is it real or print?

[rink28]

hello i acquired this piece at an auction a few weeks back. this looks to be watercolor but not 100 percent sure. i tried to do some online research on the piece but could not find any information on it at all and could not find the exact piece either. the only thing i know is that the artist name is jean Leon Gerome Ferris and its 1895 as shown in one of the pictures. i got a magnifying glass out and looked closely at it and could not find any dots that would indicate this to be a print. i could only see the texture of the paper when i looked with a magnifying glass.it just has an old look to it and the frame appears to be old. any information would be great and would like to hear your opinions. thanks!

[mart]

Pretty sure it is a print !!  JLG Ferris did many historicals, some are in the Smithsonian !!  Not all were exactly accurate works !!  He sold reproduction rights to several publishers for some of his artwork !!

[rink28]

oh ok thanks for the feedback! so is there a possibility this could be one of his reproductions that he has sold to his publishers? when i look closely i dont see any signs that this could be a print when i look closely i dont see any dots at all just the texture of the paper. also could this be an old print? any value?

[mart]

Yes, as a nice print with appropriate frame it has value,,would have to find similar sales to know how much !!  I found one listing that sounded like this one !! It was called "The Afternoon Caller" !!  It was a free poster print given with the purchase of Cloverine Salve !!  This was a common practice in past days and helped some artists have an income as well as helping people have artwork for the home !! If possible you can take the print out of the frame to look more closely at it !! If the paper is thin then you can assume a print !! Could have publishers info on the border or on the back !! Watercolor paper is a thick paper that has a bit of texture on the surface !! It has to be sturdy because it usually is wet/dried several times to complete a painting !! If your paper is thin,, like poster papers today, with a smooth surface you can say its a print !!  Will try to find that painting to compare it !!

[rink28]

ok thanks for the feedback! i tried looking up "the afternoon caller" and couldnt find any images? would this be a rare print then? im kind of hesitant to take it out of the frame cause i have never done that before and afraid i might damage it. i have been trying to find the name of this piece for awhile and couldnt find anything at all. if you find it let me know if you could please! thank you for the information guys!

[rink28]

i found the webpage where it talks about the lady finding a rare poster dated 1895 and had the signature j.l.g ferris but unfortunately it doesnt show any images. i went to google and typed in "the afternoon caller" j.lg ferris and hit images but it didnt show the piece that i have. im just wondering why its so hard to find this exact one

[icedgold10]

Sometimes it's because of the popularity of the print at the time or it can be not as many of that print were actually made. 

[rink28]

oh ok thanks icegold! i guess ill try and continue my research i tried calling people at museums and art galleries and they couldnt even find the name of it or didnt have any information on it. if anyone comes across it let me know. thanks guys!

[mart]

That's the same one I found and I haven`t found an image to compare it either !!  But its the only one he painted that sounded similar to yours !!  Still looking !!

[rink28]

yeah i know what you mean mart! im still looking also! haha i also came across to where i saw on a webpage where it could be a picture of napolean and marie louise. check this out. read the first paragraph and the third. ignore the second paragraph. top left here is the link check it out. does it sound similar to what i have? https://books.google.com/books?id=q1IcAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=jlg+ferris+picture+of+a+couple+and+a+white+bench&source=bl&ots=qSZmtJmXME&sig=wT8QQ3rsqCXjAAowJsfvftCxEdE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBWoVChMIh9-wo-ufyAIVA5UNCh1K5Qoa#v=onepage&q=jlg%20ferris%20picture%20of%20a%20couple%20and%20a%20white%20bench&f=false

[rink28]

but in my piece i dont see the map and i dont see her with a flute? but it is in a park setting with a stone bench. i just found that odd

[ghopper1924]

Yes, as a nice print with appropriate frame it has value,,would have to find similar sales to know how much !!  I found one listing that sounded like this one !! It was called "The Afternoon Caller" !!  It was a free poster print given with the purchase of Cloverine Salve !!  This was a common practice in past days and helped some artists have an income as well as helping people have artwork for the home !! If possible you can take the print out of the frame to look more closely at it !! If the paper is thin then you can assume a print !! Could have publishers info on the border or on the back !! Watercolor paper is a thick paper that has a bit of texture on the surface !! It has to be sturdy because it usually is wet/dried several times to complete a painting !! If your paper is thin,, like poster papers today, with a smooth surface you can say its a print !!  Will try to find that painting to compare it !!

Mart summed it up nicely. Nice frame and nice print, but probably worth less than $100.00

[rink28]

the frame alone is almost worth 100 haha. if this was a common print then yeah i could see it be worth less than a 100. were having a hard time finding it. also it might not be a print i have to take it out of the frame to look more closely at it. when i look at it closely in the frame behind the glass i dont see any dots from machines that would indicate it being a print just the texture of the paper but again i have to look at it more closely out of the frame. also his prints are still worth money and there are some in the Smithsonian! if its not a common print then there is more value but since this one is hard to find and i already asked 2 other art galleries and they couldnt even find it. so im not sure really until i come across it on research if that happens. if its not showing up on google or any websites than it makes me think it more on the uncommon side

[rink28]

I'll try and search tomorrow if you find anything let me know! I appreciate the fed back I have so far. Thanks again

[mart]

Hate to burst anyones bubble here but Ghopper is probably about right as to value !!  Frames alone just do not bring that much !!  It would have to be a print by a well known artist who produced a small number of limited edition prints and/or a historically significant one to be worth very much !!  Another factor that affects value is "who wants one of them" ??  That is what you run into with many items !!  It may be the only one ever made but if no one else wants it,,its still worth only what you paid for it !!