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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: 30clay30 on August 17, 2012, 12:46:56 PM
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I have a painting that troubles me. I have no history or value of this painting.
I do know that it is an original and it is older than me. Not much huh?
Frame is very think maybe about 5 inches cubed. The frame is about 3 feet long and 2.5 feet tall.
At the bottom right hand corner of the painting is a signature "M. Hunt." Try to find this and the only one I found was nothing like it.
Please help me. ???
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Very pretty and restful looking, but I'm guessing not old.
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You may have to give me a while on this !! From what I can see it is at least mid century,, and typical of Hudson River School of artists,, also a few from California but will just have to check more !! Very well done from what I can see and nicely framed !! Can you take a closer pic of the canvas itself so I can see technique used !! Need a good clear pic or as good as possible !!
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Thank you sooooo much for the reply!
I have asked two professional appraisers to help me and they both have no idea.
I also have a tea cart, brass middle eastern plate with copper and silver, and other things that I am having a hard time placing. Some I would like to keep some not so much. Sorry all that to same I am very thankfull!
Here are a few more pictures. Some are blurry but I figured you could see texture and brush strokes better.
The only thing my mother told me awhile back ago was something about someone who either helped or was apart of the "Little Drummer Boy" painting.
She was and is a wonderful artist herself but not much on the history of.... ;D
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I believe we may have a winner!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris_Hunt
This article shows a picture of "The Drummer Boy," which you talked about in your post.
M. Hunt may very well be William Morris Hunt, brother of the distinguished architect Richard Morris Hunt.
If authentic, this may be old (19th century) after all, and we can all agree that it's beautiful.
Please have a qualified appraiser examine this painting. It may be more than worth your while!!!
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Looks promising !!! Need to see his signature on his work, Love the photo of his studio in your link ghopper!!! Nice find!!
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HA! I go where professional appraisers dare not tread! :)
Seriously, this painting MAY be worth quite a bit of money. Please waste no time in finding out more!
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Will do thank you!
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I don`t think so !! Wm. Morris Hunt was a different school and was a tonalist painter !! This painting has vibrant color !! Looked at a bunch of his earlier,, doesn`t match the style !!
Can I ask where you are located and where the painting came from !!
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I live in fort worth as far as where it was bought from all I know is Lousiana in a Victorian style home.
See this is the same conflict I have been running into over and over again. The signature dosen't match either of the suggestions or style of W.H. If it came from that school you are talking about wouldn't the artist have put his or her mark as well?
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Just because it is in that style doesn`t mean it came from that area !! Hudson River is in NY state, but years ago the southern plantation owners could afford and would have bought the best !! So it is not out of the realm of possibility that it could be one of those artists !! Hudson River school was a style of art that was quite popular !! Let me pull up their artists tomorrow and see if it matches any !! Then we will go to California and check !! One thing I can say is that it was framed well so whoever owned it had a bit of money !!
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I looked up lists of Hudson River Artists for New York and California. There were some great artists but none with the last name Hunt.
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Can you get a good clear shot of that signature ?? I checked all american artists list by birthday back to 1800 and found nothing !! There is a possibility that the name is wrong,, Hurt instead of Hunt,,N rather than M ect !! Would save time if I could see it !!
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Have to agree with Mart that I don't believe you have Wlm Morris Hunt work there.
Reminds me of some pics of the Catskills....
I am spitting distance from you and have seen some works in this area over time that resemble this style. They were traditionally from the early to mid 1900's (gosh that makes it sound so old when I put it that way...).
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Thats my thoughts KC !! Not area , have never been there,, but time period !! Very good artist !! Still need close up of signature !! Nothing by that name on any American list !!
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I agree with both of you. WMH had a signature that always seems to start with W. M. Hunt. I will try to get a close up of signature
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Here you go.
It is deffently M Hunt.
What do yall think?
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Looks like M. Hunt to me!!
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As I am looking at the sig, there appears to be shadows on the right !! Might be part of the scene but can`t tell for sure !! Can just see the faintest images !! Can you take that side ??
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It does appear that way. It is darker right there, but when looked at with a magnifying glass it is apart of the back ground. The way I took it made it seem like part of the signature. If you look right above the first arch on the "M," there is a dark brown line or paint stroke. Those two marks are the same as that one. Sorry for the bad picture.
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I am still not sure about the name !! There is something we are not seeing or is missing about that name !! Or,, its just a hobby painter that was pretty good !! Why don`t you send some good pics to Christies appraisal service !! Its free and they might know who it is !! Just be sure and take a good, clear pic of that name and widen that image to take in more of the sides !! I don`t think those marks on the side are part of the scene !! It looks different than whats behind it !! In other words it was added later as most signatures are !!
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I am from the Hudson valley and have seen quite a few of the Hudson river school artists come through, could you please take a close up photo from where the canvas is attached to the stretcher?
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That was my first thought !! But couldn`t find the name anywhere in association with that group !! Even checked the ladies of Hudson River school !! But found nothing !! Went through the artists of 1800`s and 1900`s !!
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I enlarged the pic on the first page that shows the back !! It appears to be hand stretched and trimmed but attached with staples, so mid century is my thought !!
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I will try Christie's.
As far as the hand stretched staple comment. Hand stretched I agree but not staples. They are nails that are bent over at the end.
And the signature comment. If you look with a magnifying glass you can see the texture of paint brushes going through the signature. Nothing underneath.
Thank you so much for helping me I think it has come to getting an appraisal from Christie's and my local Pease-Cobb.
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Is that what that is,, nails not tacks ?? Looked like staples with them bent !! So headless finish nails ??
Can you take a pic of that edge,, it might help !!
I think you misunderstood what I was talking about on the signature !!
Let us know what they say please !! You are in Ft Worth,, There are several good museums in the DFW area !! Might also get help there !!
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Mart, several good museums that are helpful when it appears to be a prized item that is.
I kept looking at that area after the signature from the start and was wondering if there was a date smeared in there somewhere!
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I think there is something there !! Just can`t tell what !! Gosh this is hard to do just looking at pics !! Isn`t it KC ??
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Wish I could just pass it around. The mystery is killing me! I don't care if it is nothing just want to know. Ok maybe I do want it to be something. ;)
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Here are some more pictures that were asked for. Ya'll are making me want to take the protriat out so I can look at it more.
I emailed Christies to see.
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Those are pretty new style nails !! Still think mid century !! 1940 or 50 !!
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I am thinking you are right. As I look at the frame itself, it seems to have the older style but with some newer techniques. However that has nothing to do with the painting. The person who had this framed could have easily had it reframed in the 1940 to 1950 range. It is almost like you need two different appraisals.
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True the frame has nothing to do with the painting !! I am saying mid century because of the canvas itself and how it is mounted, not because of the outside frame !!
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Thank you Mart! Because of your constant feed back I have learned so much more about this painting in the last couple of days then years of not knowing where to even start. Your last comment sent me on a path of dating the frame. The nails used to mount the frame are wire nails. These nails were commonly used in the last 18th century until about the mid 19 th century when staples and wedges were used. It has a plaster gilding that is coated in what looks like a gold sheet. Which dates it in late 18th century but more so in the early 19th century. On one corner of the frame there is a piece of plaster broken off which shows bare wood. In the wood there is a square head nail, which dates it in the 18th century.
Please keep the info coming!
Oh the frame only has one marking. There are two "X"s carved on the back.
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That might be gold leaf which has been used for many years and is still used !! That frame is a nice one and is likely older than the painting although how much older is hard to say !!