Are they Springer Spaniels? Definitely hunting dogs. An antique oil painting in from France, unusual in that it's been cut down from a larger original painting, the section of which bearing a signature retained on the backside. The painting is done in oil on a rough mahogany panel of board, and is very nicely framed in a heavy wood frame, looks like oak from the backside and feels like old forest growth density, so certainly it's early to mid-1800s, as well. Curious that the painting was cut down to fit the frame. Still, paintings of hunting dogs, spaniels, hounds are rare enough to find. This old beauty will find its next home quickly.
Good to very good condition throughout, the oil painting is nicely done and preserved. Oil paintings done on board lack the tears and holes that often plaque a stretched canvas, and without motion of canvas, also the typical cracks and paint loss of centuries. I have not researched the artist, so will leave that fun to the next owner. An old framer's cachet stamp remains on backside. The full measurements of frame and painting are found on our images. Frame has a few rubs, a bit of loss of the black enamel paint it started with, and is just beautiful anyway. Slight separation at a corner, just needs a moment with a hammer, I'm sure, which did not get done ahead of photos.
