An original very detailed watercolor drawing of a man who looks to be a commoner, drawn on paper laid on thin card or directly on card, 7 3/4" by 4 1/8" (14" by 11" in modern frame), signed at bottom with the distinctive signature of mid 19th century renowned academic painter and draftsman JEAN LOUIS-ERNST MEISSONIER (1815-1891). The drawing is finely crafted, the lone figure vignetted, the background empty. Meissonier was famous in Europe in his day, that fame buying a lavish lifestyle...

Ideal addition to kitchen or pantry area, a well-painted little still life of green and yellow zucchini squash, and an onion, 7 1/2" by 11 1/4" inside the linen mat, 11" by 15" framed, signed on the back of the canvas "Duffy '95". The framer's label is from Chicago so our artist may have been from Illinois. This is a decorative work and the skill of the artist is obvious. There is light wear to the frame. I had to open up the backing to find the signature and date.

Oil on canvas or board behind glass (not examined out of frame), 15 1/2" by 21 1/2" (25" by 31" as framed), signed at lower left, and inscribed there "Bettys-y-Coed" (not dated). This is a well known and picturesque part of Wales, an area that attracted many artists in the 19th and early 20th century. The artist may possibly be the listed EDWARD or EDWIN Masters. The works of those artists have sold at Christie's South Kensington auctions in London...

Large oil on high quality canvas painting, 38" by 48", not signed on front but on reverse on stretcher is written "B Ingram", probably executed in the 1960's or early 1970's. The artist clearly had a knowledge of the surrealist works of the important Chilean modern artist Roberto Echaurren Matta, whose major oils greatly resemble the image in this painting. The more one looks at this work the more complexity, movement and three dimensional depth one sees. Condition is excellent...

Beautifully executed watercolor signed at lower left "DAVIES", of a male mallard in flight above a tawny field. Measurements 4 3/8" by 6 7/8" (11 3/8" by 13 1/2" as framed). I see there are a few listed Davies artists but am not sure that this is one of them. If you like wildlife and sporting art or are a member of Ducks Unlimited, you will like this little painting! .

Here's an unusual item, a painting on white milk glass, in oil, measuring 5 1/2" by 7 1/2" and 8" by 10" as framed. The somewhat folk art feeling work is not signed. I would judge the age as anywhere from about 1880 to about 1920----a nautical type could probably date this more accurately by noting in which decade such a ship would have existed. Condition is good with minor paint losses from scratches and aging. However the small losses are not really noticeable at normal viewing distance...

Large oil on canvas, 30" by 36", 40" by 46" as framed , signed at lower right and dated "11" by listed American artist R.A. KISSACK (Robert A. Kissack, 1878-?). This painting seems to draw some of its inspiration from the famous work of Whistler's Mother....with the profile view, and the simple background, which consists here of a Japanese style framed print at upper left and a slag glass type early century lamp. The lamp and dim interior also lends an Arts and Crafts feeling. The St...

Gouache on paper or paper on board, 6 1/8" by 7 3/8" and 1 3/8" frame, (14" by 15" overall as framed), signed at lower left "Bud" DUNCAN, no date but likely executed circa 1940. This is skillfully executed, in high key colors of pink, yellow, and violet shades. There are some condition issues; a 1" hairline diagonal surface abrasion in sky at center, and several punctures/pressure cracks from the reverse through to the drawing at left and top, and in the busy sage clumps at right ...

Gouache on paper, 16 1/2" by 10 3/4" and 4" on a side mat/frame, signed at lower left in Cyrillic with the possible name "Dreber" or "Dreiber" or "Dreyber", and dated 22 November 1974. This carefully crafted drawing of fuchsia and a tulip-shaped bloom reminds me of early American folk art Americana like Pennsylvania fraktur.......but, this is Russian! Condition is excellent with just slight mottling of a leaf... I think this could be just the artist's handling of the paint...

Oil on canvas of a verdant, flower-filled sunny courtyard, 16" by 20" and 1 1/2" wide frame, inscribed at lower left "Para Antonio y Cuca" and signed by the artist CARLOS S. SIEGER and dated 1945. I have researched the name online and elsewhere and cannot seem to come up with a listing, though the artist was skilled. I purchased this art in Miami Beach, so a Latin American origin is probable...

Oil on canvasboard, 16" by 20" (19" by 23" in its simple wood frame), the subject Motif #1 in iconic Rockport, Massachusetts harbor at the tip of artists' paradise Cape Ann, circa 1950's or 1960's, signed at lower right by the artist. This is rather typical subject matter for Garabedian, who worked on the north shore, in Maine, and even away from the coastal areas, always painting in an impressionistic hand...

Oil or acrylic on board, large and impressive wall-filling size at 33 1/2" by 45" (41 1/2" by 53" as framed), in a very contemporary style incorporating the complex geometric small squares repeating patterns of artist Robert Natkin, with the addition of various swirls and carefully placed parallel lines. The artist was surely familiar with Natkin's work...

Watercolor on heavy paper, 19" by 15 1/4" (28" by 24" as framed), the subject a California quail perched on a bleached snag in a vaguely defined, arid looking mountain landscape. The work is signed at lower right "MUGGS VAN SANT", and is not dated...

Oil on canvas, 12" by 16" (17" by 21" as framed---and likely original frame), signed at lower right by popular listed California artist HERBERT SARTELLE (1885-1955). This is a classic autumn scene of large trees and a lake with distant mountains, executed in Sartelle's unique impressionistic style. The painting probably dates to the 1940s or 1950s. It is in generally good condition, with the typical large cracking seen in a number of his paintings, (visible especially in the sky---see photo)....

Watercolor on paper, 8 1/4" by 3 7/8", (14 1/4" by 9 1/2" as framed), apparently unsigned, circa late nineteenth century (1890's), showing the famous Piazza San Marco in Venice. This is a highly detailed little painting; note the young lady and her mother at left foreground, feeding the pigeons, and the dapper man at left with his cane and top hat; and the ornate streetlights at right. Most likely this was a piece executed for the tourist souvenir trade, Venice being on the Grand Tour trail. ...

Painting on board, 18" by 20" (24" by 28" as framed), signed at lower right "BIZLEY" (artist RICHARD BIZLEY, 1959-, of Dorset, England). Auctions of items relating to natural history are seeing intense interest from museums and individuals, and record prices are set regularly. This highly detailed and imaginative work (**ONE OF TWO NOW IN MY SHOP BY THIS ARTIST**) brings the viewer to the Jurassic period (206 to 144 million years ago) with its depth and imagery. A bizarre, horned dinosaur is fee...

Watercolor and gouache painting on paper of a wooden house surrounded by trees and shrubs, 11" by 14" inside the mat (16" by 20" as framed), signed at lower left "N. Belij" and dated there "-30". This is a work of listed Finnish artist NIKOLAI BELIJ (1896-1968). I do not know a lot about the artist; most of the information about him on the net is in Finnish or Swedish. Works by him have been offered at auction in Scandinavia. The painting is in excellent fresh condition and looks much younge...

Gouache on board painting, 10" by 16" image with 1" margins, unframed, signed at lower left by well-listed, often-auctioned California artist HARRY CASSIE BEST (1863-1936), the work featuring an unusual subject for the artist, an Italian scene---the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the distance. I do no see any information regarding Best having made any trips to Italy, so this could be a work resulting from the artist's having seen prints or original works depicting the famous Italian vista. Hughe...