18th Century and Earlier Figurative Paintings

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...

Italian painter (18th century) - Chrono. 90.5 x 106 cm. Antique oil painting on canvas, without frame (not signed). Condition report: Lined canvas. Good state of conservation of t...

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...

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 ...

Virgin with Child, studio of Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli, known as Giampietrino (active Milan 1495-1550) Not signed Oil on poplar panel, h. 63 cm (24.8 in), w. 49 cm (19.29 in) Important...

William H. Kinnicutt (American, 1865-1934) Soft Shadows Oil on canvas Signed lower right 16 x 20 inches 20.5 x 24.5 inches, framed See condition in photos William H. Kinnicutt was a...

The Close of Day Italian School, early 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 17 x 22.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition

Landscape with martyrdom of Saint Stephen is an old master artwork realized in 17th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. Includes coeval gilded frame cm. 148x196. The artwork is attributed to Vincent Adriaenssen called il Manciola (Antwerp, 1595 - Roma, 1675) Among the painters who worked in the first half of the seventeenth century it is possible to indicate only the Neapolitan Scipione Compagno (1624-1680) as the author of scenes of martyrs set within a landscape or a view such as, for example, the Martyrdom of Saint Stefano recently hesitated at the Ansorena in Madrid on June 16, 2021. It should be noted, however, that the landscape represented in the painting examined here, characterized by luxuriant vegetation, meticulously represented "in the Flemish style", shows differences with the typical settings of the paintings di Compagno, characterized above all by urban views, visionary architectures or rather arid vegetation. Even the refined figures, so elongated and lanky, represented in our painting, in particular the group of knights in the foreground on the right, are not reflected in the production of the Neapolitan painter. These elements, to which we add the depiction of the Eternal Father amidst the clouds and the detail of the dog in profile in the foreground, instead recall a painter mainly known as a battle soldier, but who was also the author of many works depicting episodes from ancient Rome set within luxuriant landscapes, or rather Vincent Adriaenssen known as Manciola, a painter from Antwerp whose figure has been shed light thanks to recent studies. The group of horsemen represented to the right of the examined painting is, in fact, comparable with other groups on horseback present in numerous works by Manciola such as, for example, in the Triumph of Caesar (Rome, Babuino, 23-03-2010; formerly Florence, Collection Privata, 2006), while similar elongated and somewhat lanky figures, dressed in red, yellow, blue and white, can be found in the three paintings conserved at the Cassa di Risparmio di Pesaro, which in the past were erroneously attributed to the Umbrian painter Francesco Allegrini...

Magnificent Italian painting from the first half of the 18th century. This oil on canvas artwork depicts the biblical episode of Moses driving the shepherds from the well of Midian. ...

Dancing Figures Flemish School, 17th century oil on on canvas, framed framed: 21.5 x 28.5 inches canvas : 16.5 x 24 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very good...

Tavern Interior Flemish School, 17th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 13.5 x 18 canvas: 11 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound cond...

The Virgin and Child with two music-making angels, after Van Dyck; in clouds, the Virgin shown half-length supporting the infant Jesus on an orb, looking to right at an angel playing...

Oil on canvas, applied to wooden plate. The saint is depicted in the foreground, half-length: the naked torso of the body is partially covered by a fur falling from the shoulders, ov...

An important 18th century Italian Old Master tempera on copper panel Baroque painting, "The Road to Emmaus", circa 1700. The painting represents the early resurrection biblical story...

Giulio Carpioni (Venice 1613 - Vicenza 1678) - Madonna and Child with Saints Joseph, Francis, Dominic and Anthony of Padua. 61 x 37.5 cm. Oil painting on canvas, unframed (not sign...

Ancient monuments is an original painting realized by Vinzenz Fischer (1729-1810) in the late 18th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. This beautiful artwork represents ...

Italian Madonna, early 18th Century, probably Genovese. Beautiful color palette. Not signed.

Jacob Ochtervelt (Workshop) The Grape Seller oil on canvas unframed: 80.7 x 61 cm.; 31 ¾ x 24 in. framed: 109.5 x 89 cm.; 43 1/8 x 35 in. Essay: Th...

Copy of artwork by Adriaen van der Werff "The Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael" Artist: Unidentified (18th Century) Date: Circa 1760–1770 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Framed: 124...

Escuela italiana; finales del siglo XVII, Siguiendo modelos de ALESSANDRO ALLORI (Florencia, 1535 – 1607) "Virgen Dolorosa". Óleo sobre tabla. Presenta faltas restauraciones. Med...

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 ...

Figures in Rocky Outcrop Circle of Philipp Peter Roos (German, 1657–1706) 17th century, unsigned oil on linen canvas, unframed canvas: 29 x 34.5 inches Provenance: private collectio...

The Pseudo-Guardi was an unidentified Venetian painter from the 18th or early 19th century who closely imitated the style of Francesco Guardi (1712–1793), one of the great Venetian v...

Sepia ink and mixed media portrait, the artist's take on the Mona Lisa by Bernard Labbe (French Mid-20th Century) original sepia ink, pencil, gouache, watercolor on paper image size:...

Seventeenth Century Old Master Biblical themed Oil Painting on Panel of Joseph recounting his Dream. A Follower of Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn 1606 - 1669. This painting follows a ...

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...

Portrait of Louis XIV as a child (Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1638 – Versailles, 1715) French painter active between the 17th and 18th centuries Oil on canvas 64 x 49 cm. In frame 79...

Artist/ School: French School, 18th century Title: The Garden of Gethsemane Medium: oil painting on wooden panel, unframed. painting: measurem...

Oil on Canvas. Tuscan school of the 18th century. The grand scene tells the tragic story of Apollo and Daphne, recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to the myth, the god Apoll...

Flemish School, 1600s Landscape With Pan and Syrinx painted around the 1600s oil on copper 19 x 23.5 cm frame 29 x 34 cm Hand-made oak frame by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkma...

Battle Scene is an original old masters' artwork realized in the 18th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. The artwork includes frame: 58 x 90 cm.

'Cain et Abel' Circle of Franois Devosge (1732-1811) French pencil drawing with watercolour wash on paper size: 12.25 x 9 inches private collection, France The painting is in overall...

Antique Italian painting from 18th century. Framework oil on canvas, on the first canvas, depicting a view with characters, animals and ruins of good pictorial quality. Large size fr...

A captivating 18th-century oil painting portraying a gentleman in prayer before Saint Peter, who appears celestial in the clouds above. In the distance, a quaint church nestles withi...

18th Century Italian Portrait Credited to Maria Giovanna Battista Clementi The painting probably depicts a young nobleman of Savoy court ...

James Seymour (1702-1752) & Thomas Spencer (1700-1753) An elegant lady and gentleman hare coursing in an extensive landscape Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 33 x 50 in Framed Size - 41 x...

Tuscan Master (17th century) - Raising of the Cross. 52 x 45.5 cm without frame, 69 x 62.5 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on panel, in a carved, gild...

18th Century European Portrait of a Child Saint John the Baptist Oil on Canvas 19 x 14 1/4 inches This lovely and sensitively painting has been examined by a professional restorer w...

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...

This superb British 18th century Old Master capriccio oil painting is attributed to circle of noted landscape artist Richard Wilson. Painted circa 1750 it is a stunning river landsca...

Flemish 1600s School The Card Players oil on oak panel panel dimensions 22.5 x 20 cm frame included Provenance: From a Swedish private collection. Condition: Flat and stabl...

The Master of all He Surveys late 18th century/ early 19th Century English oil on canvas, unframed, unsigned canvas: 14 x 11 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: form...

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, called Il Grechetto (Genoa 1609–1664 Mantua) The Raising of Lazarus Brush drawing in red and brown oil paint, heightened with blue and white, on laid...

Tobias & The Angel Flemish Baroque Old Master, circa 1600 circle of Paul Brill (Flemish 1554-1626) oil painting on canvas, 43.5 x 59.25 inches condition: very good, restored and read...

Provenance: Private Collection, Cranston, Rhode Island (by the 1950s?); by family descent until sold at: Bill Spicer Auction, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, 26 January 2011; where a...

As we gaze upon at this artwork, our eyes are immediately drawn to the foreground where a comical spectacle unfolds before us. A carriage, stubbornly stuck in the midst of a ford, se...

Baroque Landscape with Figures French School, 17th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 29.5 x 23.5 inches Canvas : 25.5 x 19 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition...

"Madonna del Granduca", after Raphael Oil on Canvas: 34 x 22.5 in. Frame: 45 x 33 ½ in. Inscribed verso. Pitti Palace red wax seal verso*. Fine Gilt Carv...

La obra es de autor anónimo. El retablo va muy bien enmarcado con un marco neogótico del siglo xix en madera estofada y policromada. Medidas del retablo: 88 cm. altura x 56 cm. anc...

French School, Rococo period original Likely to be a preparatory sketch for a larger piece. oil painting on canvas laid on board, framed framed: 1...

Antique Flemish painting from the 18th century. Framework oil on canvas depicting religious subject Holy family of good pictorial quality. Nice sized and pleasantly decorated framewo...

Shepherds in Field German School, late 17th century circle of Philipp Peter Roos (1655-1706) oil on canvas 19 x 31 inches, unframed provenance: private collection, France condition: ...

Mythological Figures in Woodland Glade Dutch School, late 17th century oil on wood panel, unframed panel: 11 x 9 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: minor surface sc...

In the panel depicting the mythological episode of the Rape of Europa, the foreground is occupied by the two main characters: Zeus in the guise of a bull, his neck and horns adorned ...

Provenance: Private Collection, Argentina; there acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Harper, New York, by 1960; by descent to: Mr. and Mrs. Alan Harper, New York, until 2024. This extraordinary mirrored frame is an exuberant and nearly perfectly preserved example of Andean 18th-century decorative art. Pierced mirrored rosettes surrounding floral motifs are set against mirrored surrounds along a broad frieze bordered within and without by elaborate raised moldings, inlaid by small, shaped mirrors. Repeating ornamental motifs reflecting both Spanish and indigenous designs surround both the inside panel and the exterior perimeter, the four corners of which are punctuated by mirrored rosettes. Glass mirrors were unknown to the indigenous population of the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans (obsidian mirrors...

Museum-quality gold ground painting from the Renaissance period by Smeraldo di Giovanni. It depicts the “Virgin of the Roses” seated on a throne h...

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...

Enoch Seeman - 1894 - 1744 An excellent example of Seeman's work. It is typically unsigned as was the case of many portraits of that time. A three quarter length portrait showing a r...

Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman Italian artist, mid 18th century Circle of Giovanni Battista Carboni (1725-1790) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 26 x 22 inches provenance: private c...

Artist/ School: 17th Century Italian School Title: The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed Size: canvas: 21” x 16” (53.3 x 40.8cm) Pro...