CHICAGO — There are plenty of uses for old newspapers. Fishermen wrap their catches in them, bottle dealers have long wrapped their bottles in them and dealers-turned-artists, apparently, paint on them. It took a second glance, but our staff at Antiques and The Arts Weekly saw a peculiar sight while thumbing through Wright’s July 25 single-owner sale featuring the work of Robert Loughlin from the collection of Paul Johnson. Loughlin was well-known for painting his “Brute” on near anything, from World War II guns to album covers, tables and tusks. So it was a pleasant surprise to our staff when we noticed lot 127, an acrylic and collage on found object, featured Loughlin’s brute painted over a grandfather clock among other antiques in the background. It was no time at all until we recognized our font and then saw our name, printed on the top corner of every page we print, in the background of the painting, establishing an old connection with an old subscriber.

“Robert Loughlin sourced and sold Twentieth Century design. He was known as a picker, supplying other dealers with his finds,” said Richard Wright, president at Wright. “His passion and knowledge of design is expressed in his art. In this case, he painted his iconic visage over a collage of  Antiques and The Arts Weekly, then known as The Bee. Dealers would eagerly scan The Bee each week searching for auctions that might hold treasures. This painting gives insight into Robert’s life and his time in the industry.”

The 30½-by-26-inch painting bears a $6/8,000 estimate. For more information, www.wright20.com.