Deciphering Signature Difficulty

I work at a Thrift Shop and this picture/drawing/print was donated recently and came across my desk to be priced. In attempting to look up its value, I have really struggled to decipher the signature on this work of art. My manager thought the first letter looked like an "S" and the last like an "R", but it is rather difficult to tell - especially since, at second glance, it appears to not be in cursive. I am open to any suggestions on who you think is the author of this beautiful work of art is and if anyone has a thought on what it might be worth.

Thank you for your time and thoughts,

Joshua

 

Welcome, Joshua. I'm afraid that it will be awfully hard to figure out the signature without a closeup picture of it.

 

It's either going to be by Charles Dana Gibson or someone inspired by his work.

Debora

 

Inspired by - definitely not Gibson in the siggy.

 

Here's a copy of Gibson's signature for comparison.

Debora

 

Where? Never mind...

 

And here's information on some of the artist's Gibson inspired.

https://giam.typepad.com/100_years_of_illustration/charles_dana_gibson_and_his_imitators/

Debora

 

Apologies.

Debora

 

Here is a close up of the signature

 

No need. I was impatient lol

 

She definitely LOOKS familiar!! To me, that signature Looks like S ? R.....just not sure of the middle letter.......AND WELCOME to ANTIQUERS, Joshua!!

 

Gibson could draw - this person can't. Price it to sell - it also had a stain from the old backboard so make it cheap.

 

Ditto

 

It looks like something by a student of a commercial art course in the first half of the 20th century. They had to learn to draw lifelike but with a commercial appeal, in a time when magazines used drawings instead of photos.

 

The problem is... Your work is of a Gibson Girl and if it's not by Gibson himself, could be by anyone imitating his style. I think she's lovely but could, as noted above, be the work of a commercial illustrator. (Period magazines were filled with these types of images.) Also, you're not clear as to whether a print or a drawing. You'll have to determine which as impacts value.

Fyi, Joshua... We really like to see photographs of art pieces both front and back and including frame. Along with close-up photographs of signature and any labels, stickers or markings. (Sometimes, for instance, a frame is more valuable than what's in it.)

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

And, finally... Welcome!

Debora

 

Think I can see dots, especially on the siggie pic. Have you examined it with a magnifying glass?

 

Dots would settle it. Oh, and size. We always need to know size, Joshua.

Debora

 

Initials SDR, perhaps? It probably won't matter. I agree with all of the above posts.