Featured Venetian aquatint

Small print picked on the roadside for free in a nice period frame (50s or earlier). Signed very small in the plate only. Can't find the artist. Metter is what I see but am not 100% sure. Any ideas?

 

Mettel?

 

She's wearing a robe de style with a pannier. 1920s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robe_de_style

Debora

 

Mettee?

I like the sketchy quality and the nice framed focal point of the musician.

 

I am finding an A. F. Mettel and an A. L. Mettel (or is it Al Mettel?) that are possibilities. Think this might be the right track.

 

Seems to be Al Mettel. He puts an accent after his name that my print signature also has. Here is an example of another plate signature of his.

 

I'd be a bit suspicious about Al Mettel. There are a lot of works (depicting a variety of signatures and locations) on the internet credited to him but no biographical information to be found. I'm wondering if everyone got their information from this 1959 Catalog of Copyright Entries which lists an Al Mettel. I'd suspect they were decorative paintings produced by B&B over a number of years.

Debora

 

Interesting. I am finding a large body of work depicting places from all over the world. Though, this is the only one of Venice I am finding. Also, finding no biographical information. You may very well be right.

 

Seems A. F. Mettel and Al Mettel are one in the same, if exists at all. The A. F. Mettel works often have some information about the work on the back with the artist's name clearly printed, A. F. Mettel. Again, no biographical information to be found.



Vintage Etching of York Minster by A.F. Mettel - Etsy

 

I'd be thinking this was a souvenir or decorator piece of some kind. It's attractive though.

 

Decorator pieces to my eye. The type of thing sold in department stores to a somewhat more sophisticated buyer.

Debora

 

Of course... The B & B is Brown & Bigelow. Think we've seen them here before. Here's what little is accessible of their web archive. Mettal is listed as "Al" which may be where the diminutive started.

https://web.archive.org/web/2016011...hant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=WAW

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_&_Bigelow

Debora

 

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I found an artist called Alexander F Mettel. Born Minnesota 26 November 1893, of Polish-born parents . In the 1930 census he's living in Minneapolis. His occupation is given as "Artist" and his industry as "Art Publication". Several immigration records, so obviously travelled abroad a fair bit. His 1942 draft registration gives his middle name as "Fort". By 1950 he'd moved to Tucson, Arizona, and is described as an "artist-etcher". Died 1958.

His First World war draft card however gives his birth as 26 November 1890, and his marriage record as born c. 1891.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HAZhAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA44&dq=alexander+f+mettel&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwitkbHyroOIAxVeYEEAHRS7JhcQ6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=alexander f mettel&f=false


His car!
https://virtualconcours.net/gallery/picture.php?/661

 

I think you've solved an internet mystery. The family home in Minneapolis in 1930 valued at $8,000. And in answer to the question "Radio set," they answered Yes.

Debora

 

Wonderful! Guy was certainly prolific and must have made a living producing these etchings. Love his car!!!!!

 

Further support that his work was decorative. Middle initial "L." here. And working for a different publisher.

Debora

 

Found this in a Pinterest post. Lists him as Alexander Fort Mettel. Life dates seem to confirm 1893-1958. Have not been able to track down the actual obituary without subscribing to a newspaper archive.....

".... his obituary that was published on June 30, 1958 in the Tucson (Arizona) Daily Citizen newspaper. It states that he was a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota and died at age 65 in Tucson. They cited him as “an internationally known artist.” He worked for many years for Brown and Bigelow, a publishing company in Minnesota."

 

The immigration notices are interesting. Although there are several most seem to refer to trips to Canada or one voyage to Europe: in 1936 he arrived in Boston with his wife and daughter from Naples.

 

His wife's father was born in Canada. Likely visits to family.

Debora