Help ID Oil Portrait Of A Man Signed J.P. Walker

[kardinalisimo]

Don't know if the portrait is of a famous person but any suggestions will be welcomed.

If not wrong the signature reads J P Walker. I found out that there was a portrait painter from Richmond, VA (1855-1932) but I am not sure what is the year on the featured one. I see 19?? but cannot make the last digits.

Thanks

[verybrad]

Tried to play with your pic of the date. Don't know if this is any better. Maybe 1946?

[kardinalisimo]

If that is the same JP Walker than the year should be prior to 1932. I found few other portraits by him but no closeups of his signature. Could the third digit in the year be zero?
Brad, any hints in the strecher bars? Not sure if the tux and the bow can give up something?

[thelmasstuff]

It sure looks like 1933 to me.  I wonder if it's a portrait of the artist himself painted by someone else.  Or, it's by another artist by the same name.

[thelmasstuff]

The only portrait I could find online by J.P. Walker looks nothing like this.

[ladybranch]

I found about 6 portraits by a J.P. Walker. Most of them seem to be of people noted for their Civil War activities. 3 of them are Confederate related: Jefferson Davis, Colonel Elijah White and soldier B. Colonna. One of his paintings (Pleasant Finch) does look like the style of this painting. My problem, if the J.P. Walker you found was born in 1855, Civil War folks seem too early to be done by this J.P. Walker; however, at least 2 or 3 of them were done from photographs meaning they could date to the 1900s. I could not make out the date either. It does appear to be 19 something. Like Brad, that 3rd number could be a 4 orrr possibly a slurred 1 something like 191_.  If it is a date of 191_ something then it would fit in with at least one of the following like that of Jefferson Davis - 1917. Here are links to the portraits I found:

Gen. Elijah V. White:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-880

Photograph of White that appears to be the source of the painting. Show the photo and painting:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16367339

Pleasant Finch - does look in the style of the one you have:

http://www.arcadja.com/auctions/en/private/walker_j_p_/artworks/447296/0/

http://images.arcadja.com/walker_j_p_-portrait_of_pleasant_finch~OM21c300~11216_20120324_1154_1305.j...

Jefferson Davis presumably done in 1917 probably from a photo:

http://kyhistory.pastperfect-online.com/35577cgi/mweb.exe?request=record&id=08113012-6940-488C-B6BE-...

Benjamin Colonna - VMI cadet - presumably from an 1864 photograph, it is a bit confusing when the painting was done:

http://digitalcollections.vmi.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15821coll7/id/4099/rec/1

A reference to a painting by J.P. Walker of a Civil War private Edgar Warfield - the first one. No pic of the painting:

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=Warfield+Edgar

--- Susan

[verybrad]

Looking at the condition of the stretcher and canvas, I would not be opposed to a date early than the 40's. A look at the frame might help us date this as well. Lastly, try taking a better pic of the date under stronger light. We might be able to clean it up a bit to get an even better look. I think this is a pretty good portrait so it would help to be able to positively attribute it. 

[lehman-parker]

I think the date may be 18__ ... maybe 1889 or 1888? After reversing the image and increasing the contrast, it looks to me like the second numeral is an "8".

[kardinalisimo]

Thanks for all the replies. I really cannot take a decent photo of that year and I am not really good at editing

I just don't see late 1800's wear on the back of the canvas. The painting came from Virginia that is why I thought it could have been done by that JP Walker guy

[lehman-parker]

IMO, in the new photo the date looks even more like 18__. It kind of looks like 1853 to me.

[deepseashadow]

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@lehman-parker wrote:

IMO, in the new photo the date looks even more like 18__. It kind of looks like 1853 to me.

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sure would be nice if the whole picture was show other then bits nd pieces

[calis_stuff]

I see '1883'.

[lehman-parker]

Yup, 1883 works for me, too, especially in your pic.

That could fit with the birth date of the Virginia artist.

[kardinalisimo]

Just for you Deep

As the person is not identified and the artist, even that Virginia one, is not that famous the piece would not be of a great value, would it?

Don't know if I am wrong but the market for portrait paintings is not that 'hot' right now? Unless, I guess, the painting is of a very famous person or by a well know painter?

[hisstah]

The painting is indeed by John P. Walker -- he has about 75 portraits at the Virginia Historical Society.  This seems to be an early one, so the date of 1883 is most likely.  There is no way it can be from 1840's--the clothing is wrong for that. You can take a Q-tip with mineral spirits on it to wet up the date and that might make it more legible temporarily.  Just stay away from the flaking paint down there. 

Unless you have some kind of provenance for the painting, it is unlikely you will ever identify him. Unfortunately, we see that a lot. You can check the stretcher bars and even the frame for inscriptions in pencil or ink that might identify him.  It's always possible the family put that information on it, but again, that's not typical.   Based on your photo of the back of the painting, it is difficult to tell if the painting has been lined.  If it has, there may be an inscription beneath that, but that would be unusual for a J.P. Walker. However, you never know. 

Good luck, but again, I doubt you'll be able to identify him unless you know where he came from originally.  J.P. Walker worked mostly from photographs, but this one appears to have been done from life.