Portraits
Antique and vintage portrait paintings capture the people of the past with a directness no photograph matches. Our collection ranges from formal society portraits and character studies to intimate figure works, painted in oil and watercolour by British and European artists from the 18th to the 20th century.
After Sir Thomas Lawrence : The Calmady Children, oval oil on panel
British School, 20th century : Portrait of a Lady, pastels on paper
Antique Painting: Portrait Of A Woman , Oil On Canvas , Indistinctly Signed
Antique Painting (19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Lady In Mourning, Oils On Canvas
Antique Painting (19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Lady , Oil On Canvas
John Crozier Harrison (1848-1902) : St Catherine Laboure, Watercolor , Signed
After Sir Godfrey Kneller : Portrait Of A Lady Geraldine Inglis , Oil On Canvas
Antique French Portrait Young Girl Oil Painting Oval Panel c1860 Victorian
Antique Style, Oil On Canvas, After Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun Self Portrait
Antique Painting: Portrait Miniature Of A Young Woman , Watercolor On Card
Continental School (18Th Century-ry) : Portrait Of A Gentleman, Oil On Canvas
Antique Painting (19th Century) : Oval Portrait of a Man, charcoal and chalk
Portraiture was frequently unsigned, so many fine examples are catalogued by school and period rather than by name — which is exactly where discerning collectors find quality at accessible prices. Each portrait is described with its medium, dimensions, period and condition, and many retain characterful original frames.
What you’ll find here
- Society portraits, character studies and figure paintings
- Oil and watercolour, 18th–20th century, British and European
- Named artists alongside works catalogued by school and period
- Original period frames on many pieces
Learn how portraits are attributed in Reading the Signature, see how to tell an original from a reproduction, or meet the artists behind the collection.