On the Forger's Trail: A Fine 19th c. Drawing and its Fake Signature

Description: Auction description On the Forger's Trail: A Fine 19th c. Drawing and its Fake Signature Yes, it's a real, good quality 19th century inkwash on paper, depicting a decrepit village in a river valley with boats at harbor and very high mountains in the background. Are we in the Dolomites? Or somewhere else? Bets are open! Bets are also open concerning the actual identity of the very talented artist. Please note the signature, lower right: it purports to be that of Alexandre Calame (1810-1864), who commands high auction prices for his landscape studies (drawings, paintings, prints) of Swiss Alpine scenes. Alas, friends, no study in quite this manner have I found among Calame's many works illustrated online. And by comparing this signature with verified ones by Calame, it becomes clear that this one has been forged. Searching even further, we find that the forger located and (nearly) erased the authentic signature, which was made lower left. You can just barely make it out in two of my scans, and perhaps you will be able to read it better than I can. I wonder if the signature's alphabet is not Cyrillic, Greek or Russian. So you will be acquiring a quality work with a cloak-and-dagger mystery around it. Dimensions of the sheet are about 7.75 inches by 10 inches. Condition is good, with some light creasing and some surface grime. It's so interesting to see art fakery in action, but this is also a good little work of art. Shipping cost within the U.S. will be $8. And to see what else I have for sale, please click here.

Price: 29.99 USD

Location: Amesbury, Massachusetts

End Time: 2025-02-03T18:22:55.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8 USD