Tag: A. F. King

At Concept Art Gallery — The Passage of Time Evident on Gallery Labels

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An Old Label from Wunderly Gallery Except for Chinese ink-wash paintings, whose ownership is genuinely documented through personal seals over hundreds of years, for the majority of the artworks available in the market, tracing the previous owner is harder than deciphering a papyrus document written in hieroglyph. However, sometimes we are blessed with old labels from prominent galleries. … Continue reading At Concept Art Gallery — The Passage of Time Evident on Gallery Labels

Landscape by A. F. King on eBay

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A reader notified me today that there is a landscape painting by A. F. King on eBay. (item number 230355414102) He probably found this blog by search A. F. King through Google in which Urban Art and Antiques ranks 3 for the searched term.

The painting is now located in UK although the seller bought it from Berlin years ago. Although King's family moved from Germany and changed the name from Kong to King, I am not sure whether the artist himself traveled to Europe. (He did moved to Nebraska for a while.) It would be interesting to figure out how a picture by a regional artist traveled across the Atlantic. [read more...]

The Unusual A. F. King — Finding At The Philadelphia Antiques Show

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In the Philadelphia Antiques Show, I happened to spot a painting by A. F. King with an unusual subject: Pittsburgh street scene. The meticulous painter of still life and landscape depicted a social strife event in downtown Pittsburgh that would make me wonder what was the story behind it. The dealer ascribed it possibly related to coal strike of 1910-1911, but I doubted it since the brawl happened in an liquor store. On the other side of the street there was a hotel providing accommodation for man and beast, but it closed for no license. Could it be related to the Panic of 1907? It seems to me that the crowd swamped into the store because it had a sign "wanted five more bartenders"at the front. [read more...]

Regional Interests Boost The Sale At Constantine And Pletcher

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The strong performance of the auction shows a relatively healthy economy of Pittsburgh region. A. F. King, and Joseph Woodwell are mostly known in the Ohio Valley and Western Pennsylvania area. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, which dedicats their efforts to promoting the art of Southwest Pennsylvania, has through years of exhibition of both permanent collection and temporary shows, curated a group of regional collectors and ignited their fever in appreciating the regional art, in particular Scalp Level School. [Read More...]