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.
Late 18th Century Old Masters Art
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1750s Old Masters Art
Engraving, Laid Paper, Intaglio, Etching
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Art
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1750s Old Masters Art
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Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art
Lithograph
1750s Old Masters Art
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1750s Old Masters Art
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1820s Old Masters Art
Watercolor
Early 19th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
Early 19th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
Early 1700s Old Masters Art
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1770s Old Masters Art
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19th Century Old Masters Art
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Early 18th Century Old Masters Art
Paper
1910s Old Masters Art
Photogravure
1870s Old Masters Art
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19th Century Old Masters Art
Lithograph
19th Century Old Masters Art
Lithograph
1840s Old Masters Art
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Old Masters Art
Woodcut
19th Century Old Masters Art
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1770s Old Masters Art
Drypoint
19th Century Old Masters Art
Gouache
1850s Old Masters Art
Lithograph
19th Century Old Masters Art
Gouache
1880s Old Masters Art
Photographic Paper
1950s Old Masters Art
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1770s Old Masters Art
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19th Century Old Masters Art
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1870s Old Masters Art
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1780s Old Masters Art
Laid Paper, Engraving, Intaglio
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art
Ink, Paper
1810s Old Masters Art
Aquatint, Etching
1870s Old Masters Art
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16th Century Old Masters Art
Ink
17th Century Old Masters Art
Engraving
1870s Old Masters Art
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1870s Old Masters Art
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Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art
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Early 19th Century Old Masters Art
Watercolor, Ink
1810s Old Masters Art
Aquatint, Etching
Mid-19th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
1870s Old Masters Art
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Early 18th Century Old Masters Art
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17th Century Old Masters Art
Engraving
1870s Old Masters Art
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1740s Old Masters Art
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1740s Old Masters Art
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1740s Old Masters Art
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1870s Old Masters Art
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Mid-17th Century Old Masters Art
Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Etching
1740s Old Masters Art
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1820s Old Masters Art
Watercolor
1740s Old Masters Art
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1740s Old Masters Art
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1740s Old Masters Art
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18th Century Old Masters Art
Oil
1820s Old Masters Art
Watercolor