The Case of The Unsigned Painting

This painting (above) was found tucked away in a closet in my grandparents' home a number of years ago. While it looks like it could be one of my great grandfather Thomspon Alexander Foster's paintings, it's unsigned and there is no identifiable information on the back.

I liked the painting and decided to hang it in my home along with other works by my great grandfather. It was rumored that my grandmother, on my Dad's side, had once asked my Mom's grandfather Thompson to paint something for her. Could this be that rumored painting? If it was, why was it unsigned? While it's believed that Thompson signed all his works with his own unique signature, he sometimes included the year and sometimes did not. So in my mind there was a chance this was one of his, but there was no way of knowing for sure.

For many years I wondered who painted this fall scene that hung on my bedroom wall. From time to time I'd give the painting a closer examination to see if maybe the signature was there. Maybe it was muted by the muddle of colors at the base of the tree in the painting, but no luck.

Until today I thought I'd never know. That was until I was paging through some of Thompson's instructional sketch and painting books where he had placed old photos, cards, newspaper articles and calendars. I'm guessing he used them as ideas for new paintings. Many of them were landscapes of fall and winter scenes, along with some still lifes. When I saw the photo of the fall scene torn from a 1962 Hartford Insurance calendar I immediately recognized it. I took the photo and ran to the painting. I held the photo up next to it. Wow, it was nearly identical.
There were some still-life photos too that I recognized from his other works that belonged to family members.
While I'm still puzzled about the painting's lack of signature, I'd say I'm 99.9% certain this is one of my great grandfather's paintings and that's fine by me.

Fitting I think to welcome in this new/old painting of Thompson's aka "Daddy Tim"... Welcome home "Daddy Tim" - Salud!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Woodside Lounge

Image
Opened up the new Woodside Lounge yesterday. For those of you who have visited in the past, this room is at the front of the house but many times went unnoticed by visitors as it was closed off and used as storage. The new Woodside Lounge has its own TV, even though it's around the corner from the theater room. It just goes without saying, all lounges must have a TV for sporting events. I believe it's in the building code. Music is served up from the stereo system currently residing in the dining room, but I'm thinking of moving it to the Lounge. Today I went streakin'! Remember, use that sunblock out there. - Salud!
Read more

Summer Mix 2025

Image
This year's summer mix spans 56 years with 20 tracks from 1969 to 2025. The mix opens with the tranquil sounds of a gentle stream on a summer's day, and closes with a nighttime melody of crickets chirping and a crackling fire with thunder rumbling in the distance of an approaching summer storm. Pour a few cocktails and enjoy on an afternoon or evening. Sunshine In The Room (feat. Jon Batiste) - James Bay (2024) Miles And Miles - The Heavy Heavy (2020) Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970) Only Love Matters - The Black Keys (2024) Red River - Eddie 9V (2024) I Feel Good - Pink Sweat$ (2021) Love Is Alive - Gary Wright (1975) She Wants To Go Dancing - Mt. Joy (2025) Tell Me Why U Do That - Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge (2024) Dream Come True - The Brand New Heavies (1990) Invincible - Tom Misch (2024) Grazing In the Grass - The Friends of Distinction (1969) Outlaw Blues - Queens of the Stone Age (2012) Back Again - Soulive & Chaka Khan (2006) If I Got It (...
Read more

Summer Mix 2007

I probably should give this over the weekend to think about it, because there are three songs not included in this year's Summer Mix that I've been flip-flopping over. The mix just seems very tight and I can't fit the songs in without repeating the "essence," "groove" or beat of another song. I think the mixes for me work best when they flow and take you from one place to another musically without beating you over the head with the same style. Another thing I like to do with the Summer Mix is incorporate the old alongside the new. I hate to put two old songs back to back, or should I say two songs from the same era back to back. Now as you look at my mix you'll see some old songs next to other old songs. I guess it's not a hard and fast rule for me, but I try to at least jump a decade between two old songs. Like last year I kept the sound effects to a minimum, using a mix I created of beach sounds for the opening and a crickets sound effect for ...
Read more