H. Robert 1783 art

I took it out of the frame. It looks like it is attached to a board (feels more like paper than canvas), but it is painted because I tried to clean it up a bit in the corner and the color came off.

 

They both look like old prints to me, especially the close up of the words which appears to have a printing pattern. The "canvas" (not sure if it is actually fabric or not?) appears to be that of a textured print. Debora described this well above.

 

Have you looked at them using a loupe or magnifying glass? They do look more like prints to me and if you see tiny dots then this would confirm 4 colour litho printing.
You can paint oils on paper or card but the surface would need to be primed with gesso first to stop the oil paint sinking through and it wouldn’t be a usual method so I think it unlikely these are original oils, plus as already mentioned by Deborah the texture doesn’t follow the image. Plus oil paint wouldn’t come off with a wipe, it might flake off in bits if it’s already lifting off the canvas.

 

Found this, title is Interior of a Park. Flight of steps.

 

What did you clean it with? A printed surface might also come off. I agree with others that the texture of the surface goes across different color areas, which would indicate a reproduction of some sort.

 

Just found this page that explains some things about how to tell originals from reproductions. https://www.caldwellgallery.com/original_copies.html

It talks about the brush strokes, as compared to textured prints. Part of what it says:

"Sometimes copies are printed on textured paper that has 'brushstrokes' pressed into the paper. Look closely to see if the brushstrokes match the painting image. For example if there is one brushstroke that goes from a white cloud and continues into the blue sky then that is most likely a texturized print, not an original painting as an artists would have had to change paint colors and therefore the brushstroke would have ended with the cloud."

 

Excellent information.

 

Corinne. I know this is a disappointment as you had high hopes you found a treasure, but this happens to a lot of people including me. This is why I come here. Kiko

 

this appears to be a lovely
Giclee print, perhaps done mid century? Just wondering

 

Giclee prints didn’t appear until the late 1980s. These are older, looking at the frame style and the back staples.

 

The brush strokes appear to be embossed into cardboard on one print, I know this style of prints was popular the 1960s-1970s, not sure how early this style of prints started? Anyone know? @moreotherstuff ?

The other print wouldn't surprise me if "Interior of a Park" is also a B&W print, and hand embellished with colored pastels, which would explain why @Corinne Higdon said some of the color came off when she opened the back.

 

I agree with the others about textured prints. Don't know when they were introduced, decorative items from the 1960s (ish) seems entirely plausible. I think they have been coated with something like a varnish. Don't know if that would have been tinted when applied, or yellowed with age. I think when you are cleaning, what's coming off is either varnish, or decades of dirt... possibly cigarette residue. There are little, lighter spots on the surface. My guess is that the varnish has flaked at those points.

 

Given the framing 1960s/1970s would be right.

Debora

 

Ok, I went back and looked at the frames. I would say 1960s on the thin wood frame and 1970s on the one with the fabric linen.