I contact justanswer.com and received the following responses;
Thank you for all the well organized images. They did reach me and your efforts are much appreciated.
This is an amazing work with the back inscription and the notation it suggests it is the work of Levi Wells Prentice (1851 - 1935) but the detail of the leaves, the handling of the basket, the way the paper is painted holding the fruit and the whole composition speak loudly that this is a work by LWP...and a very valuable one at that.
For the last fifteen years the artist´s works have been highly desirable at high end fine art auctions but his still life with fruits of all sorts have been his most appealing and most valuable of his compositions.
This one would have a current market value in the range of 30,000.00-45,000.00 right now at a major auction center (certainly on the East Coast where he was from) but all across the US where his still life work is highly appreciated and paid for in high sums.
The work does have some old restoration or repair done in the classic old style with a wax fill. It was professionally done for its day but today would be stablized, relined and now what is called ´´conserved´´ (a focus on retaining the original integrity of the original and stablizing the work for longevity) as the waxes do harden and deteriorate or bring mold etc. but this one looks quite stable and fine..from the images..you may see it differently on site. If their are issues that I can not see, you may want to show this to a regional conservator who could advise you on how to proceed with such a valuable piece of art. The cost of treatment would be significant 1500.00-2500.00 (USD) but well worth the investment if it were to damage its long term value.
I do know conservators all over the US. If you would like to know of a few museum professionals I would be happy to give you some that are trustworthy to work with you..or look at this, if you tell me the closest large cities to your home.
All my best
Thank you for the follow up. I appreciate it greatly.
My response was based on looking at 224 lots sold in the last 15 years from a subscription site that allows you to zoom in close and compare and contrast hands and styles...and yes I do not agree that his fruit are as you say ´´most of his still lifes are painted on a surface and the fruit is almost outlined and bold´´ His fruit is quite sensitive and subtle..that is why the values and sales are so high for his work. His hand on leaves and the baskets are distinctive..his baskets are not as astute and do stand out for this detail but this is a credible work..and the age of the inscription is early..and working in a museum we see a lot of graphite inscriptions..it maybe not be 1888 but it is very old. (not a later addition to sell a piece)
I have a very detail oriented eye and I don´t know why this would be questioned so highly by this Shannon but I disagree. The composition is similar on Pallette Museum and it would look to be a copy of this if anything...the quality, execution is all not up to the quality of yours...in comparing those two works..you have the master piece and this is a distant relative. (I can not say why there are two out there but the artist was prolific and very regional in his work so he was certainly known and appreciated in his day...he was an art teacher too) As you note, this fits the period of his still life work too.
I would highly encourage you to pursue this authenticity by looking at original works by the artist next to yours. (As well, think about the construction and the details that add clues and a signature of an artist - comparing details such as the canvas (what kind, the size), the stretcher, corner joints, how the paint is applied, thickness, and way it reacts to these old restorations over time, if they have some of the same type of repairs)
You are lucky that there are many museums that hold the artists work so you would just need to call the closest curator to one of your personal options in locations that you list above. Here are the museums that hold Prentice paintings, call and talk to their collections departments or curatorial team (emails are often lost so a call is most useful if you can get through) and make an appointment to meet once you find a collection containing a good amount of his paintings...or still life works. A worthy project for sure.
She pointed me to a number of museums and I spoke to a curator at one who is going to examine the photos and also sent the photos to a curator at another museum. I hope to hear back from them next week.
