Thoughts on this Old Master Style drawing?

Yeah, I was kind of hoping someone knew something about the ink.

 

Moontymes, it looks very typical of the artwork of George Dureau but without any signature, it's impossible to confirm without finding a reference to that exact sketch. Where did you get this?

http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2014/04/george_dureau_new_orleans_mast.html

 

Hi antidiem! That's interesting that you would make that connection. Personally I don't see it! But thanks for the lead. The drawing is on laid paper so I tend to think the drawing is as old as the paper, though I suppose*some* more contemporary artists have done that, but generally unlikely. The drawing was found in an estate in Nashville. I bought it at the same place that I bought this drawing, which I've researched and identified as being drawn by Benjamin Vautier the Elder:

 

Is it an L or a pound sign? Perhaps it sold somewhere for 8 pounds.

 

That's another lovely one, Moontymes! Did you find the Vautier sketch to be a study for a painting?

OK, back to the first one:
The size and the way the first sketch may have been attached, the wear on the opposite side, make me think it is from a book. I cannot quite see the weave of the laid paper and forgot if you said it has a watermark? This could help to determine if it was from a book and what time period.

If it is an original sketch, it would have been done with india ink (which is very BLACK). If you test it to find it is water soluble, then you have an original sketch which was probably taped up to use as a study. The tape looks white (albeit perhaps yellowed) and looks like paper tape but it's difficult to tell from the small portions I see of it.

It's not uncommon for an artist to use old paper. lol

If you find it is stable oil-based ink, then it is most likely printer's ink. Don't make a scratch on it, a very light sample can be taken without harm. A good artist can help you with this. However, I am going to guess that it is from a book unless you can confirm india ink. I believe the brown "ink" on the back to be from prints stacked on top of one another and not quite dry. I'll go back to take another look at it.

 

Saw some water damage(?) on the right top side of the paper and the ink is not affected, so I believe this to be a book print and doubt that testing it is necessary.

Also it looks to have been partially cut down in size. I cannot tell for sure but the side of the paper looks a bit irregular.

 

Okay...I let an expert in the antique art field take a look at this....it's not a print and is on laid paper, so we know it's at least very early 19th century but date hasn't been pinpointed yet. Just thought you'd like to know what I have found out. Thanks for your replies, especially you antidiem!

 

okey dokey!

 

I agree with Bev, that the L8 was probably a price.

 

Probably comes from some part of the theme "Beheading of the Baptist".
I think it's a copy.

 

The paper looks to be hand made and from 1800 or earlier. Good well made ink does not fade with age. The two marks on the verso are probably a dealer's stock number and price code. This looks to be a sketch for a larger work. If it were mine I would look through etchings and try to find that figure. The style looks very much like Rembrandt so I would start there with his religious subjects. If you find a match don't get too excited because there are many artists copying those old masters but even those have value. Hope that helps.

 

Older laid paper often has much less color change because it didn't contain wood pulp, which is acidic. I have some bookplates from the late 1700s on laid paper that look almost brand new.

They started using wood pulp to make paper around the 1840s.

I'm glad you got confirmation that it's an older drawing. I think it's lovely!