Strange Signature On a Watercolor

Freerepublic ^ | 04/03/2011 | Oshkalaboomboom

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I bought a series of watercolors as a present for my wife because the artist exhibited in her home town of Cheltenham, UK. I originally thought he was from Cheltenham but now I'm thinking from what I read that he just exhibited there as part of exhibitions by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1864 and 1879.

Anyway, in his watercolors he signed them J. Whitacre Allen del. 1895

I've never seen that in a piece of art before. Granted, I don't look at many pictures that closely but I do have some original works hanging around and none of them have that .del in the signature. Is that some sort of abbreviation for the year? If anyone can decipher that or point me to some biographical info on John Whitacre Allen I'd appreciate it.

[paulycy]

If anybody would know some FReeper would. Good luck.

[FrdmLvr]

http://books.google.com/books?id=z-DbfNMSblIC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=john+whitacre+allen&source=bl&ots=hgc1iDTOLq&sig=_t2OzR9iZw5VWoqL7hnR4cZJ4VI&hl=en&ei=h9uYTbOHO4e90QHF1NjxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=john%20whitacre%20allen&f=false

[Charles Henrickson]

“delivered”?

[steveo]

delineavit

Latin .
he drew (this); she drew (this). Abbreviation: del.

[Charles Henrickson]

Latin, delineavit, "He drew it": formerly used after the artist's signature on a painting

[Sacajaweau]

It appears on many old maps.

[Helen]

Amazing! Ask and you shall get your answer - within minutes. FReepers rule!

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I have that page. The complet volume 1 is here:http://www.archive.org/stream/royalacademyart06gravgoog#page/n10/mode/2up Unfortunately the author, Algernon Graves, said in his preface (where he also remarked that he didn't really understand why he needed a preface in a book like this) that the entries were self explanatory. Maybe to him, hehe.

Allen, John Whitacre.........Painter
3, York Terrace, Cheltenham
1864. 680 Bascilica of Santa Croce, Rome
Parkfield Lawn, Cheltenham.
1879. 676 Whitby Abbey.

Makes perfect sense to me :-)

[Republic]

Glad you asked and got good answers. And glad to know of this type of signing a painting. Pretty neat.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Amazing! Ask and you shall get your answer - within minutes. FReepers rule!

Isn't it a wonder? Thanks for the quick answers for .del, now I just have to find some biographical info on this man. They are nice watercolors, now I just have to figure out where to put it. My wife is in the UK right now so this will be a surprise for when she returns.

[RightOnline]

Now that you know what ‘del’ means, and since you want more biographical information on the artist....I’m free to talk whenever you want.

Not common knowledge ‘round here, but I’m a time-traveling watercolor artist given to using pseudonyms and ‘del’ a lot. I’m sure it’s one of mine. Grab a pencil, paper, and call.....

[Melchior]

askart.com has information on your artist (at a cost), and a simple google search provides outher sources.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Not common knowledge ‘round here, but I’m a time-traveling watercolor artist given to using pseudonyms and ‘del’ a lot.

Well you're in luck. Check out this site. I'm local to this and I could bid for you if you want me to. They expect it to bring in around 100 Grand so you may have to sell a few watercolors fast:

Time Machine For Sale

[kiryandil]

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/649131

http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/Search_Repeat.aspx?searchtype=IMAGES&artist=11085256

http://artsalesindex.artinfo.com/asi/lots/1413153

http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=3BKPP

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/john-whitacre-allen-fl.1859-1900-figure-on-a-tr-473-c-0613aa3e6b

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/mallams/cheltenham/2008-05-29/page_5

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?pos=3&intObjectID=3453948&sid=

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/6550/pages/1507/page.pdf

Birth
fl.1886

Death
1901

[Oshkalaboomboom]

You're a lot better at searching than I am. Thanks for the leads.

Birth fl.1886 Death 1901

I believe the fl.1886 means flourished, not born. I saw in another link fl.1850 so he must have been at least a teenager by then so his birth was 1830 or so.