Can anyone identify this painting at all?
Discussion
Evening all,
So, long story short - I bought a vintage print from a friend that was in a frame I didn't like.
Upon removing the print from the mount, I discovered that underneath was another painting! It appears to be an original as the brush strokes fade away under the mount, and an oil painting as it is 3D and rough to the touch.
It appears to be painted directly onto the heavy card backing of the mount. Having had a good look all over it I can't see an artist signature or date however.
So, question is.... can anyone tell me about it at all? I'm not expecting to have uncovered a lost Masterpiece but I do wonder if the subject matter or style is from a prolific artist at all? The subject looks a bit Scottish Highlands-y but that about the limit of what I can tell.
Thanks in advance!

So, long story short - I bought a vintage print from a friend that was in a frame I didn't like.
Upon removing the print from the mount, I discovered that underneath was another painting! It appears to be an original as the brush strokes fade away under the mount, and an oil painting as it is 3D and rough to the touch.
It appears to be painted directly onto the heavy card backing of the mount. Having had a good look all over it I can't see an artist signature or date however.
So, question is.... can anyone tell me about it at all? I'm not expecting to have uncovered a lost Masterpiece but I do wonder if the subject matter or style is from a prolific artist at all? The subject looks a bit Scottish Highlands-y but that about the limit of what I can tell.
Thanks in advance!

I’m not a professional but I collect a bit of landscape art and think that’s a rather nice painting.
It’s in the romantic style, which was a movement in the late 18th early 19th Century which was in part a reaction to the industrial revolution. There is overlap with the neoclassical style, although I’d say the pastoral nature of the scene suggests romanticism.
Hard to say if it Is actually nineteenth century, but certainly in that style. If it was an original rather than a copy I’d say it was possibly German, but you’ll find this style across Europe and in America during this period.
I couldn’t find a match, but I’ve shown yours and another by an unknown 19th artist and you can see the similar style. If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.


It’s in the romantic style, which was a movement in the late 18th early 19th Century which was in part a reaction to the industrial revolution. There is overlap with the neoclassical style, although I’d say the pastoral nature of the scene suggests romanticism.
Hard to say if it Is actually nineteenth century, but certainly in that style. If it was an original rather than a copy I’d say it was possibly German, but you’ll find this style across Europe and in America during this period.
I couldn’t find a match, but I’ve shown yours and another by an unknown 19th artist and you can see the similar style. If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.
67Dino said:
If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.
Sorry to have a more “bearish” opinion than this, but I see a LOT of art that goes through house clearance type auctions. If unsigned or even signed and unknown artist then it’s almost worthless.I’d expect to see that described as “Pastoral Highlands scene, oil on board, late 19th century, unsigned.” with a guide price of £30-£50.
Which isn’t to say it isn’t appealing and worthy of hanging in its own right, it probably just isn’t worth very much. I have bought many very nice, large original oils at local auctions for similar prices. Usually the frames would cost about 5x the price on their own!
There is simply too much of it about for anything by an unknown amateur to be worth very much, despite any appeal a picture may have. If you look at any local auction catalogue you’ll see a few similar pictures going through.
PhilboSE said:
67Dino said:
If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.
Sorry to have a more “bearish” opinion than this, but I see a LOT of art that goes through house clearance type auctions. If unsigned or even signed and unknown artist then it’s almost worthless.I’d expect to see that described as “Pastoral Highlands scene, oil on board, late 19th century, unsigned.” with a guide price of £30-£50.
…
Marumi said:
It looks very amateur to me.
What does a ‘professional’ painting look like, then?Van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting during his lifetime. Does that make him an amateur?
For what it’s worth, I think that is a nice painting and I like the way the elements of it have been set out across the canvas, from SE to NW. it is a very competent effort.
It’s an incredibly popular composition painted in a deliberately populist style - that view probably doesn’t exist anywhere. The artist would often take inspiration from a hilly scene and then add details like the tarn and the trees (or a farmer and cow) to add interest and appeal. They were being churned out in their thousands by amateurs with reasonable skills. Attempting to attribute it to an individual is impossible.
If you like it, hang it. But it’s not unusual, exceptional, or worth very much.
If you like it, hang it. But it’s not unusual, exceptional, or worth very much.
67Dino said:
I’m not a professional but I collect a bit of landscape art and think that’s a rather nice painting.
It’s in the romantic style, which was a movement in the late 18th early 19th Century which was in part a reaction to the industrial revolution. There is overlap with the neoclassical style, although I’d say the pastoral nature of the scene suggests romanticism.
Hard to say if it Is actually nineteenth century, but certainly in that style. If it was an original rather than a copy I’d say it was possibly German, but you’ll find this style across Europe and in America during this period.
I couldn’t find a match, but I’ve shown yours and another by an unknown 19th artist and you can see the similar style. If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.


It's not just a similar style - I'd reckon 95% that's the same location, with the second image being painted from more anti-clockwise around the lake. It’s in the romantic style, which was a movement in the late 18th early 19th Century which was in part a reaction to the industrial revolution. There is overlap with the neoclassical style, although I’d say the pastoral nature of the scene suggests romanticism.
Hard to say if it Is actually nineteenth century, but certainly in that style. If it was an original rather than a copy I’d say it was possibly German, but you’ll find this style across Europe and in America during this period.
I couldn’t find a match, but I’ve shown yours and another by an unknown 19th artist and you can see the similar style. If it is an original by an unknown then would be worth perhaps £1-2000. If it was a known painter then could be many times that.
Roofless Toothless said:
What does a ‘professional’ painting look like, then?
Van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting during his lifetime. Does that make him an amateur?
For what it’s worth, I think that is a nice painting and I like the way the elements of it have been set out across the canvas, from SE to NW. it is a very competent effort.
Not like this......Van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting during his lifetime. Does that make him an amateur?
For what it’s worth, I think that is a nice painting and I like the way the elements of it have been set out across the canvas, from SE to NW. it is a very competent effort.
It speaks volumes to the pretense and bulls
t of the art enthusiast that you feel it sensible to draw odd comparisons to Van Gogh.Go to any auction house in the country and see dozens of these being auctioned off for £30-40 a pop. The frame is literally worth more than the art. I've got some on my walls. This style and frame of composition has been repeated ad-nauseum for hundreds of years. They were churned out for cheap sale. As to why this is amateurish? For a start the scale is completely wrong. Either than woman is massive or the buildings are tiny. Then the mountain behind the buildings must be tiny. And the ground to the right is a blurry mess.
Unless by some stroke of incredible luck this was painted by a well known artist, it's worth almost nothing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225014000977?hash=item3...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155020876217?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275335326358?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144587036449?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461984932?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461988481?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403695559701?hash=item5...
All ending within a couple of hours on ebay. Note that no-one is bidding on them. You can't move for them.
It can be a 'pleasant' picture and still be worthless. I've got lots of them.
Hell it can be technically superb and still be worthless.
Edited by Marumi on Thursday 9th June 12:31
Marumi said:
Roofless Toothless said:
What does a ‘professional’ painting look like, then?
Van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting during his lifetime. Does that make him an amateur?
For what it’s worth, I think that is a nice painting and I like the way the elements of it have been set out across the canvas, from SE to NW. it is a very competent effort.
Not like this......Van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting during his lifetime. Does that make him an amateur?
For what it’s worth, I think that is a nice painting and I like the way the elements of it have been set out across the canvas, from SE to NW. it is a very competent effort.
It speaks volumes to the pretense and bulls
t of the art enthusiast that you feel it sensible to draw odd comparisons to Van Gogh.Go to any auction house in the country and see dozens of these being auctioned off for £30-40 a pop. The frame is literally worth more than the art. I've got some on my walls. This style and frame of composition has been repeated ad-nauseum for hundreds of years. They were churned out for cheap sale. As to why this is amateurish? For a start the scale is completely wrong. Either than woman is massive or the buildings are tiny. Then the mountain behind the buildings must be tiny. And the ground to the right is a blurry mess.
Unless by some stroke of incredible luck this was painted by a well known artist, it's worth almost nothing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225014000977?hash=item3...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155020876217?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275335326358?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144587036449?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461984932?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461988481?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403695559701?hash=item5...
All ending within a couple of hours on ebay. Note that no-one is bidding on them. You can't move for them.
It can be a 'pleasant' picture and still be worthless. I've got lots of them.
Hell it can be technically superb and still be worthless.
Edited by Marumi on Thursday 9th June 12:31
Cartoon stormtroopers with ice lollies etc or banksy prints, really? People presumably pay money (presumably more than £50 too) for that sort of stuff?! Perhaps it's just PH, but it probably reflects the general (questionable IMO) modern tastes.
Marumi said:
Not like this......
It speaks volumes to the pretense and bulls
t of the art enthusiast that you feel it sensible to draw odd comparisons to Van Gogh.
Go to any auction house in the country and see dozens of these being auctioned off for £30-40 a pop. The frame is literally worth more than the art. I've got some on my walls. This style and frame of composition has been repeated ad-nauseum for hundreds of years. They were churned out for cheap sale. As to why this is amateurish? For a start the scale is completely wrong. Either than woman is massive or the buildings are tiny. Then the mountain behind the buildings must be tiny. And the ground to the right is a blurry mess.
Unless by some stroke of incredible luck this was painted by a well known artist, it's worth almost nothing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225014000977?hash=item3...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155020876217?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275335326358?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144587036449?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461984932?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461988481?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403695559701?hash=item5...
All ending within a couple of hours on ebay. Note that no-one is bidding on them. You can't move for them.
It can be a 'pleasant' picture and still be worthless. I've got lots of them.
Hell it can be technically superb and still be worthless.
Those do mostly look like tat I agree. To my eye, the one originally posted appears more sophisticated in both composition and lighting. I’m not sure I agree about the point made on perspective either. It would be good to have a better quality photo though to be able to really see the detail. It speaks volumes to the pretense and bulls
t of the art enthusiast that you feel it sensible to draw odd comparisons to Van Gogh.Go to any auction house in the country and see dozens of these being auctioned off for £30-40 a pop. The frame is literally worth more than the art. I've got some on my walls. This style and frame of composition has been repeated ad-nauseum for hundreds of years. They were churned out for cheap sale. As to why this is amateurish? For a start the scale is completely wrong. Either than woman is massive or the buildings are tiny. Then the mountain behind the buildings must be tiny. And the ground to the right is a blurry mess.
Unless by some stroke of incredible luck this was painted by a well known artist, it's worth almost nothing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225014000977?hash=item3...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155020876217?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275335326358?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144587036449?hash=item2...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461984932?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334461988481?hash=item4...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403695559701?hash=item5...
All ending within a couple of hours on ebay. Note that no-one is bidding on them. You can't move for them.
It can be a 'pleasant' picture and still be worthless. I've got lots of them.
Hell it can be technically superb and still be worthless.
Edited by Marumi on Thursday 9th June 12:31
Not saying OP has a grand master, but from what I can see it appears a cut above the sort you usually see in clearances.
Edited by 67Dino on Thursday 9th June 14:12
67Dino said:
Those do mostly look like tat I agree. To my eye, the one originally posted appears more sophisticated in both composition and lighting. I’m not sure I agree about the point made on perspective either. It would be good to have a better quality photo though to be able to really see the detail.
Not saying OP has a grand master, but from what I can see it appears a cut above the sort you usually see in clearances.
No it isn't. It's garbage. It's a crap painting. It is absolutely not sophisticated in either composition or lighting. It is incredibly clumsy, heavy, lacking in any detail, and has all the hallmarks of the mass produced junk that was thrown out for cheap sales. Not saying OP has a grand master, but from what I can see it appears a cut above the sort you usually see in clearances.
Edited by 67Dino on Thursday 9th June 14:12
Frankly, given that you suggested this could be worth £1000-2000, I'd love to have a bit of whatever you're smoking.
Edited by Marumi on Thursday 9th June 14:23
The fact that the frame was considered more valuable that the painting and thus used to display another print doesn't point towards the painting having much value beyond aesthetic. You also sometimes see these types of mass produced images designed to look like oils but actually printed. My mother in law had a couple of "monets" hanging in the hall that were effectively posh arena posters. This may not be the case as its hard to tell from the photos above but cardboard is generally considered a inferior to canvas for oil painting.
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