Thrift Store Find - 2 old paintings, looks like Alfonse Mucha but unsigned; worth $100 asking price?

I saw these in my friend's office (he's the manager of a local thrift store). When I asked what he wanted for them he told me $100 each and when I expressed surprise he replied "Look how old they are"
I told him they weren't even signed & would he take $100 for both - and he told me maybe, if they haven't sold in a week.
I did get him to agree to keep them in his office until I could check with antiquers.com!
So guys, do you think they are worth $100 each? They reminded me immediately of Alfonse Mucha - which may be what is blinding me if everyone says they are no good (or 'factory' paintings!)
I appreciate any thoughts on these (and I apologize for quality; I had to use my cell phone)- I have till tomorrow morning before they go out on the store's floor.
Thank you!

 

Beats me, but they sure are pretty.

 

Definitely not Mucha. If they are paintings, I would expect that gold background to be tooled. You should see the texture.

 

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...-a-dark-haired-beauty-in-news-photo/624469640
Gold background looks similar?

 

Agree, definitely not Mucha.

 

Sure does look similar. If you look at back of canvas you can see where there is a impression(?) from background (especially one on left)?
Also I looked at it with a magnifying glass and I could see where the paint is starting to crack, but it's not bad yet.
Would anyone buy them for $100 each (or more since I'd buy to resell!)

 

Agree - but made me think of him.

 

You don't say how big they are, and from these photos I'm not even seeing canvas, though those do look like proper stretchers.

I'm not the one to advise on whether you should buy or not. You're the one who has the hands-on access.

 

Guessing from memory & without measuring them - 20" x 12" ? They also have a larger frame with each that they go into

 

What age would you think they are from? (thanks)

 

What does the larger frame look like?

Debora

 

Idle guess is late 19th C., could be as early as the 1880s, I doubt that they would be later than the very early 1900s.

That background decoration doesn't look Japanese, but the inclusion of asymmetrical elements could be left over from Japonism, just as the costumes might be an echo of Orientalism.

I don't trust these photos, but a detail like this suggests these may be chromolithographs:


That sort of speckled toning can be an indication of chromolithography. You want to take a good close look with a magnifying glass, but again: you're the one with the hands-on access and whether you believe them to be paintings or not is your call.

 

Those appear to be two panels of four, depicting the seasons. I see Spring with the floral branches and Fall with the grapes.

Debora

 

Here's a full set of something similar.

Debora

 

I had this print of Psyche and Zephyrus:


A large print, about 20" high. The thing is: the background was matte, but the figures were high gloss.


The reason I show it is to illustrate how one image could be superimposed over a separately printed and differently textured background.

 

Same type of frame construction on this similar painting.
https://www.worldauctiongallery.com...ding-music-book-w-gold-background_2924CC3AD9/

 

I wonder if his photos were just taken at low resolution or with a limited color palette? Almost looks like digital aliasing to me.

 

Taken with my phone but they wouldn't open here so I put them into a gif(?) converter online

 

Would like $100.00 for the pair much better than for each. Is the background really painted? Almost look like they are painted on gold wallpaper or something similar. Execution of the figures is good but not great. Certainly, a nice attempt. Hard to say if there is much room in them at $100.00 each. Not the kind of thing you run across every day so you might find someone willing to spring for them at good profit.