Kevin's Art Collection
copyright 2007-2020

    I like a lot of different styles of painting. I have had an active interest in art for the past few years, and my tastes are still evolving as I learn and live with my growing collection. I do not collect as an investment but for the fun of it and to feed my enjoyment for doing research and learning. Here are some of my favorites. By the way, I am NOT the wildlife artist of the same name.


California Artists   Illinois Artists  Indiana Artists  New York Artists   Ohio Artists

Pennsylvania Artists      Texas Artists     New England Artists    
Other Artists

UK Artists    Canadian Artists    South American Artists    Asian Artists  European Artists

Unknown Artists
    Unknown Artists 1    Unknown Artists 2    Unknown Artists 3

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Unknown Artists 2












k

unnamed, L. Kohn, 4" x 9", oil


    This is an ebay find. The seller claimed it was the work of Ludwig Kohn and that they had found two images of paintings with identical signatures in old auction catalogs. That may or may not be true, but I was fairly easily able to locate an example of a work by Ludwig Kohn on the Internet and the style and signature did not resemble the work of this artists. Ludwig Kohn seems to have signed with his full first name, not the initial "L". That being said I like this artist's work. I suspect he or she worked in Europe, possibly in France. I found another work by and L. Kohn that reminds me of this artist's style and the signatures are very similar, too.



k

unnamed, L. Kohn, 8" x 10", oil


    After a brief search, I was able to locate works by at least three artists who signed "L. Kohn". The styles and signatures of these artists were very distinctive and different from one another. The two works and signatures shown here were the most similar and are quite possibly the work of the same artist. The painting above, which I call "The Gazebo" was sold at auction in the U.S. and was described as French in origin. It was exquisitely framed in an ornate gilt frame.
    My painting is also very well framed, though the frame was "Made in Japan". This looks like 1950s or 1960s frame to me.


k


Label from my painting

    My painting may be a bit stained from cigarette smoke as evidenced by the brown in the sky. It is very well done and has a lot of depth for such a small work.



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Comparison of signatures














l

unnamed, Linh, 21" x 27", oil

    This was an ebay find. The seller read the signature as Tinh, but it looks like Linh, to me. The seller claimed this was among many pieces of art that came from the "Violante estate". The Violantes were reportedly artists, art collectors, and patrons of the arts and other artists. There was an August J. Violante 1906-2001 who was a San Francisco commercial artist who is mentioned in Hughes' California Artists and Davenport's Art Reference and Price Guide. I like the bright colors, motion, and subject of this piece. No great hopes of finding out more about this artist, as both Tinh and Linh are common names.


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f

unnamed, unknown, 10.75" x 8", watercolor


    I am not sure what to make of this one. I purchased it out of curiosity on ebay from a seller in California who had taken great pains to archivally mat, clean, and re-back it in it's original, well-made frame. I bought it during my British 19th century watercolor collecting period and was somewhat embarrassed (internally) by it in comparison to those amazing works, but have come to appreciate it for what it is. Whatever that is. LOL. Judging by the frame and style of the work it has a 1950s feel to me. The artist obviously put a great deal of effort into the painting and it feels like it is based on a real place to me. It is signed with either a complex monogram or a highly stylized signature. If anyone recognizes this artist's mark I would appreciate being educated about it.




f

Signature? Monogram?


    I have seen one other painting by the same artist, similarly signed. That one had an inscription verso that read "Oct 1967 Granada Spain". I was not able to get a very good image of the painting.


Oct 1967 Granada Spain


    The image provided was very small and partially cut off on one corner, so the image that resulted from my editing is slightly out of proportion. This appears to have been an accomplished and well traveled artist. My painting has a vaguely Spanish feel to it, too, but I had assumed it was a California scene, as the seller was located in California. Help!




mystery signature











u


"Chertsey Lock & Weir", unknown, 5" x 7", watercolor and ink, 1888

    A large number of these small watercolors were offered by a seller the UK in 2007. They came from the portfolio of an unknown artist. The artist was quite chatty in his or her inscriptions on the back of these paintings, apparently wanting to commemorate each occasion. This one says "Chertsey Lock & Weir" (in pencil) "from the boat moore to Chertsey bridge.Tues  Sep 11th .88" (in ink). Some of these small paintings were very well done and some a bit awkward. Likely the work of some Victorian gentleman or lady of leisure, not a serious artist.


u

"View on the Hey", unknown, 5" x 7", watercolor and ink 1888

    This one says on back in pencil "View on the Hey abt 4 mile up from Thames lock on the old river, through Bridge. St Gregory Hill in distance. Saty  Sep 15th/ 88.
    None of these small works were in any way signed. I don't expect to ever know any more about this artist than I do at the present.

   










s

"Seascape No. 5", Jos. H. Sooy Jr., 16" x 20", pastel


    Joseph H. Sooy Jr. was active as an artist in the early 1960s, as indicated by inscription on the back of this painting. He appears to have been a serious artist who exhibited his work, but has left no trace in CyberSpace or in print. I have found no other mention of this artist or of his work. I purchased this pastel on ebay from a seller in California. She told me that the painting came from Sacramento, CA. There are records of several men named Joseph Sooy going back to pre-Revolutionary times in New Jersey through the 1930 census. This artist may be from that family. There were only two men named Joseph Sooy in the 1930 census, though. One, named Joseph H. Sooy, was born in 1910 and living with his parents in Ocean City, New Jersey, a good candidate to Jos. H. Sr. No Joseph H. Sooy is listed in the Social Security Death Index, so this artist may still be among the living.



s


Label, verso

    What appears to be a gallery label is affixed to the backing of the painting with scotch tape. A fairly high number is assigned for the catalog number, so my guess would be that this label was from a gallery or some institution that was cataloging works shown over a specific period of time or in a very large show.



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Inscription on old backing


    Sooy had a very distinctive signature, so it should not be hard to identify more of his work if there is any out there. There appear to have been at least four more "Seascapes". Luckily, the old backing replete with all of the information it contained survived. Even so, this artist made my unknown artists page. Any information about Mr. Sooy would be appreciated.



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Signature on painting











o

unnamed, unknown, 4"x 5", unknown

    No idea what this is. It may just be some Import/Export piece of junk, but it has become one of my favorite things. The material appears to be stone or organic, and has the feel of coral. I am certain it is not resin. It has lots of imperfections as may be seen in the image of the back. It is also very nicely framed. It appears that it was fashioned from a block of whatever material it is by first grinding a flat surface, polishing it, and then inscribing the image shown. I paid $2 or $3 for this at Goodwill, and that may be it's cash value, but I think it is fun. There is what may be a maker's mark in the lower right corner. Any information about this piece would be appreciated.


o

Back of piece











Koppelmann painting

unnamed, ? Koppelmann, 8" x 10", oil

    This painting came from a now defunct wholesale art company, Personal Preference Inc., that claimed to sell about 250,000 pieces of quality art a year in the U.S. to institutions like hotels. This company operated from the late 1970s for thirty years. Their supplier, Just Better Art, is supposedly taking over their business but their web site is very much under construction. I dropped them an email in hopes that they may have information on this artist since the piece has a serial number, but received no response. It is a pleasant little oil painting, did not cost much, and is providing me a research opportunity. I like the colors, though it is a bit pink.




k


Label verso


    Above is the label that is on the back of this painting. Though small, it is an oil on canvas. The frame is "Made in Mexico", common in the 1970s and maybe 1980s. The most prominent artists of this name, minus one of the trailing "n's" are Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman. This does not bear any resemblance to their work, though. No idea what the cryptic inscriptions in ink mean. An Internet search turned up nothing.


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Signature











w

unnamed, Huskej Wojcicki (?), 10" x 8", oil

    Here is another painting from the inventory of Personal Preference Inc. I paid $5 or $10 for this at a used furniture store. I bought it as part of my research into this company, but like like the painting's colors and textures, too.


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    The label from the back of the painting has some pretty clear notations and I think may have the artist's name, though I am not certain. No idea what "Thorson 230" means, though. This one also has a frame that was made in Mexico, so probably from the 1970s or 1980s. Any help on these two is appreciated.


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j

unnamed, unknown, 20" x 24", oil on canvas

    I purchased this one on ebay for a small amount. The seller could not read the signature, but it looks like it may be a nice painting. The proportions may be a bit off, but the subject is pretty classic and has the added attraction of a small dog near the two men. The seller's image was very poor and he could not make out the signature and his image of it is no help. I have massaged it with the Gimp, but could not make it out either. I have not received this painting, yet, and hope it won't be a disappointment. I'll get better images when it arrives.



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s



unnamed, W. A. Still (?), 10" x 16", oil, 1961

    I have no information about this artist. This painting was purchased on ebay from a seller in Pipersville, PA. The seller read the signature as "W. H. Still". I read it as W. A. Still from the signature on the front of the painting. The seller's image was very blurry, but I took a chance and put a small bid on it and won the auction. It came framed in a surprisingly well made, and probably expensive, sculpted frame. It is painted on masonite, but had a heavy paperboard backing, close to what is now called "chip board". I have never seen an oil painting backed in this manner, but it gave the artist a place to put the inscription shown below.


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Notation, verso


    The artist wrote and signed, "The days grow shorter.      Soon each graceful swan will flex his pinions southward.......and be gone". I think the artist was proud of this painting. The artist did a pretty good job of showing a flock of swans taking off from a partially mist shrouded wetland marsh. I was a bit surprised at the quality of this painting as the seller did not comment on that or on the frame, both good selling points. The seller sold several other swam themed items at the same time as this painting was sold, probably from the estate of someone with a swan fetish. The signature verso looks much less like "Still" to me, and more like "Actill", but is probably stylized.  I bought this one on impulse for very little money as a research opportunity.



d


    This painting is very dirty as can be seen by the part of the painting protected by the frame. In an attempt to bring out the detail and true colors of this painting, I photographed it in bright evening sunlight, with mixed results. I think a little more detail is visible, but the colors look a bit washed out.
    Any help in identifying this artist would be appreciated!




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t

unnamed, N. Thomas, 24" x 36", oil on canvas


    No idea who this artist is/was. I found this in a central Illinois thrift shop for $7.99. I really did not have room to hang it but it is such an attractive painting, I was worried at what it's fate would have been had I not purchased it. It had been on the floor of the shop for just a few minutes when I came in. This image really does not capture how colorful this painting is, and how vibrant the spots color are that are created by the nets hanging over the wall of the dock and sides of the ships. It also does not capture well the misty background that accompanies this cloudy day. Not great art, but very striking, anyway. It reminds me very much of the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound. It appears to be at least 20 or 30 years old, so is not a member of the flood of Chinese paintings of this size that are so common nowadays. Not sure that is American either, though. It is a bit better than the run of the mill 1960s and 1970s European and Mexican sofa art pieces, I think, but could well be of that ilk. I am undecided if the yellow/brown in the center sky is supposed to be sunlight behind the clouds or is the result of having hung in a smoker's home for many years. It does not smell like smoke... Any information on this artist would be appreciated.



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n

  unnamed, Neufeld, 16" x 20", oil

    This painting and an abstract painting by the same artist were offered on ebay as works by well known artist Woldemar Neufeld. I was very skeptical that this was his work as it is nothing like the style of the work of Neufeld that I have seen, though the signature does bear a resemblance to the last name in some that I have seen. Neufeld's works, usually prints, sell for hundreds of dollars into the low thousands so it seemed very unlikely that I would be able to pay $22.50 for one on ebay. I bid on it because I liked the colors and style and it was cheap. It is painted on period Grumbacher canvas board marked "Plyex". The abstract painting was done on stretched canvas.
    After the auction, I contacted the seller (cherrynow), just to see why he thought this was the work of Woldemar Neufeld. He replied that the remains of Neufeld's estate had gone to a local dealer in New Jersey. This seemed possible, as Woldemar's widow, Peggy Woldemar, died in Oct 2008  in New Milford, CT and I purchased this painting in February of 2009. Her husband died in 2002. Woldemar Neufeld was born in 1909, was married, and photos I have seen of him generally agree with the appearance of the subject, though no pictures show him with a mustache or glasses. The subject is about the right age, race, complexion, and wearing a wedding ring. Some things about it bothered me, though. For instance, if the artist was painting himself in a mirror, his wedding ring would have appeared to be on his right hand, and it is on the left hand of the subject in this painting. I contacted the seller again via email and asked for the name of the dealer he had purchased it from and the date of purchase. He became very defensive and said he could not share that information because "it will reveal my source". LOL, now I smell the skunk. I sent him another email and asked why it would matter if I know his source? His response was two words, "flea market" and in the next email he said that the seller at the flea market got the remains of Neufeld's estate. Not a real surprise that this was an obvious lie, but this guy has over 600 feedbacks and one negative in the past year. Why lie? Probably because he was knowingly lying in his ebay description by claiming this to be the work of Woldemar Neufeld as opposed to someone named Neufeld, to try to make more money. Classic. It took be about 20 minutes of searching on Google to determine that Woldemar Neufeld had a son, and to find his telephone number. Turns out he had already seen this painting on ebay and confirmed that it was not his father's work. He was also the executor of his father and mother's estates and told me that nothing from them had left the family. So, the ebay seller turned out not only to be dishonest, but lazy and inept, too, or he would have found out how easy it would be for someone to find this information. Another tidbit of information from Mr. Neufeld's son for those interested in the work of Woldemar Neufeld that is worth mentioning, is that his father ALWAYS signed his first and last name, NEVER just his last name on his work.
    Still fun and colorful and cheap! I am including the signature from the abstract painting as another sample of this artist's signature. There is a chance that they were actually done by an artist named Neufeld and that they were not meant to deceive. Any information about this artist would be appreciated.



n

unnamed, Neufeld, 16" x 20", oil


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n

unnamed, unknown, 22" x 28", oil

    I don't often buy unsigned paintings because it is usually very hard to find out anything about them and it thwarts my enjoyment in doing research. I am a sucker for winter paintings though, especially colorful ones, so here we are. This one was purchased by the previous owner at an estate sale in Hopewell, NJ in early 2009 and described as in the New Hope School style and guesstimated to be 1930s vintage. I tend to agree on the age, judging by the board it is painted on and the frame it is in. The board is canvas board that has a built in paper backing that is darkened and quite brittle. The scene could certainly be 1930s-1950s. It is a mixture of naive and fairly sophisticated painting, obviously done by a painter of some experience, though perhaps not formally trained. I don't have any hope that I will be able to find out more about it. Just planning to enjoy it on those hot, Midwestern July afternoons.













a

unnamed, unknown, 10" x 14", oil

    I don't know anything about these paintings. I am pretty certain they were painted in Southeast Asia. I rode in similar three wheeled bicycle taxis in Thailand and Vietnam. I suspect they could also be found in Cambodia and Laos. I purchased them from a lady who had inherited them from a relative and knew nothing about them. The oil seems to be painted on cloth that is laid on top of some sort of mesh. It is by a different artist than the one who did the watercolors.

a

unnamed, unknown, 10" x 11", watercolor


    This is a pretty classic scene from anywhere in Southeast Asia. I suppose it could also be the Philippines. These paintings are simple but very nicely done and colorful. I like that they depict scenes from everyday life. It reminds my of my time in Southeast Asia.


a

unnamed, unknown, 11" x 10", watercolor

    Again, nothing to show where these were painted. I see a couple of different styles of hats that were common in the Southeast Asian countries where I lived. All three paintings are signed, but I cannot read the signature and have not been able to get a decent photo of the signature on the oil. Any help on this one would be appreciated. Hard to say how old they are. I would guess pre-1970s and maybe older.


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h

unnamed, A. N. Hordberg, 20" x 14", oil


    A. N. Hordberg (or N. A. Hordberg!) was an artist who painted marine scenes using oils in the mid 20th century. The Hordberg name is exceedingly rare in the US. have seen two other examples of this artist's work, a 2 foot by 3 foot painting of a ship, which sold at auction in Massachusetts for $690 in 2001 and an ocean scene that sold for $275 in California. The painting in my collection came from a dealer in Newark, Delaware. There was an Albert Hordberg working at a school in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1920, the only Hordberg appearing in any US census, aside from his wife and one child, though I have found references to a handful of other folks with that surname in more recent times, one, a Nancy Ann Hordberg who was referenced in the records of the US Senate in 1979. Yeah, I am grasping at straws on this one.

h

A. N. Hordberg painting of a brig, 2' x 3', sold at auction in 2001

    The quality and complexity of this artist's work suggests they were a professional artist or very serious amateur. I do not have much hope of finding out more about this artist and welcome and help on this one! The artist has a very distinctive signature.


n

A. N. "Hordbery", 23" x 27" including frame, oil, sold at auction in 2007


    I included the frame in the image of this painting to show how grandly this artist's work has been treated in the few examples that I have seen. The auction description of this work described it as "European" and I was inclined to agree until I saw that my painting had be done on an American manufactured canvas board. The artist signed all three of these paintings in the lower left corner.


h

A. N. Hordberg signature from my painting














t

unnamed, Tillett, 11.75" x 13", pastel

    This artist is not yet identified. The work is signed Tillett. It was framed by a shop in Providence, RI. I thought this was really well done. It also came professionally framed in a very nice wooden frame. There was an artist and gallery owner in St. Thomas named Jim Tillett who passed away around 2000 who may be the creator of this work.















g

unnamed, C. V. Gallup, 8.5"x 12.5", watercolor

    The identity of C. V. Gallup is a mystery, so far. This watercolor seems to date from the first half of the 20th century, possibly the 1920s or 1930s, or earlier. It is a very pleasant little painting and reminds me of Monet's work a bit. It was purchased from a dealer in New Jersey and I suspect that the artist was from New England.
    There was a Clara Virginia Gallup in the 1900-1920 federal census records of New York City. She was born on 31 January of 1848. She married George Burr Floyd in 1868, but he was deceased in 1870 when she and her infant daughter, Julie Lilias, were living with her parents, Kenney and Clara Cole Couillard, in Westfield, New Jersey. Her father was a well to do merchant as early as 1860, probably dealing in liquor. Her father was deceased by 1870 when she was living her mother and siblings in Manhattan. The Couillards had servants in census records from 1860-1880. Clara's brother, Charles K. Couillard, worked as a stock broker for many years. According the to New York Social Register Clara married Charles Henry Van Eversdyk Gallup on 24 November 1891 in New York City. His occupation was listed as "Secretary" in the 1900 census. A history of his family notes that he was engaged in the crockery and railroad businesses in Boston before moving to New York where he was also engaged in business.
    Her second husband died between 1900 and 1910 and she seemed to live genteel widowhood afterward, living in hotels in 1910 and 1920 and apparently traveling to Europe in 1913 and 1923. That she is the artist is a complete guess on my part, though a near neighbor of her's in 1920 was employed as a commercial artist. Though Gallup is a more common name than one might think, this is the only candidate I found for C. V. Gallup between 1880 and 1930. 
    Any information on this artist would be appreciated.

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p

unnamed, C. S. J. Prince, 6.75" x 9.5", watercolor, '55 (1955)

    Here is a nice mystery. I like the muted colors and quaintness of the scene. I was not sure where the scene in this painting was located, I guessed India or Southeast Asia. I was contacted by the owner of another painting by this artist and he sent me an image that seems to be of an Indian market scene, so I guess I'll go with India on this one. The other painting was not dated, or rather it appears that the date was partly trimmed off, but the signature was much more clear than the signature on my painting which is obscured by the darkness of the surrounding watercolors. I think I can make out enough of the date to guess that it was painted in the 1940s. This artist is not mentioned in any art reference book that I have searched. I suspect that this is artist was a talented amateur who possibly lived in India in the 1940s and 1950s. Any information on this artist very welcome.

    An update on this artist: I was contacted by a lady from the UK who has a much more clearly signed painting, which also includes the following notation verso:

CSJ Prince (signature)
c/o Rev. Z. S. Jeeraneson
United Theological College
17 Millers Road
Bangalore. I

    So, it appears that this artist did spend time in India. The scene in the painting bearing this inscription is also an Indian village scene, though in a somewhat looser style than the other two paintings. I did a Google search on the name Jeeraneson and came up completely empty, though the owner of this painting is positive that, that is the name. It is possible that the artist was somehow affiliated with this college, or perhaps just a personal friend of Mr. Jeeraneson.




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m

Cernay-la-ville, L. B. Mathews, 10" x 12", August 1891

    The Maine art dealer that I bought this painting from was selling it as a French painting, but I think it is probably by an English artist of a scene in France. The seller also interpreted the signature as Y. B. Mathews, but I think it may actually be L. B. Mathews and possibly by Mrs. Lydia B. Mathews who was active about this time. This church is much painted and photographed but typically not from this odd angle which is why I like it. The frame and glass also appear to be original and are very nice, too. The painting is thoroughly glued to a card so we will never know if there are any clues on the back of the painting. Until I can find some justification for putting it in the "British Artists" section, I will leave it here. Opinions on the signature and origins are welcome!


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p

unnamed, Leo(?) Gaind(?), 12.75" x 9.75", watercolor

    I have not been able to identify the artist of this whimsical Peruvian scene, yet. At least my guess is Peru. I wonder if similar scenes might not be found in other parts of what once was the Inca empire in Ecuador and Bolivia? I did find a few images of similarly dressed women in street scenes of Cuzco, Peru using Google Images. There were also similarly constructed balconies in some of these images. The buildings in this painting certainly give the impression that they are built on the ruins of Inca foundations. I am including and image of the signature below. Probably for the tourist trade. I like the whimsy, color, and artist's use of shadow and blowing snow in this painting. Nicely done scene of a cold, breezy winter morning in the narrow city streets of a South American city. I'd appreciate an help in identifying this artist.


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p

unnamed, T. Piasetzky, 10" x 13", watercolor/gouache

    I have been able to find out nothing about T. Piasetzky. This painting came from a shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It looks like it is maybe from the 1930s or 1940s. I bought it because I like a challenge and it is a winter picture, but this one has me stumped. While maybe not great art, it seems obvious that this artist was talented and also had probably been painting for some time when this painting was done. I am guessing that this artist may have been a logger or someone connected with that trade who filled their down time with painting. This seems to be a fairly classic scene. I have found other, similar paintings by different artists, down to the different colored horses. Any information on T. Piasetzky would be most appreciated.











a

unnamed, F. d(under frame), 3.5" x 3.5", watercolor

    I found this little gem at a junk shop a few blocks from my home. This store had a real mix of treasure and trash. I think it was operated by some organization composed primarily of WWII aged folks, as the volunteers there were that age and many of the items date from that period as well. I found several pieces of nice factory art glass there dating from the '40s - 60's, just the kind of stuff that would have been in the better stores during that time and then sold as the owner's estates were liquidated. I suspect this small painting may have been brought back from Amsterdam by a WWII soldier. The shop is gone now, so too late to find out for sure. I'd have to call this one of the treasures that the store carried. It is signed, but the signature is mostly under the frame and it is so beautifully framed and backed that I don't want to take this one apart. I call this one "Amsterdam Girl" as the label on the back has the name and address of a store named Kunsthandel Koch located in that city. This gorgeous little painting is so small that I could not get decent images of it with my camera. The colors are brighter and the image crisper than I was able to capture. I was contacted in 2009 by a gentleman living in Europe who had seen this painting in Europe in the 1930s, but could not remember where. He was even able to describe the frame that it is in. We corresponded for a time, while he was trying to remember where he had seen it, and then I heard no more from him. A small mystery.


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"The Yellow Sail", Rachel Grainger-Hunt, 9.5" x 12" , oil on board

    Rachel Grainger-Hunt was supposedly a mid to late 20th century painter in oils who painted in several different styles from realism to abstract. Originally I was told by the seller of these paintings that her personal effects consisting of several chests were purchased by an art dealer from an estate liquidator in Cork, Ireland though she may or may not have been Irish. The estate liquidator did not attempt to preserve or discover any information about Ms. Grainger-Hunt. Included in her effects were personal items besides her paintings which indicated that she had lived for some time in South America. The titles of some of her paintings also indicated that she spent time in various parts of Europe. Included in her artwork were a dozen or so large canvases that were signed with her full name, last name hyphenated. She signed most of her work with her initials "RGH". There is some inference that she may have been married to an artist named Terry or Gerry Hunt, though this is not certain and there is no information available about Mr. Hunt.



g

"Church and Hayfield, Sussex", 11" x 15", oil on board


    Later the seller of these paintings said he had discovered that Ms. Grainger-Hunt was still living and painting. The seller started offering new paintings by her and hyping her work as a hot commodity, though the paintings generally sell for small amounts. The seller now refuses to give any more information about Ms. Grainger-Hunt's background or whereabouts. This may be a scam but many of the paintings are attractive and cheap so no great loss if this is a scam, though buyer beware!

   

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"After Church, Hull", 10" x 12.5", oil on board     


    As some of these paintings are very well done, it has also occurred to me that they may be the experimental or practice works of a well known or professional artist who does not want to sign their real name to them. A mystery.














M. Matsu

unnamed, M. Matsu, 9.5" x 13", watercolor



    M. Matsu was a pre-WWII Japanese artist. His work is of very high quality and he seems to have been prolific. Unfortunately, very little information is available about Japanese artists from this period, and M. Matsu is no exception. These paintings are signed in block English characters. They are much more detailed than my camera was able to capture. For instance, the straps on the pack of the figure in the bottom painting are clearly visible going  over his shoulders.





M.
                    Matsu

unnamed, M. Matsu, 9.5" x 13", watercolor


    The first image is of the Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima. These are very nice. Here is a good site to find out more about Japanese watercolors and woodblock prints.





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unnamed, S. Nimi, 9.5" x 13.25", watercolor

  

   S. Nimi was another pre-WWII Japanese artist and he is as mysterious as Mr. Matsu. I actually found this one in a little antique mall about 6 or 8 blocks from my house for $10. The label and mounting tape are from an art shop that has probably not existed for 50 or 60 years. Note that the name and address of the art store are different on the label that was on the back of the painting and on the tape that was used to mount the painting to the mat. Springfield is about 60 miles from the town where I live. I suspect that this painting has an interesting history. It appears to have been matted at least twice, and perhaps three times judging by the mat burns. The frame may be original as it is bamboo and very old, though still sound. I matted it to show the history of the painting, though I guess someone in the future may decide to hide it. Either way it is nice painting. Not bad for ten bucks.



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"Place du Tertre, Paris" , Séguié, 9" x 11.5", watercolor


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unnamed, Séguié, 9" x 11.5", watercolor


    These little French watercolors are a mystery but I like them very much. I read the artist's name as Signie but have been informed by kind reviewer of my web site that it is more likely Séguié. Armed with this new information I have now found half a dozen other examples of this artist's work, all Paris scenes. Also courtesy of my kindly reviewer the first image has been identified as  Place du Tertre, Paris and the second as perhaps a street leading up to this place. These paintings are rich in detail, but in a very loose way that I find restful. The muted colors enhance that feeling for me. I also like the 1930s feel to them, though my guess is that they were painted later, maybe in the 1950s which was also an estimate by a seller of another of Séguié's works. The frames that they came in certainly scream 1950s, though who knows if they are original to the paintings? Possibly these were done for the post-WWII tourist trade as I have found examples in the UK, USA, and Canada. At any rate, these are some of my favorite 20th century paintings from my collection. I would love to find out something about the artist. This artist is not listed anywhere. I did find a blog reference to the artist from another searcher like myself using Google, but they were as lost as I am on this one. That posting was to a UK blog. Please drop me a line if you know who this artist is.



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unnamed, G. Deschamps, 5" x 5", oil on board

    This was one of a pair of small paintings offered on ebay. I guessed that the signature was "T. Deschamps". The paintings were in similar frames. I was contacted by someone who is familiar with the place pictured in my painting and they told me it was the Tour Solidor in Saint-Servan, a suburb of Saint-Malo, Brittany, France.



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Signature from my painting


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My painting, framed




  Deschamps pair, No. 2

Mate to my painting


    Luckily, I was able to find two other paintings that lead me to believe that this is the work of G. Deschamps, a French painter. Both of the other paintings are very similar in style and subject to the two paintings above. The first of these paintings bears a signature that is very similar to the one on my painting and its mate. Luckily, this painting has a label with the artist's name and address, and title of the painting.


Gabriel Deschamps
                        painting #3    Deschamps #3 framed    Deschamps#3 label

Deschamps painting three, framed and label

    This painting appears to be very similar in style, and the frame also has similarities to the first two paintings. The signature on the label, verso, appears to be G. Deschamps, and address "1 Place Porte de Chatillon, Paris". The signature on the front of the painting also appears to be very similar to the signatures on the first two paintings. Note the title, St Servan y Mer, Tour Solidor, the same location as my painting.


Deschamps #4    Deschamps #4 label    Deschamps
                      #4 signature

G. Deschamps painting #4 framed painting, label and signature


    Painting number four is similar in style and subject matter to the first three paintings, had a label with the same name and address as painting number three, but a signature that is very different from all of the others. It may be that the artist's signature changed, or that related artists were working from the same address, working in the same style. Painting four is clearly signed "G. Deschamps". The address is a big clue to the identity of this artist, but unfortunately I do not have the resources to determine which artist named Deschamps lived there.


















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unnamed, Brauer, 13.5" x10.5", gouache, dated 1935


    Brauer was supposedly a German artist who was active 1920-1940, a friend and peer of fellow artist Willibald Hamburger. Hamburger painted in the German symbolit style. So far, I have been unable to find out much about either man.








    Here are some artists whose work I really like but have not yet added to my collection:

    Michael McKee      Michael does beautiful work with pastels.

        

Some Helpful Links
  • On line appraisal service from John Sewell well known Canadian expert on fine art and antiques. This is a very reasonably priced on line service from a well respected expert. Fill out an on line form and send images of your art objects. No need to send your art objects through the mails. I am a satisfied customer! Highly recommended!
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