Old Masters Art

Artist: Marco Dente da Ravenna (Italian, 1493-1527) Title: "Venere e Amore sui Delfini (Venus and Cupid on Dolphins)" *Monogram signed by Dente in the plate (printed signature) lower left Circa: 1515-1520 (second state of three) Medium: Original Engraving on laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Unknown Publisher: Antonio Salamanca, Rome, Italy Reference: Bartsch XIV, page 244, No. 324; Passavant VI, page 69, No. 32; Le Blanc, II, page 111, No. 16; Imolesi Pozzi pages 71-72, 113, No. 10 Framing: Recently beautifully framed, the sheet is museum mounted, floated over a 100% cotton rag mat in a modern gold moulding and Museum glass Framed size: 16.88" x 13.07" Sheet size: 10.63" x 6.94" Condition: Thread margins. A strong impression in excellent condition Very rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Périgueux, France. This work is also sometimes referred to as "Venus and Cupid riding two sea monsters, Cupid raises an arrow in his right hand, two heads representing wind in the clouds above". The engraver's monogram "SR" lower left. Published by Antonio Salamanca (1478-1562) in Rome, Italy with his address printed lower right: "Ant. Sal. Exc.". No watermark found. This engraving is after a drawing by Italian artist Raphael aka Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520). "This engraving by Marco Dente is after a design by Raphael, now lost, used by Giulio Romano for his fresco on the south wall of the Stufetta of cardinal Bibbiena - a small room in the Apostolic Palace, at the Vatican, that originally served as a washroom for the cardinal. The engraving differs from the fresco in some details, such as the cityscape in the background and the two winds above, which may indicate that these elements were present in Raphael's drawing. " - Christie's, London Biography: Marco Dente da Ravenna (1493–1527), usually just called Marco Dente, was an Italian engraver born in Ravenna in the latter part of the 15th Century. He was a prominent figure within the circle of printmakers around Marcantonio Raimondi...

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...

Guido Reni (Bologna 1575 - 1642) Workshop of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (full details LINK) Oil on canvas Measurements (cm): 96 x 73 - with frame 112 x 88 This splendid work dep...

Italian painter (early 18th century) - Four Evangelists. 25.5 x 19 cm without frame, 29 x 22.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on panel. in wooden frames (not signed). Conditi...

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...

Venice - Mario De Angeli - Italia 2006 - Oil on canvas cm. 70x90. Mario De Angeli's canvas is an extraordinary work of Italian landscape painting. They are inspired by the landscap...

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...

Work on canvas Black wooden frame 71 x 91 x 3 cm

Exhibited: London, Royal Academy, 1800, no. 93 What was happening in British history painting in around 1800? In recent discussions of the emergence of a British School of history painting following the foundation of the Royal Academy in 1768, this is a question which is rarely posed and one which is not easily answered. Examination of surviving Royal Academy exhibition catalogues reveals a profusion of artists’ names and titles, few of which remain immediately recognizable, whilst endeavours to explain the impact of exhibition culture on painting - such as the 2001 Courtauld show Art on the Line - have tended to focus on the first and second generation of Royal Academician, rather than young or aspiring artists in the early nineteenth century. This makes the discovery and identification of the work under discussion of exceptional importance in making sense of currents in English painting around 1800. Executed by Edward Dayes...

Andrea Scacciati (Florence 1642-1710) Composition of flowers within embossed vase (1 of 3) oil on canvas 130 x 90 cm In antique frame 145 x 105 cm. Work with expertise by Prof. Emi...

This fantastic portrait oil painting is attributed to British Old Master Joseph Highmore and was painted in 1770. The half length standing portrait is of a Cleric, dressed in his wig...

Giovani Ghisolfi (Milan 1623-1683), attributed / workshop View of classical architectural ruins with Pythagoras pretending to return from Hades Oil on canvas, cm. 70 x 84 In frame c...

Agnolo di Cosimo, known as 'il Bronzino' (Monticelli of Florence, 1503 – Florence, 1572) The Holy Family with San Giovannino Oil on table (120 x 90cm. - I...

This stunning 17th century Dutch Old Master Golden Age floral oil painting is by noted Dutch artist Simon Pietersz Verelst. The full attribution...

Circle of Domenico Piola (Genoa 1627 – 1703) The Torture of Saint Concordia Black chalk, brown ink and brown wash on two sheets of paper, 40.5 x 42 cm Unsigned Provenance: Estate...

Herman Saftleven the Elder (Rotterdam 1609 - Utrecht 1685) workshop Winter Landscape with the City of Utrecht Oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm. - framed 105 x 91 cm. The painting depicts a...

Flemish Mannerist painter Early 17th century Portrait of Hermes Trismegistus (Egyptian alchemist who lived in the 13th century BC) Oil on panel 41 x 33 cm In antique frame 51 x 43 cm The work belongs to a series of three paintings, together with portraits of the alchemists Geber and Morieno Romano The painting depicts an alchemist, an ancient figure who has always been shrouded in fascination and mystery due to his perfect blend of science and esotericism, who sought to achieve omniscience, or the highest level of knowledge in all fields of learning. Among the great goals of alchemy was the search for the elixir of eternal life or the transformation of base metals into gold, a practice that was believed to be achievable through the “philosopher's stone”. The alchemist, with his secret practices and knowledge, is therefore a figure described as straddling the line between scholar and magician, capable of extraordinary transformations, well represented here by a Flemish Mannerist painter active between the 16th and 17th centuries. In our case, it is, in particular, the portrait of Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure from the Hellenistic age, sometimes considered a deity (identified by the Greeks with the Egyptian god Thoth) and sometimes a man, considered the founder of alchemy and the master of all occult sciences, as well as of the philosophical current known as Hermeticism. Venerated as a master of wisdom, he is believed to be the author of the “Corpus Hermeticum”, a collection of writings, mainly in Greek, containing philosophical, theological and magical teachings, considered to originate from ancient wisdom. The alchemist holds an unrolled parchment in his hand, on which we can read the phrase “quod est superius est sicut quod inferius et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius”, taken from the Emerald Tablet...

Moses Striking Water from the Rock; Circle of Pietro Dandini, Italian 1646-1712 Italian School, late 17th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 3...

"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...

Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 – 1679) Penitent Saint Mary Magdalene Oil on canvas, 58 x 71 cm Unsigned Circa 1665–1675 Trained under Simon Vouet and later Sébastien Bourdon, Nicolas ...

Artist: Rembrandt Van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) Title: Christ and the Woman of Samaria Year: 1634 Medium: Etching Paper: Verge paper Image (plate mark) size: 4.75 x 4.25 inches Fr...

"Veduta del Sepolcro della Famiglia Plauzia per la Strada Che Conduce da Roma a Tivoli vicino a Ponte Lugano" from "Le Antichità Romane" (Roman Antiquities), one of the most famous works by Piranesi. "Antichita" illustrates the tombs along the Appian Way...

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...

The Annunciation Circle of Paolo De Matteis (Piano Vetrale, 1662 - Naples, 1728) oil painting on canvas (106 x 90 cm - with frame 118 x 103 cm.) The work,...

Painted in the style of the 17th century Dutch painter Alexander Andrienssen, this painting is of a glass vase on a wood surface filled with flowers. The artist's careful attention ...

Albrecht Durer, After by Amand Durand, German (1471 - 1528) - L'Effet de la Jalousie, Year: 1873, Medium: Heliogravure, Image Size: 12.5 x 8.5 inches, Size: 13.5 x 9 in. (34.29 x...

This stunning Old Master 17th century oil portrait painting is attributed to Francesco Fieravino, an artist famous in his day for still lifes and carpets. This painting which dates t...

Domenico Parodi (Genoa, 1672 - 1742) Portrait of Anne Marie d'Orléans (Château de Saint-Cloud, 27 August 1669 - Turin, 26 August 1728), first queen consort of Sardinia and maternal g...

The Penitent Magdalene French School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 33 x 21.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition, ...

Rima (English, 20th century) *see notes below signed oil on board, unframed board: 31 x 24 inches provenance: UK collection The painting has some scuffs and scratches but is essentia...

Artist: Rembrandt van Rijn, After by Amand Durand, Dutch (1606 - 1669) - La Descente de Croix Aux Flambeaux (B280), Year: 1878 (of original 1654), Medium: Heliogravure, Size: 8.25 ...

Judith with the head of Holofernes, antique oil painting after Cristofano Allori. Painting has been restored. Dimensions without f...

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...

Signed and dated: ‘F. Harwood Fecit 1764’ Collections: Probably commissioned by Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743-1827); Probably by descent at Gordon Castle, Banffshire to c.1948; Possibly acquired by Bert Crowther of Syon Lodge, Middlesex; Jacques Hollander (1940-2004); Christie’s, 5 December 2013, lot 101; Private collection; Sotheby’s, 2 July 2019, lot 106 Literature: John Preston Neale, Views of the seats of noblemen and gentlemen, in England, Wales and Scotland, London, 1822, vol.I, unpaginated. This marble copy of an ancient bust in the Musei Capitolini usually identified as Faustina the Younger, the daughter of Antoninus Pius and future wife of Marcus Aurelius, was made in Florence by Francis Harwood in 1764. Harwood was one of the most prolific suppliers of decorative marbles for the Grand Tour market and this finely worked example demonstrates the quality of luxury goods available to travellers to Italy. So often anonymous, this unusually signed and dated example, raises questions about the status of marble copies in the period and of sculptors such as Harwood who are known principally for ornamental work. Harwood’s origins remain obscure. He is documented living in Palazzo Zuccari with Joshua Reynolds and the Irish sculptor Simon Vierpyl at Easter 1752, he had certainly settled permanently in Florence by the following year, when he is recorded working with Joseph Wilton. He was admitted to the Florentine Academy on 12 January 1755 (as pittore Inglese, although he was described as scultore in the matriculation account). After Wilson returned to England in 1755 Harwood appears to have worked in a studio near SS. Annunziata with Giovanni Battista Piamontini who had made life-size copies of The Wrestlers and The Listening Slave for Joseph Leeson in 1754. In 1758 both sculptors were contracted to make a statue and a trophy to complete the decoration of the Porta San Gallo, Harwood completing a statue of Equality, installed the following year. By 1760 Harwood was on the brink of his most productive period as a sculptor, producing copies of celebrated antiquities for the ever-increasing audience of Grand Tour travellers and for the domestic market in London. In 1761 Harwood met the young architect James Adam who was in Italy specifically to make contact with suppliers for Robert Adam’s burgeoning practice back in Britain. The Adams offered a remarkably cohesive design package to their clients, encompassing not just architecture, but fixtures, fittings and furniture as well. Harwood was able to supply the brothers with marbles for their new interiors. At Syon, for example, Harwood produced a full-size copy of Michelangelo’s Bacchus for the new dining room the Adams had designed for Hugh Smythson, 1st Duke of Northumberland. Harwood seems to have also specialised in producing sets of library busts. In 1758 Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton, a distinguished traveller commissioned a set of busts which remain in situ at Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire. It is perhaps no coincidence that the Adam brothers were producing designs for new interiors at Castle Ashby at this date. The set included representations of: Cicero, Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Faustina the Younger, Sappho, Seneca and Homer. Each of these busts Harwood seems to have replicated for multiple patrons, another Adam patron, Thomas Dundas...

Portrait of Lord Jeffreys of Wem British School, 20th century (presumably after an earlier work) oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 30.5 x 24.5 inches canvas: 26 x 20 inches prov...

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...

Flowering Tree - Oil on Canvas cm.100x80 by Giovanni Bonetti, Italy, 2002 Undisputed artist of still life, Giovanni Bonetti reveals his originality and shrewd mastery in this precio...

Cavaliere Paolo Guidotti, also known as il Cavalier Borghese (Lucca, Italy, 1559 - 1629) Title: Salomé and the Baptist Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 90 x 68.5 cm -...

Portrait of Thomas Collard (rector of Withycombe, Somerset 1670-1691) the city depicted in the distance is thought to be Antwerp. the portrait historically has been thought to be fr...

Alessandro Leone Varotari, known as Il Padovanino (Padua, Italy, 1588 – Venice, Italy, 1649) Title: Mary Magdalene or Young Woman Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Without frame 50.5...

We are pleased to offer a captivating portrait, most likely painted in the late 18th century, attributed to an artist within the circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich. This oil ...

Artist: Rembrandt Van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) Title: Self Portrait, Drawing at the Window Year: 1648 Medium: Etching Paper: Verge paper Image (plate mark) size: 6.35 x 5.25 inch...

Gaspar van den Hoecke (Antwerp, 1585 - 1648) Herod's banquet Early 17th century oil on panel, with gold highlights (in the guise of Salome and in the curtains of the building in the background) 56 x 80 cm. framed 72 x 90 cm. Note: The painting probably dates from an original by Frans II Francken (1581 - 1642), which is shown under the number 0000344789 in the RKD. Valuable oil painting on panel depicting King Herod and the beautiful Jewish princess Salome according to the episode taken from the Gospel of Matthew (14.3-11), which sees her as the protagonist in the story of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The event shown is a cross between history and legend, a myth faced for centuries by artists in every field: Caravaggio in painting, Oscar Wilde in theater, Richard Strauss...

Francis Sartorius British, (1734-1804) Bay Hunter & Groom Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 24.25 inches x 29.25 inches Size including frame: 32 inches x 37 inches A wonderful spor...

Frans Pourbus (Bruges, 1545 - Antwerp, 1581) circle Portrait of a gentleman in Renaissance dress with a black doublet and ruff Late 16th century Oil on canvas 46 x 32 cm. - 65 x 53...

PORTRAIT OF UGO FOSCOLO - Oil on canvas cm.50x40, Antonio Jannone, Italy, 2002. this beautiful portrait of the Italian poet Ugo Foscolo is the painter's pe...

The Garden of Love (after Peter Paul Rubens [1577-1640]) Woodcut diptych, c. 1633-1636 Each of the two sheets is signed in the plate lower right A posthumous impression with tiny wor...

Portrait of the Princess of Conti - Attributed to Louis Ferdinand Elle the Younger (1648-1717) Late 17th century French school Oil on canvas, h. 100 cm, l. 80 cm Important Louis XIV ...

Hieronymus FRANCKEN III (Antwerp 1611 - 1671) 17th century Antwerp School The Denial of Saint Peter Oil on panel, dim. h. 53 cm, l. 76 cm Framed, h. 82 cm, l. 106 cm Sold with the ...

Classical Still Life of Flowers English artist, 20th century signed oil on board, unframed dated 1980 board: 14.5 x 11.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: overall ...

17th century Lombard painter Saint Michael Archangel Oil on canvas 139 x 75 cm. - Framed 156 x 91 cm Antique painting with St. Michael the Archangel, immortalised full-length as a ...

This very charming British 19th century Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Thomas Lawrence. Painted circa 1810 it is a seated half length portrait of a l...

Naples - Ettore Ferrante - Italia 2006 - Oil on canvas cm.30x80. Frame available on request from our workshop. Ettore Ferrante is a refined and excellent view painter of the past. ...

Miniature Portrait French School, late 18th/ early 19th century framed: 5.5 x 5.5 inches board: 2 x 2 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound c...

18th/19th Century School 'A scene of Christ entering Jerusalem' Medium: oil on canvas, framed Size of painting: 21.5" x 18.25" inches condition: overa...

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...

Portrait of a Noble Lady English artist, mid 18th century circle of Thomas Gainsborough (English 1727-1788) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 30 x 25 inches provenance: private collect...

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 a framed 16th century hand-colored copperplate map of northern Italy entitled "Veronae Urbis Territorium a Bernardo Bragnolo Descriptium" by Abraham Ortelius from his atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", which was the first modern atlas of the world, with the first volume published in 1570. This map was part of a subsequent volume, published in Antwerp in 1584. It was based on an earlier map by Bernardo Brognoli. This beautiful map of northern Italy is focussed on Verona and its environs, including Mantua. Lake Garda and the South Tyrol mountains are prominently depicted. There is a very large striking cartouche in the upper left and a decorative distance scale in the lower right. This striking hand-colored map of northern Italy is presented in a gold-colored wood frame and an olive green-colored mat. It is glazed with UV conservation glass. All mounting materials used are archival. The frame measures 21.5" high by 28" wide by 0.75" deep. There is a central vertical fold, as issued, with slight separation of the lower portion of the fold. There are faint spots in the upper and right margins, but the map is otherwise in very good condition. Abraham Ortelius (also known as Ortels, Orthellius, and Wortels) (1527-1598) was a Dutch cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer. He began his career as a map colorist. In 1547 he entered the Antwerp guild of St Luke as an "illuminator of maps". He had an affinity for business from an early age and most of his journeys before 1560, were for business. He was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books. 
His business income allowed him to acquire an extensive collection of medals, coins, and antiques, as well as a large library of books...

Giovanni Battista Paggi (Genoa 1554 – Genoa 1627) Venus, Bacchus and Ceres (Parallel title: ‘Sine Cerere et Baccho, friget Venus’) Oil on canvas 103 x 78 cm. - Framed 125 x 100 cm. ...