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.
Unattributed 20th Century Oil on Card Portrait of a Jewish Rabbi Antique
English School (19TH Cen-ry) : Portrait Of A Young Man , Oil On Canvas, Unsigned
Hans Richter Dam (German, 1881-1937) : Young Girl Eating an Apple, oil on canvas
William Edward Narraway Signed Oil Portrait Painting Mrs P Brand 1966
Antique Painting (19th Century) : Portrait of A Lady, Oil On Board , Signed 1895
Antique Painting (c. 1850) : Portrait of an Elderly Gentleman, oil on millboard
Antique Painting (c. 1850) : Oval Portrait of an Elderly Lady, oil on millboard
Antique Painting : Portrait of Charlotte Earle Beechey as Psyche, oil on panel
Antique Painting: Of Caroline Princess Of Denmark , Watercolor Sketch ,1822
Antique Painting: Lady On A Country Lane , Oil On Canvas , Framed
Antique Painting : Portrait Of Charles Norrington , Oil On Canvas
Antique Painting : Portrait Of Kezia Norrington , Oil On Canvas
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.