I am always visiting the local second-hand stores. Seeking affordable books, paintings, frames, farmhouse kitchenware, knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, etc. This is my routine, my Jaunt, and part of my overall Journey. It is unusual, however, to find really good, original art. Particularly with any vintage. Particularly in good condition. In my Daily Walk today, I found a framed piece of pastel art signed "May A. Post".
Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls in Landscape Detail by May Audubon Post
It was attractive to me at first sight because my eight year old, Itsy Bit, of course, loves her numerous dolls and has played with them intensely during her childhood.
This exquisite image is of a quaint, little Dutch girl in profile hugging her two dolls. It appears to be original art and there is no evidence online that it or similar art by the artist has been reproduced.
Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls in Portrait Detail by May Audubon Post
It is nicely framed [28 inches high x 24 inches wide] and double-matted with a deep 1/4 inch separator behind the matte board..
Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls by May Audubon Post
The exposed portion of the image is 18 inches x 14 inches. It has reflective glass which makes rendered photos a bit difficult. I may consider replacing with non-reflective glass and thereby also gaining a chance to inspect the artwork and take detailed pictures. Fortunately, the frame and matte approach appears to be in excellent condition and the pastel image is about 0.25 - 0.375 inches away from the glass.
It appears to be an original pastel on dark, green, fine, french stippled paper or board signed "May A. Post" with lovely, even, round, clear, connected handwriting.
Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Signature of Mary Audubon Post
I researched May on the internet when I got home. Not much out there but a little digging turned up some reference sources to build an initial background.
May Audubon Post [age 69 years; born Nov 21, 1860; died Feb 8, 1929] attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where an art fellowship is established in her name. Unfortunately, I did not find any personal images of the artist...yet.
Her address during some of her published American exhibitions is listed as 4446 Sansom Street, Philadelphia on the corner of South 45th Street according to GoogleMaps. It would take me 5 hours and 291 miles to get there to see the place. But online, today, it is a renovated three-floor, red brick and red-painted tenement surrounded by similar-size buildings in a neighborhood that offers some Spanish style.
Internet Fair Use - 4446 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Perhaps May painted in the second floor nook, southern-facing bay window as her studio in the early 1900's!
In 1901, she went to Vollendam and Merken Island, Holland which appeared to be a significant artist colony and ensuing influence on her painting genre. According to online sources, she was close to other artists of her period including William Merritt Chase, Cecilia Beau, Charles Grafly, Hugh Beckinridge, Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute, and Lucien Simon in Paris.
Her genre is characterized as illustration, human activity, human figure, figurative, religion/mysticism, and child portrait.
The pastel I found is similar in size and portrayal to two other pieces using frontal quarter full-body portrait views: A Dutch boy with a pond boat and another Dutch girl with a doll, both in traditional Volendam and Merken style of dress replete with cobbled stompens.
Internet Fair Use - Dutch Girl with Doll by May Audubon Post
Internet Fair Use - Dutch Boy with Pond Boat by May Audubon Post
My initial working hypothesis may be that these images were part of the calender series for the Dubois Iron Works listed below. But I can't yet determine the year these items and the one I recently found were produced.
Further listed artwork that I have found thus far includes the following pieces:
Marken Child Island of Marken, Holland (Oil painting sold $1200 USD, 2009-01-03; 37.75 inches high x 29 inches wide] The similarity of artistic approach includes a quaint, Dutch child in profile conducting an activity with dolls in attendance.
Marken Child, Island of Marken, Holland by May Audubon Post
Paris: Rue des Ursins (Unsold at auction; 11.42 high x 9.37 inches wide)
Santa on the Roof (Unknown)
Fishwife of Holland (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 49, April 1903)
Fisherman of Holland (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 56, April 1903)
Italian Mother and Baby (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 57, April 1903)
Old Man of Holland (No.19; May be the same as No. 56 above)
Old Woman of Holland (No. 20; May be the same as No. 49 above)
Alone (1909, 17th Exhibition, Mar 15 - Apr 18)
Holland Baby Marken (May be same as Marken Child above, International Studio, Vol.54; Described as "haunting, quaint")
Old Fisherman and His Grandson (1917, 23rd Exhibition of 138 works, International Studio, Vol 61)
Internet Fair Use - Old Fisherman and His Grandson (1917) by May Audubon Post
The Spinner (1917, Society of Independent Artists, Exhibition, No. 98)
Internet Fair Use - The Spinner by May Audubon Post
Holland Children (1917, Society of Independent Artists, Exhibition, No. 99)
My Big Brother (1911, NY Watercolor Club, 22nd Annual Exhibition, No. 240)
A Rainy Day (1911, NY Watercolor Club, 22nd Annual Exhibition, No. 240)
Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (illustrated by May Audubon Post)
Internet Fair Use - Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates Illustration by May Audubon Post 01
Internet Fair Use - Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates Illustration by May Audubon Post 02
Fairies Among the Lilypads
Fairies by a Steaming Cauldron
Bunnie Cottontail: A Rabbit's Own Story (1908, By Blair Matilda, Illustrated by May Audubon Post, Published by McGloughlin Brothers)
Internet Fair Use - Fairies Among the Lilypads by May Audubon Post
Internet Fair Use - Fairies by a Steaming Cauldron by May Audubon Post
Bunnie Cottontail: A Rabbit's Own Story (1908, By Blair Matilda, Illustrated by May Audubon Post, Published by McGloughlin Brothers)
My Little Italian Book (191-, By Ernest Nister)
Child Life in Holland (Illustrated Calender Series, Dubois Iron Works, Dubois, PA, Factory and Industrial Management, Vol. 35)
So there is much more to study and investigate but this daily entry constitutes my first round of Endeavor. A delightful part of the Journey to think of May Audubon Post and share her work!
No portrait of her can ever be found. She had a sister Cornelia. She was a painter also. The only way is to put an ad in the paper of Philly.
ReplyDeleteHer portrait can only be obtained if you put a piece of the beautiful picture in the paper in philly. She had no children and lift in Philly with her sister and a tenant.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for those anecdotes and guidance.
ReplyDelete