This unframed 20" by 24" oil on canvas landscape painting is something of a mystery. It is signed "J.V.C." and dated 1851 at lower left (see very close up photos), and on the wood stretcher on the reverse is incised "John V. Cornell New York". I believe there is an excellent possibility that this is a work by the historical New York painter John V. Cornell but I cannot prove it...

Watercolor on paper, 14" square and 3 1/4" frame and mat, unsigned, of flowers in a vase. This is the work of a skilled and likely listed artist but I do not see a hint of a signature. It was purchased near Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the reverse framing paper shows what appears to be a Houston, Texas address. Condition is excellent with no stains or foxing.

Scarce and interesting pencil drawing with some white highlights, on heavy paper, 15" by 20", of one of Quebec's most famous sights, "The Falls of Montmorency/Near Quebec". The work is signed at lower left "Blandford 1871" and at lower right it reads "Miss Alice Tiffany". This is a folky, somewhat primitive work, from an early date, of a kind that is rarely seen...

This is a scarce drawing by noted American artist CHARLES VEZIN; most known works are oils. This example, measuring 16 3/4" by 13 3/8" (sheet, unframed) does not photograph impressively, as it lacks color and appears faint to the camera, but, it is a complete and powerful work of art, the subject the famous Flatiron Building in New York City. The artist started painting late in life, taking his first art lesson at the age of 41...

Pencil signed, numbered limited edition print, 18" by 21 1/2" inside the mat, (25" by 28 3/4" as framed), titled "Pareja con Kiva" ("Couple with Kiva") by noted Arizona-based artist AMADO MAURILLO PENA. Pena is known for his Southwestern genre themes, dealing with the Native American and the land upon which he lives. See the web for much more information. This print is numbered at lower left 22/65, and is signed at lower right (a blindstamp appears there as well)...

Pastel and gouache mixed media work on red paper, measuring 18 1/4" by 13 1/2" plus thin old black wood frame, signed at lower right with what appears to be "Macero Arbuckle" and dated '04 (1904). I don't see any information on the artist. This is an interesting illustration work that is quite subtle, and being subtle, doesn't lend itself to being photographed easily. Condition is excellent. There is an old sticker on glass at lower left corner with "13" written on it.

Watercolor painting of a schooner or other coastal sailing ship, 11 1/2" by 17 3/4" (19 1/4" by 25 1/4" as framed), signed at lower left by listed California artist LOYAL MAYER (1919-2011). The watercolor is a fine decorative example of marine art in excellent condition. Frame is wood and shows just a little bit of wear which could be easily sanded and restained...

Etching on paper, 8" by 7 3/4" inside the mat (16 1/4" by 13 1/2" as framed), the subject an antiques shop in an urban setting, pencil signed at lower right by the well listed and accomplished American artist EARL HORTER (1881-1940). I believe the title of this might well be "Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe"...

Female nude figure executed in white chalk on black paper, 25" by 18 3/4", signed at lower right "Mondrus", unframed. The artist is associated with California, having been a familiar figure in the Los Angeles/Pasadena art scene for many years. He is still active as a teacher and juror of art competitions. Mondrus is Professor of Art Emeritus at Glendale Community College. His oeuvre includes oils, prints, drawings, and fresco...

This is a mixed media work on paper, 9 1/4" by 12" plus 2 1/2 inches on a side of linen mat and inexpensive old frame, signed at lower right by the artist "J-Cl Imbert". It's a difficult to photograph work since it's rather dark and since I need to take the time to remove it from the frame to reduce the unusually troublesome reflections in the glass...

Gouache and watercolor on grayish tan paper, 7" by 9 1/2" inside the present mat (14 1/2" by 17" as framed), signed at lower left by listed French academy artist PIERRE FREDERIC LEHNERT (1811-?). This is a beautifully executed poetic drawing by an artist who showed at 19th century salons in Paris. From auction records it appears that studies of shepherds and sheep were a staple of the artist's production. Condition is excellent...

Oil on canvas, 21" by 26" (26" by 31" as framed), the subject a winter landscape with coniferous trees in the background, a small unfrozen lake completing the scene. This is an impressionistic work by a nicely listed painter, the works of whom appear with frequency at auctions in Finland. I currently do not have a lot of biographical information on the artist, who was, judging from the label on the reverse (see photo), a member of the Society of Finnish Painters...

Gouache on paper on board, 17 1/2" by 12 1/2" and 1 1/2" frame/mat, signed at lower right "MIZEN". This work has the feel of illustration art, and well it should as FREDERIC KIMBALL MIZEN (1888-1964) was a noted illustration artist, having done covers for the Saturday Evening Post. He was a member of the Society of Illustrators. Mizen studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and was a student of the great Taos master Walter Ufer. Mizen's oils sell at major auctions...

This pencil/watercolor drawing on heavy paper, 34 1/2" by 24 1/2" is actually signed by the artist, one "Sil Marraccini" at lower right and is dated 2/11/39. Originally intended as architectural plans, it would today easily qualify as a late Deco/early mid century art work on its own accord. I believe I acquired this in the San Francisco area, where Bank of America began. No doubt this was a plan for the interior details and exterior elevation of a branch of the bank. This has been rolled fo...

Gouache and watercolor on paper landscape titled on reverse "Arab Village Near Jerusalem", measuring 14 5/8" by 19 3/4" (26" by 29" as framed), signed at lower right "WM. D. RAFFEL" and dated 1954. This is a beautifully executed work in fine condition save for a cracked (but not detached) upper left corner due to brittleness likely caused by aging. I have not been able to locate a listing for the artist, who was obviously familiar with the work of masters like Reuven Rubin, Yohanan Simon, and...

Oil on canvas, 20" by 24" (30" by 36" as framed) signed at lower left by well listed and auctioned artist JORDI BONAS (1937-). The scene is a small boat harbor with a traditional church and coastal village in the middle ground. Bonas was born in Barcelona but was in France in his twenties. Exhibitions throughout continental Europe and then the US were held in subsequent years. Considered today an expressionist painter, he is listed in Benezit and works appear frequently at auctions in the US...

Mid nineteenth century watercolor, gouache and gum arabic drawing on paper of a young woman with the ringlet hair and prim dark dress fashionable at the time, holding the back of a Hitchcock chair, all against an extensive landscape. The drawing measures 6" by 4 1/4" inside the mat, and comes with a newish 1" wide gold colored frame. I don't see a signature. The gum arabic has oxidized and aged and is crackly, with tiny losses in the sleeve, and her lower face has lost some detail. This looks...

Watercolor and ink drawing of an arch in Paris, 11 3/4" by 15", (19 3/4" by 23" as framed), signed at lower right by noted late 19th and early 20th century artist JULES ADLER (1865-1952). Adler's name is mentioned in texts describing major and significant French artists of the late 19th century, along with such figures as Millet, L'Hermitte, and. Most of his subject matter shows everyday scenes of common people going about their lives in French cities and countryside. He was noted for showing...

**ONE OF TWO OF THIS PRINT IN MY SHOP**Etching of Victorian children playing in an interior, 10 3/4" by 8 3/8" inside the mat. pencil signed "R. Ernst" at lower right. This is an unusual medium for the artist, best known for his highly finished and detailed oil paintings of orientalist subjects. These oils regularly bring hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. This etching is all original, including the old soiled mat, and so forth. The etching itself is foxed especially in the margi...

An American 19th century oil on canvas still life, circa 1870-1890, measuring 10" by 16" (12 1/2" by 18 1/2" as framed), unsigned, featuring a metal pot with green and red apples, a pitcher, and a glass, in the classic style of nineteenth century American still life art. I wish the artist had signed his or her work, as he or she was quite skilled. The painting has a patch on the reverse, approximately 3 1/2" by 2", corresponding to a repair in the red apple. It is acceptable as is to the casu...

This is a stunning, classic plein air style seascape painting (24" by 30", 29 1/2" by 33 1/2" as framed) signed at lower left by California master artist HENRY LEOPOLD RICHTER (1870-1960). A probable original title, "SURF", is written on the stretcher. The handling of color, motion, and especially the balance of sunlight and shadow is quite impressive. Having viewed a number of other works by the artist online, this one really seems to stand out. It needs a cleaning, inpainting of small loss...

This is a large and impressively painted (28 1/4" by 47" just the painting alone) oil on canvas signed at lower left "J. Mathey 21", showing an early autumn landscape with patches of snow and forest depicted in an impressionist manner. The artist, JACQUES MATHEY (1883-1973), was the son of French artist Paul Mathey (1844-1929). A highly underrated impressionist painter, the younger Mathey painted nudes, interiors, and landscapes, many in the South of France, and Spain, but also in North Africa...

Oil on canvasboard painting titled on backing paper "LAVISH FALL PALETTE/LONGS PEAK", signed at lower right by artist RUTH ERWIN (1904-1994). The work, featuring flaming aspen in the Colorado high country in high autumn, a view to monumental Longs Peak in the distance, measures 10" by 8" (18 1/2" by 16" framed). I've gathered a few nuggets of information on the artist through the net. One person wrote what she found on a label attached to the back of an Erwin painting she owned: "....the "pa...

This is a very pleasing country landscape (9 3/4" by 13 3/4" inside the mat, 16 1/2" by 20 1/4" as framed), executed in watercolor on paper by listed 20th century British artist F.L. BLANCHARD. A kind Englishman has emailed me to inform me that the building in the landscape is what is known as an "oasthouse", commonly seen in Kent, and used for processing hops for the brewing of beer. Though there are a number of auction records for this artist Blanchard, in England, and mostly for marine and...

According to Sotheby's London old master specialists, this painting is an ANTIQUE copy of the major museum work "Stormy Landscape with Philemon and Baucis" by artist SIR PETER PAUL RUBENS (1577-1640), one of the major figures in European art history. The original is presently in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria. I can describe the art as oil on joined old oak panels, 17 1/2" by 23 1/4", circa 1700's, showing an extensive fantasy landscape including violent storm and flood, over...

Chalk and charcoal drawing on brown paper, 23 3/4" by 17 3/4", unsigned, in old frame on which is written "ADELE WATSON Ex. Coll. Pasadena Art Inst.". This is a skillfully executed portrait of a seated young woman. There is a bit of red color in the pot at her feet, in the collar area, and in her face, to go along with the white and black chalk. Unfortunately the piece is not signed, but the framing appears to be totally original, and in addition to the inscription, there is a very old, early...

Oil on canvas, 18" by 25" (19 1/2" by 26 1/2" as framed) signed lower left "F. Glyndon". This is a nicely painted landscape of the edge of the forest, with pink blossoms on one of the trees, by FRANK GLYNDON (1847-1937). Glyndon was born in Prague, Bohemia and arrived in New York by ship from Liverpool in 1892. Shortly after 1900, Glyndon lived in Alameda, California. He was known for genre, landscapes, and portrait paintings. Some paintings have recently sold at auction, one, of a night sce...

Impressionist watercolor on textured paper painting of a landscape with houses and trees, signed in ballpoint pen in Hebrew script at lower left and dated there 1972 by listed Israeli artist ZIPORA KOVELMAN (1936-). The work is nicely crafted by an obviously talented hand. There is not a lot of biographical information on her but works in oil and watercolor appear with some frequency at auction in Israel. This measures 7 1/2" by 11 1/2" inside the mat and 14 3/4" by 18 1/2" in a pleasing brig...

Aquatint on paper 20" by 14" (32" by 24 1/2" in tasteful framing, with quality materials), signed in pencil at lower right corner within the image, the subject a lady intensely examining a print from a bulging portfolio in a studio, other works visible in other portfolios and hanging on the wall. Title I believe is "Dans l'Atelier". The colors are somber and elegant. Robbe was a major French printmaker late in the 19th and early in the 20th century. His subject matter included Paris scenes, whi...

Old American watercolor painting, early 1900's, featuring a leafless tree in what is apparently late autumn, a flash of color in the middle distance giving an indication that winter has not completely arrived. The work appears unsigned. Measurements are 15 1/4" by 10" and 18 1/4" by 12 1/2" in the old frame, which shows wear. The watercolor itself has survived the decades in good condition.

Watercolor on paper, 13" by 21 1/2" inside the original gold over mat, 20 1/2" by 29" in its original goldish frame (no glass), apparently unsigned, the subject the dramatic waterfalls of the tropics----Iguassu Falls on the Brazil/Argentina border, perhaps, or Victoria Falls in central Africa. Unfortunately there is no title or location given, though these would be good guesses. The work dates to the late 19th century, I'd think, given the work, the framing, the circular-saw (post 1870) wood b...

By the noted illustrator artist RICHARD STINE (1941-) this is a rarely seen original painting, the subject a tree in a strangely empty landscape. The work, measuring 12 1/2" by 9 1/2" in wood strip frame, is painted in gouache, either on the smooth side of a masonite panel, or on heavy paper or board subsequently laid to the masonite. The artist signed at lower right and again on reverse, with his Summerland, CA (adjacent to Santa Barbara) address. Stine is a familiar name due to his uniquely...

A group of three small watercolors of scenes in rural Hambleden, England, by late 20th century English artist (Mrs.) P. Begley. The three each measure 5 1/2" by 8" (10 1/2" by 12 1/2" identically framed). Each is signed with conjoined initials PB in lower left corner and the artist wrote her address and titles on reverse backing. The works probably date to circa 1980. Pleasing scenes of the classic, peaceful countryside of England. Hambleden is near the Thames, immediately west of Greater Lo...

oil on Masonite contemporary style quayside scene, 9 1/2" by 14" (24 cm. by 36 cm.) with 1 3/4" frame and liner, signed at lower right "L. Neuquelman". Neuquelman's larger works, some in a Pointillist style, sell well into the thousands at European (mostly French) auctions; his style is in the School of Paris circle and he was at some point a "Wally Findlay artist" (works sold through the high-end retail Wally Findlay Gallery, which had contracts with select contemporary artists, for their outp...

An extensive classical Italian Mediterranean landscape on paper, signed at lower right by artist CARL NACKE (1876-after 1931). Measuring 15 1/2" by 23 1/4", the work's colors are unusually fresh considering the age of the piece. The watercolor is unframed, laid on a board, as found in a Georgia estate. Nacke was an artist best known for his work on fine porcelains at German porcelain factories; these porcelains appear at auction in Europe.

Good-sized watercolor painting of one of the famous canals of Venice, a gondolier and his vessel featured in the foreground, signed at lower left by the artist, B. Venuti. This work, 22" by 15" (31" by 23 1/2" in gilded old oak early twentieth century framing), probably dates to about the turn of the century. I do not see a listing for an artist by this name, though there is a "Benvenuti" who painted similar works, so I entertain the possibility that this might have been signed with a pen name...