A watercolor on paper of a fruit seller’s stall or shop with a display of many different fruits while the merchant weighs fruit for two children, a woman turns away with figs in her basket and a young man in the shadows of the awning looks out, perhaps at the young woman with the figs. The watercolor shows touches of gouache and a few places the dark heightened with gum arabic. The paper is 13 ½ x 16 ¾ inches (34 x 42 cm) and the mat opening is 11 ¼ x/14 ¼ (28.5 x 36 cm)...

A detailed watercolor over ink and slight highlighting with gum Arabic of a man with a donkey loaded with two conical panniers of fresh vegetables approaching a man working at a board over a large cask of water with a stand of fresh vegetables behind him. The man with the donkey is probably from the country and trying to sell his produce to the stall owner. The page is roughly 12 7/8 x 16 5/8 inches (33 x 42 cm). The opening for the image is 11 ¼ x 14 ¼ inches (28.5 x 36 cm)...

A pretty watercolor of a lakeshore, titled on backing "Reservoir Cristaline/France", signed at lower right illegibly and dated 1959. The work measures 12" by 15 1/4" inside the mat and 21" by 24" in a gold frame. The signature reads something like "B N Fleur" or "Fleury" but to date despite considerable efforts in that direction, I have not been able to identify the obviously talented artist. Watercolor is in excellent condition, frame has wear, especially on bottom and right sides...

Circa 1960's drip painting on paper, 22 1/2" by 18", unsigned, mounted to a thin board. This is not a Jackson Pollock or Sam Francis, but it is a work of art and it has age. The thin paper is glued down at least at the edges and possibly in the center as well. The paper is browned where it has been under the mat for many years, (about 1 3/4" to about 1/2") and there is puckering where the paper has been glued...

This appears to be an original painting on silk, circa 1960's or 1970's, 15" by 17 1/4" framed, Chinese calligraphy and red seal at left. I say "appears" because there is a Windsor Art Products label on the reverse, suggesting this would be a print or multiple of some type. Having examined it very closely, however, it does still look to me like original work, and not a silkscreen. I believe that original work was sold by Windsor, it having paid artists to create art in bulk...

A drawing with ink, pencil, watercolor and gouache on laid paper depicting a harbor scene very much in the manner of the French artist Claude Vernet (1714-1789). Perhaps there is a print source for this drawing. The work is signed in the lower right, “Tho. Ryves. 1770.” The most likely artist is either the father Thomas Ryves (1721-1788) or his son Thomas (born 1753) from the distinguished Dorset, England family...

Watercolor on paper painting of a scene in old historical Saint Augustine, Florida, 4 5/8" by 6 1/2" (9 1/2" by 11 1/2" framed) titled on reverse in another hand "Fatio House", and signed at lower left corner by the listed American artist ROY C. CLARK (1889-1956). Clark was born in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, and died in Washington, D.C. Evidently he traveled widely, having studied with W. L...

Original watercolor and ink drawing of a tropical orchid species, 20" by 16 1/2" (24" by 20" in mid 20th century simple framing), the botanical name Onsidium luxidum at lower right in pencil. A window in the reverse backing shows, written on a small piece of paper in brown ink in flowing early hand, "From Nature by T. Allport/Enville Hall April 1834." Enville Hall is today a classic English country estate and manor house in Staffordshire, in west-central England...

A PAIR of very early works (each dated 1889, when the artist would have been in only his mid twenties), each 9 1/2" by 14" (15 1/2" by 19" framed) signed at lower right by Northern California artist JULES MERSFELDER (1865-1937). The pair features coastal scenes of boats off of a coast and several small beached boats with tiny figures. Mersfelder was born in Stockton, east of San Francisco and a gateway to the gold fields...

A circa 1910 watercolor painting of a blue-eyed young girl wearing a light yellow dress, a bow in her red-blonde hair, signed at lower right by Scottish-born, American artist JESSIE FISKEN (1860-1935). Fisken was born in Helensburg, Scotland and came to America with her parents and five siblings in 1888, apparently to the Seattle area (the way paved by her father's brother). By 1890 she was already listed as an artist...

Page from an album. Illustration in Chinese style (Chinoiserie) of a Chinese man with high, woven hat, holding two rods bamboo (?) in his hands. He might he the executioner of punishment of beating by a light stick.

The shades on his clothes and face done in tiny black dots, in imitation of shading in an etching. Black ink and watercolors on Western paper. French or English? Early 19th century.

The style of this watercolor reminds of the small Chinese paintings on rice paper (somet...

Page from an album. Illustration in Chinese style (chinoiserie) of a young Chinese man in white pants and blue tunic, beating a small drum or gong with a stick. His head shaved in the style of the first half of the Qing dynasty, a long very thin tail wound around the back of his head.

The shades on his clothes and face done in tiny black dots, in imitation of shading in an etching. Black ink and watercolors on Western paper. French or English. Early 19th century.

The style of this wa...

Page from an album. Illustration in Chinese style (chinoiserie) of a bearded young Chinese man in a long blue garment and round hat in vogue in the Qing dynasty. In his left hands he holds an open fan with tortoise shell spokes, in his right a red cloth in the other.

The shades on his clothes and face done in tiny black dots, in imitation of shading in an etching. Black ink and watercolors on Western paper. French or English. Early 19th century.

The style of this watercolor reminds...

A contemporary painting by a talented anonymous artist, the subject a church stained glass window, with Gothic arches and impressive detail, including the names of the saints pictured. The work measures 14 1/2" by 11 1/4" (21 1/2" by 18" framed in black). Condition is excellent, I note a tiny chip at lower left frame easily painted black. The artist invested a lot of time in creating this and the former owner installed UV resistant glass to prevent fading. Allow for reflections in a few imag...

A pleasant watercolor painting of a small lake in what appears to be a mountain setting, 8 1/2" by 5 5/8" (13" by 10 1/2" framed), signed at lower left with what appears to be the name Howard B. Smith. I had at first believed this by listed eastern-born, California artist HOWARD E. SMITH (1885-1970), known as an illustrator, portraitist, landscape painter, and etcher. However now I believe this by a Howard B. Smith, who after a google search I have determined to have been somehow associated wi...

By listed Southern California artist BERTHA TOWNSEND COLER (1865-1948), a large, bulk group of unframed works that came from the liquidation of the contents of a Pacific Palisades home, the owners related to the artist. There were many, many works by the artist at the liquidation (see the framed oils elsewhere in my shop), a number of which I procured. Offered here as a group are 23 watercolors (5 double-sided), and one unstretched oil landscape. TWELVE of the works are signed. Measurements ...

A subtly elegant watercolor and ink drawing on a rice-type traditional paper, the subject bare autumn or winter trees around a small body of water, the work signed in characters at lower left, also signed in English "Jim Zhang", and bearing at upper left the red seal of the artist. Measuring 19" by 19 1/2" (28" by 28" in blond wood framing, behind Plexi), the work is tradtional while being contemporary at the same time. Condition is excellent. There is some minor soiling of some type trapped ...

A contemporary watercolor painting of a sailboat, signed at lower right by artist "Seargeant". Measurements are 12" by 10" inside the mat and 19 1/2" by 17 1/2" as nicely framed. Very clean overall, just a very little few specks of soiling on the inside of the non-glare glass, at upper corner. The artist had a good understanding of the wet-on-wet technique, as he used it to advantage in the gray, threatening sky and in the water.