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Old Masters Paintings

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
Venice by Moonlight - 19th Century Oil Painting of Grand Canal under a Full Moon
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
'Venice by Moonlight' by Henry Pether (1800-1880). The painting – which depicts an extensive nocturnal view of the Grand Canal with the Palazzo Pisani Gritti to the left and the Dor...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fire & Moonlight - Important 18th Century Oil Painting Georgian London by Night
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘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 – was exhibited at the Society of Artists Exhibition in London in 1790 and is sold with detailed provenance going back over 230 years. Such is the painting’s quality that for over 150 years it was thought to be by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797) and was exhibited as such on many occasions alongside many of Joseph Wright’s paintings then in the important private collection of Lord Belper of Kingston Hall. This contemporary view of London in the late 18th century is seen from One Tree Hill in what was once the Great North Wood three miles south-east of the capital; prominent amongst the dozens of famous landmarks of Georgian...
Category

1790s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Important 18th Century Royal Academy Oil Painting of Georgian London Festival
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘St. James’ Day’ by Richard Morton Paye (1750-1820). This large and important 18th century oil on canvas depicts a diverse crowd of Londoners at an oyster stand on a summer’s eveni...
Category

1780s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Pair of Venetian Canal Scenes- San Giorgio Maggiore & Santa Maria Della Salute
By Francesco Guardi
Located in West Sussex, GB
Circle of Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) Venetian Canal Scenes, a pair -San Giorgio Maggiore from the Bacino di San Marco -Santa Maria della Salute from the Grand Canal Oils on ca...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th century Italian still-life with flowers, fruits and game
Located in Aartselaar, BE
This opulent 17th-century Italian still-life captures the abundance and refinement of the Baroque era, presenting a feast for the senses. The composition features an array of ripe, s...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge 18th Century Classical Italianate Arcadian Landscape Figures & Buildings
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figures in an Arcadian Landscape Italian School, 18th century follower of Claude Lorrain (French 1600-1682) oil painting on canvas: 28 x 36 inches framed: 39.5 by 47 inches presented...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th Century Dutch Old Master Shipping in Stormy Seas of Coastline Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Shipping in Stormy Seas Dutch Old Master, 17th century oil on canvas, framed in antique (1700's) gilt wood frame framed: 19 x 23 inches canvas: 14 x 18 inches Provenance: private col...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil on Cradled Panel Portrait of Young Lady
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Noble Lady Dutch Old Master, 17th century oil painting on cradled panel, framed in 17th/ 18th century frame framed: 16.5 x 14.5 inches panel: 12 x 10 inches Provenanc...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 17th Century Dutch Old Master Oil on Cradled Panel Portrait of Young Lady
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Young Noble Lady Dutch Old Master, 17th century oil painting on cradled panel, framed in 17th/ 18th century frame framed: 16.5 x 14.5 inches panel: 12 x 10 inches Pro...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Feast of Belshazzar Huge 17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Feast of Belshazzar Flemish Old Master, 17th century oil on canvas, framed in antique giltwood carved frame framed: 40 x 64 inches canvas : 34 x 60 inches Provenance: private col...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Christ on the Cold Stone – After Jan Gossaert (Mabuse)
Located in Stockholm, SE
This striking devotional image, painted by a follower of Jan Gossaert, represents one of the most influential compositions of the Northern Renaissance: Christ on the Cold Stone, or C...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

An Arabian stallion in a wooded landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Jacques-Laurent Agasse (1767-1849) An Arabian stallion in a wooded landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size 12 x 14 in Framed Size 21 x 22 in Provenance Believed to have passed by descen...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge Antique Dutch Old Master Oil Painting The Jewish Bridge after Rembrandt
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Jewish Bridge antique Dutch School, after the 1660's oil painting by Rembrandt (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) oil painting on canvas, framed in its antique gilt frame with ornate mould...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

A saddled officer's Arabian horse with a hound and gun, in a landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Johann Georg de Hamilton (1672-1737) A saddled officer's Arabian horse with a hound and gun, in a landscape Oil on canvas Canvas size - 21 x 23 in Framed size - 27 x 29 in Provenanc...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

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

1740s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Christ on the Cold Stone – After Jan Gossaert (Mabuse)
Located in Stockholm, SE
This striking devotional image, painted by a follower of Jan Gossaert, represents one of the most influential compositions of the Northern Renaissance: Christ on the Cold Stone, or C...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

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

1950s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Copper

Fire & Moonlight - Important 18th Century Oil Painting Georgian London by Night
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘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...
Category

1790s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Castle Ruins Landscape - British 18th century Old Master art oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb large British Old Master oil painting is attributed to John Inigo Richards. Painted circa 1770 the composition is a view from before the water's edge across a lake to cas...
Category

1770s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique English Grand Tour Old Master Oil Figures Classical Arcadian Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Classical Landscape oil on canvas, framed framed: 29 x 37 inches canvas : 19 x 27 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: the frame is exceptionally fragile and vulnerab...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Leda Swan Mythological Paint oil on canvas French Painter 18th Century
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
French painter of the late 18th-early 19th century Leda and the Swan (Literary source: Metamorphoses by Ovid, Book VI) Oil on canvas 95 x 126 cm Framed 109 x 142 cm This c...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th century Flemish old master landscape - Rest on the flight to Egypt - Christ
Located in Aartselaar, BE
17th century Flemish Old master painting "The Rest on the flight into Egypt", Victor Wolfvoet the Younger Amidst a serene landscape, the Holy Family rests beneath the shade of a spr...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Copper

Antique Oil Elegant Floral Still Life with Vibrant Blooms in a Golden Vase
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Elegant Floral Still Life Flemish School, 19th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 33 x 25 inches Canvas: 28 x 20 inches Provenance: private collection, England Condition: very go...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th-Century Old Master Painting Harbor Scene with Tall Ships & Fortifications
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Fortified Harbour French School, circa 1700's oil on canvas, framed in antique carved gilt wood frame Framed: 21.5 x 28.5 inches Canvas : 15 x 22 inches Provenance: private colle...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century Huge Floral Still Life Oil Painting Depicting Bouquet Ornate Urn
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Bouquet of Flowers French School, early 1700's period oil painting on canvas, framed in antique gilt frame framed: 37 x 54.4 inches canvas: 30 x 47 inches Provenance: private collect...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Toby Angel Savoldo Religious 17/18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Giovanni Gerolamo Savoldo (Brescia, c. 1480 – after 1548) Follower of Toby and the Angel Oil on canvas 63 x 76 cm - In frame 77 x 90 cm We are pleased to offer this valuable ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge Victorian English Old Master Oil Painting Madonna & Christ Child after Dyck
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna and Christ Child English School, 19th century after the earlier painting by Sir Anthony van Dyck oil on canvas, framed in fine elaborate gilt frame. Framed: 49 x 39.5 in...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

An equestrian portrait of Field Marshal Sir John Ligonier, 1st Earl of Ligonier
By David Morier
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
David Morier (c.1705–1770 London) An equestrian portrait of Field Marshal Sir John Ligonier, 1st Earl of Ligonier (1680–1770) Oil on canvas Canvas size - 40 x 50 in Framed size - 48 ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Colliers lying in the Thames at Deptford and unloading their cargoes for London
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Peter Monamy (London 1681-1749) Colliers lying in the Thames at Deptford and unloading their cargoes for the London market signed 'P: Monamy: Pinx' lower left Oil on canvas Canvas Si...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th century Flemish school, Madonna with child and red Drapery. Oil/wood
Located in Firenze, IT
Madonna with Child and Red Drapery, Flemish School, Oil on Oak Panel, 17th Century Flemish School, 17th century Technique: oil on oak panel with 4 crossbars Dimensions: Height: 43...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil, Wood Panel, Board

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

Early 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Roundel depicting St. Catherine
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Unknown French Art and Workshop, Middle 15th century Roundel depicting St. Catherine (?) Gouache, ink gold wash and gold burnishing on vellum Book of Hours folio attributed to the C...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Pigment

Holy Family with the Young St John The Baptist and St Elizabeth
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Scipione Pulzone, called Il Gaetano (Gaeta 1544 - Rome 1598) Holy Family with the Young St John The Baptist and St Elizabeth Oil on canvas A Royal Coat of Arms lower left Canvas size...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Madonna and Child 1800's English Oil on Canvas with Circular Composition
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Madonna and Child English Old Master, c. 1800 oil on canvas, unframed (relined canvas) Canvas: 14.5 x 12 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: very good condition De...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

17th Century Dutch Old Master Ink Drawing Christ on the Cross Many Figures 1674
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Christ on the Cross attributed to Jan Luyken (Dutch, 1649–1712) inscribed 1674 upper corner pencil drawing, watercolor and ink wash on paper over oard, framed framed: 12 x 11 inches ...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Color Pencil, Ink, Watercolor

Fine 18th Century British Old Master Oil The Young Shepherdess with Lamb
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Young Shepherd English School, 18th century circle of Sir Joshua Reynolds oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 30 x 25 inches Provenance: Private collection Condition: very good condi...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Huge 18th Century Flemish Classical Oil Painting Travellers River Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Travellers in Landscape Flemish Old Master, 18th century oil on on canvas, unframed canvas : 29 x 39 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very good condition For...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fire & Moonlight - Important 18th Century Oil Painting Georgian London by Night
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘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...
Category

1790s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine Early 1800's English Romantic Sunset Landscape Oval Panel Christies prov.
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Romantic Sunset Landsca English School, early 1800's period oil on wood panel, framed in antique gilt frame framed: 27 x 31.5 inches panel: 16 x 21.5 inches provenance: private colle...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Man Holding a Jug (The Sense of Taste)
Located in Stockholm, SE
This evocative 19th-century painting is the work of a follower of the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Toorenvliet, known for his finely rendered genre scenes. Titled Man Holding a Jug ...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Fine Italian Old Master Oil Painting c. 1700's The Madonna Christ Child St. John
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna, Christ Child and St. John Italian Old Master, circa 1700's period oil painting on canvas, unframed Canvas: 28.5 x 24 inches conditon: overall very good for its age, a fe...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge 18th Century French Oil Painting Dogs Fighting Medieval Castle Wooden Frame
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Fighting Dogs French Provincial School, 18th century oil on canvas, framed in period antique wooden frame (walnut?) Framed: 26 x 51 inches Canvas : 19 x ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Florals in classic urn Old Masters 17th century Dutch style
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Floral with Urn is in a classical Dutch style that dates to the 17th century. The bright flowers drape the urn in whites, crimsons and pinks, standing out against the darker foliage...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Spectacular Large 19th Century Italian Oil Painting of Jerusalem & Crucifixion
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
'Calvary' by Pietro Sassi (1834-1905). This monumental exhibition oil painting – which depicts the Light of Heaven shining upon Christ at Calvary with thousands of people outside t...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 1700's French/ Dutch Oil Painting on Copper Portrait Man Ruff Collar
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman wearing a Ruff Collar Dutch/ French artist, 18th century oil painting on copper, unframed copper board : 6.75 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, UK co...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Copper

Set of Five late 19th century Italian or French portraits of Putti or Angels
Located in Woodbury, CT
Set of Five late 19th century Italian or French portraits of Putti or Angels A unique set of five oils on board depicting either Cherubs or Putti, ...
Category

1890s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa "Man and Women’s Snake and Bush Tucker Dreaming"
Located in PARIS, FR
Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa (b.1926-1989) Titled: « Man and Women’s Snake and Bush Tucker Dreaming » Pigments and Polymer 50x76cm – year 1971! Aboriginal art - Master piece This wo...
Category

1970s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Pigment, Polymer

Calvary - Large 19th Century Italian Oil Painting Jerusalem City & Crucifixion
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
'Calvary' by Pietro Sassi (1834-1905). This monumental exhibition oil painting – which depicts the Light of Heaven shining upon Christ at Calvary with thousands of people outside t...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Flemish Early 17th Century Old Master Oil on Panel Painting Hunting Scene 1620
Located in Portland, OR
A highly important Flemish Old Master oil painting by Peter Van Lint (1609-1690), titled "Preparing for the Hunt", the painting is dated & signed by the artist, 1620. The painting wa...
Category

1620s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Titian's Studio
Located in Milford, NH
A wonderfully detailed interior genre oil painting by Flemish artist Louis Tielemans (1826-1856). Tielemans was born in Anvers, and became known for his active genre scenes, emulatin...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Fine 1800's Italian Grand Tour Oil Painting Figures before Classical Buildings
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Arcadian View Italian School, circa 1800 Grand Tour subject oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 12 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound cond...
Category

Early 1800s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century Dutch Old Master Oil Painting Cattle & Sheep Ancient Ruins
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastoral Landscape Dutch Old Master, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 12 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: good a...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

King Charles 1st Antique Oil Painting Portrait of Famous British Monarch
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
King Charles I British artist, early 20th century signed with initials oil on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 29 inches canvas: 32 x 26 inches provenance: p...
Category

Early 1900s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Large 17th century Italian old master - Noli me tangere - Christ in the garden
By Pier Francesco Cittadini
Located in Aartselaar, BE
Large 17th century Italian old master - Noli me tangere - Christ in the garden with Mary Magdalene The Italian art historian Federico Zeri has conserved a painting in his archives w...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Very Large 1700's Dutch Old Master Oil Painting The Nativity Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Nativity Dutch Old Master, early 1700's period oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 36 x 27.5 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound condition, some scuf...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Figures in Winter Dutch Snow Landscape Large 19th Century Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Winter Landscape Dutch School, 19th century oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 22 x 28 inches canvas: 16.5 x 23 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very goo...
Category

19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Huge 17th Century Flemish Old Master Oil Painting Figures Playing Cards
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Card Players Flemish Old Master, 17th century based on a version (in reverse) of a painting by Cornelis de Vos (Flemish 1584-1651) oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 39 x 62 inches ...
Category

Mid-17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

18th century French Garden or Féte a Bride and musicians playing music
Located in Woodbury, CT
This enchanting 18th-century French fête galante captures the elegance and joy of aristocratic leisure, set amidst a lush garden adorned with flowers. A scene of refined celebration,...
Category

1780s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gentleman Portrait Knight Rigaud 18th Century Paint Oil on canvas Old master
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Hyacinthe RIGAUD (Perpignan 1659 - Paris 1743) School of Portrait of a gentleman in armour: Monsieur Jean Francois Raymond de Lasbordes, Regimental Officer of the Landes, as well ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Lady in an Elaborate Ruff & Lace Coif c.1610-20, Dutch Old Master
Located in London, GB
This magnificent oil on panel portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is a splendid example of the sumptuous female portraits that were painted for members of the upper echelons of society during the early part of the 1600’s. The artist has rendered this portrait with meticulous attention to detail and the surface effects of the fine materials. The elaborate lace coif and cuffs are painstakingly delineated, as is the bold black damask, and sumptuous gold decoration of her skirt and stomacher, which is wonderfully preserved and quite remarkable considering the age of the work and the fact that darker pigments are particularly vulnerable to fading and wear. This work with its spectacular depiction of costume is of absolute quality, it can be rated as one of the best works in the artist’s oeuvre and as such it is an important and splendid example of Dutch portraiture. The Dutch Golden Age of painting was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. Dutch explorers charted new territory and settled abroad. Trade by the Dutch East-India Company thrived, and war heroes from the naval battles were decorated and became national heroes. During this time, The Dutch Old Masters began to prevail in the art world, creating a depth of realistic portraits of people and life in the area that has hardly been surpassed. The Golden Age painters depicted the scenes that their discerning new middleclass patrons wanted to see. This new wealth from merchant activities and exploration combined with a lack of church patronage, shifted art subjects away from biblical genres. Dress was a key component in portraits, and the exuberant attire reiterates the incredible wealth of this woman. The sitter will have visited the artist’s workshop and inspected examples on display. They would have chosen the size and the sort of composition and on that basis negotiated the price – which would have also been determined by the complexity of the clothing and the jewels that were to be depicted, and by the materials to be used. When all was considered, this portrait would have cost the sitter (or her husband) a substantial sum. The colour black was regarded as humble and devout yet at the same time refined and sophisticated and the most expensive colour of fabric to dye and to maintain. Citizens spent fortunes on beautiful black robes. Such uniformity must also have had a psychological side-effect and contributed to a sense of middle-class cohesion; the collective black of the well-to-do burgess class will have given its members a sense of solidarity. The colour was always an exciting one for artists and when this portrait was painted there were at least fifty shades of it, and as many different fabrics and accoutrements. Artists went to great lengths to depict the subtle nuances of the colour and the fabrics and textures and how they reflected light and it was an ideal background against which gold and crisp white lace could be juxtaposed to dramatic effect. The sitter is either a married women or a widower as is evident by the clothing that she wears and the position, toward her right, it is highly likely that this portrait was once a pendant that hung on the right-hand side of her husband’s portrait as was convention at the time. She wears a vlieger which was a type of sleeveless over-gown or cape worn by well-to-do married women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Variations with short sleeves or high shoulder rolls are known. Sometimes sleeves were attached with aiglets, and often slits were made to allow belts or the hands to pass through. Three-piece vlieger costumes of this kind were standard items of clothing in portraits of the women of the civic elite in the period 1600-40 and was a variant of the Spanish ‘ropa’ and served as a trademark of well-to-do married burgher women. Girls and unmarried woman, including beguines, wore a bouwen (a dress with a fitted bodice and a skirt that was closed all round) instead. This clear distinction between apparel for married and unmarried women is clear not only from inventories and trousseau lists, but also from contemporary sources such as the Dutch Spanish dictionary published by Juan Rodrigues in 1634. In it, a bouwen is described as a ‘ropa de donzella’ (over-gown worn by a virgin) and a vlieger as a ‘ropa de casada’ (overgown worn by a married woman). It is striking how few women are depicted wearing a bouwen, unless they are part of a group, family or children’s portrait and it can therefore be assumed that independent portraits of unmarried women were seldom commissioned. It is also believed that the clothing worn in these portraits existed and were faithfully reproduced when cross-referenced with the few exact documents. These sources also demonstrate that clients wanted their clothing to be depicted accurately and with this in mind precious garments and jewels were often left in the painter’s studio. The prominent white lawn molensteenkraag (or millstone ruff) is held up by a wire supportasse and was reserved only for the citizens that could afford this luxurious item that often required 15 meters of linen batiste. The fabulous wealth of this sitter is also evident by the elaborate lace coif and cuffs which have been exquisitely depicted; lace was often literally copied by artists in thin white lines over the completed clothing. The gold bracelet with jewels is a type that was evidently fashionable as it is seen in a number of portraits during the 1610s and 1620. Clothing and jewellery were prized possessions and were often listed in inventories of estates and passed down from generation to generation. There were a great number of jewellers of Flemish origin working at all the courts and cities of Europe, competing with the Italians, and then the French, adapting themselves to the tastes and positions of their patrons and the raw materials available in the country where they worked. The fashion for jewels “in the Flemish style” succeeded that of the Italian style. Cornelis van der Voort, who was probably born in Antwerp around 1576, came to Amsterdam with his parents as a child. His father, a cloth weaver by trade, received his citizenship in 1592. It is not known who taught the young Van der Voort to paint, but it has been suggested that it was either Aert Pietersz or Cornelis Ketel. On 24 October 1598 Van der Voort became betrothed to Truytgen Willemsdr. After his first wife’s death he became betrothed to Cornelia Brouwer of Dordrecht in 1613. In addition to being an artist, Van der Voort was an art collector or dealer, or both. In 1607 he bought paintings from the estate of Gillis van Coninxloo, and after an earlier sale in 1610 a large number of works he owned were auctioned on 7 April 1614. Van der Voort is documented as appraising paintings in 1612, 1620 and 1624. In 1615 and 1619 he was warden of the Guild of St Luke. He was buried in Amsterdam’s Zuiderkerk on 2 November 1624, and on 13 May 1625 paintings in his estate were sold at auction. Van der Voort was one of Amsterdam’s leading portrait painters in the first quarter of the 17th century. Several of his group portraits are known. It is believed that he trained Thomas de Keyser (1596/97-1667) and Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy (1588-1650/56). His documented pupils were David Bailly (c. 1584/86-1657), Louis du Pré...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

19th Century Oil Painting of St Mark's Square in Venice from the Ducal Palaca
By Edward Pritchett
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Piazza San Marco from the Palazzo’ by Edward Pritchett RWS (1807-1876). The painting – which depicts St. Mark’s Square and the Campanile seen from the Porto della Carta entrance to...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress & Blue Cloak
Located in London, GB
Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress and Blue Cloak c.1709-1719 By Charles Jervas (1675-1739) This elegant and graceful portrait, presented by Titan Fine Ar...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th century English portrait of a Hound or Gun Dog in a landscape
Located in Woodbury, CT
This exquisite early 19th-century English portrait of a gun dog or foxhound by Thomas Weaver is a masterpiece of sporting art that offers both historical...
Category

1790s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine Italian Old Master Oil Painting Angel & Saints Appearing to Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Italian Old Master, 18th century Title: Angel and Saints appearing to figures, one dressed in a white ruff collar. Medium: oil on canvas...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 18th Century British Oil Painting Mother & Infant Child in Adoration
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mother & Child British artist, late 18th century after the painting by Sir Anthony van Dyke oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 20 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, Berkshire,...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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

17th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique Circular Oil Painting Flagellation of Christ, 18th Century Old Master
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Flagellation of Christ Italian, 18th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 15 x 14 inches Canvas : 12 x 12 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: very good conditio...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Madonna with Christ Child & St. John Fine 18th Century Italian Old Master
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Madonna, Christ Child and St. John Italian School, 18th century oil on wood, framed in period gilt antique frame framed: 16 x 14.5 inches wood: 9 x 6.5 inches provenance: private...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge 1800's English Oil Painting Man with Horses Resting Panoramic Country View
By Thomas Barker of Bath
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pausing for a Rest English School, circa 1800 the painting is very close to the works of Thomas Barker of Bath (English 1769-1847) oil on canvas, framed framed: 29 x 39 inches canvas...
Category

Early 19th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

After Hendrick MOMMERS (1623-1693) Haarlem Vegetable Market c1750
Located in Holywell, GB
After Hendrick MOMMERS (1623-1693) Haarlem Vegetable Market c1750 An early copy c1750, of an entertaining Dutch vegetable market scene in an Italianate landscape. The original was p...
Category

1750s Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century French Portrait of Mysterious Man Oil on Canvas for restoration
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Gentleman French School, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 25 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: the painting is in sound conditi...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Paintings

Materials

Oil

Old Masters paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Old Masters paintings 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 paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, blue, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antonio Savisio, Pietro Colonna, Goyo Dominguez, and Nicolaes Maes. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 4.5 inches across are also available. Prices for paintings 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 $338 and tops out at $1,495,000, while the average work sells for $7,505.

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