Original Oil Painting - "Old Man with Pipe" - Mid-Century French Canvas - Paris Flea Market Find - Signed M. Berger Vintage Fine Art

Item

Specifics:

* Artist: Martin Berger (Signed "M. Berger")

* Period: Mid-20th Century (Circa 1955–1965)

* Material: Professional Artist-Grade Linen on Wood Stretcher

* Size: Back stretchers are marked 30 and 24 (30cm x 24cm)

* Production Technique: Oil Painting

* Subject: Portrait, Character Study, Bearded Man Smoking Pipe

* Handmade: Yes

* Region of Origin: Paris, France

Description:

An evocative original oil-on-canvas portrait. This masterful character study depicts a wise, elderly figure with a voluminous white beard, captured in the classic "chiaroscuro" lighting style (high contrast) popularized in the mid-century Parisian art scene.

Authenticity & Provenance:

This piece was sourced directly from a Parisian Flea Market and carries exceptional physical markers of its professional history:

* Signature: Hand-signed "M. Berger" in the lower right.

* French Standard Sizing: Reverse features original ink stamps "30, 24" (standard French metric sizing).

* Auction Provenance: Handwritten inventory codes "(747) Nv7" and a large identification "7" from a historic French estate auction.

* Linen Quality: Visible blue weaver’s lines in the canvas weave on the reverse, a hallmark of high-quality mid-century professional French linen.

* Aged Patina: The original wooden stretcher bars have oxidized to a beautiful, light honey color. Estimated age is approximately 60–70 years.

Condition: very good vintage condition. Paint is stable with no flaking. Paint is imperfect in top right corner (see photos)