25 Artists from the 1700s to Include in Your Picture Study Time

Last month, I shared a list of 25 artists from the 1800s to include in your Picture Study time. I received such a positive response to the post that I thought I might offer up another list of artists from the 1700s, which I’m posting today!

As I mentioned last month, these are certainly not the only ones to explore, nor is it necessary to include every single one. These are, however, some of the ones I’ve enjoyed learning more about either in my college classes or later on as I have pursued more art history knowledge on my own.

I’ve again tried to include a good range of styles, nationalities, and perspectives; however, if you see an artist you feel should be listed here, feel free to leave a comment below!

The Artists

Jeong Seon (Gyeomjae)

Nationality: Korean
Movement: True-View Painting (Joseon Period)

Jeong Seon (Gyeomjae) (1676-1759) is one of the most well-known painters from this time in Korean history, and his landscape paintings, in particular, are beautiful examples of Korean “true-view painting.” This movement emphasized painting from life rather than more abstractly or creating scenes from one’s imagination, and is especially associated with Korea’s unique identity.

Antoine Watteau

Nationality: French
Movement: Rococo

Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) is credited with being the father of the Rococo movement. In 1717, he submitted the painting above to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, however, they were unsure to which genre it belonged and ended up giving it its own classification of fête galante (“courtship party”). In turn, this piece inspired the growth of the Rococo movement in France. Though he isn’t necessarily the most well-known artist of the Rococo period (he died at age 37, so who knows what might have happened had he lived longer!), I feel that his paintings represent it well.

Tobias Stranover

Nationality: German (Transylvania)
Movement: Baroque

Tobias Stranover (1684-1756) primarily made still lifes and nature paintings. Though not well-known outside of the world of art history, his paintings are very detailed and would be good options for picture study.

Giovanni Paolo Panini

Nationality: Italian
Movement: Baroque

Panini (1691-1765) was also an architect, which is evident in his many large-scale paintings (vedute) of landscapes and buildings, particularly those from antiquity. He also painted scenes from history and the Bible.

Miguel Cabrera

Nationality: Mexican
Movement: Baroque

Miguel Cabrera (1695-1768) painted both religious and secular art and is known for his casta paintings of families that included European and indigenous ancestry. He was very popular in Mexico during his lifetime.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Nationality: Italian (Venetian)
Movement: Rococo

Tiepolo’s (1696-1770) paintings, and particularly his frescos, are majestic. They are majestic and sweeping and awe-inspiring. Though he is technically considered a Rococo painter, his style and subject matter was somewhat different than the French Rococo painters.

Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto)

Nationality: Italian (Venetian)
Movement: Baroque

Canaletto (1697-1768), as with Panini, is another artist known for his city views (vedute) of both Italian and British subjects. His paintings are highly detailed and are an excellent record of what a given town or place looked like during his lifetime.

Jean Siméon Chardin

Nationality: French
Movement: Baroque

Jean Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) is known for his still lifes and genre paintings. His work features muted lighting and domestic scenes with women and children.

Jean-Étienne Liotard

Nationality: Swiss
Movement: Rococo

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-1789) was a portraitist who spent the majority of his life in Switzerland. His pieces are highly-detailed and have an almost photographic quality to them.

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Yosa Buson

Nationality: Japanese
Movement: Edo Period

Yosa Buson (1716-1784) is known for being both an artist and a poet. He was active during the Japanese Edo Period and incorporated his poetry into his art in the haiga style, but I think his nature paintings are particularly beautiful.

Étienne Maurice Falconet

Nationality: French
Movement: Neoclassicism (Sculpture)

Étienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-1791) is a good option if you’re looking for alternative media like sculpture. He is most well-known for the sculpture above in St. Petersburg, but he also made many smaller sculptures.

Itō Jakuchū

Nationality: Japanese
Movement: Edo Period

Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800) was another Japanese artist from the Edo period. He is known for his highly-detailed and realistic nature paintings, especially those of birds.

Joshua Reynolds

Nationality: English
Movement: Rococo

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) is one of the most well-known English portraitists of the 18th century, though he also painted other subjects.

Thomas Gainsborough

Nationality: English
Movement: Rococo

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) is another giant in the world of 18th-century English portraiture, though he also painted landscapes as well.

Anton Raphael Mengs

Nationality: Bohemian
Movement: Neoclassicism

Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779) is credited as one of the first neoclassical painters when Rococo was still very popular. He started in portraiture but later moved to frescoes of events and people from antiquity.

Hubert Robert

Nationality: French
Movement: Romanticism

Hubert Robert (1733-1808) is known for his landscapes, usually featuring ruins of some kind. He is sometimes referred to as “Robert des Ruines” because of this.

Joseph Wright of Derby

Nationality: English
Movement: Neoclassicism

Joseph Wright (1734-1797) was a master of tenebrism. The first time I saw the above painting, I was completely fascinated by his use of light and how perfectly he captured it. Most of his paintings have this quality and would be excellent for picture study.

John Singleton Copley

Nationality: American (also active in England)
Movement: Neoclassicism

John Singleton Copley (1738-1815) began his career in America as a portraitist and earned a very positive reputation for his skill. He later moved to England, where he continued portraiture before venturing into the world of history paintings. (His “Nativity” is included in my Advent Art Devotions Volume IV.)

Benjamin West

Nationality: American (active in England)
Movement: Neoclassicism

Benjamin West (1738-1820) painted into the 19th century but was most active in the 18th century. He was born in America but moved to Europe in his 20s and spent most of his life in England. He is known for his history paintings.

Angelica Kauffman

Nationality: Swiss
Movement: Neoclassicism

Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) was born in Switzerland but was active throughout Europe, especially in Italy and England. She is known for her portraits and history paintings.

Francisco Goya

Nationality: Spanish
Movement: Romanticism

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) is another artist who was active in the 18th and 19th centuries. His oeuvre includes a wide range of subjects, but he is mainly known for his depictions of significant events in Spain during his lifetime. Some of his pieces are very graphic, but he also painted beautiful genre, religious, and portrait pieces.

Jacques-Louis David

Nationality: French
Movement: Neoclassicism

David (1748-1825) was the quintessential Neoclassical artist, and no list of 18th-century artists would be complete without him. He is most well-known for his portraits (a few of Napoleon) and history paintings, including depictions of significant events in France during his lifetime.

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Nationality: French
Movement: Rococo

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) was the official portrait painter of Marie Antoinette and made many paintings of the queen and other French nobles. She escaped France at the beginning of the Revolution and eventually made her way to Russia, where she also painted portraits of the Russian royal family. (I also wrote about Vigée Le Brun in Volume 2, Issue 3 of Common Place Quarterly.)

John Trumbull

Nationality: American
Movement: Neoclassicism

John Trumbull (1756-1843) painted many scenes of events during the American Revolution. He was alive during this period, but some of the paintings were not commissioned until the early 19th century, so his oeuvre is also a mix of these two centuries. He also painted portraits of Revolutionary leaders.

Antonio Canova

Nationality: Italian (Venetian)
Movement: Neoclassicism

Antonio Canova (1757-1822), a well-known Italian sculptor, rounds out the list. His sculptures of primarily women are simple but beautiful.

Have you studied any of the artists on this list for picture study? Are there any you would add? Leave a comment below!