Painting is distinguished by its portrayal of human figures, landscapes, and religious scenes, executed with pigments on wooden panels or canvas. Its origins reach back to the Middle Ages, when portraits of saints painted in tempera on wood predominated.
Over the centuries, the art of painting evolved from the classical techniques of the Renaissance and Baroque, through the Romanticism and Impressionism of the 19th century, to the revolutionary avant-garde movements of the 20th century, which radically transformed the way reality was represented.
The works of the masters are a finite resource that can only diminish over time. As they are acquired by museums, the number available on the market steadily decreases. Original works of art therefore represent not only a valuable investment but also a daily source of aesthetic joy.
Alexander Sochaczewski (1843-1923), Portrait of an elderly woman, oil on canvas, Munich, 1884-1897
The painting depicts an elderly woman, shown in a bust view, against a dark, neutral background. The figure is wearing a magnificent headdress - a large decorative cap with lace and a wide satin bow, from under which dark curls protrude. The woman's face has been portrayed in a realistic manner, with attention paid to fine details such as delicate wrinkles, subtle shadows around the eyes and soft chiaroscuro transitions on the skin. A large, softly placed shawl is visible under the neck, completing the elegant character of the portrait. The painting is signed on the back and framed in a Biedermeier style frame.
Battle of Mohacz, oil on canvas, Krakow, 1886
The painting depicts the Battle of Mohács of 1526, showing the moment of violent clash between Christian forces and the Ottoman army. The composition is a multi-figure battle scene, focused on the dynamic combat of cavalry and infantry, with clear emphasis on the chaos and drama of the battlefield. The artist employs a compact, densely populated composition in which the silhouettes of fighting men and horses fill nearly the entire canvas surface. The work was executed in oil on canvas (lined) and is signed in the lower left corner: "Kraków 1886".
Circle of Jan Wijnants, Landscape with Hunters and Travelers by a Lake, oil on panel, Netherlands, 17th century.
This painting depicts a landscape featuring hunters and travelers on a path alongside a lake. Several tall trees dominate the center. A lake is visible to the left, bordered by a road receding towards the horizon. The foreground shows two hunters with a child and a dog, with additional travelers appearing further back. The strategic placement of human figures (staffage) across various planes imbues the landscape with depth. A hill and forest are silhouetted on the horizon. The artwork is presented in a 17th-18th century Baroque frame.
The composition, characterized by the interplay of a body of water, a road, human and animal figures (staffage), and centrally placed trees, distinctly echoes the style of Jan Wijnants.
Death of Cleopatra, oil on canvas, Italy, 17th-18th centuries.
The painting depicts Cleopatra at the moment of her suicide, shown in half pose, wearing a red, unbuttoned dress with her breasts exposed and a serpent held to her chest - the only attribute that allows clear identification of the scene. The woman, with her alabaster complexion, raised head and upward gaze, is framed against a neutral, dark brown background, in keeping with the tradition of the Bolognese school. The soft chiaroscuro, idealized type of beauty and calm expression point to the influence of painting derived from the circle of Guido Reni and his continuators. The final fragment of the signature "...epolo" or "...epelo" is visible in the lower left corner, indicating the artist's Italian origin. An analysis of the style and the way the figure is depicted allows dating the work to the 17th-18th century, with a probable place of creation in Emilia-Romagna (Italy). The painting is framed in a Baroque frame carved in wood and painted gold.
Egbert van Heemskerck the Younger (1676–1744), Tavern Scene, oil on canvas, England, after ca. 1695
The painting depicts a genre scene set inside a tavern. A group of men in simple attire indulge in revelry, singing, and drinking. The central figure is a standing man, raising a goblet with one hand and holding a jug in the other. The other figures sit at a table, singing. The rest of the composition fades into the shadows of the dark room.
The painting is by Egbert van Heemskerck the Younger, an English painter specializing in festive and genre scenes. The work is signed with the monogram 'HK' (in ligature) in the lower left corner. The painting, registered in the database of the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD), has been exhibited at Phillips Auctioneers (Fine old master paintings, December 2, 1997, lot number: 229) and Sotheby’s (Old master paintings, May 10, 2011, lot number: 74).
German-Italian Master, Image from the Cross, oil on board, Western Europe, 16th century.
German-Italian master from the 16th century (imitator of Rogier van der Weyden), Picture from the Cross. The foreground depicts Jesus taken down from the cross with his eyes closed and Mary kneeling before him in a dark blue cloak and white headdress. She looks lovingly at her son and embraces Him with her right hand. In the back on the right stands Joseph of Arimathea, supporting the body, and on the left St. John the Evangelist. In the background, the view stretches into the distance, revealing parts of the cross and a ladder. The scene is depicted mainly in primary colors.
Board dimensions: 70 x 53 cm; framed painting, carved frame, gilded 18th century (dimensions with frame: 79.5 x 64 cm).
Painting on display at the auction of paintings by old masters of the Hampel auction house in Munich (Ale Meister, part II, 27.06.2019, lot No. 770).
It is believed that there are many versions of this design, all of which probably derive from a lost prototype from the 1540s by Rogier van der Weyden.
Giacomo Francesco Cipper – “il Todeschini”, Young man eating from a wooden bowl, oil on canvas, Italy, 1st third of the 18th century
The portrait shows a young man hailing from the plebeian strata, framed in half pose, sitting against a neutral dark background. The boy is facing frontally, his cheerful expression emphasized by a wide smile revealing his teeth. In his right hand he holds a large wooden bowl, while in his left hand he holds a spoon with which he scoops up the food. The young man is dressed in a white shirt and a simple chestnut cubicle, as well as a tricorn, which is a distinctive triangular hat, decorated with a feather. In the lower left corner of the painting, a section of the table is visible, on which lies an unleavened loaf of bread.
The color palette is maintained in tones of warm browns, reds and ochres, with clear chiaroscuro contrasts that artfully model the face and hands and bring out the figure from the dark background.
Gillis van Tilborgh (ca. 1625 – ca. 1678) – workshop or circle, Interior of an inn with backgammon players, oil on duplicated canvas, Netherlands, ca. 1650-1670
An outstanding example of 17th-century Dutch genre painting, closely associated with the circle and workshop of Brussels-based master Gillis van Tilborgh. The composition depicts an expressive scene, classic for the period, in the interior of an inn, where a group of villagers are indulging in popular pastimes: playing backgammon, smoking tobacco and drinking liquor.
In the foreground, two men sit at a low table, focusing their attention on a game of backgammon. The man on the left, wearing a yellow caftan and red pants, raises a glass of liquor. His opponent on the right, dressed in a light gray outfit with a white collar, sits thoughtfully with his eyes downcast, holding a white scarf in his hand.
Behind the players sits a man in a red cubicle smoking a long clay pipe (an attribute of vanity pastimes and the theme of vanitas). Next to him, a figure in a brown hat emerges from the depths of the shadows, while to the right a younger man in a red cap focuses his attention on the woman seated in front. Clad in a bright blue dress with a white collar and a white cap, she is a prominent element in the composition. She holds in her hand a clay jug with a tin lid. Her gaze is directed to the side, beyond the area of the main game, which introduces an element of psychological distance into the scene.
Surrounding the figure are everyday objects emphasizing the plebeian character of the place: a wooden barrel (on the left), clay bowls, a white cloth on a wooden stool and heads of cabbage on the right. In the background, on the left, in an open doorway or passageway, the silhouette of another man can be seen observing the gathering.
Dimensions: 57 cm (height) x 75.5 cm (width) ; with frame: 65 cm (height) x 83 cm (width)
Weight: 3.8 kg
Govert Camphuysen (1623/1624-1672) – attributed, Landscape with cattle grazing in front of a hut, oil on board
In front of the village thatched hut, sheep, a cow and a goat are grazing. Next to it, a villager is sleeping under a tree. To the left of the composition, a second scene is visible: a man leading a bull over a small bridge over a stream. In the background is a landscape with trees and gentle hills, and the sky occupies a large part of the painting, building the mood of the whole scene. What draws attention is the exquisite way in which the animals are depicted. This was a specialty of Camphuysen, whose work was inspired by the style of Paulus Potter. Warm, earthy colors dominate - browns, ochres, dim greens and broken yellows. The light is soft, diffused, as if in the early morning or towards evening. The sky has shades of gray, beige and soft pink, suggesting changing weather or impending dusk. The contrast between the bright sky on the left and the darker, more saturated part with the cottage on the right gives the image depth and balance.