George

Mearto specialist

Dear Martha, Thank you for the additional images and your patience. I wish you a Happy New Year 2022. My sincere apologies for the huge delay with the appraisal. The presented object appears to be a pair of paintings made in oil paint on board with the measurements of 18 1/2 and 23 1/2 inches. Both paintings were made as a pair in motif and dimensions. They depict dead birds and are connected to the motif of the hunting still lives. Hunting was a sport for the upper class in Europe. For example, hunting deers were reserved for nobles, and poaching was partly punished with the penalty of death. Such still lives with hunted animals were a typical decoartion for cottages and similar rural architecture which is connected with hunting. These two paintings are not signed and were made in the 19th century in the manner or style of the 17th century. Similar paintings were recently offered and sold on the international auction market. This piece is in good condition and there is no serious damage visible in the images provided. A fair market estimation would be between 1.000 to 2.000 USD. This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary. With kind regards, George