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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: rink28 on September 29, 2015, 06:51:00 PM

Title: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 29, 2015, 06:51:00 PM
hello i acquired this piece at an auction a few weeks back. this looks to be watercolor but not 100 percent sure. i tried to do some online research on the piece but could not find any information on it at all and could not find the exact piece either. the only thing i know is that the artist name is jean Leon Gerome Ferris and its 1895 as shown in one of the pictures. i got a magnifying glass out and looked closely at it and could not find any dots that would indicate this to be a print. i could only see the texture of the paper when i looked with a magnifying glass.it just has an old look to it and the frame appears to be old. any information would be great and would like to hear your opinions. thanks!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on September 29, 2015, 08:10:08 PM
Pretty sure it is a print !!  JLG Ferris did many historicals, some are in the Smithsonian !!  Not all were exactly accurate works !!  He sold reproduction rights to several publishers for some of his artwork !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 29, 2015, 08:20:41 PM
oh ok thanks for the feedback! so is there a possibility this could be one of his reproductions that he has sold to his publishers? when i look closely i dont see any signs that this could be a print when i look closely i dont see any dots at all just the texture of the paper. also could this be an old print? any value?
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on September 30, 2015, 04:47:38 AM
Yes, as a nice print with appropriate frame it has value,,would have to find similar sales to know how much !!  I found one listing that sounded like this one !! It was called "The Afternoon Caller" !!  It was a free poster print given with the purchase of Cloverine Salve !!  This was a common practice in past days and helped some artists have an income as well as helping people have artwork for the home !! If possible you can take the print out of the frame to look more closely at it !! If the paper is thin then you can assume a print !! Could have publishers info on the border or on the back !! Watercolor paper is a thick paper that has a bit of texture on the surface !! It has to be sturdy because it usually is wet/dried several times to complete a painting !! If your paper is thin,, like poster papers today, with a smooth surface you can say its a print !!  Will try to find that painting to compare it !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 10:23:08 AM
ok thanks for the feedback! i tried looking up "the afternoon caller" and couldnt find any images? would this be a rare print then? im kind of hesitant to take it out of the frame cause i have never done that before and afraid i might damage it. i have been trying to find the name of this piece for awhile and couldnt find anything at all. if you find it let me know if you could please! thank you for the information guys!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 10:40:42 AM
i found the webpage where it talks about the lady finding a rare poster dated 1895 and had the signature j.l.g ferris but unfortunately it doesnt show any images. i went to google and typed in "the afternoon caller" j.lg ferris and hit images but it didnt show the piece that i have. im just wondering why its so hard to find this exact one
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: icedgold10 on September 30, 2015, 11:19:57 AM
Sometimes it's because of the popularity of the print at the time or it can be not as many of that print were actually made. 
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 11:51:59 AM
oh ok thanks icegold! i guess ill try and continue my research i tried calling people at museums and art galleries and they couldnt even find the name of it or didnt have any information on it. if anyone comes across it let me know. thanks guys!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on September 30, 2015, 04:17:40 PM
That's the same one I found and I haven`t found an image to compare it either !!  But its the only one he painted that sounded similar to yours !!  Still looking !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 04:49:34 PM
yeah i know what you mean mart! im still looking also! haha i also came across to where i saw on a webpage where it could be a picture of napolean and marie louise. check this out. read the first paragraph and the third. ignore the second paragraph. top left here is the link check it out. does it sound similar to what i have? https://books.google.com/books?id=q1IcAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=jlg+ferris+picture+of+a+couple+and+a+white+bench&source=bl&ots=qSZmtJmXME&sig=wT8QQ3rsqCXjAAowJsfvftCxEdE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBWoVChMIh9-wo-ufyAIVA5UNCh1K5Qoa#v=onepage&q=jlg%20ferris%20picture%20of%20a%20couple%20and%20a%20white%20bench&f=false
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 04:51:41 PM
but in my piece i dont see the map and i dont see her with a flute? but it is in a park setting with a stone bench. i just found that odd
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: ghopper1924 on September 30, 2015, 05:50:30 PM
Yes, as a nice print with appropriate frame it has value,,would have to find similar sales to know how much !!  I found one listing that sounded like this one !! It was called "The Afternoon Caller" !!  It was a free poster print given with the purchase of Cloverine Salve !!  This was a common practice in past days and helped some artists have an income as well as helping people have artwork for the home !! If possible you can take the print out of the frame to look more closely at it !! If the paper is thin then you can assume a print !! Could have publishers info on the border or on the back !! Watercolor paper is a thick paper that has a bit of texture on the surface !! It has to be sturdy because it usually is wet/dried several times to complete a painting !! If your paper is thin,, like poster papers today, with a smooth surface you can say its a print !!  Will try to find that painting to compare it !!

Mart summed it up nicely. Nice frame and nice print, but probably worth less than $100.00
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 06:08:35 PM
the frame alone is almost worth 100 haha. if this was a common print then yeah i could see it be worth less than a 100. were having a hard time finding it. also it might not be a print i have to take it out of the frame to look more closely at it. when i look at it closely in the frame behind the glass i dont see any dots from machines that would indicate it being a print just the texture of the paper but again i have to look at it more closely out of the frame. also his prints are still worth money and there are some in the Smithsonian! if its not a common print then there is more value but since this one is hard to find and i already asked 2 other art galleries and they couldnt even find it. so im not sure really until i come across it on research if that happens. if its not showing up on google or any websites than it makes me think it more on the uncommon side
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on September 30, 2015, 09:36:02 PM
I'll try and search tomorrow if you find anything let me know! I appreciate the fed back I have so far. Thanks again
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on October 01, 2015, 05:24:36 AM
Hate to burst anyones bubble here but Ghopper is probably about right as to value !!  Frames alone just do not bring that much !!  It would have to be a print by a well known artist who produced a small number of limited edition prints and/or a historically significant one to be worth very much !!  Another factor that affects value is "who wants one of them" ??  That is what you run into with many items !!  It may be the only one ever made but if no one else wants it,,its still worth only what you paid for it !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on October 01, 2015, 05:57:27 AM
http://www.tyronehistory.org/research/wilson-chemical-co-prints?limitstart=0

Here is the gallery of Cloverine Salve`s prints that were freebies !! Since I am on dial up it would take me forever to get through them !! If someone could go through this list to check and see if this print was one given with purchase !! You have to check every one in case "The Afternoon Caller" is not the correct title !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: ghopper1924 on October 01, 2015, 06:10:29 AM
I looked through them all but did not see it.
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on October 01, 2015, 07:12:34 AM
Just out of curiosity how can you tell it's a print by looking at it over the computer? I can see if it was in person. When I look at it through a magnifying glass there are no dots!! The paper looks to be correct. The paper is not smooth it looks rough and bumpy. I have seen watercolors online signed by him estimated value was around 800 to 1200 dollars. I know about the demand but since it's hard to find maybe it's a rarer watercolor. He did paint watercolors
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on October 01, 2015, 10:01:45 AM
You can not tell for sure but since I paint and have worked in watercolor (and hated it),, from what I can see it looks like a print !! There are many different types of prints,, not all have the telltale dots !!
I would suggest that you take it to a frame shop and let them remove it so you can look at it !!  They will know which one it is and you can check for publishers info and then put it back with the original nails ect. !! Likely the dust cover if there is one needs replacing anyway !!  Should cost about $10. !! It will not affect any possible value it may have !!
Another thing which you may not have thought about,, since Ferris sold reproduction rights on many works,,that would mean the purchaser could print them for as long as they wished !!  So even if the original work was painted in 1895,, the print could have been made last year for all we know !!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: rink28 on October 01, 2015, 10:43:03 AM
ok ill try that mart. ill go there today and they can look at it out of the frame. thats true its just tricky with watercolor paper cause like you said some dont show the dots. ill find out today for sure if its a print or not. thanks for the help though!
Title: Re: is it real or print?
Post by: mart on October 01, 2015, 01:54:06 PM
Be sure and let is know what they say !! Good Luck !!