Information on this artist

[suckerfish]

Hi all, I have a painting signed as Eugine (from what i can make out) which im told is painted by a well known artist. Can anyone provide any information on who this artist is? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Attached is the signature.

[mart]

Can we see the whole thing please ?? Need to know the artist`s style as well !!  Rarely does an artist sign with only a first name except hobby painters !!  Also need your location or at least what state and where you purchased the painting as well as its size and if its on canvas, canvasboard, or panel !!

[suckerfish]

Thanks for the quick response. I was told from the person we inherited it from that it was insured (although they no longer had the valuation cert ) so im pretty sure it isnt from a hobbyist (also do not know if this is a first or last name). I think it has Austrian/czech origins (or around this area). Its a beautiful oil on panel painting and from i do know , it depicts a boy with a fortune teller box from which the bird retrieves the fortune.

The dimensions are approx. 41cm  x 55cm (including frame)

Below are the photos as requested ..

[mart]

Well,, that helps !! Its done on a masonite panel rather than wood so we know it was done 1900`s or after !! And you did say Austrian/Czech origins so I am assuming thats where you live !! Let me look a bit !!  One note,,,if it is supposedly insured,,check the insurance company for a replacement certification !! That would have all the info on the artist !!

[suckerfish]

Awesome , thanks mate. Im actually in Australia but i seem to recall being told that it was originally from Europe.
Might be a bit difficult tracking down the original insurance ... Anything you can find out hpwever would be very helpful. cheers

[mart]

Ok !!  I am hitting a dead end here !! I have checked Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and even tried European artists but the ones with that first or last name were an entirely different style and there were only two or three of them !! I checked contemporary artists and modernist that might have signed like that but,,,none found !! I even checked South Africa, Jamaica and a few other places !! Whoever he is he is not a listed artist,, or at least not one that I have found !! Can you possibly get more info ?? Get the whole story behind how the painting came to be in your family   Anything might help !!

[snowflake]

I have come up empty on this as well. Sorry.

[mart]

You know,, technically speaking this is a really good piece of work !!  I would agree that he is probably a known artist !! But trying to track him down has been a goose egg !! Zero !!  I would suggest taking it to a really good gallery and ask if they know anything about the artist !! Or take a good sharp pic and send it to Christies for an online evaluation !!

[suckerfish]

Thank you very much guys for your efforts. Im now even more curious about the piece ! I will defnitely continue searching and maybe try your suggestion. Ill let you guys know if i come up with anything .

[wendy177]

I have a book called Black collectibles by P.J.Gibbs and found an artist named Eugene E. White who did  do paintings of African American people, the signatures match (impossible for  me to photograph from the book) My book has a  copyright of 1987 and states that the artist was still residing in the California area. May be worth looking into    good luck & keep us posted

[mart]

Wendy, this poster lives in Australia, and supposedly this painting was from Germany/Czech/ Austria or that area !!  Wonder if any of his relatives visited the States ??

[wendy177]

Possible mart  the subject  in the painting does appear to be African American to me that is why I pulled that book & the signatures do match.  more than that I have not a clue

[mart]

I thought it looked aboriginal and may have been an Aussie artist but,, dead end there !!  Hopefully yours will turn out to be the right one !! I  have looked everywhere else and found nada !!

[suckerfish]

Wow Wendy good find ! . I think we might be getting somewhere..
It was passed down by my fiance's grandparents - who are very very well travelled so America is a real possibility.
Ill check this lead out!

thanks

[mart]

Hopefully Wendy`s lead will be the artist of your painting !!  That information would have helped our search efforts !! I know that most people do not think about these little snippets of information, but when looking for any item especially art,, we need all the details !!  Please let us know what you find out about the California artist !!