Beautiful Magnolia Oil Painting..

I think it's magnolia. I just got this today. This doesn't appear to be a Sunday artist who did this. It's oil on board and backed with a wood panel. It's in the original frame. The painting has never been taken out to see if there's a signature on the verso. Picked it up for under $50.

 

Do you really have a market for these? Honestly, they would be hard to give away where I live. I'm glad for you, but it's a risky subject to buy art for resale. Good for you if you can do it.

 

I'm not sure but I do know that there's a lot of people here in the Deep South that love magnolias.

 

Maybe it's the demographic. In New England, the trend is more towards seascapes.

 

With the coloration of the blossoms, it looks like the subject matter is a "Saucer Magnolia" tree (which is sometimes called a "tulip tree").

 

I agree... the leaves also look like those of the Saucer Magnolia, and those can grow much farther north. I have a very healthy one right outside my window here in chilly northern Iowa.

 

It seems to me a solid antique buy on its own merits...painstakingly executed, c.1890, I'm guessing by a skilled woman artist, amateur probably, but if known all the better.

It's an original period prefab frame...damaged and to my eye all wrong for the picture...impacting saleability on today's market. Still, you take what you get under these circumstances.

I wouldn't be so certain it can't be profitably resold.

 

Well, I took the panel off the back and found some writing. I think I'm seeing Mary for the first name, maybe a Walter for the last. There's also writing that looks like it's mentioning the cost for the frame, etc. any thoughts one these. Thank you.

 

I am with Alec. I think this is better than many and eminently salable. Depending on how much under $50.00 you got this, would determine whether or not it is a profitable enough purchase. It is the kind of thing I would typically list at $99.00 with free shipping and hope it goes for more. With the condition the frame is in, I am not sure I would even list it with the frame. Sometime in these situations, I show the painting with and without the frame and make it clear that the frame is not included but will send it along for an additional shipping charge. The notations on the back seem to be framing notations and any name could be the owner. This was pretty common practice at frame shops.

 

Im seeing water staining on the lower left side that sure makes me think this is a cardboard print of some kind . I magnified it as high as I could and Im not seeing brush strokes or anything ,so how is everyone seeing a painting ?!?

 

Took OP at his word that it is a painting. I see the spot you are talking about. It is certainly possible for paintings to have water stain marks. If an oil painting, they should clean off if the paint is not damaged. Works on paper are a different problem. A watercolor or gouache will stain more permanently.

 

It appears to me oil on academy board, correct for the period. The brushstrokes are present, to my eye.

The stain, probably moisture induced, would likely not exhibit thus on stretched canvas, but could well do so on board. Academy board type boards, commonly used by 19th C. artists, were, after all, just highly compressed paper treated with primer and other substances.

I'm unaware of a period printing technology capable of producing a perfect continuous tone image like the OP's.

Of course one must always reserve final opinion until examining the actual object.

 

Thanks guys,I am always willing to learn. And the more I do,the less I know !

 

It's definetly an oil painting. If I remember correctly, I already put the back panel back on, it's on an Academy board.

 

Thanks Joe,I see it now.

 

I think I see square nails? I LOVE square nails on old paintings.

 

I love seeing square nails on paintings too. You are correct, they are square. I didn't like the idea of taking to back wood panel off to hopefully find a name. No one had ever removed the panel before, it had the old musky antique smell to it, love that smell. It was like opening a time capsule.