Search 0
45,781  PAGES BROWSED TODAY PAGES TODAY • 189 ANTIQUES UPLOADED TODAYNEW ARRIVALS
Sorted by
Per page
JOIN AS A SELLER DEALER LOGIN
Selling Antiques Logo
0
Saved
GIFTS
189 ITEMS ADDED TODAY
Home
Return
Dealer Login
500+ Shops
Dealers
Newly Added
0
Saved
Antiques dealer?
Join as a Seller
Sort Order
Items Per Page
sellingantiques.co.uk
Browse Categories
Sort order
Relevant Links
Items per page
ID #SA1200960
SOLD
Email Phone
Save
Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting
Sold by Brave Fine Art
sold SA1200960
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Brave Fine Art

Brave Fine Art

Sellingantiques Verified Since Nov 2018
Browse dealers 76 items
  • About Us
    Exquisite antique paintings that capture the imagination.
↓ Relevant Links
Id #SA1200960
PDF SHARE
SAVE

Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

18th century
Sold 30 July 2026 · Brave Fine Art
This “Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting” found a buyer.

It was listed by Brave Fine Art. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Find more for sale
Historical PortraitVintage Portrait Ask the dealer for something similar
Description

This eloquent mid-18th-century Italian portrait, painted in Tuscany around 1750, portrays an upstanding gentleman of intellect and composure. Acquired from a country house in Pescia, a prosperous silk town between Lucca and Florence, it evokes the cultivated restraint of Italy’s Enlightenment age.

Dressed in a fine ensemble consisting of a brown silk coat trimmed with gold brocade, a waistcoat woven with intricate floral arabesques, and a crisp white cravat - here's a gentleman who valued refinement. The fabrics glow softly in the painter’s measured light. It’s the costume of a Tuscan professional, perhaps a merchant, magistrate, or scholar. The warm palette, gentle modelling, and modest setting emphasise the intellect admired in the mid-century bourgeois ideal.

The work belongs stylistically to the Tuscan-Emilian school, shaped by artists such as Giuseppe Bottani and Giuseppe Baldrighi, who combined northern naturalism with Italian grace.

At its heart, this portrait is a study in 'virtù civile', the quiet heroism of reason. It celebrates a man who measures his worth not by lineage but moral steadiness. The stillness of his expression, the composure of his gesture, and the gleam of his brocade suggest a life lived with purpose.

His left hand holds an inscribed letter bearing a designation and possibly his name. It's challenging to decipher, but it may contain the surname Valuay.

Held in a later, possibly 19th century, wooden frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Overall size: 31” x 38” / 79cm x 97cm

Year of creation: c. 1750

Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed illegibly on the letter, lower middle.

Provenance: Private collection, Italy.

Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Later stretcher. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.

Our reference: BRV2209

Date of Manufacture

Brave Fine Art has dated this Antique Oil Painting to the 1750s.

Physical Dimensions
Height
97cm (38.19")
Width
79cm (31.10")
Depth
5cm (1.97")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1200960
Dealers Internal Reference
BRV2209
Description
This eloquent mid-18th-century Italian portrait, painted in Tuscany around 1750, portrays an upstanding gentleman of intellect and composure.
“
Acquired from a country house in Pescia, a prosperous silk town between Lucca and Florence, it evokes the cultivated restraint of Italy’s Enlightenment age.
Brave Fine Art
fig 1. An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
fig 1. Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

Dressed in a fine ensemble consisting of a brown silk coat trimmed with gold brocade, a waistcoat woven with intricate floral arabesques, and a crisp white cravat - here's a gentleman who valued refinement. The fabrics glow softly in the painter’s measured light. It’s the costume of a Tuscan professional, perhaps a merchant, magistrate, or scholar. The warm palette, gentle modelling, and modest setting emphasise the intellect admired in the mid-century bourgeois ideal.

fig 2. An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
fig 2. Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

The work belongs stylistically to the Tuscan-Emilian school, shaped by artists such as Giuseppe Bottani and Giuseppe Baldrighi, who combined northern naturalism with Italian grace.

At its heart, this portrait is a study in 'virtù civile', the quiet heroism of reason. It celebrates a man who measures his worth not by lineage but moral steadiness. The stillness of his expression, the composure of his gesture, and the gleam of his brocade suggest a life lived with purpose.

fig 3. An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
fig 3. Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

His left hand holds an inscribed letter bearing a designation and possibly his name. It's challenging to decipher, but it may contain the surname Valuay.

Held in a later, possibly 19th century, wooden frame.

fig 4. An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
fig 4. Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

Medium: Oil on canvas

Overall size: 31” x 38” / 79cm x 97cm

Year of creation: c. 1750

Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed illegibly on the letter, lower middle.

Provenance: Private collection, Italy.

Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Later stretcher. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.

Our reference: BRV2209

Date of Manufacture

Brave Fine Art has dated this Antique Oil Painting to the 1750s.

Height
97cm (38.19")
Width
79cm (31.10")
Depth
5cm (1.97")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1200960
Dealers Internal Ref
BRV2209
Brave Fine Art
Brave Fine Art
Sellingantiques verified Since Nov 2018

Exquisite antique paintings that capture the imagination.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Brave Fine Art Profile Page

PDF SHARE
SAVE
An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. SOLD30 JUL 26
1 / 8
Archive I An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. SOLD30 JUL 26

Mid-18th-century Tuscan School, Portrait of a Gentleman Holding a Letter - Antique Oil Painting

Archive II An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View II
Archive III An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View III
Archive IV An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View IV
Archive V An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View V
Archive VI An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View VI
Archive VII An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View VII
Archive VIII An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame. View VIII
FURTHER BROWSING

Visitors also looked at these ⇣

Enlarged Archival View
Brave Fine Art

Brave Fine Art
Telephone 01684 215986
Location
21 Enterprise Way
Arle Road
Cheltenham
Cotswolds
GL51 8LZ
United Kingdom

Under appointment only.
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/bravefineart
Verified Since Nov 2018
Items For Sale 76
Items Sold 1,853
Brave Fine Art
Brave Fine Art
Verified Since Nov 2018
View Dealer Info
Location: 21 Enterprise Way, Arle Road, Cheltenham, Cotswolds, GL51 8LZ, United Kingdom, , Under appointment only.
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/bravefineart
Verified
Nov 2018
For Sale
76
Sold
1,853
An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
Mid-18th-Century Tuscan School, Portrait Of A Gentleman Holding A Letter - Antique Oil Painting
Ref: SA1200960
An antique oil painting depicting the half-length portrait of a gentleman in period attire holding a letter, set within a simple wooden frame.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Detail View 7
Archival Detail

Strictly Vetted Dealers

Every single antique dealer on our platform is individually approved by our internal team. We verify their professional trade history, ethical standards, and photographic quality to ensure a secure, high-standard buying environment. Upon joining, every dealer agrees to a strict 9-point code of conduct. While issues can occasionally arise, our dealers typically resolve them swiftly and directly with the buyer. In fact, since our founding in 2002, Sellingantiques has only had to step in to help resolve an issue on roughly five occasions—a true testament to the quality of our dealers and their dedication to your happiness.

Secure Transit

Our dealers are highly experienced in packing and shipping fragile, high-value antiques. Because you are in direct contact with the dealer, you will be able to easily go through all available shipping and insurance options together to ensure your item arrives safely.

The Sustainable Choice

Antiques are the ultimate green purchase. By choosing historical pieces over newly manufactured goods, you completely eliminate the carbon footprint of modern mass production while preserving exceptional, timeless craftsmanship.

Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPaintings
  • Period18th century
  • Style18th Century
  • MaterialOil paint, Canvas, Wood
  • ColourBrown
  • MotifsPeriod costume, Letter prop, Chiaroscuro lighting
  • SizeH 97 cm (38 in) x W 79 cm (31 in) x D 5 cm (2 in)

FAQs

Eighteenth-century portraiture typically emphasises realism, rich costume detail, and formal composition, reflecting the social status and intellectual pursuits of the sitter.

These works were traditionally executed in oil paint applied to woven linen canvas, stretched on wooden frames and housed in hand-carved, gilded or wooden frames.

Authenticity is assessed through examining canvas ageing, craquelure patterns in the oil layer, stretcher frame construction, and pigments consistent with the historical period under magnification.

Pairing a historical oil painting with modern architectural elements creates a striking focal point, adding depth, narrative, and textural contrast to neutral or minimalist spaces.

Maintain stable relative humidity and temperature, avoid direct sunlight to prevent pigment fading, and consult a professional conservator for surface cleaning or varnish maintenance.
items
Add keywords to the filter
Price
£100
£250000
Era
Period
Style
Material
Origin
Stock Location
Recently Added
Online Payments
Categories