An oil on artist board painting by American artist, Arthur William Woelfle (1873-1936), depicting a cavalier type gentleman with a large mustache in a red coat and wide-brimmed hat. The artist is quite well known and has a good auction sales history. His paintings range from sailboat harbor scenes, to still life paintings, portraits and nudes. He seems to have been quite versatile. This painting is done in the impressionist stile with broad, bright brushstrokes and impasto. There are old gallery tags on the back of the painting including a price of $100 from a gallery. My art restorer commented when he saw the tag “at that time, you could almost buy a car for $100, this artist must have been very highly thought of to ask such an amount for a small painting like this.” Auction records for this artist show the high auction record for his work to be $15,600 in 2016.

The painting is in fine condition, but the frame has had some restorations, specifically on the corner pieces, but looks fine and is ready to hang. The painting measures approximately 9 3/4” x 7 1/2” and overall with the antique frame, measures 16” x 14”.

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Here is a biography of the artist from AskArt

Arthur William Woelfle    (1873-1936)

A painter, lecturer and instructor, Arthur William Woelfle was born in Trenton, New Jersey on December 17, 1873.  He was one of six children born to Louis and Bertha Nick Woelfle.

Woelfle studied art at the Brooklyn Institute under Professor Boyle where he won a scholarship.  He also studied under Will H. Low and C.Y. Turner at the National Academy of Design in New York and also under Carroll Beckwith and Siddons Mowbray at the Art Students League.  He later studied in Paris and at the Munich Academy where he was awarded an honorable mention in 1897.

The artist seems to have settled for a time in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he exhibited between 1899 and 1905 in the local Art Club's yearly exhibits. He also executed a 125 foot mural for the art gallery at the Public Library.  He then traveled for a number of years, doing murals and portraits in the Youngstown, Ohio area.  By 1914 he held several teaching positions: Essex Falls, New Jersey; Tarrytown, New York; at the Mechanics Institute and the Grand Central School of Art, both in New York City.  In the latter position he taught classes in portrait and figure painting for eight years.

In 1928 the Erie Art Club honored him with a joint exhibit along with George Elmer Browne.  That same year he won the Grant prize from the New Rochelle Art Association.  Further awards came in 1929 with a silver medal and figure prize from the Allied Artists of America; in 1934 with a first place in the New Jersey Annual Art Show at the Montclair Art Museum, and in 1935 with a medal awarded by the National Arts Club of which he was a life member.  He also belonged to the American Federation of Arts.

Early in 1936 Arthur W. Woelfle suffered a nervous breakdown.  He died at his mother's home in Brooklyn on March 6, 1936, at age 62. 

Sources:
Biography excerpted from the unpublished manuscript by Dr. Kirk W. Steehler, Erie Artists - A History of Heroes.  Courtesy of Erie Art Museum.

Information courtesy of Edward P. Bentley, researcher of Lansing, Michigan