old master

/oʊld ˌmæstər/

Other forms: old masters

Definitions of old master

1. noun

   a great European painter prior to 19th century
   examples:

   Hieronymus Bosch

   Dutch painter (1450-1516)

   Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi

   Italian painter of mythological and religious paintings (1444-1510)

   Pieter Brueghel the Elder

   Flemish painter of landscapes (1525-1569)

   Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

   Italian painter noted for his realistic depiction of religious subjects and his novel use of light (1573-1610)

   Giovanni Cimabue

   painter of the Florentine school; anticipated the move from Byzantine to naturalistic art (1240-1302)

   Antonio Allegri da Correggio

   Italian painter noted for his use of chiaroscuro and perspective (1494-1534)

   Albrecht Durer

   a leading German painter and engraver of the Renaissance (1471-1528)

   Domenikos Theotocopoulos

   Spanish painter (born in Greece) remembered for his religious works characterized by elongated human forms and dramatic use of color (1541-1614)

   Jan van Eyck

   Flemish painter who was a founder of the Flemish school of painting and who pioneered modern techniques of oil painting (1390-1441)

   Giotto di Bondone

   Florentine painter who gave up the stiff Byzantine style and developed a more naturalistic style; considered the greatest Italian painter prior to the Renaissance (1267-1337)

   Frans Hals

   Dutch portrait and genre painter who endowed his portraits with vitality and humor (1580?-1666)

   William Hogarth

   English artist noted for a series of engravings that satirized the affectations of his time (1697-1764)

   Holbein the Elder

   German painter of religious works (1465-1524)

   Holbein the Younger

   German painter and engraver noted for his portraits; he was commissioned by Henry VIII to provide portraits of the English king's prospective brides (1497-1543)

   Georges de La Tour

   French painter of religious works (1593-1652)

   Leonardo da Vinci

   Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

   Fra Filippo Lippi

   Italian painter whose works show a three-dimensional style (1406-1469)

   Filippino Lippi

   Italian painter and son of Fra Filippo Lippi (1457-1504)

   Michelangelo Buonarroti

   Florentine sculptor and painter and architect; one of the outstanding figures of the Renaissance (1475-1564)

   Nicolas Poussin

   French painter in the classical style (1594-1665)

   Raffaello Sanzio

   Italian painter whose many paintings exemplify the ideals of the High Renaissance (1483-1520)

   Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn

   influential Dutch artist (1606-1669)

   Pierre Auguste Renoir

   French impressionist painter (1841-1919)

   Sir Peter Paul Rubens

   prolific Flemish baroque painter; knighted by the English king Charles I (1577-1640)

   Jan Steen

   Dutch genre painter (1626-1679)

   Jacopo Robusti

   Italian painter of the Venetian school (1518-1594)

   Tiziano Vecellio

   old master of the Venetian school (1490-1576)

   Sir Anthony Vandyke

   Flemish painter of numerous portraits (1599-1641)

   Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez

   Spanish painter (1599-1660)

   Jan van der Meer

   Dutch painter renowned for his use of light (1632-1675)

   Paolo Veronese

   Italian painter of the Venetian school (1528-1588)

   Jean Antoine Watteau

   French painter (1684-1721)

   type of:

   maestro, master

   an artist of consummate skill

   painter

   an artist who paints