old masters

since the old masters were all men, and they were masters in the Western European system of master-apprentice relationships, this term is historically correct. When not referring to painters and works known as old masters, use: distinguished/great/classic painters/paintings, the classics, 13th-/14th-/15th-/16th-/17th-century artists/works. Or, use specific names and painting styles. The concept of "old masters" assumes a consensus on what constitutes great artists and artworks. "Master" and "mistress" illustrate what commonly happens to male-female word pairs: the male word takes on new and broader meanings while the female word shrinks to refer only to a woman's sexual function. Lord Beaverbrook underlined the absurdity of this word pair: "Buy Old Masters. They fetch a much better price than old mistresses." For discussion of "master" words, see master (n.).