Please help me identify/value our family painting

[njanigian]

Firstly, my name is nick and I am new to the forum.

Our family has had this painting for at least 100 years. It came over on the boat from Germany, so I assume it was painted in Germany. It is a reverse glass painting. Some parts of the painting have American (or just English text) newspaper, so I assume the painting was re framed, or modified in some way in the past years. No signatures are visible, but we have made no attempt to see if any more of the painting is behind the frame. Also, it hasn't been taken off of the mantle in a few decades, so we don't know much about whats behind it.

All we know is that great-great grandma was considering getting rid of it , and great-grandma picked it up and kept it (probably around 1930 or so)

Any information is appreciated.

[bigwull]

the scene is very Germanic....

[ghopper1924]

This type of painting was common in the late 19th century, so my guess is that the frame is original and the date would be somewhere around 1900. Are you sure that your ancestors couldn't have picked it up in England or in America after their arrival? That would explain the newspaper fragments.

[greenacres]

Very pretty.

[mart]

I agree with Ghopper on timeline !! But the back is the place to start looking !!  Its a simple little German scene much like many others and not quite what most consider fine art !!  Many times you can take the back cover off without disturbing the pic itself to see if anything is behind it !!  Can you take a pic of the back please so we can see the paper you mentioned ??

[njanigian]

We are pretty sure that it came over on the boat. Great grandma says it came over on the boat (she said this long before her old age/fading memory)

As for taking it down temporarily, I will ask when I get home if that is something they would consider.

Is this painting anything we should consider insuring?

[mart]

At best I would say its value would be $500. or less for insurance purposes !!  But that is just going by these pics !!  The family value is much more than that !! If I were you I would continue it in your family and pass it down to the next generation !!

[fancypants]

You might do a web search or two for castles/keeps along rivers/lakes in Germany , Austria & Barvaria , so as to discover if your little painting is of an actual (& surviving) location , njan .
If it is , further research may help to I.D. the artist & other info .

[bigwull]

You might do a web search or two for castles/keeps along rivers/lakes in Germany , Austria & Barvaria , so as to discover if your little painting is of an actual (& surviving) location , njan .
If it is , further research may help to I.D. the artist & other info .

there,s 150+ See,s..or lakes as you,ve called them in Bayern alone...thats like looking for the needle in the haystack......