Thrifting and Styling: Vintage Foil Lithographs

Last week, my oldest and I hit the thrift store near his school to see if they had any treasures we couldn’t live without.

Most of my loop around the store was pretty uneventful, given their 50% off sale had happened just a few days prior.

But as I perused the wall hangings, something shiny caught my eye. And I knew I had to have it. This vase of gorgeous muted pastel flowers against the backdrop of a window. Look close, and you’ll see details like the two antique portraits hanging on the wall beside the window.

Just the coloring itself had me convinced it was older, but I had never encountered any sort of shiny art medium before. A few feet away hung its partner, an exterior cottage scene created in the same muted pastel hues.

Their price tags said $4.50, so I snagged them without really knowing what they were or what they were worth.

The flowers print had a signature, so I started my internet search off with terms like “foil art.” And I came across several mid-century foil lithograph prints, including a few bearing the signature “Ernest Uden.”

Curiosity got the better of me, so I broke into the back of the frames to get a closer look at the signature, and I’m certain the floral picture bears Uden’s signature.

My research tells me Uden passed away in 1940. He was a watercolor painter, and some of his works were later produced as foil lithographs. The back of the prints indicate they were produced in England.

I don’t love the frames, but they’ll work for now on the mantel for Valentine’s Day. Stay tuned for Monday’s blog post, where I’ll reveal our full Valentine’s Day mantel!