Update (02/27/2011) : Thanks to our reader participation, the above obscure Dutch painting has been positively identified by Leo. We would like to thank him for his assistance.


The name of the painting is "Enjoying the Ice" by Hendrick Avercamp (1585 - 1634) and the date is circa 1630 - 1634, oil on canvas, 25 x 37.5 cm. He worked during the period known as "The Little Ice Age of Europe" in the 17th century. His winter landscapes have been exhibited in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Holland. Avercamp was born a deaf mute and was known as "de Stomme van Kampen" (the mute of Kampen). He specialized in winter landscapes, and many of his works depict groups of people ice skating on frozen lakes. One of the largest bodies of his work is housed at the Royal Collection, which is the art collection of the British Royal Family. The world's preeminent expert on Avercamp is Professor Arthur Wheelock of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. - ed.

("Mystery Dutch Painting") - Blog host and webmaster/editor have researched the following two famous painters as the possible creators of this work: Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hieronymous Bosch. If any art savants among our readership can positively identify the correct artist and title of this painting, please email the blog host at gloves24@hotmail.com


Note: Please excuse the technical lens flare to the left of this rare Dutch lithograph, since it was photographed through glass. - ed.

Close up view of the painting referenced above.

Southern belle Magnolia Blossom, strolling along her plantation with the Wisteria hanging above, is caught in a sudden ice storm.

The following images are believed to be the work of Alice Taylor Gafford (1886 -1981) from Los Angeles, Ca. The painting below was purchased by blog host during the summer of 2010 in southern Ca. Although Gafford's paintings fetch a modest price at auctions, the quality of her work is indisputable.

Our emotional response to this painting: Lush brush strokes, solidity of the rocks against the onslaught of crashing waves, creamy azure mist...agua against vaporous blue-gray clouds leading to an endless horizon...what the French referred to as twilight, "le bleu"...






Works by Gaffords has been exhibited at the Howard University of Art in Washington, D.C., the Long Beach Museum of Art, and the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, Ca. In addition to being a splendid artist, she was a prominent nurse, an art teacher in the L.A. County school system, and a leader in the African-American community.

A pictorial representation of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The artist here shows a typical rendering of sailing vessels of that era.

Artist's signature (lower right-hand corner) blocked by frame. A characteristic oil of a mid-17th century schooner.

This above painting and the following three images (plus the documents which provide the necessary provenance) typify a post-Impressionistic winter's view that emulates two famous painters: Camille Pissarro and Monet.

The following two Tahitian pictorials parallel the work of a celebrated Impressionist painter - Paul Gauguin, whose bold and vibrant experimentation with color captured pastoral scenes as well as South Pacific island inhabitants and tropical environment.

This well known listed artist, Oswaldo Moncayo, derives from a family of talented Ecuadorian oil painters. Moncayo specialized in equestrian and mountainscape paintings. His exceptional work is sought after internationally by private collectors and museums. He passed away 26 years ago, which makes his work even more valuable.

The following two photographs and documented provenance speak of an artist who is a modern mystery of our time - George Whitman. Viewers can go to the discussion board of Ask Art.com, to read the 26 pages of entries on this enigmatic figure.

The following three seascape pictures and two documented pages of provenance highlight what the blog host would call a trendsetting of American impressionistic work. Francis Harvey Cutting (American, 1872 - 1964).
[Note: The painting below was completed in 1962. This may be one of his last works of art - ed. ]