Found an interesting painting says 1898! Cant figure our any other details

[talismanamerica]

In the painting I found initials, resembling S.J. or S.I. or G.I. or G. J. very hard to understand due to the age of the painting.

Its oil on canvas... in the back of the canvas are some names and its very hard to make out. I am attaching pics ...hope you guys can help. I tried looking but nothing concrete.

[sapphire]

Talisman, where are you located? or rather, any idea where the picture came from?

And......any chance that one name is Rev. George Hoagland ? Born 1863 Shepherdsville, Kentucky, died 1935 Detroit, Mich.

[mart]

Words look like "From trip Wright P? June 25, 1898"  Look at the unknown word and see if it looks like maybe wrights pass ??  Seems like I have heard of that somewhere !!

[mart]

Might see it better if pics are taken outside !!  Its too dark to see much !!

[bob535]

I can't make much out of it, but i did put the pics in photoshop to see if i could bring out the writing better. Here is what i came up with...maybe someone good at translating handwriting can see something 

[talismanamerica]

Hi! We are in Brooklyn, NY. This painting was an inheritance from my husbands grandmother. I have no idea where she got it, but she loved old auctions. I m just trying to get the original painters information and perhaps a value of this painting.

[talismanamerica]

Any other suggestions as to the maker or age of the painting. i have no idea as to the price or history of this painting.

[mart]

There was a Rev. George Hoagland from MA. who invented "Oil of Gladness" furniture polish and made quite a bit of money with it !!  However one day he closed his business and packed up lock, stock and barrel and took his family and moved !! No one really knows why, or where he went !!  Sinse this is not a listed artist and there appears some damage to the painting value would not be much !!  Probably less than $200. unless this is the same Rev. George Hoagland and someone has a personal interest in his history !!

[talismanamerica]

well someone might have given him this painting... any ideas where I can get further info... perhaps a historian who would know something....

[mart]

Doubt if there would be records if someone gave him the painting !!  Just research Rev. George Hoagland and follow his trail !!

[Oceans64]

Been watching and searching around on this thread for awhile but haven't come up with much.  

We have 2 dates...  Sept 1898 and another that says June 1888 (or 1898).  My thought is that Hoagland - Sept 1898 (or whatever that name is) was possibly one time owner of the painting...  Not the artist. Mainly b/c this is a later date than the June date. Very common for the owner to write his name on his possessions.

The other name isn't that readable to me except for (possibly) Wright. There was a Joseph Wright (of Derby) who was an artist and he painted some very similar landscape scenes (mountain background, tree foreground and a river running through it).  He died in the late 1790's tho which doesn't jive with a 1888/98 date...  unless given by a family member (From _______ Wright).  

Maybe someone can google images and see if Joseph Wright's style = this style. I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell. Pretty far fetched theory tho. Just wanted to throw it out there

Also - have you gone over the writing with a loupe (or a magnifying glass) in really good light? You may pick up on a few more details.

ETA: I attached an example of Wright's work.  He has a few others as well.  He was not known for his landscapes from the little I have read.