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.
Antique Painting (19th-20th Century) : Portrait of a Young Lady, watercolour
Attributed John Bathe Portrait Elderly Bearded Man Oil on Board Antique British
Antique Painting (19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Young Lady , Oil On Canvas
Contemporary Portrait of a Lady in Bonnet Oil on Canvas Framed
Antique Painting (19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of Rotund Gentleman, Oil On Canvas
English School ( Circa 1930): Portrait Of Mary Spoor ( Nee Bernard) , Watercolor
Manner of Pierre-Auguste RENOIR (French b.1841) Dance at Bougival, Oil on board
Antique Painting ( Early 19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Gentleman , Oil On Canvas
Continental School ( 19TH Cen-ry): Portrait Of A Muscateer , Oil On Canvas
J T Steadman ( Late 19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Gentleman, Oil On Canvas , 1874
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.