Picture This: Stunning Antique Paintings

Fine antique paintings are the choice of many collectors on the lookout for carefully selected works of art. Often collectors are determined to find as many examples of their chosen artist or genre as they can. Others love buying antique works of art to add a decorative and unique atmosphere to their special space.

Having an enviable reputation as suppliers of fine antiques, we always strive to acquire and supply exceptionally high-quality antique works of art. Our range of antique paintings encompasses historic periods from the 18th and 19th century and we do often have works by notable artists.

This, for example, is an impressive oil on canvas painting of the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Square from the Grand Canal Venice by the renowned British artist Alfred Pollentine (1836-1890), signed and dated ’74 on the lower left.

Alfred Pollentine is best known as an accomplished painter of Venetian scenes, although he also painted some English coastal views. Many of his paintings were done in an impressionistic style. Pollentine exhibited numerous works at several of the top galleries in England from 1861 through 1880, including two of London’s most prestigious ones, the British Institution and Society of British Artists. Several examples of his work have sold at top auction houses, including Christies, Sothebys and Bonhams.

This beautiful waterscape captures a striking view of the Grand Canal in Venice. It features a busy canal scene with sailing boats and gondoliers in the foreground. In the background are the facades of Saint Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Santa Maria Della Salute. and the spiralling tower of the San Marco Campanile.

This stunning painting is housed in its original and beautiful gilt gallery frame.

Staying with the most painted city in the history of art – Venice – this is another stunning oil on canvas painting, this time by Jane Vivian (active 1869-1890) beautifully capturing a Venetian scene of The Grand Canal.

Jane Vivian was a landscape painter who lived in London. She came from a dynasty of topographical artists who worked and lived in England. She is known particularly for her views of Venice and exhibited a number of works at the Society of British Artists, including views of Venice, Bruges, and Rouen. She also exhibited at several provincial galleries including the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham, The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, Manchester City Gallery, and the Royal Hibernian Academy.

This painting delightfully presents the Grand Canal with its beautiful buildings on the water, as well as gondolas and sailboats. The artist used very delicate pastel colours and has succeeded in adding some mystery to the scenery. The painting is signed lower left, and it is housed in its original and exquisite gilt gallery frame.

Another recent arrival is this finely painted Berlin KPM porcelain plaque, circa 1880 in date.

The Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin (German: Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin, abbreviated as KPM) – also known as the Royal Porcelain Manufactory Berlin – whose products are generally called Berlin porcelain, was founded in 1763 by King Frederick II of Prussia (known as Frederick the Great). Its actual origins however lie in three private enterprises which, under crown patronage, were trying to establish the production of “white gold” (i.e. porcelain) in Berlin from the mid-18th century onwards.

The magnificent plaque features a beautiful young lady wearing a white nightdress and a green and red cap. She is holding a candle which reflects stunningly on her charming smiling face. The plaque is painted in great detail to the highest of standards and is housed in its original pierced foliate Florentine giltwood frame. It bears the impressed marks ‘MHR’ and ‘811’.

Next, we would like to show you this lovely oil on canvas titled “Neapolitan Landscape” by Salvatore Postiglione, circa 1880 in date. This painting shows great artistic talent and endeavour and is signed, lower right, with the initials of Salvatore Postiglione.

Salvatore Postiglione (1861-1906) was an artist of the romantic Italian School of the second part of the XIX century. He was a painter and a decorative artist. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli under Domenico Morelli. His subjects included: history, portraits, genre scenes and landscapes. His works appear at different auction houses all over the world.

The magnificent painting comes with a stamped certificate of authenticity and appraisal by Dr Armin Silbernagl who is a Professor of the Fine Arts Tribunal in Milan.

We continue this review of fine antique paintings with a very charming Victorian landscape oil painting on board by Anthony De Bree, circa 1880 in date.

The painting features a rural scene with countryside people collecting wood and a herd of cows resting in the shade of a large tree on the banks of a river.

The painting is framed in its original giltwood frame decorated with stunning acanthus leaves, ‘S’ scrolls, and foliate and floral ornamentation. It is signed in the bottom left corner. The reverse features a paper label for Reeves & Sons Artist Colourmen 113 Cheapside, London E. C.

We conclude today’s review of very fine antique paintings with the striking “Rocky Landscape with a Stream” (circa 1750), painted by an artist that was a follower of the XVIII century Dutch School.

This painting shows great artistic talent and depicts a countryside scene with beautiful mountains, a rushing stream, and people engaged in their everyday activities. The painting comes with a stamped certificate of authenticity and appraisal by Dr Armin Silbernagl who is a Professor of the Fine Arts Tribunal in Milan.

We hope you enjoyed this review. All the paintings in this article are presently available, so if you were interested in one or more of them, please do not hesitate to contact us – by telephone or email and we will do our best to help.

You are also encouraged to visit our website and view our full collection as new examples are being added all the time as works of art are sold and move on. Works of art are of course best viewed in person as even the finest photographs cannot do justice to a perfectly executed painting or other work of art. To this end, our collection is displayed in our north London showrooms for you to see for yourself at close quarters.