Author Topic: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.  (Read 3310 times)

Wouwtert

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Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« on: January 07, 2012, 07:19:56 am »
I was wondering (especially after my succesfull last topic) if anyone could give me some information about the painting from attached pictures. I'm from Holland and bought this very cheap at 2nd hand sale.

Backside sais; Reeves & Sons, manifactures 113, cheapside London. Also; R. Johnson Nor(?) 1861

I'm looking forward to any reaction.

mart

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2012, 10:13:50 am »
Signature on front ???

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2012, 04:17:24 am »
Unfortunately doesn't have one...

Rauville

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2012, 08:57:13 am »
My only thought would be: Could the "Nor" possibly be an abbreviation for Norwich?

wendy177

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2012, 11:24:05 am »
I think the NOR is actually Nov. for November 1861

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2012, 11:25:46 am »
Sounds logical. Could be Nov indeed. Anyone any information about artist (R. Johnson?) and estimated value?

mart

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2012, 02:53:37 pm »
I have looked at all the lists that are relevant and only R. Johnson I found is a modern one !!  But will look more !!  You may need to take it out of the frame and look for a signature !!

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2012, 03:01:10 am »
I got it out of the frame and made new pictures. No signature found, only some chalk writing on the frame itself.

mart

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2012, 08:56:59 am »
Is this artwork done on canvas, wood panel or what ??

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2012, 09:45:38 am »
It's simply on Linen.

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2012, 01:49:10 am »
Any-one? Mart, any clue?

mart

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2012, 04:53:07 am »
I can tell you this,, the painting has been cut down and made smaller and remounted on a frame sometime in the 1900`s I think !!  Nails are fairly modern !!  But the stretcher looks like an old one !!  I am not sure R Johnson was the artist !!  Reeves and sons was a supplier of art materials and I believe they are still in operation !! The Cheapside address was bombed during WWII and the operation was moved !! 
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 11:47:19 am by mart »

fancypants

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2012, 08:28:15 pm »
I'll toss my 2 cents into the pot with my thinking that this was/is a portrait of the mentioned "R. Johnson" , as a young lad 1861 , as he appeared to the portrait artist .
Plenty of 'real' starving artists made their tuppence as portrait artists - in shops & parlors & on the streets in Europe , frequently unsigned .
Agree that the mat'l came from the 'shop' , as marked on the reverse of the linen .

Another slim possibility is that it was made by the above-mentioned anonymous artists , from an earlier photo of Master Johnson .

Does not look like it's been cut-down much to me , since my old eyes seem to see plain , unpainted gesso'ed linen nailed to the back of the stretcher-frame , but as mart mentions , it does seem to have been re-stretched .

" Methinks me the 'mental' in sentimental .... "

Wouwtert

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2012, 01:10:13 am »
Thanks for thinking with me. Last mention should be a possibility, didn't think about that yet...

I think I'm going to sell both paintings, any clue what price I can ask? Or is it an obvious 'what someone is willing to pay'?

mart

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Re: Information about Painting Reeves & Sons.
« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2012, 06:08:30 am »
Fancy,, reason I said it was cut down,, look at the edges of the canvas,,not even around the stretcher !!  Almost took off too much from the side to lap over the stretcher frame !! And if you look at the edge of the canvas it looks like it was cut with a pair of dull scissors !! Professional frame shop would have done better work, even in 1800`s !!  Might be a starving artist type painting but even so,, it would have been signed because that was their only advertisment !! Wouldn`t get other customers if no one knew who painted it !!
As far as value,, without knowing the artist,,it is whatever you can get !! I might take both paintings to an art historian first and see if they recognize the style/artist !!  Most museums should have one knowledgable person !!