Help with Artist

Picked up this watercolour painting this morning from a yard sale. People at the sale had no history on the painting, they bought it from a thrift shop a while back.


Once I get home I'll take better pics and do some more research, but any help from you guys/gals will be appreciated.

The thing that worries me a bit is that the signature seems to be slightly separate from the rest of the painting (there seems to be a small rift between them). Is this normal?

Any help on figuring out the siggy will also be much appreciated! I think it's a "R" at the beginning and can kind of imagine seeing Thompson as the surname but not sure at all.


thanks in advance!

 

Finally home.


I Took it out of the frame. The signature is on a separate piece of paper...

Took photos of it out of the frame for further references.

I'm guessing it's an unknown painter, but want to make sure... Still, I love the picture so got it hanging in my room for now...

 

I wonder if this is a nyala baby. If so maybe it's a South African artist (just thinking out loud). Can't really read the signature but maybe Thompson?

 

Ok I'm going with Ralph Thompson. Here are a few by him. Prices range from $25 - $100

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/9529658

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7703704

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/4314215

 

Snipsa, at the far right side of the lower edge of the painting (after the "signature") what is that very faint red/tan "mark/symbol"?

Is it only a stray stain or a "stamp/mark" of some sort? Just curious but . . . it may be some sort of clue.

 

Say_it_slowly was posting Ralph Thompson as the suggested artist while I was still composing my question, but I would still like to know what that faint mark(?) is at the end of the signature.

 

They are asking a bit more for them at this gallery.

http://www.wildlifeartgallery.com/exhibitions/r_thompson/r_thompson_page1.html

 

Wow! Thanks so much for the help Say_it_Slowly! That's pretty good considering I paid R40 for it... (about 4USD).

Yourturntoloveit, I wondered about that mark as well. I believe it's just a stain but will double check once I'm home...

 

Thank you, Snipsa, I look forward to learning about it.

 

Hi Yourturntoloveit.

I Took it out the frame again, to check that spot, and it is unfortunately a stain in that area - foxing of sorts...

Luckily the rest of the painting is in fairly good condition, though it has browned a lot (can see it when the signature is taken away, the paper is much whiter in that area)


I have done some research on Ralph Thompson and from what I have seen wildlife paintings were his main area of interest. He wrote and illustrated a nr of books on the subject.

I also saw a bunch of prints (both behind glass and not) for sale. My gutfeeling tells me this is not a print, the type of paper and the way it looks just seem authentic watercolour, but is there a way to determine for certain that a painting is true watercolour and not a print?


Thanks!

 

Snipsa, thank you for checking on that.

I think it is a lovely piece. To me, the artist was quite talented (without ending up looking like it's a photograph) with the hair/fur of the animal as well as the eyes. The eyes look moist without looking watery. The word "limpid" comes to mind as a descriptive of the eyes.

 

It can be hard to tell some prints from some originals and I'm not very good at it sometimes. You can try using good magnification and looking for tell-tale dots (like from a printer). You can also try holding it at an angle in various light an see if you can see impressions in the paper from pencil or the like.

 

I like it...it is really a charming picture.