Vincent Mercaldo - Painter of the Old West

      My father inherited 3 watercolor paintings from his great uncle Vincent.  Vincent Mercaldo was an italian immigrant who was a professional artist in NYC.  My mother told me they were "cast-offs" and his best works were in museums.  I haven't found out all the details of his life yet, but from what I could gather online, he painted, photographed, but was important mostly because he gathered a great collection of photographs and paintings of the Old West. He owned photos of  Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Cody, among others.
     Here are some pieces of his collection  Vincent's Collection .
 
     Ever since I can remember, these paintings were hanging in my brothers' rooms.  Then I asked for them when I had my own kids.  My brother Luke had already been given the larger of the three (which I think is the only signed painting).

These are the two I own.  I think they were preliminary studies for his paintings.  The painting below is Luke's.  It was by a window during a storm and has suffered some water damage, which I am going to research to see what can be done.  I may just scan it and see if anyone with photoshop skills can help me get a clean digital copy.

It is really cool when you learn about someone in your family's past who has had similiar loves and interests.  The Mercaldo family has had its share of excellent musicians, even a few recordings, but there are less visual artists.  Plus, this inspires me to search out some western landscapes to photograph and paint when we move to Texas!