1973 signed/numbered print in mod lucite frame. Calling all detectives!

Got this as I was mostly interested in the frame. There is no reading the signature. Now turning into a bit of detective work, and would love your help/opinions.

Back framing paper says "Karlebach Gallery". We even had a piece here (on antiquers) from that gallery:

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/information-requested-on-this-lady-with-a-tea-cup.36734/

There's not a ton of items on Google from this gallery, but each I've found seem to be somewhat higher end pieces, and the frame honestly took some work to create. Very 1970's. It is thick 1 inch white lucite with a cream lucite edge, extra wood inside, all edges are bolted in. So someone spent some money getting this framed.

Print's edition number is 84 out of 90. The print itself doesn't do much for me, but keeping an open mind and would happily learn that it is from collected artist w/resale value. Any chance of that? Thanks.

 

Ha! Found a 1973 article in the New York Times about the Karleback Gallery. If you can't access, I've also added a .pdf I created.

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/26/archives/a-shop-that-sells-mistakes-shop-talk.html

Debora

 

Thank you, I have a NYT account, so did see that-- but thank you for creating the PDF. Very thoughtful. I guess he made "Art Nouveau copy frames that sold for $350" (and this in 1973) and realize this isn't one of those, but sort of speaks to the quality he was using in framing. But who knows about this piece. What is your take on the print itself? Should I keep researching this?

 

I think it's a great find. And you've done your research. Very possibly a listed artist, given who the gallery framed and exhibited. If you've an account with newspapers.com, there is some local press to be found there about shows. Could be helpful.

Debora

 

Thank you, Debora. If anyone by some miracle recognizes the artist meanwhile, or has other thoughts too, don't be shy.

DD said the work looked like something she "would have done in grade school". It sort of looks like that to me, too -- but I suppose I could be convinced it was a great work of art if it was worth $$....

 

Creating a work that someone "would have done in grade school" takes talent, training and technique.

Debora

 

I'm going to suggest that you carefully take it out of the frame. Your answer may lie within.

Debora

 

do i not see a mat there..?
interesting to frame a ltd ed print..with no mat...........NOT !

 

Just opened up the back. No help with the artist's name, but now thinking this was a special order for framing. Posting photos in a few minutes.

 

No hints as to artist, but when purchased (at thrift) this had the following sticker. Didn't initially post it as I felt it was the former owner, probably deceased.



By the way, it was the thrift that demolished the back paper, not me. Purchased this way.

So unscrewed all 8 screws on the side of the frame and the wooden insert just popped out. It has "Karlebach" written on the side, from the framer.



Picture itself is on some kind of board:



And behind that, cardboard, but something written on that which suggests this was an order. "Berlin, no mat", plus the size. (Berlin being what I believe the former owner's last name was.)


Would have been framed around 50 years ago.

So the main thing from this exercise, I think someone brought this piece in for framing rather than it being something they were selling.

Still open to suggestions, without knowing the artist, hard to say what to do. Thanks for the thoughts!

 

So, who was Hortense Berlin?.....the former owner????

 

Yes, guessing that was the former owner.