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.
Early 19th C English Regency Oil Portrait Gentleman Gilt Frame Antique
Antique Painting : Portrait Study Of A Lady Wearing A Bonnet , Oil On Canvas
Antique Painting : A Victorian Portrait Of A Young Lady , Watercolor , Framed
Sir Daniel Macnee (1806-1882) : Portrait Of A Gentleman, Oil On Board , Framed
Contemporary Painting: Woman In A Ruffled Bonnet , Framed
Contemporary Painting : Woman in a Sun Hat ,Oil On Canvas Framed
Philip Tennyson Cole Signed Portrait Lady Oil Painting British Antique c.1920
Antique oil on canvas : Portrait of Rembrandt
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.