Paul Bransom (1885 - 1979), 'Scarecrow and Deer', is initialled RBL to the lower right in his usual style, with Christie's lot label (28 Feb 12, Sale 253, Lot 34).
 
Bransom was an American painter, cartoonist, and illustrator of animals. Born in Washington, D.C., as a child Bransom started sketching animals he saw in his backyard and at the National Zoo. He began his career as a technical draftsman for the U.S. Patent Office when he was 13 years old, an influence that remained apparent throughout his career in the strong use of line. He relocated to New York City in 1903 and began drawing comic strips for the New York Evening Journal there. His earliest commissions were covers for the Saturday Evening Post and illustrations for editions of Kipling's 'Just So' stories and Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows'.
 
Bransom was awarded the Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, and his works are included in the collection of the National Museum of American Illustration at Newport, Rhode Island.  He passed away in 1976 at the age of 93.
 
Measurements:
H: 15.5 cm 
W: 14cm
D: 4 cm