DavidW

Hello Folks,
I have an unsigned European genre painting which is in serious need of cleaning and restoration. It has been in my family for at least 70+ years in this "vandalized" state. It appears to have been cut out of it's support and there are slashes in numerous areas (surface only). My guess is that the signature (if any) was gone with the cutting. The medium is oil on canvas and the size is about 90cm x 60cm and the canvas appears very old. I am here hoping for some unbiased opinions as to what the origin might be and if the style is suggestive of any particular artist. I once went to a "reputable" auction house and the "expert" dismissed it instantly and yet another well established expert was visibly excited and thought it was of a well known artist. Just so that opinions are not distorted, if you forgive me, I am going to refrain from mentioning the artist at this point with the hope that you might shed some light on this piece. The first image is the present state of the painting and the second was my virtual restoration on PhotoShop. It is by no means a claim to talent but rather an attempt to satisfy my curiosity. Thank you in advance for your help!
David W.