Old Landscape

Can't make out the signature, neither the name on the verso. Do you think the year 1951 is when the painting was made? The stretchers look older. Origin?
Thanks

 

On the back, Shipbottom...?

 

There is a place called Ship Bottom (2 words) in New Jersey.

http://www.shipbottom.org/history.html

Ship Bottom is often referred to as the "Gateway to Long BeachIsland" because of the Causeway linking the Borough to the mainland.

 

The front of the frame does look like something from the 50's the back does look older but thats probably due to adverse storage conditions.

 

A quick Google of Ship Bottom, NJ, tells me it could well be the subject...
Funny that the artist apparently made it one word.

 

The canvas and stretcher are old. I would say late 19th c. very early 20th. Can you take a close-up of the frame details. From the back, it looks older than the 50's.

 

I think the frame is the same age as the painting.

 

So, what's with the year 1951!

 

? ? Maybe a reference to when it was purchased or received? Wait for someone else to chime in on the frame. The white strip looks like it might have been added at a later date but the rest of the frame looks older to me.

 

Looking at the staining on the back I would say the painting itself was done around 1950s. Whoever the artist then decided to put the painting in a much older frame circa i would say 1920s looking at the nail and wood. If the painting itself was done in the 1920s I think it would have a lot more staining than that on the back

 

Staining on the back comes from how the canvas was prepared. A painting done yesterday on canvas that was not prepared with a few layers of gesso or rabbit skin glue can look stained. That darker, rough canvas is old. By the 1950's canvas was lighter and tighter.

 

It may be just the photograph, but it looks like a pretty mediocre painting. Could be it looks better in hand, but the composition is a cliche. Someone has heard about the rule of thirds, that's certain.

 

I agree, nothing special and the execution is avarage. I'll keep trying to decipher the signature, just for the adventure

 

Well, I never went to a single art class (too thin-skinned or rebellious or something), so I never learned the rule of thirds. I just Googled it, though... and the rule of odds and the rule of space. Now I feel like disputing them. Should there be rules in Art? Worse YET, I suspect that these rules are valid. Poo.

 

Make a few new rules then.

The rule of Herds... if enough people say it's great art, it must be, even if it's crap

Which leads on to the

Rule of Turds ... you can't polish a turd ... but you don't need to if you call it Art.

The rule of Words ... You can't see the point of it but enough art critic words and it's $1,000,000

 

Thank you, Sir AF! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!