Who painted this- please help

No way Manet!

Welcome to a2k, jerseyjoe. I don't know who painted that, and I'm not sure exactly how to find out.

Perhaps someone else who reads your question will.

Yup - no way Manet. Looks 20th century. I assume from the framing that we are looking a print of painting and not a painting.

If it is a painting, it might be signed on the back and you might have to remove the frame paper to see it. Sometimes a frame will cover a signature on the front.

I would say it is rather recent creation and not by anyone famous. It looks like what we sometimes call "Italian Sofa School". Meaning it was done by an art factory to sell to people who need a nice picture to go over their sofa. Nothing wrong with that, just not worth big bucks.

Do you need to know value or are you just interested in the name of the artist?

Green Witch is likely correct that it's a commercial print for a decorative market. Always shoot glassed pictures from a 30 deg. angle so you won't get any glare or outdoors in a Northern exposure with not reflective elements parallel to the piece. This is probably not worth more than a few dollars as the frame appears to be a low cost matting and molding.

thanks for the help so far guys- its hanging in a nursing home we go to at work alot (im a paramedic) and the reason im trying to find out the artist is because a friend of mine from work remarked how she loved the painting, and would love to have a copy of it, but neither her or her ex boyfriend could find out. I originally looked all over the print to find a signiture, but theres absolutely nothing written on it, i took the frame apart with permission and all, and found nothing, thats when i started bringing the digital camera to work,lol. i was hoping it would be a commonly reproduced piece, so i could go get a copy of it for her, but hearing that it may just be a random piece that might not work out so well

Hmmm. I'll fool around with google and see if I can find it, but I'm not very confident I can.

Well, I had no luck at all.

Without some reference, Googling to find the image is really futile. If you could get permission to look at the back of the print, you might find a tag.

kinda disappointing when you want to help a friend

The doll/ puppet she's holding might be Punch from a Punch and Judy show -- might give you a little hook.

Or.. the nursing home operators might know where they bought the decor-pictures and that company might know the source company...

Yep, that's probably the best way. I did all kinds of Google searches, nothing yet.

Craven (?) has said that it won't be long before you can do an image search -- like plug in an image and then do a search for other places the same image appears -- but that can't be done yet (that I know of.)

As this painting (or print) is a reproduction, one can safely assume that more--probably, many more--than a single copy have been made. It doesn't pay to set up the machinery, unless one is going to make quite a few copies. This ups your chances of discovering the source.

I agree with Green Witch that this image belongs to the "Italian Sofa School"--which is not to say that it's a poor picture, but only that it's subject matter is appealing enough to have been reproduced for a market in decorative items.

The young girl in the image, from her costume and her gold jewelry, seems meant to look like an archetypal gypsy. That the 'doll' looks to be from a Punch & Judy show--a familar traveling phenomenon--seems appropriate in this possible context.

There may be sites on-line--in addition to the usual print outlets--which offer decor in general, including some framed reproductions, for purchase by businesses.

I think it's really cool that you want to find another of these to give to a friend. Wish I could be more helpful. Good luck!

thanks so much for the help so far guys, im looking into the punch and judy show hook now- ill let you know what i can find

well nothing really with the punch and judy, but the doll does look alot like that- good clue though, still looking into that- then i spent about 2 hours going through art.com- 2 cups of coffee later, i hadnt found that particular painting, but a few artists that had a similar style, so im looking at all their work individually. Prob the best idea is to ask the operators though, then go to wherever they bought it from.

New York Graphic Society is the finest of the reproduction companies:

http://www.nygs.com/

You might find something similar and they tend to select not just the masters of the past and present but very talented artists who deserve reproduction. Their prints are beautifully rendered by the most modern of photo-offset processes.

Looking at the framed image again and again, although I cannot discern the brushwork, I am beginning to think "style of Bougereau," or, perhaps, Bougereau himself. The picture's specific period feel would be about right for B, and B certainly painted his share of girls!

There are several Bougereau sites on the net. Might be worth a quick scan. It also would be interesting to know if B had any stylistic disciples. That is specialized knowledge way beyond my ken. But someone may know!

Miklos7, I thought of Bougereau also, but I'm positive it is not actually by him (I think I know the bulk of his work). I think it is someone in this century who looked at him for inspiration. JerseyJoe - your friend might find a Bougereau print an acceptable substitute and they are easy to find.

well i just wanted to thank everyone for all the help you guys gave me in trying to find out about this work, still have been unsuccessful, but i do have to say that in the process i found many many beautiful works of art which i never would have seen otherwise, and ended up purchasing one for my apt.- definately found a new appriciation for art going beyond my usual realm of abstract photography. I spent some of today going through Bouguereau prints, 205 in all, and there were a few that were extrememly similar, but im thinking unless someone knows where they bought it i'll be out of luck- but thanks again for the time and effort you guys put in, it def. wasnt wasted as you have created a new lover of fine art oil paintings.

no puppet
looks like the the little girl might be lost, and a little European! a puppet, maybe, simply, just a clown doll. just my opinion!