old master

noun

: a work of art by an established master and especially by any of the distinguished painters of the 16th, 17th, or early 18th century
also : such an artist

Examples of old master in a Sentence

Their collection of old masters will be sold at the auction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The house, though rustic, also radiates a sense of the refined with walls hung with rich tapestries and old masters’ paintings. Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 Next month, both Christie’s and Sotheby’s are hawking storied troves, one an enviable assemblage of modern art by some of the past century’s preeminent names, the other a cache by old masters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Frans Hals. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2025 While other old masters have graced the collections of the world’s most celebrated art museums, no North American museum owned a Ruysch until 1956, when the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) bought Flower Still Life (1716-20). Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025 This is perhaps why Dulwich Picture Gallery, a London museum known for its collection of over 600 old master paintings, is the perfect place for Critchlow’s debut at a major British institution. Kadish Morris, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for old master

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of old master was circa 1684

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Cite this Entry

“Old master.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20master. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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