Oil on board painting of a European village scene: an intimate cobblestoned lane winds between Old World houses, as a threatening sky looms above. The work is unframed and measures 26" by 20 1/2". It is signed at lower right and dated there "12" (the year 1912). The artist is ALBERT ABRAMOVITZ (1879-1963). Abramovitz was born in Riga, Latvia. He received art training at the Imperial Art School of Odessa, Russia, then went on to further study at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris...

An unusually attractive example of the work of artist Anders Gittelson (1921-2003), better known by his brush name "GISSON" or "ANDRE GISSON". This oil on canvas, measuring 24" by 20" (33" by 28 1/2" as ornately framed) features a lovely nude seen from the back, fixing her hair as she prepares to enter the water, the dominating hues various shades of blue, all bathed in the white suffused light commonly seen in the artist's works. The painting reminds in some ways of the work of Renoir...

A circa late 1800's or circa 1900 antique painting on gray art board of a lake at sunset, a steep outcropping with ruins at left and a small boat completing the composition, unsigned, by an amateur hand, 13 1/2" by 8 3/4" as framed. The work is in an ornate turn of the century frame with a few missing chips that could be easily painted over in gold. What more is there to say---it is a classic little painting of its era, perfect for a small or narrow wall.

Oil on Masonite panel painting of a thicket of trees in the snow, 16" by 12", 19 1/4" by 15 1/2" framed, signed at lower left by artist S C Swiderski and dated there '86 with copyright symbol. The bare trees are accompanied by a lone pine or spruce which gives a bit of green color to an otherwise silvery white/blue palette. The impressionist work is very attractive and it is in excellent condition. Note how the artist used the wooden end of the brush to create a groove in the wet paint...

An oil painting directly on a chunk of sandstone, by the noted western American artist, writer and philosopher A KELLY PRUITT (1924-2009), featuring a young Native American girl astride a horse. The work is inscribed "To a beautiful spirit Kristen/with love A Kelly Pruitt". The irregularly shaped work measures approximately 12" by 12" and weighs a full 4 1/2 pounds...

Oil on fine weave canvas, 9" by 12" plus narrow wood frame, the subject various pitchers and other objects, painted in the typical style of the artist, and signed at lower right by French-American painter ANDRE GISSON (GITTELSON). The cool stillness of the scene takes from the still life works of the great modern master Giorgio Morandi...

Oil on canvas still life of peaches and compote in the East Coast style of the latter part of the 19th century, 21" by 27", presently unframed, signed at lower left "C H Harmon" and dated what appears to be 1880 (or, 1880 something, difficult to read last digit). This is a skillfully painted still life in the tradition of eastern masters like the Ream's, or members of the so-called Fall River School. The table appears to be Eastlake Victorian, with its marble top...

Oil on canvasboard painting of a young girl, in the style of Margaret Keane and the "Big Eyed School" of the period, 24" by 18", unframed. The work is signed, charmingly, at lower right "Grandpa Friedman" and is dated there "64". The board is curved---a bit concave, or convex, as you might put it---but otherwise the painting is in good condition. A nice addition to your mid century Retro collection.

Oil on masonite, circa late 1940's or early 1950's, 16 1/2" by 23 1/2" (22" by 31 1/2" as framed), signed at lower left by Pittsburgh artist PERRY DAVIS. This is a beautifully painted work by an obviously talented artist, although I have not to date found a listing on him. There's a label on the reverse of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, 37th Annual Exhibition with the title, and artist's address. The painting has a strong WPA feeling to it...

This is an eye-catching work in an electric-orange color palette, signed at lower right by important California painter EDWARD REEP (1918-2013). Painted in what appears to be a mixture of perhaps thinned oil and gouache, the work itself measures 22 1/2" by 13 1/2". It was found in a narrow modern green plastic frame that contrasts dramatically with the bright orange of the work itself. Signed boldly at lower right, this painting is on board...

Oil on canvasboard, 22" by 28", signed in white at upper left "A. Strauss" and dated "53". This is a rather interesting modern work that is rather hard to describe; it is, MODERN. The signature has a European look to it. I acquired this in the San Francisco area years ago...

Oil on canvas, 24" by 30" (31" by 37" as framed) signed lower right by California listed plein air artist MARIUS SMITH (sometimes spelled "Schmidt"). Smith painted landscapes and missions but most often executed superbly painted still lifes of flowers...

TWO unframed paintings for the serious collector of Native Americana by listed and auctioned California and Southwest cowboy artist M.A. GOMEZ (1910-1972), each measuring 24" by 18". The artist's works have been estimated as high as $7,000 each at live auctions in New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado. Gomez was a talented painter with impressive listings in Samuels, Ed Ainsworth's "The Cowboy in Art" and elsewhere. He painted cowboys, Indians, stage coaches and other traditional scenes of the ol...

This is a powerful study of a man, in pencil, chalk, and gouache, signed at lower right by artist ROBERT SPRINGFELS (1911-1984). The drawing is on paper laid on Masonite. Measurements are 28 5/8" by 22 3/4" and a 1 1/4" wood frame with considerable character and patina. There is a printed out note on the reverse which states that the artist exhibited at the Butler Art Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio in 1965. Springfels was the original set designer for Cecil B. DeMille Motion ...

A pretty circa 1950 still life on Masonite board, 18" by 24" (26 1/2" by 32 1/2" framed), the subject given on the reverse as "Red Camellia Bouquet", signed at lower right and again on the reverse by German-born artist JOHN WILLIAM ORTH (1889-1976). Orth was born in Bavaria and studied art in Europe before fleeing for the United States in 1923 for political reasons. For a time he was in Texas and later painted in California, and he is today most associated with those states. Orth painted a wi...

An interesting painting of a brick church dramatically positioned in a rural landscape with distant mountains, the year 1898 appearing on the lintel over the door, signed at lower right corner "K. Shuck". Online research shows there was a Kenneth M. Shuck associated with the Springfield Museum of Art, having served as its second director, between 1951 and 1976. A 1954 photo online shows him standing in front of a Thomas Hart Benton painting. This may be by that individual. The painting, on can...

Oil on board painting of a harbor with small boats, 11 3/4" by 14", (15 1/2" by 17 1/2" in stained oak frame), said by a handwritten note on the reverse to be Morro Bay in central California. The note reads "View of Morro Bay/by Mary Harrington on trip of California coast with friends Mr. & Mrs. Dan Castro 1961". The painting might be signed by the artist at lower right; difficult to see among the browned varnish. There is a listing for an artist by this name but I cannot determine if the...

Oil on canvas painting of a child, 15" by 12" plus present framing several inches wide on a side, signed at lower left and dated there 1927 or possibly 1929. This is a work by the noted American woman impressionist, MARY FAIRCHILD LOW (1858-1946). Her skill in Impressionism was refined by her time at the Giverny art colony in France and on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Note the impressionistically rendered clothing contrasted with the finished face. Low was born in New Haven, Connecticut to "Blue...