Painting or tint of a colonial woman with a village in the background
This is a 12 (H) by 11(W) inch framed piece of a woman standing in front of a village scene. This item has been around longer than I can remember. I need to know more about it to dispense with it. There is no glass over the piece. It is sort of grayish and murky, not true black and white. The nails that hold the piece in on the back side under the brown paper are beginning to rust.
unklnown
Other
Maybe
Hi Rhonda,
I know I've seen this image before but I'm not able to recall who did it. I'm fairly certain it's a print of some kind and the name of the artist is probably in the margins but currently obscured by the frame. This very likely has only minimal value but if there's a way you could take it out of the frame and let me know if you see a name or even a title that would probably help crack this mystery.
Thanks a lot!
Delia
Thanks, Rhonda
Do you mind if I ask a couple of friends who are dealers - I'm sure they'll be able to help ID the artist and title...
That would be great. Thank you! :)
This is a reproduction of an illustration titled "Woman Walking in Colonial Town" that
William Ladd Taylor (American, 1854–1926) did for Longfellow's book Evangeline, which was reproduced in 1899 as the cover of an issue of Ladies Home Journal (you can see it here: https://antiqueengravings4u.com/evangeline-the-people-of-longfellow-from-the-ladies-home-journal-1899-original-antique-engraving-aka-print/).
Based on the size of yours and the fact that Taylor's name - which is in the original - is missing from yours suggests to me that it was trimmed and now has pretty nominal value, about $25-35.
Delia:
I followed the link and found the image, and that sent me down a rabbit hole about the inspiration for the story and the Acadians being expelled from Nova Scotia because they would not take an oath to the British and Evangeline being separated from her intended on their wedding day and trying to find him in Canada and later in Louisiana. It was a story Nathanial Hawthorne heard at a gathering but he was not interested -- but Longfellow was. And he wrote the poem. I am so happy to learn all this. I think I will find a space on a wall somewhere at my office for for this if we ever return to work. I love a good story! Thank you...
Best,
Rhonda
Great!
Hi Delia:
I removed the image and looked for identifying info. All I could find was something scribbled in pencil on the reverse side of the paper image. I am so clueless. It is just matte glass framing paper. I thought it was something else. Not much to see.