Featured Artist Help

Well, I spent next month's antiquing budget on one item this month, but you know how it is...

As you can see, it's attributed to 'Helene Thompson.' Not sure how whoever wrote that knew it. The frame back seems to say 'Mrs. Thompson.' No signature on the front / image.

Don't know where the date of 1948 comes from, either.

I can find lots of floral lithographs by a Helene Thompson, but no bio info and no paintings. So I once again ask for your help.

The frame shop in Monterrey, CA is now out of business, but that they framed it adds to my feeling that it's a Sierra Nevada-based image.

Found in a Portland, Oregon 2nd-hand shop.

Any and all comments appreciated.

Image itself is 24"x20" (61x51cm)

Thanks!

 

Just a snippet from The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1960:




Debora

 

Thanks Debora. You're so fast!

 

The way 'Mrs. Thompson' is penciled on the frame makes me think the framing job was for her. Wonder if the painting is actually by someone else.

 

Is there anything written here:

 

Interesting idea!

 

Don't think so. Thanks for the idea.

[Edit: don't know why the follow-up pic didn't load...]

 

Pretty easy to remove the canvas from the frame, but no new info discovered.

I'm glad the canvas is tacked and not stapled, at least.



Here's the two lower corners in a little more close-up. I sure don't see any signature.




And one more question: the gold on the frame is in these little patches / segments. That means gold leaf was applied, right? And am I correct that that's a more expensive framing option? That whoever got it framed thought it was worth it?

 

That darker flecking to the frame is typically 1960s/1970s.

Debora

 

Really nice piece and a good price.Here's a few flower lithos that I think (not certain) are by your lady-and they aint cheap,but-it's Chairish
https://www.chairish.com/product/26040735/signed-botanical-lithographs-a-pair

 

Thanks Bosko. Those are nice fer sure.

Hoping this is another CA painting that made its winding way up here to Oregon.

 

Charish.com seller smokin' something. Attractive 1950s decorative prints but... $2,295?!

Debora

 

Yeah, I can't make sense of the pricing structure on that site. Do they just start astronomical and then accept an offer for 1/10 of that?

 

It does happen,here's a piece found 25 yrs ago. It was at a Santa Rosa church rummage-$3 !. This fellow had a studio in Carmel and taught in Portland.
Albert Schroff a regional painter, this piece is abt 12" by 16". Inscription on reverse-'Willamette Valley'.

 

Looks like an area just north of Eugene.

 

It is a nice painting. The way the attribution is written, it appears to have been done long after the painting was painted (assuming a 1948 date). Perhaps when it was framed at a much later date. Agree with Debora that the frame looks circa 1970. The painting itself looks a bit new for 1948 based on the appearance of the back. However, the style of the painting and use of tacks are consistent with the date. It could just have been well kept. The buff-colored linen-type canvas is more typical of European paintings than American. All this said, the attribution could be correct. I just think it will take a lot more research to positively attribute this to Helene Thompson.

 

Thanks for the valuable feedback @verybrad.

 

written on the frame , on the backing paper and the price sticker .......someone sure thinks it's by Helene !!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah--- the store was just going by what was written on the paper. I'm the one who opened up the back paper. Before I bought it, I asked if there was more info inside the paper to support that attribution, but they had no idea.