Interesting!
It is a bit hard to make out, but I think your signature is:
W.E.A. Taylor, 1903. I suspect it to be a legitimate copy of another painting, done for training purposes.
Why? The W.E.A. stands for, I believe, the Worker's Educational Association that was founded in 1903 in Cambridge. It was to give workers who dropped out of school early, a second chance and still runs today (under a different name now I believe). They taught oil and water color painting.
I would try writing to them with a photo and see what they come back with!
If it is indeed an amateur painter of that school, you probably won't find too much about the artist- except maybe through the school's records.
You might also check your family history to see if you have a relative from that time named "Taylor" or something like that, who lived in the Cambridge area in 1903.
Value is going to be somewhat vague in that case too. Amateur paintings don't tend to go for much, but it does have age and water scene paintings do have popularity.
Also, paintings need to be assessed in person, under controlled lighting. The frame structure needs to be examined and the painting for touch ups etc. So any value you would get here could only be a very conservative guess. Without that sort of detail, it's pretty much worth whatever you would pay to take it home, if you found it for sale at an auction or store. Basically, it comes down to how much do you like it?!
If it is in good shape, and of authentic age (and not knowing the history or having it authenticated in any way) I'd GUESStimate the price to be between $60 and $110.
Re: 1903 European Ship Painting
Interesting!
It is a bit hard to make out, but I think your signature is:
W.E.A. Taylor, 1903. I suspect it to be a legitimate copy of another painting, done for training purposes.
Why? The W.E.A. stands for, I believe, the Worker's Educational Association that was founded in 1903 in Cambridge. It was to give workers who dropped out of school early, a second chance and still runs today (under a different name now I believe). They taught oil and water color painting.
I would try writing to them with a photo and see what they come back with!
If it is indeed an amateur painter of that school, you probably won't find too much about the artist- except maybe through the school's records.
You might also check your family history to see if you have a relative from that time named "Taylor" or something like that, who lived in the Cambridge area in 1903.
Value is going to be somewhat vague in that case too. Amateur paintings don't tend to go for much, but it does have age and water scene paintings do have popularity.
Also, paintings need to be assessed in person, under controlled lighting. The frame structure needs to be examined and the painting for touch ups etc. So any value you would get here could only be a very conservative guess. Without that sort of detail, it's pretty much worth whatever you would pay to take it home, if you found it for sale at an auction or store. Basically, it comes down to how much do you like it?!
If it is in good shape, and of authentic age (and not knowing the history or having it authenticated in any way) I'd GUESStimate the price to be between $60 and $110.
250chief