Help Identifying Artist

[Christopher]

All the best.

[cogar]

Jbartlett, what I suggest you might do is a Google search for Historical Societies in the North East for those who are willing to answer questions and E-mail them a picture of your painting. Oftentimes, antiques are only valuable to small select groups such as local Historical Societies.

Your painting might be great and wonderful but if the artist isn't well known or doesn't have "broad appeal" those large auction houses won't touch it.

Other paintings are valuable because of the subject or location, reguardless of who the artist was. For example, go to Google "Images" and search on "paintings Trenton Falls", Catskills or Hudson River Valley.

One never knows, the more queries you send out, the luckier you might get.

And here is one you can start with, to wit:
 
http://www.chs.org/feedback.htm

.

[dontbe]

Sorry Cogar.. looks like we have a jokester on our hands. He changed the post. (I removed the link he left.)
regards, Ed

[KC]

Thanks for the awesome monitoring dontbe!

Good info cogar...don't want jbartlett to lose hope over an auction house!  Can keep hoping for a fulfilling $$ value...and in the end....irregardless of the first.....a rewarding sentimental value!

[jbartlet]

Thanks for all of the feedback. 

#1 - the framing cost was a rumor - i don't doubt it and I didn't pay any of it so I don't really care but I agree they probably got ripped.

#2 - someone from Bonham's did call me back, but they wanted to see the painting in person since they "frequently travel to my area" but it's in my relative's house across the state and they're not that interested in having a stranger in their house... so it goes.  I'm trying to get new pictures (close-ups of the person, cows, house, etc) to maybe have a trained eye identify something.  I'm at a bit of a standstill now though.

#3 - the idea about the traveling artist in some mansion along the coast is an excellent thought and probably true.  realistically it could be from anywhere between NYC and Boston and at some point settled half way with someone who didn't have a big enough room for the thing.  Though, the first person from Bonham's thought it was most likely British and that if it were American it would be an exceptional find.  So I'm still hopeful.

#4 - I did a brief try with historical societies, and a small museum but I should try them more seriously. 

#5 - and back to the monogram - I agree with the D/G combo.  there are just so many options.  and the longer this goes the more i think that it must be a really obscure artist.

[D&b antiques]

I think it's american. a close up of the tree's. the child and the dog setting in the shade tree etc can all be clue's to identify the picture. the lower symbol has the appearence of a masonry symbol.

[ironlord1963]

Good catch DB, that sure looks like a mason symbol to me also.

[jbartlet]

Someone else (another place) offered the masonic symbol thought also.  I thought it was just how the artist did the E in the monogram.  Is there a source for research masonic-related artists?  If it is masonic does that point to being American or British any better?

[regularjoe2]

I should have suggested you try : artistssignatures.c om to attempt to I.D. your "unknown" artist
much earlier than today .

There's a large database of monograms , signatures & so on ( free to search , but specific info costs $ there ) .

[jbartlet]

Thanks for that site!  I have done a lot of googling and come across that guys name for his books but somehow didn't ever see that site.

I browsed through pretty thoroughly and didn't see anything though. 

I'm beginning to give up hope.

[regularjoe2]

Sometimes it's dead-end after dead-end , when researching ...I'm sure you're experiencing this , jbartlet .

To me , the cool part of it is finding out where NOT to look .
It narrows the field down .

Have you considered showing up at a local Masonic Lodge ( with give-away print-outs of all of your data ) and asking for their help ?
There are also several Mason-art related websites that might be of assistance .
Masons/Lodges do often keep records of their members , living & dead ... perhaps they could help I.D.

I had one oil painting that I spent 3+ years researching , before I found out anything .
I've also had several that wound up as 'unknowns' , as well as a few real 'winners' .
I wound up learning alot about what I didn't know .


Maybe just giving yourself a break , instead of giving up hope , might be a way to go ?

[KC]

jbartlett....don't give up hope....the hunt is an adventure and like regularjoe2 said leads you to many places of where not to look (which come in handy for something else later in life) many that can be fun (like this site)!

Still a classy painting!

[jbartlet]

I spoke to some of the elder family members and the story is that the painting was in the attic of an old house in New London, CT that was being sold and we had the fortune of being able to see the art and buy it.  Apparently there were "a bunch of old big paintings" but we only got one. 

The $2000 're-framing' (what I was told before) was a cleaning and restoration.  The frame is original, just re-touched/gilded. 

...I wonder what the other paintings were like....  sigh....

[luxetveritas]

Hi Jbartlet, first, I'm sorry I won't be of much assistance (mainly because I don't know hardly anything about oil paintings), but I would agree with the posts concerning the masonic symbol. That's what I guessed at first as well. I do, however, know how you feel about giving up  And I also understand the annoyance of wondering what happened to the other paintings (My grandparents had hundreds of marble, Sotheby's quality French furniture pieces that were just taken from the house when they died by who knows whom).

Anyway, back to the important stuff I would guess that the paintings were done by the same artist, and I would think that they are indeed American, especially since there were so many. That's about the extent of my knowledge on this subject, but I wish you luck! And like others mentioned, just keep looking for the signature. When the internet fails, there are tons of good books out there. Try searching www.abebooks.com for books on American paintings and artists if you are getting more interested in your unusual painting. Sure is beautiful! And most of all, concerning value, I think the 2k restoration was worth it. I honestly do. It has preserved the piece is great condition I assume and it is a family treasure surely to be enjoyed for a long time, even if it has no monetary value.

[jbartlet]

I've started another thread about this on another site and have had some good discussion. 

http://forum.findartinfo.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5351