Unknown Painting...

that's a funny R...!

 

Hi 'Nuff. Normally I would bow to your much greater experience with art, but given how clearly the signature on Daniel's piece says Jost and not Rost and the fact that I cannot find any reference to Rost doing etchings of landscape locations outside the US, I am curious how you came to this conclusion.

 

There is no such artist/etcher with the last name 'Jost' that I know of or could find other then the Swiss artist: 'Jost Amman (1539 - 1591)'.

The signature is a forgery most likely signed by his former publisher/agents: 'Fishel, Adler and Schwartz Co'.

There is reference of him working outside the US.

Small bio below as per the 'Farm House Museum ~ Iowa State Univ.'

"Ernest was born January 20, 1866, at Mt. Vernon, N.Y. and was probably the son of Christan Rost (a locally known engraver) and Minna M. Rost. Nothing is known of his childhood except he was the fourth of six children in the family. By the mid-1880’s E.C. Rost was exhibiting landscapes in oil at the National Academy of Design, New York City. After 1887 his oil painting stopped and by 1891 etching became his primary occupation. Today, the Library of Congress (Prints and Photographs Division) maintains 63 etchings signed ‘Ernest C. Rost’ or ‘E. C. Rost’, with dates running from 1891 to 1896. These often portray country lanes, cottages, rural scenes, sea, river and bayside settings, mostly in New York State, but several depict homes of famous statesmen and writers. With the outbreak of the Spainish-American War, Rost was sent by the U.S. War Department to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, and Guam as a civilian photographer of military operations and installations. Today, 21 photographs taken by E. C. Rost of these islands are held by the National Archives (Audio-Visual Division), while still another 26 photographs, all of Cuba, are held by the Library of Congress. In 1894 he sued his agents, Fishel, Adler and Schwartz Co. for the sale of his etchings as artist’s proofs to which his signature had been forged. He went to the shop and bought 2 of these fo $.90 each, whereas Ernest testified that they were worth $5 each. He was so angered by the lawsuit experience that he never again etched. By 1898 Rost had apparrently given up etching and entered photography full-time. Still, photography was not his only occupation during this time period, for he began writing, too. Between 1899 and 1900, at least 7 articles by Rost appeared in the popular ‘Leaslie’s Illustrated Weekly Newspaper"

 

Also, I could be just wrong. Nothing wrong with being wrong sometimes.

 

Thanks, 'Nuff. I had seen that bio from Iowa State quoted in a genforum post, including the forgery allegation but didn't think that the "forged" reference equated to the signature having a different surname. Could be. Especially because there appears to be only 1 other artwork with this name.

It's an interesting theory. Just wish there was another copy of the image that actually had Rost's signature on it (or in the plate as others do.)

 

Ok so its probable that the signature is a Forgery... and the real artist could be E C Rost?

 

I don't know about "probable" but theoretically possible.

Out of curiosity, is there anything like initials, a date or a name over on the lower left side of the image itself?

 

At this point I'm going to say no, not a forgery.

When first viewing your item and the sig, my thoughts instantly turned to American artist: Ernest C. Rost.

I've only been able to find 3 etchings with the name "E.C. Jost" given as the artist. Each image or description seem to match the same subject matter, Venice.

 

@Baker, I'm finding nothing on this dude (Jost) whatsoever.

 

I can't find any other markings on the piece. But we did take it down and this is the back...

 

Here's a smidgen of info on the "forgery" allegations. Hopefully the link I attach will work for you. Contained within an article about a Rost work donated to an historical society, it says that a Rost family rep. told them that Fishel, Adler and Schwartz had an office boy sign "rejected" copies with Rost's name, which were then sold as if he had approved them. You'll have to scroll down in the newsletter to about the third page to see.

http://www.goshenhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-March-April.pdf

There are lots of queries about Rost's work having the Fishel, Adler and Schwartz name as publisher or copyright in the upper margin. Not knowing when the view of Venice was done (except the claim in the bio 'Nuff copied here that Rost did no etchings after the lawsuit) I suppose it is possible that he engaged another firm for printing and perhaps? signed with the altered name to avoid a contract problem with his former agents?

 

I love a good mystery!

 

Daniel - one more question. I've found 3 auction results (since 2001 and most recent 2014) for a copy of this image. If you don't mind sharing, how did this one come into your possession?

 

No, the piece was bought in 1990 from an Antique Dealer, for around 300$

 

Ok. So that means there are more of the same and not the same one making the rounds. All of them signed Jost.

Daniel - if you plan to get this rematted and potentially de-acidified, you'll be able to see it outside of the frame and that might give you (and us) some new clues.

 

Ok!

 

If it was a forgery, why would the name be changed? There is no way that's an R. It's definitely a J

 

Why do I see an N at the end of the name???

 

Shiloh, that upward curve at the "backside" of the straight line of the "t" is an "old" way of "crossing" a "t" (it doesn't require the lifting of a pen or pencil to cross the "t"). It is a way to "cross a t" only if the "t" falls at the end of a word.

EDIT: I should have specified that the "upward curve" crossing of a "t" is used in cursive writing only.

I have, over many many moons, used that form of crossing a "t" usually for one of two reasons: either I was in a hurry to get something written down or because it looks graceful in cursive handwriting when sending a personal note to someone.

 

There's a t at the end of my name and I've always made it that way.