Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Outstanding English late 18th / early 19th century marine scene by one of Britain's best known and sought after painters. William (or Wiliam) Anderson (1757 – 27 May 1837) was a Scottish artist specializing in maritime and patriotic themes. He was well-regarded for his detailed and accurate portraits of ships under sail, exhibiting his works annually in London between 1787 and 1811 and then occasionally until 1834. Anderson influenced other artists, notably John Ward and others of the Hull school. Anderson's early life is obscure, but he is known to have trained as a shipwright before moving to London to become a maritime painter when he was about 30. His training served him well as a painter, providing "a practical nautical knowledge" of his subjects. He earned a reputation for "accuracy and refinement of detail" and was admired for his bright, clear colours. He worked in both oils and watercolours. He based his style on that of well-known Dutch maritime...

Como pueden apreciar, la obra no va firmada Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco del siglo xix en madera estucada y policromada (el marco presenta algún leve descolche) El es...

Artist: Adriaen van Stalbemt (Stalbempt) 1580-1662 Title: Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac “Das Opfer des Abraham” According to the Old...

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...

'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...

The Battlefield of Waterloo English School, 19th century original oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 12 x 15.5 inches framed: 17.5 x 20.5 inches condition: overall very good and presentable, some former restoration and signs of retouching visible. provenance: from a private collection A very rare and historically important early painting, depicting the Waterloo battle...

Antique European oil on panel, framed framed: 9 x 7 inches board: 7 x 5inches private collection, France the painting is in overall very good and sound condition

No signed This 18th-century oil on copper painting, by an anonymous artist, exemplifies the refinement and technical sophistication associated with this highly prized medium in Euro...

J. Clays (British, 19th-20th century) - Still life with fruit basket. 61 x 51 cm without frame, 67.5 x 58 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a gilded wooden frame. ...

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...

Nicola Viso, (active 1724 – 1742) Title: The adoration of the magi Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 63 x 100 cm – with frame 76.5 x 114.7 x 4.5 cm Signed “N. Viso. f” ...

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...

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...

Painting Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery)

A superb British Old Master oil painting which is attributed to circle of William Hogarth and was painted circa 1760. This fine oil painting is in ...

After Bartolome Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1618-1682), "The Little Fruitseller", Oil on Canvas, 19th century, apparently unsigned, depicting young girl and boy counting money over var...

Marco Marcola (Verona, 1711 - 1780) Carnival scene with masks from the commedia dell'arte with Harlequin Oil on canvas, 60 x 82 cm In frame 77 x 100 cm The canvas reflects ty...

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...

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...

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...

Attributed Federico Icilio Joni (1866-1946, North Italian Sienese) “Portrait of a Young Boy” 17 ¾ x 14” (on poplar panel) Icilio Federico J...

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...

This painting by Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, the great Lombard master of the mid-seventeenth century, is striking for its dazzling composition and the brilliant colors of Christ's tuni...

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 ...

Francesco Albani (Bologna 1578 - 1660) Follower of The Rape (or Abduction) of Europa Oil on panel 44 x 53 cm with gilded wooden frame (19th century) 61 x 71 cm The work de...

Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641, Flemish) Study of a Head of Man Circa 1627-32, Van Dyck’s second Antwerp period Oil on paper, laid down on canvas Dimensions 15 x 14 inches (38.1 x 3...

John Wilson Ewbank (1799 - 1847) Shipping in the Harbour, South Shields Oil on canvas 39.5 x 58 inches unframed 47.75 x 66.5 inches framed Provenance: Christie's October 2002; Lot 11. Fine Art Society; Private Collection This marvellous up to scale Ewbank is full of light and warmth and almost certainly his greatest work of the sort rarely - if ever - seen on the market. John W. Ewbank (4 May 1799–28 November 1847), was an English-born landscape and marine painter largely operational from Scotland. The Humber river is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. Life Ewbank was born at Darlington on 4 May 1799, the son of Michael Ewbank, an innkeeper. He was adopted as a child by a wealthy uncle who lived at Wycliffe, on the banks of the River Tees, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Intended for the Roman Catholic priesthood, he was sent to Ushaw College, from which he absconded. In 1813 Ewbank was apprenticed to Thomas Coulson, an ornamental painter in Newcastle. In around 1816 he moved with Coulson to Edinburgh, where he had some lessons with Alexander Nasmyth. He found work both as a painter and a teacher. He was nominated in 1830 one of the foundation members of the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1833 he is listed as living at 7 Union Street on the eastern fringe of the New Town in Edinburgh. Works His sketches from nature were especially admired, and a series of 51 drawings of Edinburgh by him were engraved by W. H. Lizars for James Browne's Picturesque Views of Edinburgh (1825). He also made a reputation with cabinet pictures of banks of rivers, coast scenes, and marine subjects. As an illustrator he illustrated some early editions of Scott's Waverley Novels and one edition of Gilbert White...

Figure Studies Attriubted to Cornelis Schut (1597 - 1655) Flemish ink drawing on paper, inscribed on mount size: 4.75 x 7 inches private collection, France The painting is in overa...

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

This beautiful painting, due to its very high quality of execution, style and era, can be referred to the great artist Warren Sheppard, who specialized in seascapes. Of great evocati...

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...

We would like to thank Dr. Ursula Härting who, after examining the work, confirmed the autograph nature of this painting by Frans Francken the Younger in a certificate issued on December 9, 2024. In this previously unpublished painting coming from a French private collection, Frans Francken the Younger tackles one of his favorite themes: the adoration of the Magi, the wise men who come from the East to adore the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, Judea. This theme was often taken up by the artist, but this version, which can be dated around 1610, is one of the earliest interpretations. 1. Frans Francken the Younger, "a surprisingly inventive painter". Frans Francken the Younger is the best-known member of an extended artistic family that worked in Antwerp from the late sixteenth to the late seventeenth century. Born in 1581, he almost certainly studied with his father, Frans Francken the Elder (c. 1542-1616), before becoming a master in the Antwerp Saint Luke's Guild in 1605. In 1627 he became a member of the Antwerp archers' guild De Oude Handboog. Francken was an extremely productive and imaginative artist who specialized in expressively rendered small-scale religious and mythological scenes. He also painted larger altarpieces for Catholic churches. His depictions of collectors' cabinets introduced a genre of painting that influenced several artists, including Jan Brueghel the Elder...

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...

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

Unknown Artist (Dutch School, late 18th century) Pastoral Scene with Goatherds, ca. 1780–1800 Oil on canvas In this lively pastoral composition, a group of figures reclines in rusti...

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 ...

Nicola Maria Rossi masterfully captures the biblical tale of Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, a story from the Book of Genesis. In this scene, Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, arrives at ...

Isaac de Moucheron (Amsterdam 1667 - 1744) circle Renaissance garden with knightly festival Oil on canvas 70 x 98 cm. In frame 106 x 133 cm. We present this delightful compos...

The sitter is Mary Charlotte Anne Wellesly-Pole, eldest daughter of William, 4th Earl of Mornington and niece to the Duke of Wellington. This is one of Hoppner's best works. The sitt...

Italian painter (17th century) - Baptism of Christ. 122 x 74 cm without frame, 133 x 86 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in wooden frame (not signed). Condition repo...

Portrait of a Gentlemen - Oval oil on canvas cm.50x40, Italia, 2006 Eugenio De Blasi Wooden frame available on request The portrait of Eugenio De Blasi is inspired by one of the many portraits painted by Guillam Francois Colson, a French historian painter, who painted portraits of families...

La pintura representa a la Virgen María por su iconografía tradicional. Viste un manto azul verdoso que cubre su cabeza y hombros, y una túnica rosada con detalles en tonos claros. S...

DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the best Romney in private hands. If Vogue Magazine existed in the late 18th century, this image of Lady Caroline Price would be ...

This superb religious figurative oil painting is by noted artist Wilfred de Glehn. Although some experts rank de Glehn alongside Sargent, he is considered as something of a late British Renoir, for his deft use of sunlight and shadow. Indeed he was good friends with John Singer Sargent and collaborated with his on some projects. This painting, painted circa 1910 is of three saints, from left to right they are Saint Jerome, Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian. It is based on a work attributed to 16th century artist Alessandro Oliverio. Saint Jerome was a biblical translator and monastic leader and is depicted in red, holding books. Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian were known as the Plague saints - Plague saints offered hope and healing before, during, and after times of plague. A specific style of painting, the plague votive, was considered a talisman for warding off the plague. It portrayed a particular saint as an intercessor between God and the person or persons who commissioned the painting – usually a town, government, lay confraternity, or religious order to atone for the "collective guilt" of the community. Rather than a society depressed and resigned to repeated epidemics, these votives represent people taking positive steps to regain control over their environment. Paintings of Roch represent the confidence in which renaissance worshipers sought to access supernatural aid in overcoming the ravages of the plague. The thirteenth-century Saint Roch (or Rocco), whose death is still commemorated in Italy, is especially invoked against the plague. He attended plague victims in public hospitals in Italy according to traditional accounts of his life. Images attributed to the Spanish historical painter Nicolás Borrás in the Royal Cornwall Museum, or other works in institutions from The National Gallery to the Wallace Collection, show him baring his thigh to show the mark of the plague, as he is in this painting. Saint Roch is also the patron saint of dogs, after one carried food to him in the prison where he died...

Antiveduto Gramatica or Grammatica (Rome, Italy, 1571 – 1626) Title: Magdalene Praying with a Skull Medium:Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 58 x 43.2 cm - with frame 85 x 72 x...

Pietro della Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy, 1603 – Venice, Italy, 1678) Title: Bacchus and Ceres Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 109 x 130 cm – with frame 128 x 152 x 8 cm...

Attributed to George Morland. 19th Century English Antique, Two Country farmers drinking beer in a landscape. Wonderful early 19th-century original oil on canvas. A classic 'Morland' composition as the painter was a big fan of English Pub scenes...

Como pueden apreciar, la obra no va firmada, es de autor anónimo Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco bastante actual El estado de la obra es aceptable, solo comentar que la ...

Gabriel Metsu (Leiden, 1629 – Amsterdam, 1667) follower The Lute Player First half of the 18th century Oil on canvas 61 x 47 cm Framed 76 x 61 cm This high-quality painting...

Violin Player in Tavern 18th century French School oil on canvas canvas: 8 x 11 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition

Outstanding early 18th century English portrait of James Bellevue. The portrait was always believed to be the work of Sir Godfrey Kneller who was known to have painted James Bellevu...

Portrait of Mr. Gilbert (believed to be the founder of 'Gilberts Charity, Bridgwater, Somerset) English School artist, late 17th/ early 18th century oil...

Still life with fishes and oysters is an original oil on canvas realized in the 17th Century by Neapolitan School Master. Impressive in size as well as for its vivid representation o...

This refined devotional painting, executed in oil on copper, is a distinguished example of the 19th-century Spanish School, known for its emotive sacred imagery and profound spiritua...

La obra se presenta enmarcada con su marco original de la época (el marco presenta faltas y desgastes) El estado de la obra se puede ver, tiene perdidas y de pintura y faltas en la ...

Saint Jerome in the desert Cercle of Lambert Van Noort (1520-1571, Antwerp) Antwerp School, mid-16th century Oil on oak panel. Dimensions: panel h. 69 cm (27.16 in), l. 52.5 cm (20.6...

This very busy oil on panel is a Dutch Old Master painting dating to around 1620 by artist and poet Willem van Nieulandt. It is an incredibly detailed and colourful scene composed of...

English School, circa 1780’s Circle of George Romney (1734-1802) oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 30 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches private collectio...

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 s...

Maestro della Flagellazione di Cesena, active in the second decade of the 17th century Title: The morra players Year: 1620 ca. Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 115 x ...