Attributed to U.M. Samaran (French, 19th century), oil on canvas painting of an art exhibition; an elderly man views a painting on an easel as presented to him by a younger man while three fashionably dressed women are behind them, also viewing art, with a folding painted screen partially visible at the right side of the painting. Illegibly signed lower right:" __ M S-----." Hardy Alan backstamp to canvas, en verso. At lower left and lower right corners are the remnants of 2 old paper labels. The late owner's photographs of the painting contain a photograph of the left side label, upper portion of writing obscured by darkening, lower section reading "Expose au Salon de 1893". The 1893 exhibit catalog for the Paris Salon lists a painting numbered #1578 by U.M. Samaran, "Consultation; l'expert voudrait pourtant etre amiable / dans la galerie d'apollon --Musee du Louvre". The sketch associated with that title on page 239 of the Paris 1893 Salon catalog shows similar components from this painting: elderly man beside a similar chair, folding screen, woman in fashionable hat, but in a different arrangement. Housed in a 6" wide period giltwood frame with egg and dart and anthemian moldings. Sight: 47" x 34". Framed: 45 1/2" x 59". Provenance: The Estate of Mrs. Frank Wood, Evansville, Indiana and Dickson, Tennessee. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)