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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: hemster922 on May 28, 2013, 10:05:54 AM
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Been banging my head against the wall with this piece for quite some time and I would once again appreciate any knowledge.
My Mother bought a neglected old 19th century mansion in Washingtonville, NY back in 1990 and converted it into a bed & breakfast.
Before they started the renovations I helped empty out the carriage house and found this in the drawer of an antique nightstand that was one of many things left behind.
It's so fragile I placed it in a box lined with foam and tucked it away ever since.
Only 11" x 7". The Frame is less than 1/2" thick. Nothing broken, but the frame is loose [wobbly], I'm assuming because a couple of the tiny nails holding it all together on the back have gone missing.
[which would explain why it was placed in the drawer rather than hanging.]
I have no idea, 'who', 'what', 'where', or 'when'. Cant find a signature. And I would LOVE to know something!
Is it a print? A painting? Approximate age? And how do I tell?
I looked into the label on the back. Oestreicher's Art shop. Leo Oestriecher had the largest 'print' collection back in the 30's apparently.
I have no appraisers of art in my vicinity.
I put it up on Ebay about a month ago [with a high reserve on purpose] had 33 people on the watch list and a zillion inquiries that I had no answers to.
One ebayer warned me of letting it go. Another flat out told me NOT to...
I showed it to a neighbor a month or so ago and he offered me $200.00 on the spot....
...hence, the banging head against wall. [,,and I can't afford to do that. makes me dizzy :)]
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P7270148_zps80337b70.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P7270148_zps80337b70.jpg.html)
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P7270146_zps1b1c4123.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P7270146_zps1b1c4123.jpg.html)
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P7270140_zpsf2f80713.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P7270140_zpsf2f80713.jpg.html)
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From what I can see in your posted images , the frame & its' elements would be from around mid-1930's to mid 1940's .
Perhaps the best thing to do would be to (very) gently remove the artwork from the frame , in order to fully inspect the item in question , for starters .
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If there is a glass over the front its either a watercolor or a print !! No glass would be on an oil painting !! It looks like a print but a few of those can be pricey !! I would carefully remove it from the frame and look on the border or the back !! Usually the name is there as well as the company the printmaker often with the year done !! Its one I have not seen before,,, hopefully is a rare one !! A watercolor would be done on a thicker heavier paper often with a texture and is easy to tell from the thin paper used for a print !!
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just be careful if you remove it from the frame...the last time Mart...and I ..told someone to do that...it ended up a disaster...as the person...made a pigs arse of it, and damaged...there less that valuable, MichaelAngelo...or was it a Davinci.....Mart might remember....
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Could be a hand coloured lithograph on card.
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Wow! Thanks so much for the input!
It not being an oil is about the ONLY thing I've known about this piece.
I actually think it could be a watercolor because someone suggested I remove it from the frame and take a peek at the edges of the board to see if there were any indication of a separation between the image & the board [suggesting a print?]
Or if there were color bleeds along the edge of the board [suggesting possible watercolor]
I never actually completely removed it from the frame [too scared to death!] The board itself is quite thin...I'll try to take a close pic.
Its so loose because of the missing nails in the back I can see the edges by just lifting it a bit.
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To me, it looks like somebody's attempt to paint in the style of Charles Haslewood Shannon.
http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/reproductions//179501-180000/179820/size1.jpg (http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/reproductions//179501-180000/179820/size1.jpg)
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Well if they have..they,ve given the guy an arse that some women would die for.... ;D...
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Do you have a frame shop near you ?? If so take it to them and let them help you with it !! Might cost $5. !! Our frame shops here would do it for nothing !!
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Someone I know suggested Howard Pyle.
I looked up his work. He has a piece called 'The Mermaid', and I noticed that in much of his work he accentuated the color red, randomly, like in the hair here in this picture.
I do have a framing shop pretty local Mart. Will look into having them take a look, thanks!
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can you decipher the writing in the boat...
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Someone I know suggested Howard Pyle.
I looked up his work. He has a piece called 'The Mermaid', and I noticed that in much of his work he accentuated the color red, randomly, like in the hair here in this picture.
I do have a framing shop pretty local Mart. Will look into having them take a look, thanks!
Good !! They will have the proper place and tools !! I use my dining table and thick towels and all my other little tools !! But I have don`t stuff like this so many times its second nature to me !!
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Bigwull I really cant make out those red markings on the boat. I originally thought that was a signature, but now I just have no clue.
And I will hopefully be taking it to a frame shop this weekend! Anxious to see what they say! Thanks mart!
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Be sure and let us know !! Saw those red marks too and had hoped it might be a sig. but couldn`t see well enough to tell !!
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(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P4180140_zpsf837f561.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P4180140_zpsf837f561.jpg.html)
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P4180136_zpse2df1ad3.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P4180136_zpse2df1ad3.jpg.html)
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w665/hemster922/P4180128_zpseb8720ef.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/hemster922/media/P4180128_zpseb8720ef.jpg.html)
I took a few better pictures of the back of the painting. Is that canvas material under what used to be paper?
And the third pic is about the clearest picture Ive been able to take, trying to make out the red markings on the boat.
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Perhaps it's an effect of the digital photo (artifacts) , but it sure looks rather clearly , to my eyes , to have writing present (in the 'top'/'first' image of the back of your item) in black ink @ it's top margin !
The material I'm seeing , as per your 'canvas' question , looks like watercolor paper stock ... it may be a 'board' stock gessoed canvas , though ...
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So. The framer I was hoping to see this weekend is on vacation. But there was a huge ad in the paper for these 'Estate buyers' looking to buy antiques.
"Buying anything old!" plus "Free appraisals"
And there was a list of items they claimed they were looking for - which I have at least one of EVERYTHING.
My house is overwhelmed with antiques! I thought I could sell many items, AND have this mermaid painting/print appraised.
2 guys finally show up, and I start in the room that I keep the crystal, china, books, marbles, etc...and he asks if I have any jewelry.
Didn't even look at anything! So I take them downstairs to my shop, where I keep all the furniture. The Empire sofa, balloon back chairs, Libry-Dine table, pictures, paintings, comics, etc., etc...the guy could care less!
So I break out the jewelry. He grabs my grandmothers gold earrings & my Grandfathers wedding band and offers me $100.00.
And I said "Wait." "You're not interested in anything else you see here?"
He says "no. Do you have any more jewelry?" [[[sounding very disappointed]]] and I said "If I'd have known that was all you were interested in I wouldn't have wasted either our time"
I then ask him if he can at least give me an appraisal on this Mermaid picture.
He takes it out of the box like it was worthless [I wanted to smack him], looked at it for 2 seconds and said it wasn't worth $30.00.
Thats it! Thats all he said.
Seriously??
What just happened here.
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"What just happened here"
Just another brush with the real world....
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;D ;D ;D
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"What just happened here"
Just another brush with the real world....
True, and whilst i never rated the picture in terms of value anyway, i'm surprised how easily people let " valuers " into their own homes.
Sound like a right couple of bandits
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I kind of agree with Ipcress !! Hope you told him (not too nicely) to get out of your house !! I would recommend never respond to an ad in the newspaper !! That is how many thieves operate !!
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Very true.
I'll never do that again
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Good !! There is no huge hurry so just wait on the framer to get back !!
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Never fall for those gypsy scam artists that set up in a motel for a few days, and run a full page ad. Their only goal is to try to hoodwink you into selling as cheap as possible by presenting themselves as "experts" in the field.
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I agree with Rauville. Also, unless they have some kind of Business I.D., I would definitely be careful. Especially since they were only interested in Jewelry (even after listing all that stuff). If they had a name of their business - google to check them out. They sounded suspicious. They probably didn't have any knowledge about the stuff and that is why the 2 second look and short answer. They sound like jerks. If your house gets broken into, remember who they are just incase. (Not that they will do that, but hey, you never know about people and them only being interested in the jewelry...sounded strange).
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I hear ya. And I have all their info including cell phone # they used to call and find my place.
They definitely set off bells & whistles with me