This unframed 20" by 24" oil on canvas landscape painting is something of a mystery. It is signed "J.V.C." and dated 1851 at lower left (see very close up photos), and on the wood stretcher on the reverse is incised "John V. Cornell New York". I believe there is an excellent possibility that this is a work by the historical New York painter John V. Cornell but I cannot prove it...

An American 19th century oil on canvas still life, circa 1870-1890, measuring 10" by 16" (12 1/2" by 18 1/2" as framed), unsigned, featuring a metal pot with green and red apples, a pitcher, and a glass, in the classic style of nineteenth century American still life art. I wish the artist had signed his or her work, as he or she was quite skilled. The painting has a patch on the reverse, approximately 3 1/2" by 2", corresponding to a repair in the red apple...

This is a stunning, classic plein air style seascape painting (24" by 30", 29 1/2" by 33 1/2" as framed) signed at lower left by California master artist HENRY LEOPOLD RICHTER (1870-1960). A probable original title, "SURF", is written on the stretcher. The handling of color, motion, and especially the balance of sunlight and shadow is quite impressive. Having viewed a number of other works by the artist online, this one really seems to stand out...

Oil on canvasboard painting titled on backing paper "LAVISH FALL PALETTE/LONGS PEAK", signed at lower right by artist RUTH ERWIN (1904-1994). The work, featuring flaming aspen in the Colorado high country in high autumn, a view to monumental Longs Peak in the distance, measures 10" by 8" (18 1/2" by 16" framed). I've gathered a few nuggets of information on the artist through the net...

Oil on canvas, 18" by 25" (19 1/2" by 26 1/2" as framed) signed lower left "F. Glyndon". This is a nicely painted landscape of the edge of the forest, with pink blossoms on one of the trees, by FRANK GLYNDON (1847-1937). Glyndon was born in Prague, Bohemia and arrived in New York by ship from Liverpool in 1892. Shortly after 1900, Glyndon lived in Alameda, California. He was known for genre, landscapes, and portrait paintings...

Oil on canvas nocturne style painting of a wave, 24" by 30" (28" by 34" as framed) by listed California artist ERNEST BROWNING SMITH (1866-1951). Smith is a familiar artist on the plein air scene and I believe his works are presently underrated in the marketplace. The artist had a trademark style; often the scenes in my experience are simplified, devoid of figures, and in a limited color palette. This nocturne is executed in shades of blue...

Oil on panel, 9 1/4" by 12 1/2" (14 1/4" by 17 1/4" as framed), signed at lower left in red "Karla Mirabal", and inscribed on label on reverse, "Judge M. R. Mirabal Homestead in New Mexico" "Artist Karla King--So Calif and New Mexico--Artists of West--WHAA". This is probably of historical interest, depicting as it does an early home. The work is very impasto and impressionistic. The painting is a bit soiled but could be placed on the wall as is. Note the two young girls on the porch.

Oil on canvas, 24" by 36" (28" by 39" as framed), UNSIGNED, but certainly by the popular listed California artist HERBERT SARTELLE (1885-1955) (I will stand by this). This is a classic mountain scene favored by the artist (he seems to have painted that particular mountain over and over again), with large eucalyptus trees and a lake with distant mountains, all executed in Sartelle's unique impressionistic style and characteristic color palette. The painting probably dates to the 1940s or 1950s...

A well-painted oil on canvas (laid on board), 19 1/4" by 25 1/4" in later silvery-gold frame, signed at lower left "Lillian Reynolds" and dated there 1953. The scene is the timeless, shifting sands of the California desert, likely in the Palm Springs region. There does not appear to be information on an artist by this name, but that does not mean that she was not talented. There are a few light surface scratches and light soiling naturally accumulated over sixty plus years...

Finely painted oil on canvas still life of beautiful red apples spilling from a basket, 10" by 12", 15 3/4" by 17 3/4" framed, signed lower right by the noted American painter, ELBRIDGE AYER BURBANK (1858-1949). The work is in the tradition of many others who painted fruit, from the Fall River School of Massachusetts, through such artists as William McCloskey, Edward Chalmers Leavitt, and Levi Wells Prentice...

Oil on canvas painting of a forest interior in browns and greens, 14" by 20", unframed, signed at lower left by the noted American late 19th century painter ARTHUR PARTON (1842-1914). Parton was born on the Hudson River and went on to become a well known painter of that river and the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains. He is described as a second generation Hudson River painter, who also moved into impressionism and Tonalism...

A late 19th century small oil on artist board, unsigned, the subject a quiet glen with small waterfall and pond or creek in a forest. The work measures 14 1/2" by 9 1/2" in likely the original gold frame (now with a missing area at top right corner). A cleaning would work wonders. Old Kansas City framer's label and art board shows a Chicago origin.

(ONE OF SEVERAL BY MERRIAM IN MY SHOP) An oil on canvas, 30" by 40", unframed), the subject a Southern California desert mountain wash and canyon, a cluster of desert palms grouped towards the center of the composition, the painting unsigned by undoubtedly by the talented California painter JAMES MERRIAM (1880-1951). This brushstrokes, size and subject matter of this particular example is very typical of the artist's work; I will stand by its being "a Merriam". Merriam was born in Canada and was...

Oil on masonite double sided unframed painting, 23 7/8" by 19 1/2", signed in orange at lower right "H.H. SHAW", the subject on one side six figures, a man, bare breasted women and children, in an obviously tropical village, the other side three figures, the woman bare breasted. This is a painting by listed American artist HARRY HUTCHINSON SHAW (1897-1989). Shaw is today most closely associated with Florida and Pennsylvania. In the course of a long life, worked generally in an impressionistic...

This is an oil on canvas, 20" by 30", signed at lower right "J.B. Radway", who was a 19th century California listed artist, (JESSE B. RADWAY, 1826-c. 1905), but the subject is given on the stretcher as "on the North Cheyenne, Col.". According to the Hughes listing, Radway was born in New York in 1826, and was a resident of Silver Lake, Kansas in 1880, Topeka, Kansas in 1884-85, Alameda, California in 1887, and Vineland, New Jersey in 1900. He is believed to have died in New Jersey in about 1905...

This is a beautiful, elegant, understated winter landscape oil painting on panel, signed at lower right by noted Avon, Connecticut impressionist painter CONSTANT RAPHAEL FURRICK (1888-1966), measuring 11 1/2" by 15 1/2" (19" by 23" as framed). Strangely, considering the quality of the work, there seems to be little information available on the artist. He was I believe born in Poland. Furrick's work is scarce, with few auction records. This example of a somber snow covered field bordered by ...

This is an oil on canvas painting (measuring 7 3/4" by 9 3/4", plus very thin simple wood frame), laid down on a board, by the noted Northern California artist JOHN HENRY RAMM (1879-1948). It is titled on the reverse in the artist's own distinctive handwriting "Looking Down Bush Street" and initialed and dated 1930 (not signed on front, but, this is definitely the artist's way of signing; I have handled a number of his works in the past). I am personally very familiar with downtown San Franc...

Oil on canvas painting of yellow roses and fruit in a blue vase, 18" by 24" (27" by 33" in original frame), signed at lower left and signed again and titled "Yellow Roses & Fruit" on reverse, along with the artist's then-address at 330 South Coast Blvd. (now called South Coast Highway) in Laguna Beach, California. This is an excellent example of Kerr's work, likely dating to the 1960's when he had a gallery in Laguna before moving to Mendocino County in Northern California. Kerr was born i...