Winslow Homer Lovely Signature Dating Less than 2 Years Before His Death

A paper fragment signed, dated, and inscribed by American marine painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) as "November 28th 1908 / Winslow Homer / Scarboro Maine." The leaf is attached to another smaller piece of paper verso. A partial pencil erasure at upper right, else near fine. 5.125" x 3.125." Accompanied by a souvenir stamp block of four commemorative Winslow Homer 4-cent U.S. stamps depicting his famous boating scene "Breezing Up," first issued on December 15, 1962. Provenance: Ex-Noel Goldblatt (ca. 1926-2003) of the famous Goldblatt's Department Store, to a prominent Los Angeles, California collector.

Homer autographed this piece of paper at his home and studio on Prouts Neck in Scarborough, Maine, located about 7 miles southwest of Portland. Homer lived and worked there between 1884 and his death in 1910, profiting from the building's-length-wide balcony which permitted him to paint during winter. Homer's studio was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

In the fall of 1908, Homer was probably hard at work on his last finished major work, an oil on canvas of a hunting scene entitled "Right and Left." The painting depicts a pair of ducks hurtling towards the sea a moment after they have been fatally shot by a hunter in a canoe. Homer had suffered a mild stroke earlier in the spring of 1908 but had sufficiently recovered muscle control so as to resume his work. He died less than two years later, in September 1910.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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