A PAIR of American oil on board mountain landscapes, each 23 1/2" by 11 3/4" (29 1/2" by 17 1/2" framed), both signed at lower corner A. A. Baker. There does not seem to be biographical information on the Hudson River-inspired artist, who likely painted these in the mid 1880's. It is doubtful that they have ever been cleaned. There is a smell of smoke. One has a 1" puncture of the board (in the tree at right), the pressure having come from the reverse side; the piece remains attached...

Purchased some years ago in Florida, this is an unusual work, possibly some kind of enamel work (I am guessing----shiny hard surface with relief, mimicking enamel surfaces I have seen), 5" by 13", 21" by 25" in gold frame with wide maroon velvet matting, signed with conjoined small "HR" at top right, and signed again on reverse "Hugo Robus 1954"...

Painting of various complete southwestern pottery vessels, and a broken shard of one, all seemingly floating weightless in an intentionally poorly defined space, all painted in a hyperrealist style, signed at lower right "Doyle" and dated 2005 with copyright symbol. A label on the reverse gives the artist's full name, Ed Doyle, the title, "The First Shard", and the original price, $1000. The oil on canvas on board measures 23 5/8" by 23 5/8" and 30" by 30" as framed...

An oil on fine weave canvas featuring a Mediterranean-looking coastal village, 12 1/2" by 19 1/2" (18" by 25" as framed), signed at lower right by the noted Armenian artist VARTAN MAHOKIAN (also known as Wartan MAKHOKIAN, or combinations thereof), born in Trabzon on present-day northeast Turkey's Black Sea coast in 1869, died in 1937 in Nice, France. The painting shows two small sailing craft, one towing a dinghy, off of a whitewashed fishing village...

A circa late 1930's to early 1940's painting titled on the reverse "Molas Lake and Needle Mountains, Silverton Colorado", signed at lower right by artist C. H. Rising. The oil on canvas measures 12" by 16" and is unframed. A light cleaning would be helpful but you could just throw a regular sized frame around this and enjoy it on your wall. Nicely executed work by a talented yet apparently unknown artist. The mountains are well painted, streaked with snow of the previous winter...

A very appealing small forest interior painting on board, 9" by 11" (12" by 14" in modern day gold framing), unsigned on front but on reverse in old hand is written (difficult to decipher) "near XXX farm Hampstead Heath/Oct. 3 1908 5 PM/P. P. (XXXX)". The word after P.P. is the last name of the artist but it has defied my efforts to make it out. The scene is painted in luminous tan colors with light grayish green and cream here and there, all in a very impressionistic blond to silvery light...

Set of THREE Italian circa 1946 paintings on canvas, in decorative gold matching frames, unsigned, each 9" by 11 1/4" as framed, the subject familiar scenes of Venice, executed in the classical eighteenth century style of Canaletto or Guardi. These works were commonly produced for the tourist trade by talented artists. This set evidently dates to the immediate post-war period, as one bears a date stamp on reverse, 3 Ottobre 1946 and a "Made in Italy" circular sticker...

Oil on board painting of a peaceful lake surrounded by forest and peaks in the distance, 11" by 18" (16 1/4" by 23 1/2" in wood frame), unsigned, circa late 1940's to 1950 or so, but executed in an earlier style that goes back to the early years of the century. These freely executed impressionistic works met the demand for affordable original art in the first half of the 20th century, and many are still around, though they have suffered the ravages of time...

Very large (36" by 23 1/2", 45" by 33" framed), decorative, attention-getting squarely Mid Century oil on canvas of two "Big Eye" children, painted in his usual whimsical fashion, by the French mid century impressionist artist ROGER ETIENNE (1922-2011). The painting is signed at lower left by the artist and dated there 1973...

A classic work of 19th century American art: oil on artist's board painting of an elderly lady, apparently lost in thought, as she contemplates a bill and a paltry few coins in her palm, the proceeds from her sales of apples at two cents apiece (they seen in the right background). The 11 1/2" by 9 1/2" oval shaped painting (14" by 11 3/4" in the frame) is signed at right center "C. C. Markham" (CHARLES COLE MARKHAM, 1837-1907)...

A colorful and whimsical painting of tropical fruits in a basket, two birds adding to the charm, signed at lower right by early Haitian artist ANDRE SATURNE (1927-1983). The work is painted on board and measures 15 1/2" by 19 1/2" (19" by 23" framed in wood with gold leaf inner portion). Saturne was born in Petionville, a Port-au-Prince suburb. He attended the now-famous Centre d'Art in 1956 when the Haitian art movement as we know it today was just beginning to come together. Saturne was in...

A very decorative and beautifully painted oil on canvas of a black woman's head in profile, a focal point being the finely painted pearl earring near the center of the composition, signed at lower left "GRAHAME" dated there 87, and with title on stretcher "Le Pendentif" (The Pendant). Note the artistic license the artist has taken with his interpretation of the hair area. The painter is celebrated Belgian artist PIERRE GRAHAME (1938-1996), who passed away at the young age of 57. Grahame was k...

Oil on masonite highly detailed still life painting of a cut melon, apples of various colors surrounding it on a table, a spilled salt shaker and knife completing the arrangement. The work, 16" by 20" (24" by 28" framed), likely dates to the 1970's and as such would be one of the earlier works by this artist. Katon was born in Michigan and received a B.A. from Ursuline College in Ohio. For many years he has been a resident of Southern California, where he is a familiar figure in the arts comm...

American (likely California) oil on canvas painting, 5" by 4" (8 3/4" by 7 5/8" in stained oak period frame), signed at upper right corner with initials "M.W." and dated there '87 (or, possibly, '97). Stamped on the stretcher is "Fred Rhoda/Fruitvale, Cal", and written in pencil in an old hand is " Whitney"; we can probably assume therefore that the artist is one M. Whitney. A googling of the stamped name shows Fred Rhoda (1810-1886) was a Civil War veteran who owned some 400 acres in the Oakl...

An oil on canvas, 12" by 16" and 16 1/2" by 20" in dark stained wood frame, featuring a number of women in a colorful tropical village, carrying baskets of tropical fruits (possibly papayas). The artist signed at bottom right "Paul". The work probably dates to the 1970's or 1980's. A colorful addition to any room. Very slight wear on frame and tiny white area in sky is a spot of disturbed paint.

Unframed oil on paper on board painting of a desert Southwest landscape, 8 1/2" by 12", signed at lower right M. Edwards. The painting probably dates to the 1920's or 1930's I would guess. It has accumulated a lot of soiling and varnish has yellowed, so it desperately needs a cleaning. Note the left extreme edge, which must have been behind a frame, to get some idea of the potential after cleaning. There is also a small dig at right edge, and upper right corner of the paper is missing. This...

A wonderful oil painting on canvasboard in naive/primitive style, 12" by 16" and featuring happy children sledding down a hill in Central Park in New York City one cold winter afternoon near dusk. The work is titled at lower right "Central Park" and is signed at lower left by artist MARY RUBY ORKIN (1894-1987). On the reverse is written "Copyrighted 1958 by Mark Orkin/Central Park West NYC 10023/#7 Sledding Hill at Sunset behind the Met". Note details like the piston airplane in the sky at le...

Oil on board painting of a Mediterranean-looking coastline, 6 1/2" by 10 1/4" (11 3/4" by 16" framed), unsigned, the luminous sunshine handled with considerable skill. This needs only a signature to propel it to stardom; it's really a shame that the artist did not affix his or her name. I suppose this could be Southern California but the buildings don't match up with any coastal locale that comes to mind. I believe the work could date to the 1920's or 1930's. Condition is very good save for ...