Find a variety of old master prints etchings available on 1stDibs. There are many
Old Masters and
Expressionist versions of these works for sale. These items have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. Old master prints etchings available on 1stDibs span a range of colors that includes
gray,
beige,
black,
white and more. Many versions of these artworks are appealing in their rich colors and composition, but
Francisco Goya,
Bernard Picart,
Gianfrancesco Pivati,
Giovanni Battista Piranesi and
Rembrandt van Rijn produced especially popular works that are worth a look. Frequently made by artists working in
etching,
aquatint and
engraving, all of these available pieces are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large iterations of these items, so small old master prints etchings measuring 1.19 inches across are available.
Prices for art of this kind can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — old master prints etchings in our inventory begin at $100 and can go as high as $135,000, while the average can fetch as much as $986.
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.
Bring energy and an array of welcome colors and textures into your space by decorating with figurative fine-art prints and works on paper.
Figurative art stands in contrast to abstract art, which is more expressive than representational. The oldest-known work of figurative art is a figurative painting — specifically, a rock painting of an animal made over 40,000 years ago in Borneo. This remnant of a remote past has long faded, but its depiction of a cattle-like creature in elegant ocher markings endures.
Since then, figurative art has evolved significantly as it continues to represent the world, including a breadth of works on paper, including printmaking. This includes woodcuts, which are a type of relief print with perennial popularity among collectors. The artist carves into a block and applies ink to the raised surface, which is then pressed onto paper. There are also planographic prints, which use metal plates, stones or other flat surfaces as their base. The artist will often draw on the surface with grease crayon and then apply ink to those markings. Lithographs are a common version of planographic prints.
Figurative art printmaking was especially popular during the height of the Pop art movement, and this kind of work can be seen in artist Andy Warhol’s extensive use of photographic silkscreen printing. Everyday objects, logos and scenes were given a unique twist, whether in the style of a comic strip or in the use of neon colors.
Explore an impressive collection of figurative art prints for sale on 1stDibs and read about how to arrange your wall art.
