Delia

Mearto specialist

Hi Liz, Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry. It's not uncommon for paintings to be unsigned; they may have once been signed and the signature is covered over with layers of paint or varnish, the signature may be on the back which is now obscured, or the signature was trimmed off if the painting was cut down and reframed. The market for unsigned portraits of unknown sitters is very soft at the moment - unless you or your family is famous to add value by merely owning it. portraits of this fairly small size usually don't bring more than $500 at auction. Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is: European School, probably 19th Century Portrait of a bearded man oil on canvas purportedly unsigned approximately 24 by 12 inches CONDITION: This portrait appears to be in generally good condition with some minor craquelure throughout. PROVENANCE: Inherited $300-500* *represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary. Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto. ~ Delia