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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: suckerfish on November 07, 2011, 06:13:06 AM

Title: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 07, 2011, 06:13:06 AM
Hi all, I have a painting signed as Eugine (from what i can make out) which im told is painted by a well known artist. Can anyone provide any information on who this artist is? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Attached is the signature.

Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 07, 2011, 08:26:52 AM
Can we see the whole thing please ?? Need to know the artist`s style as well !!  Rarely does an artist sign with only a first name except hobby painters !!  Also need your location or at least what state and where you purchased the painting as well as its size and if its on canvas, canvasboard, or panel !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 08, 2011, 12:44:16 AM
Thanks for the quick response. I was told from the person we inherited it from that it was insured (although they no longer had the valuation cert ) so im pretty sure it isnt from a hobbyist (also do not know if this is a first or last name). I think it has Austrian/czech origins (or around this area). Its a beautiful oil on panel painting and from i do know , it depicts a boy with a fortune teller box from which the bird retrieves the fortune.

The dimensions are approx. 41cm  x 55cm (including frame)

Below are the photos as requested ..




Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 08, 2011, 03:57:07 AM
Well,, that helps !! Its done on a masonite panel rather than wood so we know it was done 1900`s or after !! And you did say Austrian/Czech origins so I am assuming thats where you live !! Let me look a bit !!  One note,,,if it is supposedly insured,,check the insurance company for a replacement certification !! That would have all the info on the artist !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 08, 2011, 05:53:27 AM
Awesome , thanks mate. Im actually in Australia but i seem to recall being told that it was originally from Europe.
Might be a bit difficult tracking down the original insurance ... Anything you can find out hpwever would be very helpful. cheers
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 08, 2011, 12:31:41 PM
Ok !!  I am hitting a dead end here !! I have checked Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and even tried European artists but the ones with that first or last name were an entirely different style and there were only two or three of them !! I checked contemporary artists and modernist that might have signed like that but,,,none found !! I even checked South Africa, Jamaica and a few other places !! Whoever he is he is not a listed artist,, or at least not one that I have found !! Can you possibly get more info ?? Get the whole story behind how the painting came to be in your family ???  Anything might help !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: snowflake on November 08, 2011, 04:11:23 PM
I have come up empty on this as well. Sorry.
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 08, 2011, 07:51:38 PM
You know,, technically speaking this is a really good piece of work !!  I would agree that he is probably a known artist !! But trying to track him down has been a goose egg !! Zero !!  I would suggest taking it to a really good gallery and ask if they know anything about the artist !! Or take a good sharp pic and send it to Christies for an online evaluation !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 09, 2011, 04:47:25 AM
Thank you very much guys for your efforts. Im now even more curious about the piece ! I will defnitely continue searching and maybe try your suggestion. Ill let you guys know if i come up with anything .
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: wendy177 on November 13, 2011, 06:37:23 PM
I have a book called Black collectibles by P.J.Gibbs and found an artist named Eugene E. White who did  do paintings of African American people, the signatures match (impossible for  me to photograph from the book) My book has a  copyright of 1987 and states that the artist was still residing in the California area. May be worth looking into  :)  good luck & keep us posted
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 13, 2011, 07:27:33 PM
Wendy, this poster lives in Australia, and supposedly this painting was from Germany/Czech/ Austria or that area !!  Wonder if any of his relatives visited the States ??
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: wendy177 on November 13, 2011, 07:31:14 PM
Possible mart  the subject  in the painting does appear to be African American to me that is why I pulled that book & the signatures do match.  more than that I have not a clue :)
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 13, 2011, 07:40:42 PM
I thought it looked aboriginal and may have been an Aussie artist but,, dead end there !!  Hopefully yours will turn out to be the right one !! I  have looked everywhere else and found nada !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 15, 2011, 02:31:15 AM
Wow Wendy good find ! :) . I think we might be getting somewhere..
It was passed down by my fiance's grandparents - who are very very well travelled so America is a real possibility.
Ill check this lead out!

thanks
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 15, 2011, 03:57:48 AM
Hopefully Wendy`s lead will be the artist of your painting !!  That information would have helped our search efforts !! I know that most people do not think about these little snippets of information, but when looking for any item especially art,, we need all the details !!  Please let us know what you find out about the California artist !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 07, 2012, 05:27:13 AM
Hi All,

I realize this thread was started awhile ago , but anyway , i was very curious about the previous posts and bought the book referred by Wendy.
It seems that the signature is in fact quite different to the one on my painting.  Two main differences:
1. The example in the book is signed using the full name - i.e. Eugene E White, whereas my painting is simply signed as "Eugine"
2. My painting looks like Eugine NOT Eugene (with an 'e')

Just thought id throw this back to everyone to see if anyone had any other ideas? Im very keen to find out some info on this artist and would greatly appreciate any input.

Attached is the example from the "Black Collectibles" book which i don't believe to be the same .
I have also attached part of the backing of the painting which displays what looks be maybe a date ?  "L 7\15\6"
Other photos are in the original post.

Thanks


Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 07, 2012, 09:53:31 AM
Did we ever ask how big this painting is ??  If not,, please tell us !!
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 08, 2012, 10:56:19 PM
Hi Mart, good to see you're still around :)

The dimensions are approx. 41cm  x 55cm (including frame).. About 35cm x 51cm excluding.
I have also recently sent the information to Christies to see if they can provide on one their free online valuations.

Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: mart on November 09, 2012, 09:20:39 AM
Can`t be a date !!  Masonite wasn`t invented till 1924 and not in common use till 30`s or 40`s !!  Wouldn`t be used for artwork in early days since the surface was sealed with linseed oil and paint wouldn`t stick well !!
 I am still hitting a blank on the artist !!  He just doesn`t exist in the artworld that I can find !! I checked several more ways to see if anything came up but no luck !!
In looking again,, did you ever post a pic of that artist`s signature ??  That style reminds me a lot of the early modernist movement of the 60`s !!
It was not gallery framed but rather was done by someone not too experienced in framing !!  Those nails would never be used by a gallery and the frame itself is too large for that size artwork !!  Now we get back to hobby painter !!  Could they have been mistaken about having it insured ??   Would they have been talking about a different painting ??
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: ghopper1924 on November 10, 2012, 05:12:22 AM
The painting looks to me like a personalized take on American regionalist artist Thomas Hart Benton, ca. early to mid 20th century.
Title: Re: Information on this artist
Post by: suckerfish on November 11, 2012, 02:24:19 AM
Thank you very much for your input guys, ill keeping following up some leads and be sure to let you know if i find an answer!
appreciate the help. I actually have another painting im trying to discover the origins of also , but ill start another thread for that.