Europe - Figurative Paintings

Stilla sommarkväll (1851) by Adolf Julius Berg captures a tranquil summer evening by the water, suffused with the golden glow of sunset. In the foreground, two small boats drift on g...

Gustaf Theodor Wallén (1860–1948) Swedish  Afternoon Mood, c. 1886-1887 oil on canvas signed G.T.Wallén unframed 100 x 150 cm (39 ⅜ x 59 in) framed 130 x 180 cm (51 ⅛ x 70 ⅞ in) ...

Louis CARMEIL (1920-1999) Untitled, anthropomorphic composition, 1971 Oil on canvas Signed and dated on the back 48 x 36 cm Nothing predestined the man nicknamed the “painter butch...

Jos Leurs is a Dutch Impressionistic Plein Air Painter who lived in France for almost 30 years. Since 2011 he lives in Holland again. His work is very popula...

Oriental nude odalisque oil painting on canvas " Thais" by Adrien Tanoux 1920 Our painting is the original preparatory painting for the large size one hanging in the collections of ...

In this series, Perrine explores the profound relationship between light and color, both essential elements in her artistic expression. Without light, there would be no colors, and i...

"The Music Room #2 (interior with Piano)" Original painting. Size 39x23.5in / 100x60cm . Oil on canvas. Part of Interior series. "The Music Room" was part of Mixed Moods, solo sh...

Oil on canvas realized by Franco Marzilli (1934-2010) in 1970s. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition. Franco Marzilli was born in Rome in 1934. He received his first artis...

Signed with initials H. H. Dated 12th December 1903. On canvas.

David van der Linden 'When I live my dream'' 60 x 70 cm (Framed 70x80 cm, frame is included in price) Oil on wood panel David van der Linden is a...

Sophie Dumont – “Allégresse” Oil on canvas – 35.43 x 59.84 in (90 x 152 cm) Unframed Year: 2018 Certificate of authenticity included "Allégresse", meaning "Joy" in French, is an exp...

Artist/ School: British School, late 19th century, with name plaque to frame: 'W. Richards" Title: The Riverside Pathway Medium: Oil on canvas, framed framed: 13 x 21 inches canva...

Vintage River Landscape Oil in English Countryside - 20th Century British Art Art measures 11 x 7.5 inches Frame measures 13 x 10 inches Don Micklethwaite is a British Postwar & ...

Title: French Impressionist Oil Painting of Montmartre with a View of Sacré-Cœur By Fanch Lel (French b. 1930) Size: 9.5 x 7.5 inches (height x width) Signed: Yes Oil painting on boa...

My analysis of this striking art nouveau period painting evolved as I studied it. Initially, I thought it was simply a portrait of a dashing, stylish, somewhat androgynously dressed ...

This Dutch style portrait depicts a merry tavern drinker in a dimly lit interior, gesturing with one hand while holding a glass of wine in the other. A flagon and clay pipe can be se...

The splendour of the tragic sea Francesco Guardi and maritime painting in Venetian art No Venetian painter was a stranger to the sea. After all, Venice was not only one of the most prominent ports of the Mediterranean, but indeed a city literally submerged in the ocean from time to time. Curiously however, the famous Venetian school of painting showed little interest in maritime motifs, favouring scenes from the iconic architecture of the city rather than seascapes. That is why this painting is a particularly interesting window into not only the painter Francesco Guardi himself – but to the significance of the element of water in art history, in absence as well as in the centre of attention. Whether it be calm, sunny days with stunning views of the palaces alongside the canals of Venice or – more rarely – stormy shipwrecking tragedies at sea, water as a unifying element is integral to the works of painter Francesco Guardi (1712–1793). During his lifetime, Venetian art saw many of its greatest triumphs with names like Tiepolo or Canaletto gaining international recognition and firmly establishing Venice as one of the most vibrant artistic communities of Europe. While the city itself already in the 18th century was something of an early tourist spot where aristocrats and high society visited on their grand tour or travels, the artists too contributed to the fame and their work spread the image of Venice as the city of romance and leisure to an international audience, many of whom could never visit in person. Still today, the iconic image of Venice with its whimsical array of palaces, churches and other historic buildings is much influenced by these artists, many of whom have stood the test of time like very well and remain some of the most beloved in all of art history. It was not primarily subtility, intellectual meanings or moral ideals that the Venetian art tried to capture; instead it was the sheer vibrancy of life and the fast-paced city with crumbling palaces and festive people that made this atmosphere so special. Of course, Venice could count painters in most genres among its residents, from portraiture to religious motifs, history painting and much else. Still, it is the Vedutas and views of the city that seems to have etched itself into our memory more than anything else, not least in the tradition of Canaletto who was perhaps the undisputed master of all Venetian painters. Born into his profession, Francesco lived and breathed painting all his life. His father, the painter Domenico Guardi (1678–1716) died when Francesco was just a small child, yet both he and his brothers Niccolò and Gian Antonio continued in their fathers’ footsteps. The Guardi family belonged to the nobility and originated from the mountainous area of Trentino, not far from the Alps. The brothers worked together on more challenging commissions and supported each other in the manner typical of family workshops or networks of artists. Their sister Maria Cecilia married no other than the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo himself, linking the family to the most renowned Venetian name of the time. During almost a decade, Guardi worked in the studio of Michele Giovanni Marieschi, sometimes simply known as Michiel, a painted similar in both style and motif. Canaletto is, however, the artist Guardi is most often compared to since they shared a mutual fascination for depicting the architecture and cityscape of Venice. During the course of his career, Guardi tried his hand in many different genres. He was as swift in painting landscapes, Vedutas of Venice, sacred motifs, interiors and architectural compositions as he was in a number of other motifs. His style is typical of the Venetian school but also distinct and personal once we look a little closer. There is an absolute certainty in the composition, the choice of which sometimes feels like that of a carefully calculated photograph – yet it is also very painterly, in the best sense of the word: fluid, bold, sensitive and full of character. The brushwork is rapid, intense, seemingly careless and extraordinarily minute at the same time; fresh and planned in a very enjoyable mixture. His interiors often capture the breath-taking spacious glamour of the palaces and all their exquisite decor. He usually constructed the motif through remarkably simple, almost spontaneous yet intuitively precise strokes and shapes. The result was a festive, high-spirited atmospheric quality, far away from the sterile and exact likeness that other painters fell victim to when trying to copy Canaletto. The painting here has nothing of the city of Venice in it. On the contrary, we seem to be transported far away into the solitary ocean, with no architecture, nothing to hold on to – only the roaring sea and the dangerous cliffs upon which the ships are just moments away from being crushed upon. It is a maritime composition evoking both Flemish and Italian precursors, in the proud tradition of maritime painting that for centuries formed a crucial part of our visual culture. This genre of painting is today curiously overlooked, compared to how esteemed and meaningful it was when our relationship to the sea was far more natural than it is today. When both people and goods travelled by water, and many nations and cities – Venice among them – depended entirely on sea fare, the existential connection to the ocean was much more natural and integrated into the imagination. The schools and traditions of maritime art are as manifold as there are countries connected to the sea, and all reflect the need to process the dangers and wonders of the ocean. It could symbolize opportunity, the exciting prospects of a new countries and adventures, prospering trade, beautiful scenery as well as war and tragedy, loss of life, danger and doom. To say that water is ambivalent in nature is an understatement, and these many layers were something that artists explored in the most wondrous ways. Perhaps it takes a bit more time for the modern eye to identify the different nuances and qualities of historic maritime paintings, they may on first impression seem hard to differentiate from each other. But when allowing these motifs to unfold and tell stories of the sea in both fiction and reality – or somewhere in between – we are awarded with an understanding of how the oceans truly built our world. In Guardi’s interpretation, we see an almost theatrically arranged shipwrecking scene. No less than five ships are depicted right in the moment of utter disaster. Caught in a violent storm, the waves have driven them to a shore of sharp cliffs and if not swallowed by the waves, crushing against the cliffs seems to be the only outcome. The large wooden ships are impressively decorated with elaborate sculpture, and in fact relics already during Guardi’s lifetime. They are in fact typical of Dutch and Flemish 17th century ships, giving us a clue to where he got the inspiration from. Guardi must have seen examples of Flemish maritime art, that made him curious about these particular motifs. One is reminded of Flemish painters like Willem van de Velde and Ludolf Backhuysen, and this very painting has indeed been mistakenly attributed to Matthieu van Plattenberg...

The Interior French artist, indistinctly signed dated verso 1976, oil on canvas, framed framed: 25 x 18 inches canvas: 18 x 22 inches Inscribed verso Provenance: private collection...

‘An Undershot Mill, North Wales’ by William E. Harris (1854-1934). The painting is signed by the artist and presented in a newly commissioned bespoke gold metal leaf frame. A native...

19th century Barbizon painting "The nymphs bathing in a forest landscape" The artist wonderfully captured this dreamy scenery with vibrant colours and assured brushstrokes, inviting...

The Knight is an original oil painting on canvas realized during the XVII century by an anonymous artist. Provenance: Pecci-Blunt collection. Good condition...

Spanish Oil painting on Canvas, a reclining Nude 19Th attr. to Luis Ricardo Falero (23 May 1851 – 7 December 1896) Additional Info painting : Title: reclining nude Medium: original...

Artist/ School: by Lucien Chanterelle (French b. 1890) Title: Le Pont Marie, Paris. A beautiful Impressionist oil painting from the 1930's p...

'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...

The Black Lion Hotel English artist, late 19th century (double sided painting with a hunting scene to the reverse). oil painting on board, unframed board: 13 x 10.75 inches prov...

Oil and tempera on cardboard realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960. Hand signed lower right. Includes a wooden frame realized by the Artist cm. 80x60. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rom...

Cornelis le Mair (Eindhoven, July 3rd 1944) is a Dutch painter. This Romantic painter is famous because of his 17th century paintings. As a child, Le Mair already developed a talen...

This superb Dutch 17th century Golden Age Old Master cityscape oil painting of Amsterdam is by noted artist Jacobus Storck. Painted circa 1670, ...

Octavius Thomas CLARK Oil on canvas Picture Size: 24 x 42" (60 x 105cm) Outside Frame Size: 32 x 50" (80 x 125cm) Signed bottom left An impressive example of O. T. Clark's work. Su...

Title: French Impressionist Oil Painting of Boats and Lighthouse in a Calm Harbour By Fanch Lel (French b. 1930) Size: 7.25 x 9.5 inches (height x ...

Piccadilly Circus in the City of London at Night with a Red London Bus, by Contemporary Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield Art measures 24 x 24 ...

Tranquil shades of sylvan colour are paramount in this piece from Francesca Owen. Painted on a theme of metamorphosis it’s a particularly good work show...

St. Francis of Assisi Italian School, circa 1500 oil paint on copper, unframed copper: 6.75 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, Loire Valley, France condition: for a work tha...

The Highland Walk Scottish artist, late 19th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 24.5 x 20.5 inches canvas: 18 x 14 inches provenance: private colle...

Artist: Elisabeth Hahn (German 1924-2021), Elisabeth Hahn was born in Dortmund, Germany, where she began her artistic studies. In 1953, she moved to Paris. She continued her studie...

Title: French Watercolour of Beached Boats at Low Tide in Saint-Briac by Fanche Lel Signed: Yes Size: 9.5 inches (height) x 12.75 inches (width) Watercolor painting on paper, unframe...

Italian painter (18th century) - Saint Monica in prayer. 56 x 32 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame (not signed). Condition report: Good state of conservation of th...

Pierre Coquet (1926-2021) Still life with a red book Reference number F285 46 x 55 cm (not framed) This work is painted with oil on a canvas. There is a stamp of the signature in the...

Artist/ School: French School, 18th century Title: Mary and Jesus Medium: oil on canvas, framed Framed: 17 x 14.5 inches Canvas: 16 x 12.75 inches Provenance: private collection...

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Embark on a journey of nautical elegance with Juan del Pozo's ...

Francisco Jose Jimenez paints abstracted nude paintings using a range of materials, such as fabric, concrete, pieces of plastic etc. His portraits tell stories of imperfect beauty, i...

King Henry VIII English artist, circa 1840's oil on paper laid on board, framed framed: 10.5 x 10inches board: 8 x 7.5 inches inscribed verso provenance: private collection, UK cond...

Winged Cherubs French School, contemporary oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 8 x 8 inches provenance: private collection, Paris condition: very good and sound condition

Circle of Fred MORGAN (1847-1927) c1890 A sensitively painted portrait, possibly a study for a larger work, of a young country girl. Indistinctly signed ** Morgan, possibly Fred. Unfortunately Fred signed in a number of different ways depending on the grandeur of his work. However, a consistent element was the colour, a reddish brown similar to the colour of the signature on this painting. I can offer no provenance with this painting, so I am selling at as circle of Morgan rather than actually by him. “Frederick Morgan ROI was an English painter of portraits, animals, domestic and country scenes. He became known for his idyllic genre scenes of childhood. Morgan was born in London to John Morgan and his wife, Henrietta Hester Clare. His father was a successful genre artist sometimes known as 'Jury Morgan' (after one of his paintings The Gentlemen of the Jury). At the age of 14, he was taken out of school by his father who then tutored him in art. At the age of 16, while still studying with his father, his first picture, The Rehearsal, was exhibited at the Royal Academy, and, after a hiatus of several years, his paintings were shown there regularly. For a while he worked as a portrait artist for an Aylesbury photographer; this training proved to be crucial as it "taught him how to observe closely and to give the greatest attention to detail." Eventually he turned to other subjects for his art, in particular idyllic genre scenes of country life and childhood. For many years, starting in 1874, Thomas Agnew & Sons' purchased all the work he produced. Although an excellent portrait artist, Morgan had problems in depicting pets and barnyard animals - he enlisted the aid of either Arthur John Elsley...

The Guildhall, Worcester English School, mid 20th century indistinctly signed verso oil on canvas canvas: 20 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condition The Worcester Guildhall was originally built as a meeting place for Worcester merchants around 1227. As with many other guildhalls, it became the centre for civic administration, a role it maintained after the merchant guild had disappeared. The present Worcester Guildhall is a superb Queen Anne building, begun in 1722 by Thomas White, a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren. White was badly paid for his efforts, and he died in poverty in 1738, bestowing the money he was owed on the Worcester Royal Infirmary. The city finally paid its debt in 1753. The exterior of the Guildhall is brick, dressed with stone. White himself is said to have carved the figure of Queen Anne over the entry, as well as those of Charles I and II, a reminder of the city's long history of royal support. The interior is superb, boasting exceptional period decoration. The Tourist Information Centre is now located in the Guildhall. HISTORY In 1227 Henry III granted the citizens of Worcester a royal charter granting them the right to establish a guild of merchants. The guild was responsible for controlling trade in the city, but their meeting place gradually became the main centre of administration for city government and acted as a courthouse. So, in effect, the Guildhall was the town hall, and though the city guilds have long since vanished, the Guildhall name lives on. The medieval guild merchants would not recognise the building that faces onto High Street now. Their guildhall was a large timber-framed building, occupying the same site, with a piazza for shops fronting the street, courts of justice at each end, and a prison to the north of the building. Part of the prison was a cell called 'the peephole', which gained a notorious reputation. There was a gaoler's house, and attached to it an alehouse from which the gaoler sold ale at extremely high prices to any prisoner who could afford the cost. In 1717 the city administration decided on a new Guildhall, and they knew just who to call; upon to build it. Thomas White was not an architect in the way we think of it today, but a stonemason. In 1705 he had carved a statue of Queen Anne to stand in front of the medieval Guildhall and was made a Freeman of the City. The total cost of the fashionable new red-brick building was £3727. The Corporation only put forward £800, and the rest had to be raised by public subscription. The centre section of the new Guildhall was finished by 1724 and has remained almost unchanged since then. The central facade is a wonderful example of early Georgian style, with three bays flanked by Corinthian pillars. Over the entrance is a huge carving incorporating the Hanoverian royal arms. White's earlier statue of Queen Anne was placed in a niche over the door, and on either side were statues of Charles I, depicted holding a church, and Charles II, with an orb and royal sceptre. On the rooftop are figures of Labour, Peace, Justice, Plenty, and Chastisement. North and south wings were added within a few years of the central block. The south wing was used as a judge's lodging when the assizes were taking place, but throughout the rest of the year it housed a coffee shop. The most striking external feature of the Guildhall is a set of iron gates...

"D'apres Delacroix" Impressionist Portrait, Signed Oil Painting By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016) Signed and dated '47 by the artist on the lower left hand corner Oil pai...

Oil on canvas realized by Franco Marzilli (1934-2010) in 1970s. Hand signed lower left. Very good condition. Franco Marzilli was born in Rome in 1934. He received his first artist...

Title: Isla Cristina, Spain Artist: Michel de Alvis Year: c.1960 Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 9.45 x 16.14 inches (24 x 41 cm) Subject: Seascape Condition: Excellent Provenan...

Artist/ School: 18/19th Century Spanish School Title :Head study of Christ Medium: oil painting on wood panel, period gilt framed panel : 6 x 5 inches Provenance: private collect...

A Room with a View French artist, circa 1930's oil painting on board, unframed board: 13 x 9 inches condition: very good provenance: private collection, France

Village Scene by Fanch Lel (French b. 1930) size: 7 x 8.25 inches inscribed verso gouache painting on board, unframed condition: the painting is in very good condition. It has previo...

‘Melancholic Sappho’ by Arthur Hill RBA (1841-1908). Academy Fine Paintings is fully conversant with the latest US Government import duties and the legal exemptions under the US Con...

We are pleased to present this painting by Ernst Lundström, dedicated to the esteemed sculptor Per Hasselberg. The dedication on the front of the painting makes this piece particular...

This compelling portrait, recently studied by Stéphane Pinta of the esteemed Cabinet Turquin in Paris, has been confidently attributed to the Austrian painter Matthäus (Matthias) Lod...

A wonderful view of the heartbreakingly beautiful Fontainebleau/Barbizon region, which was home to some of the greatest painters of the 19th and early 20th Century. The particular spot presented here is the river Loing at Montigny-sur-Loing, where Cezanne and Sisley loved to paint. The village is just a short walk away from Grez-sur-Loing, where John Singer Sargent, Francis Brooks Chadwick, Robert Vonnoh, Edward Simmons...

The Queen by Diogène Ulysse Napoléon Maillart (French, 1840 – 1926) *see notes below oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 42 x 30 inches framed: 45 x 33 inches condition: overall v...

The Monte-Carlo Opera House & Promenade French School, late 19th century signed watercolor on artists paper, unframed painting: 11 x 18.5 inches provenance: private collection, the F...

Mediterranean Coastal Scene with Rural Property & Trees in French Countryside, by 20th Century French Artist, Jean-Pierre Vignat (Born 1913) Art measures 21 x 14.5 inches Frame me...

In this canvas, I've captured the tranquil essence of the sea's dance with light, employing a symphony of brushstrokes to create a serene atmosphere. I was driven by the compelling c...

Soaking (original title: Remollo) is a contemplative figurative painting by Inés Silvalde, created in 2024 using oil on foam board. Measuring 30.6 x 30.6 x 2.5 cm and presented in a ...