"When one retires, one hurls oneself into new pursuits." Hercule Poirot

The same can be said about losing one's job. My current state of unemployment affords me the time to pursue Hubert. Unfortunately, my current state of unemployment affords me not much else.  Luxuries like purchasing Huberts have fallen by the wayside thanks to the machinations of a lunatic boss whose cackle mimics the Wicked Witch of the West. But this blog was not created to be an expose of my dysfunctional ex-workplace because then it would have to be re-titled "The Devil Wears Polyester".

To keep myself from falling into a giant vat of self-pity, I've hurled myself into the pursuit of Hubert. To appease my husband I've also hurled myself back into the job market.  Considering the current state of the American economy I don't know which will come first - gainful employment with health care benefits or tracking down an unknown artist from an unknown location with an unknown name. My money right now is on the artist. As Hercule Poirot, master French detective would say, let us examine the facts. I only have two.

1)Hubert's etchings are set in France and Belgium. 2)One etching was dated 1914-1918.

Several etchings depict automobiles of which make and year I do not know as I am not a car aficionado. His signature is unclear although after careful examination I can make an educated guess that it's Hubert with a flourish. Hubert was a prolific artist - to date I've counted 59 different etchings. He (or she) has been mis-identified as Hubert Robert (1733-1808), Francois-Hubert Drouais (1727-1775) and Alfred Hubert (1830-1902). I think I can safely deduce that these identifications are erroneous because my Hubert was still etching away in 1914. It's a mystery to me that no one has any information at all about an artist whose work continuously shows up across the globe 100 years later. And these, blog readers, are the only clues I have to crack the Hubert code. If there are any CIA, FBI, KGB... agents out there who have any suggestions please feel free to throw your hat in the ring.  If not, perhaps this calls for a new organization - ASI (Artists Scene Investigators). Now there's a thought for a new job...