How do I identify the period of a portrait?

Examine the sitter's costume, wig style and facial hair, which generally follow the fashion of the decade in which the work was created. Canvas types, stretcher construction and framing styles also offer clues to the age of the piece. Compare the handling of paint and the signature or inscription style with known examples from specific schools, such as the Georgian or seventeenth-century Dutch periods.

Are these portraits original works?

The selection includes original painted or drawn studies alongside period print reproductions such as mezzotints produced after major painted works. Each listing specifies the medium, whether oil on canvas, pastel or drawing. Provenance notes and artist attributions within the titles clarify whether a piece originates from an artist's hand, a studio or a later copyist.

How should I hang an oil portrait?

Select a wall with stable humidity and temperature away from direct sunlight to protect the canvas and oil pigments from fading or cracking. Ensure the wall fixings match the weight of the wooden frame and canvas. Position the artwork at eye level so the gaze of the sitter engages naturally with the room.

What is the difference between a school and an artist attribution?

An attribution to a specific artist indicates strong stylistic evidence linking the piece to their known output or studio during their lifetime. School designations, such as Scottish School or German School, group works sharing regional techniques and aesthetic traits when the individual hand remains unidentified. Both categories reflect the broader historical and geographical traditions of European portraiture.