can anyone help me with the value of a painting please?

Question

its an original oil on canvas painting by david cox, its from 1855 and called skirt of the forest. ive been told it might be worth a lot can anyone help? thank you

i think the artist was the farther he lived1792 - 1859 if this helps

as well as being sined david cox it also says on the back that it was painted by "old farmer cox"

i found a reference to the name old father cox from david cox in the art section of a old document about the time of queen victoria, it said about david cox or old farmer cox it turns out this is what he was known as by friends according to the document.

sorry if im not makin sense

Answer 1

There were two David Coxes - father and son and I am hoping your painting is by the father and it could be. He was by far the better painter of the two and he did paint "Outskirts of a forest" in 1846 and also "Outskirts of a Wood" in 1843 which does sound similar to yours. He was born at Deritend, Birmingham in 1783 and really was a most eminent landscape painter of the time. He first painted in water colours but started on oils in 1839. He used to wander around Wales for inspiration and I suspect yours is of a Welsh scene. And the value? You need professional help but if it is right it is several thousands of pounds, even more. Email Sothebys or Christies and I suspect they will come running. Well done.

There are a few books about him and in particular look out for 'Memoir of David Cox' and 'A Biography of David Cox' - both of these were published in the late 1800's and you may find a copy in a good reference library.

Later: In the harsh reality of Wednesday morning I advise you to investigate from where this work came. David Cox was a teacher at the Military College of Farnham for a short time and he may have been copied by whole classes - but on the other hand this was before your painting was done although he did teach at other times. Somone has said check out the one in Birmingham and you certainly should do this for one of you must have a copy. To show you the importance - it has been said that David Cox as a landscape painter was only second to John Constable. Any writing on the back of the work willl be in ink or pencil but not typed or printed.
His total output in oil paintings were just over one hundred but he was best known for his watercolours of which there are several hundreds.
The farmer bit is puzzling. His father was a "whitesmith" not a farmer which I suppose is like a blacksmith but different metals and when David Cox left school he was apprenticed to a jeweller making brooches etc and then a colour grinder for Brimingham theatre. He worked in London for theatres and made his name when he moved to Dulwich. I tell you this to show that his working life was far different to that of farming although he adored the country side and Welsh hills. You must get professional advice as this is a most exciting find.
The name of the painting was originally "Outskirts of a Forest" and I suspect the word "Skirts" was substituted by a framer.

Late Wednesday morning: thanks for the information on Farmer Cox but I haven't found anything to agree or dispute this title

Answer 2

If the reproductions were still being produced and the source of the copying process still of good quality, no. Posters have an emotional market, so do so called Fine Art Reproductions that are marketed as limited additon prints. They are limited addition reproductions. They stretch the truth. They are a form of printing of course, but not nescessarily print making by an artist. as works of art in and of themselves. Anyway, the reproductions source, like a plate or memory in a computor, not only the original work, would have to be gone. Also the actual popularity and or merit given the work would have to be there for this to be the case. You can never absolutly reproduce a painting. An exceptional forgery can come close. A photo reproduction, even if it is put on canvas will not be an absolute copy. A really masterful forgery can have a fair value. It takes great skill to do it! But it is not an original art work and does not warrent the same value as the origonal. The forgers that exist in major collections are a threat to the owners because they stand to loose millions if officially deemed forgeries. A forgery does no have the same context as the original. Art is not only about material it is idea and history. You cannot dupplicate the life and moment of an artwork, it simply is. I have print block that were not destroyed by my parents who were also artists. If, now that they are dead, I make prints from these blocks honestly, in a sense it becomes the work of two people. I woud be doing this without the permission of the artist, they are deceased, but I am intervening in a process that is now diluted. As an artist myself, if I encorprate these blocks into my work giving full credit to their authors, that can legitamatly become a new artwork. But! it is still not the same as the prints they pulled from those blocks themselves as original artworks! This is an ethical and practical case senerio. I hope this gives you some clarity on the subject. Peace and good art!

Answer 3

David Cox was an English Painter, 1783-1859. He began his career as a scene painter in his hometown of Birmingham. In 1804, he moved to London to study the watercolor medium under John Varley. After a living in Hereford from 1814-1827, Cox returned to London until he retired near his hometown in 1841. During his career he annually visited Harborne, the place of his retirement, to paint scenes of the Welsh mountains. In addition to painting, he taught and wrote instructional books on using watercolors.

http://wwar.com/masters/c/cox-david.html


It appears he had a son, also an artist, who was born in 1808 and died in 1885.

Here is a link to some of their paintings that are being sold, as well as more information on them and their artwork:

http://www.askart.com/AskART/search/Search.aspx?SearchType=Artist&LastName=Cox&FirstName=David&Action=SubmitArtistButton

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/cox_david.html

I believe you may have a treasure. These sources are only a beginning point. Take your time in finding out more information about the artist and his paintings before you do anything with it.

Best wishes!

Answer 4

There is a painting by David Cox called 'The Skirts of the Forest' in the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery. Maybe you should ask them...... See link:


http://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1885P2484

Answer 5

Hi! There are more results in the links below:
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http://www.findartinfo.com/search/listprices~keyword~113012~name~David_Cox_(attributed_To).asp
http://www.findartinfo.com/search/listprices~keyword~81510~name~David_Cox_I.asp
http://www.findartinfo.com/search/listprices~sort~~keyword~81510~page~2.asp
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