Tiepolo Egypt
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Modern Figurative Prints
Etching
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chalk
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19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
John Bates NoelPair of 19th century landscape oil paintings of the River Avon & Berwyn Valley, C1900
1650s Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Oil
Antique Early 19th Century French French Provincial Historical Memorabilia
Natural Fiber
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Collectible Jewelry
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1740s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Paintings
Wool, Canvas, Paper
1850s Modern Figurative Prints
Etching
Vintage 1920s Finnish Paintings
Paint
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Prints
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2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
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Antique 1880s Danish High Victorian Paintings
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Mid-20th Century Symbolist Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1920s Victorian Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Figurative Paintings
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Mid-19th Century French School Figurative Paintings
Oil
Antique 1750s Italian Paintings
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Recent Sales
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
1750s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Etching
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Drypoint, Etching
1790s Old Masters Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
17th Century Other Art Style Figurative Paintings
Oil
A Close Look at old-masters Art
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.