Help with old Victorian Oil Painting, possibly American Landscape?

Jon-citrus · Jun 10, 2013

Hello All, Was wondering if anybody would like to share their views on this old painting. I came across it while clearing my late fathers home, I do recall it belonging to his late sister who's home was stuffed full of wonderful old antique furniture and special items... How or Why she would have purchased/obtained and then retained this painting for such a long time is rather a mystery as it's not the prettiest painting one has seen.... nor indeed what caused my father to also hold onto this picture yet never displayed it is also strange... That is unless they both knew something about it's history, the artist or it's provenance that I don't!... As you can see it's very dark and naively painted landscape of farm workers harvesting possibly wheat or straw in the landscape, as the view looks 'very flat and open' was wondering if members thought it could possibly be set in the American prairies?. It is Monogrammed M.L. bottom right hand corner, and has been painted on old Canvas itself stamped: Windsor & Newton, Rathborne Place, London (this firm established at this address in 1832). However somewhere in the back of my mind I do have a vague recollection of a similar styled painting of these dimensions and also very dirty harvesting scene being aired and valued on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow some years back...but I have not had much luck in finding similar on internet searches.. SIZE: 37"L x 13"W inches ~ any suggestions will be gratefully received. Regards Jon