Small Painting Maybe From Holland

Hi,
No idea on this piece, maybe from Holland - the lady remembers bringing it to Canada in the 1970s but couldn't remember where she got it. Measures 7" x 10", I don't think it is oil. The odd thing is when I look at the photos I see the colours, but when you look at it in hand the colours are barely visible - no idea why. Has a dent in it, last photo, no signature.
Any thoughts on where or when?
thanks for looking
Mary

 

Cxgirl, I left a comment on the finds thread re your painting.

 

Cxgirl, I'm glad you started this thread. I can't wait until others (with a better "eye" than I have) chime in. I do find the painting charming.

I am curious about the phenomenom of the colorations showing up better when photographed than when the painting is "in hand."

 

thanks yourturn! I have no idea who Gauguin is but will have a look. I'm really the pits at art, but I really like this and bought it.

 

Could this be him?

https://www.google.com/search?q=Gau...57.6160j0j8&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

 

Is it just me,or does this painting kind of look like a stained glass effect the way the colors are situated?

Of course not the same but he did this with the weird color shadings.



Notice the round swirlies on the tree leaves like your pick.

 

Shiloh, you're right about the "stained glass effect."

I just looked through the Gauguin collection on-line (300+) paintings. I saw some similarities in some of the paintings like you did.

I may have been way off thinking it might be a Gauguin or Gauguin-inspired painting, but he was the first to pop into my mind. And, he did travel widely in his painting career, including some Breton (Brittany) paintings which I think looked closest to this one at least geographically, tree-wise, and color-choice-wise even with this one being more muted.

 

I looked through a huge collection online too, there are similiarities, never heard of him until you mentioned the name

 

Paul Gauguin -- Art History 101.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gauguin

 

Perhaps a bit more like Cezanne: https://www.google.ca/search?q=Ceza...Fsb8igLc3oAQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=657

 

The colour thing is due to the software in your camera trying to enhance the picture automatically, probably working on colour casts and white balance.

Herfe is an extreme example where a yellow cast from old varnish has been removed.



Before



The style looks more like 1920s to me. Your picture that is, not mine.

 

There's no way it's by Gaugin! I do like it, though. -- Among many reasons, Gaugin's works do not have that type of outlining around everything.

Perhaps you should try cleaning it? Is it on paper? (I notice that the backing is from a sketch pad.) If on paper, I'm not sure about cleaning it. If it's on canvas or board, I believe that Brad recently posted some instructions on how he cleans paintings.

 

Shiloh, I think part of the stained glass effect is because of the dark outlines around everything.

 

Figtree3, you're absolutely correct. I can't explain why Gauguin was the first to come to mind, but at least with your help he's the first and only (so far) to leave it.

 

I like this quite a bit. It reminds me of something and I wonder if it is a copy of a famous work.

It appears to be watercolor and gouache. I imagine the paint has faded and/or oxidized, dulling the colors. A coat of varnish would likely bring the colors back out. Varnishing such works on paper is not usually done but, if the painting has dulled, it might be the best course of action. For works on paper, a spray matte varnish would probably be best. I can't remember offhand what brand I use but an art supply store should have something appropriate. The modern products are not really varnish but some type of acrylic.

If it is dirty, the only thing I would recommend is brushing it with a soft bristle brush. Cleaning works on paper is not something an amateur should attempt. I have not attempted such but would start with prints if doing so. I can't even imagine how to go about cleaning something with water based paints.

 

I sure as heck wouldn't recommend varnishing it.

 

You would rather have a painting that you can not enjoy because the colors are no longer as intended? As I said above, it is not something that is usually done but I don't think we are talking about a valuable work of art here. It would improve the appearance immensely.

 

I doubt it would improve the appearance at all and am truly surprised that you would recommend such a thing.

 

Just wanted to mention that I asked whether the work is on paper or not. I've looked again through this post, and on the post in the Finds thread, and I don't see any indication of what it is painted on. The backing board has a label that indicates drawing paper, but that may just be something that was used on the back.