Watercolor or gouache painting possibly Illustrator Andre Francois (1915-2005)?

I was hoping someone could help me with this interesting $4 painting of a young woman signed Francois....there is also a 'secret' word or name in the top left of the painting. I haven't been able to make it out...perhaps 'Felicity"?

The signature does not look like the Andre Francois signatures on the New Yorker covers...but I know that artist's signatures can change over the years. The artwork does have an illustrative quality, and so I was hoping to get some opinions.

 

It's difficult to tell for sure under the glass but the black looks more like India ink applied with a large bamboo brush (or similar type of brush). I cannot tell if the small colored parts are watercolor or gouache but that isn't going to make much difference in your description.

I don't think this was a professional illustrator, but more likely someone doing a fun painting of their daughter or grand-daughter.

Have you tried googling the name, "Manton" yet? I realize the "t" is not crossed separately but I'm at a loss to identify the name and am not a good googler. I think this was done circa 1980s and perhaps more recently, although the frame looks to be 1980s in style. If it is actually a wood frame, I'd put it into the 1980s-1990s era. Nowadays most frames are made of molded materials.

 

Hi! Looking closer...the black appears to be watercolor, and the blue and pink are gouache. I will look for 'manton', any idea on the hidden word?

I find it a bit racy for Daddy's little girl , but maybe a sidewalk painter or such.

I have to take it out of the frame and repaper the back, so I'll let you know if I find anything else. Thanks for looking!

 

Good! Please do let us know what find.

 

Other possibilities are Manlon or Manion (with no dot on the i)... I found a few artists under the latter name, but the works I can see don't look similar enough to this one.

 

There are quite a lot of mid century looking big eyed girl paintings by Francois with a sig that looks like yours. They all seem to also have Paris so I'm guessing that is the other word. This looks more like a sketch than a finished work compared to the others online and on ebay.

 

Excellent! Same frame and everything. Wow. I am amazed at your search powers...I will try googling mid century big eye painting by francois.

Thank you all so much for your help. Great board!

 

Francois Paris painting is all you really need to pull up quite a few.

 

So glad that you found the answer. You had the name right all along, cartoongirl!

 

To me she looks akin to Playboy's femlin (not the same though).

 

Good catch Sis, glad Cartoongirl was correct although I never saw "Francois" in the signature of the first painting.

The example (Sis) found looks more childish and unprofessional of a painting style than Cartoongirl's but yes I do think the same artist painted both.

 

The mid century discovery by scientists that 'big eyes' worked their magic on the old animal brain buried under the reasoning brain was the cause of a rash of 'big eye' paintings around that period, since artists will do anything to sell their work, and appealing to the buyer's unconscious was as good a way as any.

Looked at with the eye of reason, they are all pretty badly deformed.

 

Ha, afantiques! Perhaps that's why I bought her....she looked so forlorn on the thrift store wall...that and the $4.00 sticker. Figured there could be a profit there.

antidiem...it does look more professional, doesn't it?

moreotherstuff...I never knew the playboy cartoon girl was called 'Femlin'. How delightfully politically incorrect for the era. She looks kinda like a showgirl to me.

Thanks again, everyone. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

 

I have a painting of the same ilk (Goldstein - 1966), the very big difference being that mine is by no one in particular while yours by a known artist. And that does make all the difference.

 

So true, Bob.

Cartoongirl, I apologize that I didn't see where you said yours was signed, is it signed on the back? Wondering what siggy to look for it..?

My brain isn't working right, I should just stop now.
.

 

I remember Keane did the big eyed paintings too.