Description
Mid to late 19th century original oil painting on canvas of a seascape with fishermen and their boats. The painting and frame have just recently been cleaned and restored by famed restorer Chatree Suvanasai of Old Town Alexandria, VA (restoration costs were more than $1,200 – receipt available).
Artist: Unknown (but believed to be by Richard Dey De Ribcowsky). Painting is signed (lower right corner) but it has not been researched yet.
Technique: Oil on canvas
Frame: Wooden antique frame with applied gesso (19th century). The actual frame width is 6” from edge to painting and 3” deep
Size: Measures 19” height x 29” width (without frame) and 25” height x 35” width (with frame)
Re: Antique 19th Century Original Oil Painting
Unknown but maybe Richard Dey De Ribcowsky? You say there might be a signature in the corner? You just had it restored so it had to have been taken out of the frame to see any signatures then.
You have no provenance yet so I doubt anyone on here can give you an idea of value. That would need to be done in person and by a reputable appraiser. Good luck.
Re: Antique 19th Century Original Oil Painting
If this is, indeed, a De Ribcowsky, and it clearly does appear to be from him, I would suggest you contact a good Maritime Art seller, such as those at VallejoGallery.com. They, in particular, are almost always in the market for his work, especially one this nice, and you can usually expect a solid price for it, too (a piece like this, if you can show it is his, can retail for $15,000 or more, although you cannot expect to get retail prices selling to a dealer, of course). Just tell them what you have, that you would like to sell, but you have no real idea of current value. They are solid, reputable dealers, and will treat you right. A nice, attributed De Ribcowsky that has a poor signature and provenance (it is not at all uncommon for his signatures to be lost with time, although it is pretty easy for an experienced seller to ID it, too), can still sell for several thousand dollars.
If you are not happy with any price they might offer, though, you also have the option of contacting any of the listed dealers who buy and sell California art. De Ribicowsky is pretty popular among them, as well. (Simply run a google under "California art sell," to find all their sites.)
You can find signature examples here, just click onto any painting you see:
http://www.bbhgallery.com/De_Ribcowsky_Richard_dey_.htm