Antique Virgin Mary & Baby Jesus Painting By Eunice Clay Squire Pritchett

Another repost.
It is a nice size painting. Seems like the artist is known to some extent but cannot find many for sale or sold art by her.

Any idea if this could be more significant piece?

Thanks

 

Never hurts to have an exhibition label. It means that the artist thought it to be one of their better works.

However, it looks like the title of the work on the exhibition label reads Nude. What gives?

 

Good catch, Brad. I hadn't commented because I had nothing more to add from when I looked at this on the AB but I didn't see the tag back then. I think the tag and canvas tear have been more recently added.

 

I am wondering if this hasn't been relined and placed on a different stretcher that had been used before? .... or maybe the painting of the nude is under this painting? Something weird is going on. The back of this looks very clean for an old painting, which leads me to think it has been relined. Also, can't tell if the tag is on the stretcher or a frame. If on a frame, maybe only the frame came from another painting.

 

I don't see a reason why someone would put a different tag(it is on the frame)? Unless, as you said they used an old frame by the same artist.
The back looks dirty and old to me but I don't know what year was the painting created.

 

This may be a dumb question but it looks like yours is signed Pritchett Squire but when I google I get Squire Pritchett. The label looks like it might say Pritchett no Squire. Do you think it was painted when she was a Pritchett and then stuck Squire on later?

 

My paintings carry my full name because I used my maiden name for so long and added my married name in 87 when I remarried. You're right - maybe she did the same thing. In which case, this would be an earlier painting.

 

The painting is signed with Eunice Pritchett Squire, the burlap at the lower back with E.P. Squire, the sticker with Eunice Clay Pritchett.
She was born in 1893, daughter of Dr. and Mrs, Charles Wesley Pritchett. After she married Captain J. Walter Squire in 1934 she painted under his name.
There is one listed painting by her on ruby. It is signed with "Eunice Clay Pritchett" and a year that is kind of blurry but the seller says 1935.
http://www.rubylane.com/item/187590-PRI12232004/Fine-Original-Oil-Painting-Lucky

 

If it is of any help, I think that either originally the older frame was used, or, the original was fatally damaged. As has happened to some frames of mine from the 30's and 40's, the original may have very abruptly given way and gone crash. (MOST annoying in the dead of night!) The Madonna is very of-the-period of Dick and Jane and Puff and Spot -- even the coloring is similar. And the expression is very reminiscent of magazine illustrations from McCalls and LHJ from that era. Frame is earlier, and probably much more substantial.

 

I have a couple of her paintings what are they valued at

 

In 1921, Eunice Clay Pritchett traveled alone in England, France and Belgium. I have two of her original watercolors of what looks like English thatched roof cottages. I about 1973, I bought a large part of the estate of her husband J. Walter Squire.

 

I'd want to remove it from the frame and see what is going on there.

 

I haven't seen the painting, but one of Eunice Clay Pritchett's works in 1937 had the title "Negro, Half Nude."