SS oil painting...identification....

[KristianFerrell]

Or probably Russian?

[TabsTabs1964]

I dare to formulate the following theory:
- The year of the painting seems to be 1943, that is, during the war.
- The author's name is written in Cyrillic (as Andreas says, probably Konovalyov)
- When removing the frame from the portrait an important medal has been discovered in the uniform of the German officer (KVK 1st Class)
- The owner preferred to hide the signature of the Russian painter with the frame of the painting, despite also hiding his medal. That is, the owner was not proud or wanted to display the painter's signature of his own portrait.
My conclusion: The painter is either a Russian prisoner, or perhaps a "Hiwi" with certain artistic skills, and the German officer commissioned him to paint his portrait from probably a photograph of him.

[olboy]

For those of yous following this post. I took a blow dryer and without direct heat, slowly removed the backing paper, with ease. I'm including a picture of the back of the portrait, I know it's common practice in the art world to reuse old canvas', as you can clearly see was done here. Also, I'm lucky enough to have a signiture and date. It definitely says, "43," can anyone make out the name, "Koho......?" Also, I found interesting, is the inside of the mat, reads, "SCE......?"
Any help on the artist name? Ty.

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I'm thinking I'll have this reframed with proper display of artist' credit.

Aw wow!
Now the fun (research) begins.

[Anderson]

The signature is Cyrillic. The name is "Konovalyov" or something similar.

Could the name be "Konavalov" ?

[olboy]

If we can work out what the Cyrillic initials are at the beginning of the signature we'd be off and running

[HPL2008]

If we can work out what the Cyrillic initials are at the beginning of the signature we'd be off and running

Looks like an "F" [ Ф ] to me.

[TabsTabs1964]

Hi again, mates

The whole family working (I'm on vacation) We are sure that someone has tried to erase the signature of the painting. It is very clear that with a cloth or with cotton with water or maybe solvent rubbed on the signature.
The result is very visible: the paint is clearer in that area and (unfortunately) the autograph letters are partially blurred.
My young assistant Alex (my twenty-year-old son and history student learned to read in Cyrillic on our vacation trips in Bulgaria and in Russia, when he was a 14-16 year old boy) tells me the following (Of course confirming what Andreas said yesterday):
I read the following: Ф. Конобариов
But I have doubts about the last two letters, the "ov", since I only read G: Г, although the surnames in Russian, it effectively ends in "ov"

In conclusion. When the owner of the painting received it, he tried to erase the signature with solvent, but it spoiled it; Then he decided to sacrifice the part of the painting with his medal and with the signature blurred, through a smaller frame.

Of course, we don't know what the endings of surnames are in Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Latvian or Estonian (which could be another possibility). We may need a member of the former USSR forum to take a look at the mysterious signature of the painting.

[KristianFerrell]

If indeed it's an, "F," for his surname, I came across this guy. All though the signiture is similar, but not quite.
Fedor Konovalov - Artist, Fine Art Prices, Auction Records for Fedor Konovalov
Or like tabstabs1964 states, it was smudged, and hidden, its hard to find a real clear pic of this guy's signature.

[Finngaill]

Could the name be "Konavalov" ?

Im pretty sure that name is Konavalov and it means "horse killer" like a butcher for a horse. That name is really popular in Russia, so only that surname it will be hard to find painter.

Looks like an "F" [ Ф ] to me.

It's look like an F, but it feels more to be an D and writed like more nicer looking so on this paint it look like an F?

[drmessimer]

I am impressed. This thread is a good example of people with the education, knowledge, and research capability working to solve an interesting mystery through collective effort. I am sure you will be successful or at least get as close as humanely possible to the answer. Good work! Dwight