Featured Almost Real

Picked up this portrait today. I had to quadruple check it as it looks SO REAL. Signature partially rubbed off a little but on the back it looks like it’s Dutch as the stamp appears to be the framer and not the gallery. Frame is super super heavy and in my opinion very high quality. Any thoughts?

 

The art gallery was in Chemnitz, Germany. The Fernsprecher number at the bottom is the gallery phone number. Beyond that, dunno.

 

I think that’s the framer not the gallery

 

For the sig I'm reading "M Loose 19". Does your title 'almost real' mean that it's a print or an incredibly life-like painting?

 

Could it be Hans Looschen?

 

There is a German artist Max Loose, born 1869.

 

The siggy looks like Max Loose.
"Siena, Piazza di Campo with view of the Cathedral Tower", signature lower right:



"Leipzig", signature lower left:


https://www.invaluable.com/artist/loose-max-54tn50zxgg/

And Max Loose lived in Leipzig (Leutzsch), which is not too far from Chemnitz.

 

I think you all figured it out! This is pretty cool. Not everyday you get to own a nice portrait from the 1800s. THANK YOU ALL

 

I wondered that too!
Fabulous portrait!

 

So glad to see you back

 

at the time when Kamprath was still doing business, they didn't differ between framer and art dealer and gilder; all in the same shop.
they also organised exhibitions.
the phone no. is sometimes useful to define an era but quite complicated because bigger cities had longer numbers. as Chemnitz was an important industrial city with over 300'000 people in the 1930s the number could be late 1920s.
although Max Loose was an academic painter I don't think it will be worth a fortune; without an exact name of the person shown it remains a bread and butter job.
https://www.mageda.de/az_1.php?knr=1771&name=loose&pid={pid}&step=2

 

I mean the painting in person is so good that it looks like a photo! It’s excellent

 

This is really helpful background. Finding out who this is will be a challenge for sure. Maybe a prominent church official?

 

Heickmann in Chemnitz would be the best place to ask. but it seems they are busy with preparations for the next auction; or the English button is broke.... I was there several times and know that he has listed many local artists from the east.
I just sent him a mail with a pic. let's have a look if he reacts at all.

 

You all have him nailed down......Well done!! I was able to invert & lighten the signature as well with the priest/minister.....I don't understand the numbers or what's written after the name, but then that's not for me to understand maybe!! Possibly an illegible date below.....meant to add I love the painting as well!!!

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Thank you for doing this! I was thinking maybe it’s a date but hard to tell in person as well

 

Really appreciate you doing this!! Let’s see if anything comes from it! I’ve never really been into portraits but this one was just too good to pass up.

 

I'd be thinking preacher too or an academic. This is the sort of portrait old schools and churches here still have hanging on their walls. He's not wearing the typical dog collar, so likely a headmaster or some such.