# Mystery Oil Painting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461 "2020-02-24T23:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/1 "2020-02-24T23:39:56Z")
A while ago I inherited an oil painting when my grandmother passed away. It had hung proudly in her living room for as long as I can remember. When I inherited it I asked my mother if she knew anything about it, and she didn’t, so I have no idea how old it is or when they might have purchased it. It’s at least as old as the mid-1950s. The [painting](https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNIdZPhoIzkkDhCxGoHI7KURX3gBixGLfMyaORH)is an oil landscape, measures 16" X 20", and has no identification marks on the back that would tell me when they bought it or where. There is, however, a [signature](https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOhcbo3xeRSBQQvTeVD6vn3rFWRFSHBVvxXH2sT)on the painting in the lower right-hand corner, but I can’t quite make it out. Normally I wouldn’t care if it was worth anything, but my grandmother didn’t buy junk and I can’t imagine her not buying something of value, at least at the time she bought it. If someone can read the signature and tell me who the artist is I might be able to figure out if it’s worth anything. The frame may be worth more than the painting is. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/2 "2020-02-24T23:53:21Z")
Your links result in a 404 error. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/3 "2020-02-24T23:56:29Z")
> [@2nd\_Law](#): > > Your links result in a 404 error. Hmm… it’s in Google Photos. Must be private. Let me try something else. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/4 "2020-02-25T00:01:47Z")
Let’s try these links instead… > **[Shutterfly Photos. Finally, the perfect solution for all your photos.](https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/125036913396)** > > Shutterfly Photos helps you gather and organize your photos and videos so you can easily find, share and enjoy them anywhere. > **[Shutterfly Photos. Finally, the perfect solution for all your photos.](https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/125036913378)** > > Shutterfly Photos helps you gather and organize your photos and videos so you can easily find, share and enjoy them anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/5 "2020-02-25T00:01:51Z")
I expected it to be a painting made with [this](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71B0yT-59bL._AC_SL1500_.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/6 "2020-02-25T00:08:59Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Let’s try these links instead… > > [Shutterfly](https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/125036913396) > > [Shutterfly](https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/125036913378) Also requires login. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/7 "2020-02-25T00:39:19Z")
Can’t see it. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/8 "2020-02-25T00:52:00Z")
It’s a mystery! ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/9 "2020-02-25T02:01:34Z")
Is there a free photosharing service I can use? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/10 "2020-02-25T02:05:39Z")
There’s hundreds. Try imgur. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/11 "2020-02-25T02:07:34Z")
This is just building up the suspense for the paintings. Even it wasn’t intentional. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/12 "2020-02-25T02:17:24Z")
Put them into a new folder in Google Photos, and make that folder public. That should do it. (If you can’t find a “make public” option, there should be a “share link” option). ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/13 "2020-02-25T02:38:56Z")
Try These… [https://imgur.com/ShVbFNm](https://imgur.com/ShVbFNm) [https://imgur.com/xTu7bVc](https://imgur.com/xTu7bVc) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/14 "2020-02-25T02:47:02Z")
We can see them now. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/15 "2020-02-25T02:52:25Z")
It is nice, I don’t recognize the signature either. Enjoy it for what it is, is my advice. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/16 "2020-02-25T03:16:25Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > It is nice, I don’t recognize the signature either. Enjoy it for what it is, is my advice. I am enjoying it for what it is, but I would love to know who the artist is and whether it has any real value. I’m not expecting it to have any value, but you never know. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/17 "2020-02-25T03:40:18Z")
The signature could be K Derlin but I can’t find any artists by that name. ETA: “Derlin” is a real surname of British origin, not just a _Star Wars_ thing. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/18 "2020-02-25T03:51:39Z")
Looks like it says **K De Rijk** which is a Dutch name, but though there are a few De Rijk artists of note, they all start with J or M, not K. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/19 "2020-02-25T03:52:36Z")
The signature looks like K de Rijk; googling doesn’t come up with any well-known artist with a K first initial and that last name. The name is most common in the Netherlands: > **[de Rijk Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History](https://forebears.io/surnames/de_rijk)** > > Learn the fascinating origin of the de Rijk surname; its meaning & distribution. Unlock your family history in the largest database of last names. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461/20 "2020-02-25T03:59:36Z")
Missed the edit window, just to add that even though the signature is all caps, from the smaller size of the letters “DE” relative to the letters “K” and “RIJK” I’m thinking that it’s spelled as a lower-case “de Rijk”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-oil-painting/848461.md?page=2)