Old Framed Pictures
These old framed pictures span centuries of oil paintings, engravings and watercolours housed in wood and giltwood.
Old Framed Pictures
Old framed pictures encompass a diverse range of artworks, from seventeenth-century oil paintings and eighteenth-century pastels to nineteenth-century engravings and watercolours. You will frequently encounter portraits, sporting scenes and religious subjects set within period surrounds.
The materials span canvas, paper and panel, enclosed within frames shaped from wood, giltwood and gold leaf. These works originate from various European schools, including Dutch, Italian, French and British traditions dating from the sixteenth century onwards.
On this page, buyers meet everything from fine art oil paintings to decorative prints housed behind glass. Each piece preserves historical techniques and subjects that reflect the aesthetic priorities of its respective period.
How they were made
Painters applied oil on canvas or charcoal and pastel onto paper, employing traditional pigments and grounds suited to each century. Engravers and printers utilised plates to produce detailed works that often captured well-known paintings of the era.
Makers constructed the enclosing structures from timber, applying layers of gesso and gold leaf to create ornate giltwood surrounds. Glazing protected vulnerable paper surfaces, while carved floral or moulded linear details defined the outer edges of the frame.
Old Framed Pictures Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for old framed pictures among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
One cheerful pairing depicts a sporting tandem alongside cattle, proving that past generations loved their horses and livestock just as much as formal portraits.
What varies in quality
The standard of execution in the artwork itself distinguishes the works, seen in the confidence of brushwork, the depth of tone in charcoal or pastel, and the clarity of line in an engraving. Skill in draughtsmanship and compositional balance mark the distinction between provincial output and accomplished execution.
The preservation and originality of the surrounding frame contribute significantly to the piece. Hand-carved wooden or giltwood surrounds retain crisp ornamentation and original surface patination that mass-produced or later replacements lack.
Benedetto Luti·Johannes Lingelbach·John Hodgson Lobley·Adam Buck·David Teniers The Younger·Claude Jousset·Louis Leopold Boilly·David Woodlock·William Langley·H. Alken·Sam. Howitt
The Old Framed Pictures Glossary
- Mezzotint
- A printmaking process of the intaglio family where tones are worked from dark to light. It yields rich gradations well suited to portraits.
- Oil on Canvas
- Pigment bound in an oil medium spread across a woven textile support. This technique dominates fine art painting across several centuries.
- Pastel
- A dry medium consisting of powdered pigment and a binder. Artists utilised it extensively for portraits on paper during the eighteenth century.
- Engraving
- An image produced by cutting lines into a metal plate with a burin. Prints pulled from these plates record detailed compositions for wider distribution.
Old Framed Pictures: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I date an old frame?
Examine the construction joints, timber type and application method of the gesso or gold leaf. Earlier frames display hand-carved wooden mouldings, whereas later nineteenth-century examples often utilise composition ornamentation pressed into shape.
Look at the backboards and fixings as well, noting that hand-forged nails or old screws support historical dating. Alterations and replacements occur frequently, so inspect the fit between the artwork and its surround.
Are these oil paintings on canvas original?
The listings include historical works created during the recorded periods, ranging from seventeenth-century European schools to twentieth-century impressionism. Pigment analysis and canvas examination reveal the age and structural makeup of each painting.
Some records note after artists, indicating later studio copies or printed reproductions rather than primary master hands. Review the specific description of each item to confirm whether it is an original painting or a fine print.
How should I hang and light old pictures?
Support heavy framed works using secure wall anchors rated for the combined weight of the timber, glass and canvas. Position them away from direct sunlight and steady heat sources to protect fragile paper, watercolours and oil pigments.
Utilise low-heat LED picture lights or ambient room illumination to display the surface without causing fading or thermal stress. Ensure stable indoor humidity levels to prevent the wood and canvas from warping.
What is the difference between an engraving and a painting?
Paintings involve wet media applied directly to a support like canvas, panel or paper by an artist's hand. Engravings are printed multiples created by transferring ink from a scored metal plate onto paper.
Engravings often reproduce famous oil paintings, allowing collectors to own affordable versions of major compositions. Close inspection under magnification reveals the inked lines of a print compared to the layered brushstrokes of a painting.