The old lady...

The old lady...  This is a painting that I've inherited from my mom.  It's an oil painting on wood, not the usual canvas.  Mom didn't paint it herself – she inherited it from her dad (my grandfather).  I'm told that her dad bought an auction lot that included this painting, and that he liked it, so he kept it.  My mom had sentimental reasons for keeping this, then – and now I do.

The painting is signed “De Wilde Edw”, which I took to mean Edward De Wilde.  Searching for an artist of this name got me nowhere.  Then I tried searching the name exactly as written, and also got nowhere.  So I contacted an art appraiser I am acquainted with (here in Logan), and she looked up the name in a reference book she owns.  Bingo!  At least, I think it's a bingo :)  She found an artist named “Edouard De Wilde” who lived and painted in New York City in the early 20th century.  He was neither well-known nor well-regarded :)  The difference in spelling, my appraiser friend tells me, is quite a common thing for immigrants who would often spell their given name as if translated to English.

I'm not sure where I'm going to hang this painting.  Most likely it will go in my office, where I'll see it every day and be reminded of my mom...