn is believed to have been born in Leiden on July 15, 1606. He studied first at the Latin School and then was enrolled at the University of Leiden at the age of 14. He soon left to study art—first with a local master, Jacob van Swanenburch, and then, in Amsterdam, with Pieter Lastman...