Featured Help with early 20th c.Pastel Drawing Framed in Netherlands

Sight of art is 14 1/2 by 9 1/2 inch

The painting is an orphan
Signed Lower right Johnny with writing verso and framing tag

 

.

 

Welcome from eBay! You might want to revise your title and replace "antique" with the word "vintage" as your work is not yet 100 years old. And I'll add for those who follow that, from previous research, it's believed that Louis Beck was operating in The Hague in the 1930s and 1940s.

Debora

 

It looks like there may also be a monogram (in blue) over/under the signature. JH or JN

 

Wrong shoes to wear in the snow !!! ... Joy.

 

To my eye, influenced by German Expressionism. What's interesting is -- if the work is contemporary with frame (which it appears to be) -- she's wearing evening dress.

Debora

 

I like the picture but I wish it wasn't so blurry .. I suppose it was meant to be that way though ... Joy.

 

I think part of the fuzziness is the glass. If you look at the picture of the sig, it's much clearer and refined.

 

OH Yes ... I see that now !!! Nice picture ... Joy.

 

thanks,it's the glass with a dead on shot from camera without flash affects the quality of photo i'll add one leaning with flash.

 

very good observation

 

Nineteenth century violinist Louis Ries mucks up all my searches (I don't think he had anything to do with this, I'm just grousing.)

 

From the label on the back, it was a time when The Netherlands had 3 digit phone numbers. (If I'm reading that correctly.)

Could help with dating.

 

From this, it appears that Beck was in business as early as the 1920s. The pertinent paragraph, run through Google Translate, follows.

http://veilingblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/

"Louis Beck, Van Meegeren and the wine

Louis Beck had a thriving art and frame shop in Weimarstraat in The Hague, where the popular organic wine shop Vino Vero is now located.
In 1923 an advertising week took place in Weimarstraat, for which Beck had a large-scale painting made by the famous painter Han van Meegeren, who apparently still had some sense of humor at the time. This enormous work (146 x 322 cm) is on a roll and can be purchased at the Venduhuis in Rotterdam. It could be a nice stunt for the winery."

 

If the street hasn't been renumbered, here is the store front (second door from right.)

Debora

 

Thinking the 20's also,good info thanks !!

 

if only i could go back in time and ask the person carrying the pastel out that very door,incredible in all it's travels it's in the condition it's in

 

Good eye !! I'll add a photo inverted that shows better what your talking about.Artist initialed in pastel then probably decided to sign the first name in pencil (instead so to speak)could also be JM but think JN is most probable.

 

Here's one leaning with flash (wavy glass is no help)