Willmot20Aug 15, 2023
JulietJFall
I have inherited an extraordinary archive of sketches, drawings, watercolours, & oils by my great-grandfather Albert Proetel (born Prötel, in 🇩🇪). He moved around Europe painting & married in Switzerland, setting up a studio in Lausanne. Never famous, probably suffered economically from being German in🇨🇭. His art has always been around on family walls. What on should I do other than just enjoy it? Some is framed, most in large folders. #art #artsuisse #kunst #lausanne #sierre #vaud #albertproetel
Aug 15, 2023 at 8:52amToot!
Show threadJulietJFallAug 17, 2023
For those following, you might like to hear that my happy trawling through various art archives & state registers of births & death confirms that he was indeed the artist behind some famous posters currently held in Swiss collections, from the golden age of tourism advertising. I'm uncovering all sorts of interesting stories in this search that might be worth writing up, if only for my own family. Thanks for yr suggestions & for sharing the ride! #art #artSuisse #albertproetel #vintagePosters
Show threaddbat Aug 15, 2023

@JulietJFall He really had a nice touch.

Yeah, art can become a burden. I have parted with so many drawings over time, just had to leave them behind when I moved.

Now sitting with my mom's huge pile of paintings after her death. It's a thing.

Maybe the answer is to scan them, share them and then store the originals in some really tough damp-proof box and leave it to the future?

Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@dbat You’ve put your finger on the issue of storage, which is indeed an issue. Many have damp spots. Some of the oils that are not framed have flaked.
Show threaddbat Aug 15, 2023

@JulietJFall Ja. It's tragic. Many of the pieces I have are getting mould spots, or are already covered in them.

Mould can make a painting go from Lady with blushing cheeks" to "Grandfather with very realistic beard" within a decade 🤭

Pick your faves and then prepare yourself for goodbyes.

Courage!

Show threaddbat Aug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall PS - Thanks for sharing these images. It's always a thrill to see art peeking out from the past.
Show threadZugaiAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall the damage gives them a nice touch though. The woman's face for example has been mostly spared, which puts even more focus on it, in my opinion.
Show threadWillmot20Aug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall This can be a very complex issue. I would first say, enjoy what you can. You could get them professionally scanned (Much higher resolution), legally retain the rights over their broadcast and distribution, get a valuation from a good and competent Art dealer? but fundamentally enjoy and take pride in them.
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@willmotdavid Wise words, thank you! Valuation is a bit pointless, I suspect, since so much depends on fashion. Although he lived from his art, he never became collectible / fashionable up to now. Some traces online that might be the same person (such as: https://swisspostermuseum.com/en/shop/view_product/Covatannaz-Georges-de--Yverdon-Ste-Croix-211541)
Proetel Albert - Chemin de Fer

Show threadAlexanderMarsAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall @willmotdavid notoriety in the art world is largely manufactured, but I think you’re right about not pursuing valuation at the moment. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to put in a little time to promote his works, high quality professional scanning will be expensive, but setting up a gallery site and pixelfed to share them would be trivial. Sharing the work might go a long way to growing a demand that previously didn’t exist. Art needs to be seen.
Show threadWalatepabri 🦕🇨🇵Aug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall beautiful!
Show threadEfiAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall upload them to the Internet Archive and send us the address....
Show threadHerlan MustopaAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall so beautiful❤️
Show threadMizzBassieAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall @purplepadma
They are lovely, enjoy them!
Show threadRampagecatAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall these are beautiful.
Show threadFiXatoAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall could see if local museums or galleries in the places he's lived or depicted, perhaps would be interested in adopting?
lovely work💚
Show threadRootsandBramblesAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall these are very beautiful!
Show threadUlrich BestAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall Wow!
Show threadZugaiAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall Another option I see would be to sell lower resolution versions of the scans as game assets. That way even more people might get to see the paintings.
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@Zugai What are game assets? Thanks!
Show threadZugaiAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall
Something like this https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/framed-oil-painting-pack-vol
People might use them to decorate virtual scenes in games.
Framed Oil Painting Pack Vol.2 in Props - UE Marketplace

Framed Oil Painting Pack Vol.2 - is a second low poly asset pack of original hand painted landscape pictures framed in wooden or vintage metal frames

Unreal Engine
Show threadBill RhodesAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall have you checked with universities in the area he lived?
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@Brhodes No! I have an account of my grandmother’s early life which hints at his movements, back & forth to Germany. But it would be a (Art history? History? Geography?) research project to retrace it all. Maybe a good hobby topic to pursue when I have done the other million research ideas that I want to pursue… Or something for an MA student.
Show threadExcessive MinimalismAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall @Brhodes Maybe you could upload low res scans to the internet and ask the world to help find the different monuments he painted, and then make a map of all the locations with their corresponding paintings?
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@excess @Brhodes What a great idea! Thanks!
Show threadJens JägerAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall I recommend contacting museums in the areas where he lived, worked, or came from. Some may be interested in displaying (or at least storing) some of the work. That way the paintings would have a good home, and people could appreciate them. Maybe they'd even be studied!
(I don't think many people would visit a random website you put up with high-res scans.)
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@JensJot I wonder? I suspect that museums only want major artists, but I might be wrong. Perhaps visual archives might be interested, but it would be a question of finding specific relevant ones. So far, I'll keep them together and see. But thanks for the idea!
Show threadJens JägerAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall Major museums are probably more interested in the "big names", but maybe there's a museum in the town where he was born, or where he worked. Maybe the universities in the area have ethnology departments (or Swiss art history?).
I understand the sentiment to keep all fo the works together! I'm crossing my fingers you find a good solution. 😃
Show thread1ngiAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall Charity exhibition? I know it's a lot of work and prob too much - but it's an idea
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@1ngi It's a good idea, but probably only once I have actually done some biographical research etc. Obviously now regretting not interviewing my grandmother about this (she died when I was about 18). Although there is some info in the personal archive of papers she left us.
Show threadBenRudazAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall i guess the historical museum of Lausanne would be interested in some ways to acquire/loan some?
Show threadkikebenllochAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall My advice is:
- ask people who've been in a similar position and find out about their own experiences;
- contact curators and experts in museums nearby, they may know about resources you're not aware of;
- be careful with the pieces (as in "common sense", no expertise taken for granted: no sunlight, intense heat or humidity near the paintings);
Show threadkikebenllochAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall Professional, quality scanning has its own complexity and can be expensive. But one simple photograph (w/natural light) per piece is necessary, if only for you to keep track of every item, should you lend/move part of them for any reason. You should add the original date and any basic info available (for instance name of people portrayed) to the name of the pic file. Any further tracking of metadata would imply a proper database management.
Good luck, enjoy and share your treasure!
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@kikebenlloch Excellent advice! You are right.
Show threadRich Stein (he/him)Aug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall
My mother's family emigrated from Russia to Bern (their doorway was quite literally across from Albert Einstein's during his most productive years — my grandfather never mentioned that; I only found out through a passing conversation with another relative!). I have some wonderful watercolors that a cousin did (poor quality photo of an unfinished landscape here). We've shared with relatives. I do like the suggestion of posting and sharing online. It's work to get good scans/photos.
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@RichStein What a great story!
Show threadLt. Commander ReggieAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall maybe a small local gallery needs a collection to open… or a small, local black-owned business needs some art on their walls
Show threadBlueWiresAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall it looks beautiful
Show threadThomas SchmidAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall
https://www.sik-isea.ch/fr-ch/Prestations/Prestations/Successions-dartistes
Successions d‘artistes

Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@th_schmid Oh, amazingly useful, thank you!
Show threadThomas SchmidAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall you're very welcome.
Show threadJulietJFallAug 15, 2023
@th_schmid Excellent! I just ordered their booklet. Thank you so much for the reference!
Show threadNazaniAug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall
Publish them in book format. I think a lot of people, both those who live there & tourists, would be interested in comparing views from yesteryear with the current scenes.
Show threadskryAug 15, 2023

@JulietJFall These are lovely paintings.

You might try selling some prints online. Postcards might be very popular too, especially in Switzerland.

Show threadLisa Makes Stuff (she/her)Aug 15, 2023
@JulietJFall These are very nice! You could probably put together a little coffee table book, with maybe a little story about your great-grandfather.
Show threadM'dame JoAug 16, 2023
@JulietJFall ce serait la tour Haldimand ? Comme c'est vide et vert !
Show threadJulietJFallAug 16, 2023
@mdamejo Absolument! Le paysage a bien changé… J’aime aussi penser que c’est un auto-portrait. Qui sait?