two old paintings?

Hi,
I have a couple paintings that my in-laws left us. I have no idea how old they are or who they are by.
Any help please?
One is of treed landscape and the signature is difficult to see, but they owned one other that we didnt keep that I saw was signed "Jost". I'm thinking this one says Jost as well.
The other one is of mountains and looks to say "Coelna"?
Thank you for any info.

 

Most likely factory paintings

 

Factory paintings with oil?
I would be surprised considering my in law's taste, but ok.

 

They do look like factory paintings. There are many variations on the Alpine scene; here's one.

 

AKA art by the yard. I agree. They might have been gifts from a third party, who expected to see them hanging whenever they came over. After a while, they became part of the wallpaper. Or something like that.

 

You can have reproductions made that are oil on canvas. For example:

https://www.niceartgallery.com/Anton-Hansch/Landscape-In-The-Alps-oil-painting.html

There seems to have been an Edvard Cohen who did mountain scenes but work does not look the same:

 

Maybe they were left to you as a joke...........or insult..?
Or maybe you just thought they had taste.......

Both the frames scream bad taste....and the water stain on one and the preponderance of dusty grime on the other tells me they were not prized works, & no thought was given to their condition.

Mountain, cabin by the water, trees...... we've seen dozens of the same ilk ,
& the other... is insipid in design..color..& style.
As a matter of fact....taste aside....that's one of the worst paintings I've ever seen here.

IMHO...........an opinion forged in the flame outs presented over the years on this site.....

 

My parents had paintings like that, but they would only hang them in a prominent place when the giver visited. An hour before arrival my mother would be all flustered, saying: I can't find uncle ...'s painting.

 

Another source to consider is the "Starving Artist" sales that were held in hotels in the 80's - very popular outside Boston (where I lived at the time) and I assume elsewhere. The inner liners on these frames also date from that period.

 

Wow, I guess that shows you how much I know about art. Lol. So, this one is factory as well?

 

No, not that one. But is that actually a painting or a print - hard to tell from the picture? I am wondering what NYGS stands for.

EDIT - Can you see a signature on it anywhere?

 

looks like a show sticker......New Youk Gallery Show...???

The frame is lovely...& the work has mood & mystery , inviting the viewer to come on in and take a stroll....

 

New York Graphic Society?

 

Here's something that may be of interest. A posting on askart from 2006 (2nd down in the list of 4) in which the poster says that she owns the original oil on board painting called "Smokey Mountain Road" by Ruthven Holmes Byrum. She mentions it's measurements. So the question is whether this query from "Carol" came from RXwoman's MIL or whether NYGS produced prints of this painting and that's what RXwoman's in-laws had.

http://www.askart.com/artist_bulletins/Ruthven_Holmes_Byrum/105838/Ruthven_Holmes_Byrum.aspx

If anyone has an askart subscription, we might get more clues.

 

This is a Byrum from a Skinner auction titled Smoky Mountain Road. It's a bit different than yours.

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2957T/lots/1101

 

Yes, it says "Byrum" in the lower left corner. For some reason my picture of the signature will not upload. It keeps saying it's too large.

 

Same view, different seasons?

 

Wow, that one is different, but with the same title?
I've tried half a dozen times to up load a close up of the signature. I even took a different picture of it. It will not up load. But if you look close in the lower left of this one, you can see it.

 

Hi,
I guess it could be her if she used a pseudonym. I'll ask my hubby for more info regarding who it came from. Thank you for this link.

 

Looks possible that Byrum painted multiple views in the Smokies, perhaps setting up her easel in the same location in different years. Is it framed behind glass?