Collecting Guide: Old Master Paintings (Part 2/2)
Francesco Guardi | Capriccio View of a Venetian Campo, oil on canvas.
The variety of icons, still lifes, portraits, copies, genre scenes, allegories, mythology, landscapes and sporting art at Old Masters auctions presents buyers with ideal opportunities to start a comprehensive and informed collection. Understanding the unique history that underlies each subject category within the Old Masters canon is key to discerning an artwork's value in the evolving marketplace. Below, a subject-by-subject guide compiled by Sotheby’s to help you navigate. Be sure to check out part one of this article (if you haven’t already), which provides a quick overview of key considerations new collectors should bear in mind when purchasing Old Masters, as well as our article on Assessing the Value of Art, which provides market insights and a deeper dive into the factors that help determine value.
Still Lifes – Still life paintings depict predominantly inanimate objects, such as flowers, dead animals, plants, vases and glasses. This genre emerged in Western Europe mostly during the 16th century but gained popularity during the 1600s, when painters brought the movement to new heights. From decorative flower bouquets to realistic renderings of exotic animals, the range of still lifes offered in these sales provides collectors with an exciting opportunity to own detailed studies of the natural and man-made world.
Juan De Arellano | A Still Life Of Narcissi, Daffodils, Tulips, Hollyhocks, Hyacinths And Other Flowers In A Glass Vase On A Stone Ledge, With Butterflies, oil on canvas.
Copy Works – ‘Copied’ work is one that is executed based on an original painting, drawing or print – and though it may deviate in certain details, the idea behind the image is not an independent one. Old Master artists recreated pre-existing designs not only for their training, but also for collectors. King Charles I, for example, owned around 60 copies, including paintings of which the originals were in his possession. Owning a copy means one can possess an interesting interpretation of one of these iconic paintings.
After Diego Rodríguez De Silva Y Velázquez, Triumph Of Bacchus, 1628-29; oil on canvas
Religious Works – From large frescoes in churches to small icons for private devotion, religion was an important theme for the Old Masters. Aside from the church being one of the wealthiest patrons for these artists, private collectors also coveted large paintings depicting narratives from the Old and New Testament. Overflowing with symbolism, these religious works are worth a second look.
Giovanni Battista Moroni | The Resurrection Of Christ, inscribe 17th C., oil n canvas.
Portraits (Important Sitters) – Prior to the start of photography in the early 1800s, paintings and sculptures were one of the few ways to depict individuals. Since portraiture during the Old Masters served as a means of self-promotion, they may not always be the most accurate rendering of sitters. Reading the symbols hidden in portraiture are key, since depicting a lady as a mythological goddess helped elevate her beauty, while costumes, such as a military uniform decorated with regalia, are suggestive of the subject’s power.
Hyacinthe Rigaud | Portrait Of Joseph Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau D’armonville (1661-1728), oil on canvas.
Genre Scenes – Genre art portrays events from everyday life, like markets, domestic settings, interiors, lavish parties and street scenes. The figures represented could either be peasants or wealthy individuals. From Italian Baroque to the Dutch Golden Age, depicting people engaged in common activities was very popular.
Adriaen Van Ostade | Three Boors Drinking and Smoking in the Spirit House, Haarlem 1610-1685, oil on canvas.
Landscapes – Leonardo Da Vinci elevated landscape art by perfecting depth and adding atmospheric effects to his compositions through sfumato, a technique he used to soften transitions between colors. In the first phase of landscape painting during the Dutch Golden Age, many artists began focusing on the sky, diagonal paths and softened outlines. Other painters, such as Claude Lorrain and Poussin, depicted mythological and religious scenes as an afterthought in the foreground of wonderfully developed landscapes. In a sign of landscape art’s popularity, subgenres emerged, such as Venetian vedute, maritime art and architectural fantasies.
Francesco Guardi | Capriccio View of a Venetian Campo, oil on canvas.
Allegories – Allegory, or a representation of an abstract or spiritual concept, has been used in all forms of art given its ability to illustrate complex ideas and concepts in a digestible way. Narratives in Old Masters overflow with hidden meanings through figures emblematic of deeper moral or spiritual meaning as life, death, love, virtue, or justice among others. The key to interpreting these paintings is to identify the allegorical figures, but even then the meaning can still remain elusive.
Prague School, Circa 1600 | An Imaginary Landscape With Allegories Of Abundance And Charity, oil on canvas.
Mythology – Classical Greek and Roman mythology have inspired artists from the early Renaissance to the present, with the tales of romance, heroism, tragedy and moral lessons learned by both gods and mortals. Along with religious subjects, mythological scenes were categorized as history paintings and held the highest rank in the hierarchy of artistic genres throughout the early Modern period. These paintings required artists to be well-read in the classics and skilled in depicting the (often nude) human figure in complicated compositions.
Hendrick De Clerck | The Judgment of Paris, oil on canvas.
Sporting Art – The term 'sporting art' is relatively new, and started predominantly being used in the 18th and 19th centuries as a means to preserve the traditions and values of an old world, which was beginning to fade during this industrial age. Notwithstanding, when these paintings were first produced in the 1660s, they were commonly referred to as either 'hunting scenes,' with idle figures riding horses, or 'hunting trophies' with dead game. The timeless, idyllic image these works capture of country life make them ideal decorations for the walls of fine country homes, as they were once originally intended.
Philips Wouwerman | Hunters Resting At A Country Inn, oil on canvas.
— Christina Spearman