It wasn't until I saw a segment on 'Antiques Roadshow' that I decided to research a painting I owned. I will share what led to interesting twists and turns and spending many hours on the project.

While watching a woman on "Antiques Roadshow" showing a painting her husband had brought back after WWII, it caught my attention. The theme of the painting was a pastoral scene of cows in a meadow.

Some years ago, I was given some works of art. None of them seemed particularly significant until I decided to examine one oil painting (more closely) that reminded me of the one on TV.

For privacy purposes, and since I am still researching the provenance of the painting, I will substitute some names and locations.

My painting is oil on canvas, in a gilded frame. I do not detect a signature.
Some clues:

On the stretcher on the back of the painting was written in pencil, a woman's married name, Mrs. X, (not Madame X) and address (city and state). Was this the artist? Buyer?

"Thursday Morning" was also written on the stretcher. Was this the title? Time of day for pickup?

A label is visible, from an artist's supply store in Boston, "Frost & Adams" established in 1869 which closed in 1921.

I became totally absorbed in the mystery behind this painting.

I Googled the artist mentioned on "Roadshow" as well as other 'like' paintings by genre and artist.
The problem here is that these artists were European, and my painting is most likely American.

My next step was to contact someone in the arts from the city/town where Mrs. X resided.
I was lucky to connect with a woman who is well familiar with the town and its history.

I learned that the inscribed name, Mrs. X, and her address is significant as it differentiates herself from another Mr. X residing in another town, the same state. However, the second Mr. X never married. Mrs. X may have known this second Mr. X who was a watercolor artist.

There is no evidence that Mrs. X or Mr. X were artists themselves.
My painting is of a realistic scene of cows in a meadow. What I find exciting is that it could be from the late 19th century, and pre-date the age of photography.

It could also offer a glimpse of rural life in New England during the late 19th century.

The gilded frame suggests that the date coincides with the time of the art supply store.

The next question was "How did the painting appear in my family?"

I remembered that my family held property that included a rental home.
At this time, I don’t have certainty that the painting resided in that house.

I did some research into who the former property owners were, and I discovered that one of the families came to America on the Mayflower. [How interesting.]

A cousin of the mistress was mentioned in writer H.P. Lovecraft's "1937 Diary."

There is, of course, a remote possibility that the painting is by a notable artist, but I have yet to find proof.

Art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner vacationed in MA near Mrs. X's town.

Gardner had a relative who was an artist from this region, but she didn't even have one of his paintings in her Boston collection. Family conflict, perhaps?

I am still searching for the connection, if any, between the two families to hopefully discover the artist and how it made its way to my family.

Wish me luck!