Antique oil painting of nun on wood panel , artist signature & age help?

[sapphire]

Possibly both artists copied from an earlier painting?? To me the subject appears to represent a much earlier era.

[mariok54]

Possibly both artists copied from an earlier painting?? To me the subject appears to represent a much earlier era.

It'll be nice to get a look clear look at that signature ....

[sapphire]

Reminiscent of Rembrandt's Old Woman Reading........

http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1220&bih=668&q=rembrandt+old+woman+reading&oq=rembrandt+old+wo&gs_l=img.1.0.0l2j0i24.1082.6551.0.8339.18.9.1.7.8.0.224.994.0j6j1.7.0....0...1ac.1.26.img..3.15.1034.WBOJaeMYpwI

[Ipcress]

Posting at the same time mario........anothe r artist, same name, I believe. I located a death record for Lucille A. Fenton  1912-2001. 

"Lucille A Fenton was born on September 18, 1912 and died on February 21, 2001 at the age of 88. This person last resided in Brewster, Massachusetts in Barnstable County."

That Lucile / Lucille Fenton painted landscapes / still lifes.


There is a possibility here. A long shot. The two people were painting the same sbject, say in art class or similar. Slightly different angles of the same woman. The sleeves are the same colour, just different light.

Don't think it's possible for two people to paint their own depiction of a masters work ( say Rembrandt ) and the finished paintings look as identical as they do.

I catalogued this a few years ago



and noticed it's similarity to this by Gabriel Metsu



Definitely an ' homage '.


Also the use of panel for the nun. Usually used by artists up to the mid 19th century, so this painting is slightly confusing ! A clearer image of the sig would help.

[Rauville]

Must have been a popular subject for a few painters:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-OIL-PAINTING-OF-ELDERLY-NUN-READING-BIBLE-SIGNED-TH-/161052481483?nma=true&si=Xk3hp13oWbLYkq1DCw%252BX6kR7sTQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[icedgold10]

The one on Ebay seems to be a bit different and on canvas.  It doesn't appear as old to me.  Not sure.  The new pictures I put in the Photobucket album show the signature clearer and the image too.

[Ipcress]

Images still aren't clear. Are you using a phone ?

Most cameras have a macro setting which helps focus at close distance

[icedgold10]

I just took this one .  It's a regular digital camera, I'm not great at photos.   It looks like it might say JB200  on the back it says  680    1 1/2 2697 roma

[icedgold10]

The more I look at it  looks like J.B. c00.  Not sure if that means anything?

[mart]

Looks like JBrag to me !! I am thinking this must have been someones artist workshop project !! As a rule artists just do not use initials only as a signature !! Students often do before they develop their own style !!  The Initials and the way its written just feel like student work !!

[icedgold10]

A BIG Thank you to all that have tried to help!  I'm still on my quest to find out more about this painting... 

[mart]

Well found sapphire, and it actually poses a few more questions. Why, if you are going to copy a painting, do you not faithfully follow the colour scheme (look at sleeves etc)? And who has done the original, and who the copy?

Also, Lucille Fenton's paintings never fetched very high prices ?

Students are encouraged to use their artistic license and to paint the picture as they see it !!  Not necessarily how it was originally done !! 10 different students will usually give you 10 different versions of the same painting !! Using older works as the subject is common !!  The intent was never to copy but to let the student get a feel for color and how it changed the feel of a painting !!  Even the slightest change in tone can affect the mood of a painting !!  Most used are those in the public domain !!

[mariok54]

Well found sapphire, and it actually poses a few more questions. Why, if you are going to copy a painting, do you not faithfully follow the colour scheme (look at sleeves etc)? And who has done the original, and who the copy?

Also, Lucille Fenton's paintings never fetched very high prices ?

Students are encouraged to use their artistic license and to paint the picture as they see it !!  Not necessarily how it was originally done !! 10 different students will usually give you 10 different versions of the same painting !! Using older works as the subject is common !!  The intent was never to copy but to let the student get a feel for color and how it changed the feel of a painting !!  Even the slightest change in tone can affect the mood of a painting !!  Most used are those in the public domain !!

Sound suggestion mart. What I still find confusing is that both Lucille Fentons seem to have been talented amateurs, even the one attributed to painting the nun that went to Auction. That one on ebay also seems to be a fairly amateurish attempt. So they seem to be copying a painting, but still a question of 'which one'?

[Ipcress]

Three different people painted almost identical depictions of an original we can't find ?

Unlikely.

[icedgold10]

Here is a Rembrant that looks like it could be an inspiration for the painting.