The main woodcut shows the enchantress Circe in front of Odysseus and one of his crew members changed into a swine. Circe holds a beaker, which stands for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs.
The woodcut below depicts Samson with remains of the Philistine temple. Further vignettes show the descendants of Eli, and depictions of four Jewish judges...

Through his career, Haku Maki did a wide array of Chinese characters used in the Japanese language as well (kanji). The large prints that Daniel Tretiak called Big Reds were such kanji. Among Maki’s depictions were black kanji on white backgrounds, some stark, some playful, some easily decipherable, others with which he took great liberties. The artistic possibilities that kanji offered were a fascination of his. This broad-brushed embossed print, Poem 72-55, was done in 1972...

Oil on canvas painting of a man's smoking pipe and other objects on a tabletop, 13" by 15", 16 1/2" by 18 1/2" in mid 20th century gold frame, signed at upper right by artist Cora (Cara?) L. Sloper and dated there 1899. This is a competently painted work, but I am unable to locate an artist by this name despite an intensive internet search. The name appears to be common in the upper Midwest, but this painting was purchased in Massachusetts, near Cape Cod...

Dramatic linocut print, the sheet 26 1/4" by 17 7/8", unframed, numbered at lower left 3/6 and pencil signed at lower right and dated there 1971, the "HB" blind stamp adjacent, by the important and still highly underrated Swiss-California modernist HANS GUSTAV BURKHARDT (1904-1994). The subject is somewhat uncertain; perhaps a look at a catalogue raisonne of the artist's graphic works would provide the title. Burkhardt was born in Switzerland and arrived in America in 1924...

French late 19th century oil on canvas still life of flowers in various vessels on a tabletop, signed at upper right corner "J. Billou" (the "J" could be a "G" or "T"). Oddly I do not see a listing that would correspond with this name, but this is clearly a talented artist. The work measures 19 1/2" by 24" (22 1/2" by 27" framed). The colors and handling remind of some Renoir still life paintings. This was found "as-is" in northern New Jersey...

Oil on canvas spring country landscape complete with peasant goose herder, two houses by a pond or small lake and flowering trees at right, 24" by 36", unframed, signed at lower left by listed Hungarian artist JOSEPH DANDE (1911-1969). Dande seems to have painted in the style pioneered by better known artist Laszlo Neogrady. Neogrady painted very similar spring country landscapes, as well as his signature snow-laden mid winter trees----and Dande has also painted those winter landscapes...

This horizontal print, created in 1973, is Work 73-14A, a dramatic depiction of the kanji for Dragon. It is 17 of 103 and measures 16.25inW x 11.5inH. Maki did perhaps a dozen dragons and this is one of the most striking.

MEDIA: Chinese brush painting TITLE: Portrait of Buddha SIZE: 13 inches x 16 inches ARTIST: Jin Tian was born in Beijing in 1954. She began her studies of Chinese painting at an early age. She first studied under Mr. Liu Ling Chang, a well known artist and teacher. Then she began working in the Palace Museum, Beijing, where she conducted an extensive study of the museum¡¯s collection. In 1992, she started her studies at the Central Art Academy School...

Beautiful floral print full color framed and matted 13x10” In a gilt frame

This is a charming antique watercolor, signed at lower right "Vl. Titelbach", and dated there 1884, the subject a celebratory procession of country folk complete with ox-drawn wagons, horse, drums, pistol being fired in the air and other quaint details. The work is on old browned paper, and it measures 14" by 21" inside the mat. There is no glass (I discarded it---was cracked when this was found, in southern Maine). Presently it is housed only in a simple modern metal frame...

Old watercolor painting of Yosemite National Park's famous "Tunnel Tree", signed at lower right by artist J. M. Stewart. The tree became famous after the drive-through tunnel was cut through it in 1881, making it an instant tourist attraction and one of the wonders of the astounding west. The tree fell in a storm in 1969, at which time it was estimated to be 2,100 years old. It had reached a height of 234 feet...

A rare and beautiful 18th century lithograph in Hebrew and Latin

A black ink on paper drawing , unframed, 19 1/2" by 16 1/2", signed at lower right with the "F.M." initials of noted American artist, muralist and illustrator FLETCHER MARTIN (1904-1979). The subject is a cavalier-type man and a woman in 18th century dress. This might have been executed as illustration of a published story or book, or perhaps as stage design. There is some white gouache at upper right. This might be altering/covering of some of the design by the artist prior to photography a...

Painting signed Fang Zhaoling , (yes this is an emulation), dimensions are 87cm x95cm , with mounting 215cm/84in and W: 112cm/44in Fang Zhaoling (Chinese: 方召麐, 17 January 1914 – 20 February 2006), also known as Lydia Fong, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher. She a led fascinating and turbulent life eventually settling in Hong Kong in 1948. Her daughter is Anson Chan. The painting is well mounted on a traditional scroll.

This is a fine print on a puckery, soft, Japan-like very delicate paper, the image featuring an obviously Orientalist figure and a greyhound-like dog. The print is after the original 1865 painting by the artist, that painting having been offered at Sotheby's auction in 2009. JEAN LEON GEROME (1824-1904) was a major French academic painter and sculptor and educator of legions of artists in the 19th century in France. Today his historical subject and Orientalist works sell into the millions . ...

NUDE WOMAN

Charcoal on layered washi (Japanese paper) stuck on wooden canvas, 53 x 65.5 x 1.5cm (20.86 x 25.78 x 0.59in), by Eiki Tsukioka (1916-1997), as one of the leading Showa's Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) painter with very unique and alternative worldview, once as the pupil of a master, Seison Maeda (1885-1977). No his own signature, but obviously coming from his own studio as its certain provenance.


selected by hotoke

This small lively print depicts two generations of small children playing. It measures 6.25in x 8 3/16in.

Found in far northern Vermont in the course of an art buying trip some years ago, is this unframed 20" by 16" oil on canvas portrait of a man, apparently signed "Shoelman" at lower right and signed again and dated on the reverse (possibly, 1806, though, more likely, 1846, considering the style---the digit likely a "4"). I acquired the painting near Cambridge/Jeffersonville not far from the Canadian border. At the time the seller said there had been speculation by a previous owner that this wa...