Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

Defregger or not Defregger – that is the question Worthologist Christopher Kent was asked at Treasures from the Attic, a recent fundraising event in Manassas, Virginia. Franz Von Defregger was an Austrian painter and one of Hitler’s favorites artists. He was also known as Franz Jacob von Defregger. Defregger was born in 1835 and died in 1921.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Maybe you, too, were one of those nerdy kids that felt an affinity for walking through restored or reconstructed historic villages. Peering into history while wearing a tricorn hat and jabbering on about the Elizabethan influence on Colonial domestic dwellings while eating a plate of apple pandowdy and speaking in what you thought was an English accent.

I may have just revealed too much about my childhood. But I know there are others like me out there, so I feel relatively safe in exposing myself. At the drop of a hat if the opportunity arose to visit Colonial Williamsburg, Deerfield Village, Old Sturbridge or downtown Philly, I was ready and waiting beside the old Packard to make the trip.

Historic Richmond Town here I come

So it’s no surprise that when I was asked to do an appraisal and auction day in aid of the Staten Island Historical Society’s Historic Richmond Town, I jumped at the chance. If you’ve never been there and that sort of thing does something for you, go. Historic Richmond Town is New York City’s historic village and museum complex that includes the earliest Colonial period to the 19th century.

The town center is beautiful, and the preserved houses capture a part of history that is transporting. I’m waxing here. I’ll get to the point.

But where, oh where in the world is Historic Richmond Town?

My assistant and I arrived at the town center only after having our cabdriver pull over to ask directions. He was from Sri Lanka and not familiar with Staten Island—or maybe Manhattan island, for that matter.

The lady we approached in the middle of her brisk morning cardio-walk, lavender jogging suit, perfect hair and nails, started to give us directions. To a native, I’m sure they were simple. To a visitor, who admits to being directionally challenged, I was lost after the first “turn right.”

I surprised her by getting out of the cab, extending my hand with introduction and explanation, asking her name—it was Delores—and would she be willing to be kidnapped and take us to the town center as time was not on our side. I assured her that our driver would bring her back to her house. “Sure,” she said. She made a call to her husband to keep breakfast warm, and we became new best friends as we chatted the distance across Staten Island.

Helping to raise funds

My part in this event was to assist in raising money for Historic Richmond Town. Saturday would be spent doing appraisals, x-amount per item, then a big auction on Sunday. The volunteers were well organized, people had been given numbers and were patiently waiting in line, and there must have been about 100 all eager and clutching items of various shapes and sizes.

I heard, as I appraised, wonderful stories about found items. Dumpsters in Manhattan still being the best location for finding treasures. I was looking and appraising with a lift to the spirit that things could still be found in unlikely places when an elderly couple came up to the table.

Framed fragment

Could it have been possible that the Fezziwigs, the couple from Charles Dickens’ “The Christmas Carol,” had popped off the page of the book and appeared in front of me? There they stood, rosy and round, cheerful and lit from within with an infectious joy and wonder that about knocked me over. They giggled and jostled as they unwrapped what appeared to be, by the size and shape, a painting.

As I studied it, I asked the stock questions of where did you find this, inherit it, buy it.

“We inherited it from an aunt who was a Carmelite nun living in a convent in town, Manhattan.” Interesting.

“Where, I wonder, did she get it?”

“From her mother who brought it over from Naples at the turn of the century.”

“Apparently,” they added, “she rolled it up and brought it over in her willow trunk. We had it framed when we inherited it.”

Pans pipes and nymphs are nun-cell no-nos

The Carmelite nun was not allowed to have decoration in her convent cell and certainly nothing as frivolous as this. What I was holding was a fragment of a painting, meaning a portion of the original painting, that had been cut down from the original. The portion that I was holding was about 24-inches square and consisted of a wild, pastoral scene at the edge of densely wooded forests with jutting rocks upon which nymphs and shepherds danced and played Pan pipes.

Stylistically, it was clearly 17th/18th century, and the condition was excellent. I had a gut feeling that I knew who had painted it. But where was the rest of the painting?

“Well,” the Fezziwegs said, “that’s an interesting story in and unto itself.”

At this point, there were about 40 people waiting to have items appraised, and my assistant was giving me the hairy eyeball. I desperately wanted to hear the rest of the story and suggested that the couple come back later and tell me about it.

“No,” 25 of the 40 people said in unison. “We want to hear the story.” The horde crowded the table and waited expectantly. The Fezziwegs were thrilled by the attention.

Four sisters not playing nice

Well, it seems that there were four sisters and one item that they each wanted to take with them that had any value from Naples to New York—the painting.

Months before the trip, they started jockeying for ownership of the piece, beseeching their parents to part with the painting that they had grown up with. The parents vouchsafed no knowledge of how they had gotten the painting, although the Fezziwegs said that it was in exchange for something else. Bit of a shadow there sounding like magic beans and a cow.

Days before the sisters were about to leave, the decision as to whom was getting the painting had yet to be made.

“But,” I said, “they were all coming to New York. I assume they were going to be living there together.”

No, they would dock there, and each was going off in a different direction.

Daddy takes, sort of, Solomonic action

At this point, the bickering had reached a head. The father, exasperated, took the painting off the wall, out of the frame, off the stretcher and proceeded to cut the painting into four equal pieces, handing each of his daughters a square. Horrifying—but amazing.

On the journey over, the sisters had a complete falling-out, blaming each other for the rash action of the father. When they docked, each gave the other the distinctive digital gesture in the vernacular of Naples and went their own way, painting fragments in tow.

“Why don’t you call the relatives and get the pieces back,” someone in the crowd asked, “and then put them all together?” Good thought.

“Well, the sisters never made peace, and even though we know where the relatives live, no one has spoken to each other in years,” Mr. Fezziwig explained.

I told the couple that trying to reunite the pieces was a great idea because, even cut apart, this might be a valuable painting. I asked to examine their fragment in a laboratory setting. I also urged them to contact the various owners of the other fragments and negotiate getting them back. Contact information was exchanged, and to my surprise, the couple handed over the painting to my safekeeping.

Forensics weigh in

With the weekend over, I took the painting to a forensic lab in D.C. My feeling was that the painting was late-17th century and was done in the style of Salvador Rosa, the artist on whom I had done undergraduate work.

Rosa is known, in some circles, as a not a first string but second-string Italian Baroque painter. His works were considered by his contemporaries and by art historians as flamboyant and sublime. His landscapes are both wild and turbulent. His historical and allegorical paintings, with a de’ Medici as a patron, were infused with a vitality and directness that defined in your face in 17th-century terms.

The thought that this fragment could be attributed to this master of the theatrical was beyond exciting to me. It was not until Rosa reached the age of contrition, which was early as he died relatively young, that he produced some of the most poignant religious-themed paintings.

The tests from the D.C. lab confirmed that the pigment and canvas were, in fact, 17th century, the stretcher new and that we could possibly have a Rosa or at least an “in the school” or a studio copy. I contacted the Fezziwigs, told them the news and asked them to please begin the arduous work of contacting the relatives. They already had. One of the quarters was being shipped as we spoke.

Experts agree—almost

To cut to the chase, within six months, I had all the pieces, one being sent to me in a paper-towel roll. With the permission of the owners, I took the fragments to a conservator who began the process of literally piecing the painting together.

Within another six months, the painting was intact and exquisite. I had contacted some of my colleagues in the U.S. and England to have a look at the painting. This confab caused some professional-ego feathers to fly, but in the end, there was a 99.9-percent consensus that it was a Salvador Rosa.

With the consent of the disparate Fizziwig clan, I had an independent brokerage firm negotiate the auction details and put the painting up for auction. End result was $20,000 for the sale of the painting and a family I think is now reunited, although there was some grumbling.

– Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

In art, antiques, and collectibles headlines: A legal dispute over the work of outsider artist Martin Ramirez, Damien Hirst’s unlikely new subject, another lackluster sale at Sotheby’s and a Canadian raising money to purchase his father’s WWII medals. Also: Ireland’s most famous cathedral sells its clock, and the Little Mermaid finds herself in the middle of controversy.

From The Guardian (UK):
Family fight to win back art of ‘insane’ genius

A dispute over the legal ownership of works by late artist Martin Ramirez has emerged as his works continue to be popular with collectors and attract high bidders at auction well after his death in 1963. Long ignored by the powers-that-be in the art world, Ramirez is now perhaps the best-known “outsider” artist. He suffered from metal illness for most of his life and created art while in mental hospitals. Ramirez gave away the majority of his paintings while a patient. The artist’s family halted a sale of his work at Sotheby’s recently and still contends that because of his mental illness, Ramirez was not legally competent to give away his art—thus, his collection belongs to them.

From The Guardian (UK):
Sienna Miller smokes, cries and smears herself in blood in Hirst’s macabre video

Sienna Miller has little in common with diamond-encrusted skulls and embalmed sharks, but she’s the latest to take direction from artist Damien Hirst. The British actress appears in a music video for a band called the Hours, and Hirst, a friend of the band, served as art director. The Guardian has a clip of the video, which includes Miller smearing herself with cow’s blood. Yummy.

From The New York Times:
A Dreary Night for Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s contemporary art sale on Tuesday night was evidence once again that the art market is on the wane. In a sale packed with works from blue-chip artists like Jeff Koons, Ray Lichtenstein, Damien Hirst, Cy Twombley, Yves Klein, Ed Ruscha, Robert Rauschenberg and Donald Judd¬, almost a third of the lots went unsold. Most that did sell ended up going for well below estimates, the lone exception being a 1999 John Currin painting that sold for a record $5.4 million (est. $3.5–$4.5 million).

From CTV (Canada):
Son hopes to buy father’s naval medals at auction

The son of a Canadian World War II hero is asking his fellow countrymen to chip in to help bring back his father’s war medals to Canada. John Simmons has set up a Web site for people to donate to a fund to buy the collection of medals when they go up for auction Nov. 18 in England. His father, Ted Simmons, was a heavily decorated war hero who was the subject of the film “Corvette K-225,” starring Randolph Scott. Ted Simmons moved to England, and upon his death in 1988, the collection was left to John’s half-sister, who is now putting the medals—worth about $40,000 Canadian—up for auction. John believes the collection should return to his father’s homeland as they are a piece of Canadian history.

From Kuntsford Guardian (UK):
Irish cathedrals’ antique clock comes to Plumley

A clock created for two cathedrals in Dublin, Ireland, is now in Plumley, England. Thought to be more than 100 years old, the 6-foot tall clock was originally made in the United States and made its home at Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, churches that share clergy quarters in Dublin. Coppelia Antiques bought the clock, which the company says is such a remarkable piece that it could probably sell for “tens of thousands of pounds.”

From The Art Newspaper:
Row over Little Mermaid move

Danes are generally thought to be laid-back people—that is, until you try to move one of their beloved national landmarks. The Little Mermaid sculpture, based on a Hans Christian Andersen’s story, is slated to be the main attraction at the Danish Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Conservative politicians, along with heirs of the sculptor, are not in favor of the temporary move. The Little Mermaid is one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions, as well as a national symbol.

Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

Dale Chihuly has singularly defined the medium of fine art glass. His blown glass is marked by intense, vibrant color and flowing lines. Sandy Sardella, of Pismo Fine Art Glass, shows some of the beautiful and diverse Chihuly pieces in her Denver gallery.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Not too many years ago the automobile was considered the work of madmen, determined to corrupt the morals of our society, not to mention upset the enterprise of the blacksmith, the horse breeder and the harness maker. (They weren’t far from the truth.) It is difficult for the current generation to understand how the automobile caught the world’s imagination.

The artist with his canvas was best to capture the new found exciting event. No one artist was able to capture the excitement better then Ernest Montaut of Paris, France. Ernest Montaut, artist and lithographer, was the first to mass produce automobile art. Not only were his lithographs sold in Europe, but Motor Magazine of the United States used some of his images, in printed form, as inserts in some of their early issues.

Pictured is a 1908 lithograph showing an early race car with a blue bird on the righthand corner of the lithograph. These, like so many early lithographs, fade quickly if not properly displayed, always away from direct sun light.

The value depends upon the condition, but his lithographs sell for around $250-$350.

Prosper d’Épinay (French, 1836-1914) was born to aristocratic parents who emigrated from France to
the island of Mauritius, then governed by England. His strong connection to England is reflected in his consistent participation at the Royal Academy from 1865 to 1881. Although trained and educated in France, Prosper d’Épinay also maintained a studio in Rome (1864 -1912), where he became a close friend of Mario Fortuny and Henri Regnault, and helped the young Falguière. His career as a society portraitist was fostered by the Princess of Wales and Czar Alexander III.

Prosper d’Epinay had, for a long time, been preoccupied with the theme of Joan of Arc, painstakingly researching her life in libraries and studying the correct period amour and swords. It took him thirty years to realize his dream, towards the end of the century when his health was beginning to fail. First was the equestrian Jeanne d’Arc avant l’attaque in 1897, followed by the intensely powerful standing figure of the female saint, holding her sword in front of her, lost in prayer. Roux-Foujols records that an edition of only twelve of the equestrian Saint Joan were cast, by the lost wax process, of which number 12, dated 1898, is in the artist’s family collection. Both figures were cast by Nisini, the famous Roman foundry that experimented with Renaissance lost wax casting techniques.

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was born in Brighton on 21 August 1872 and early showed artistic ability, acting and playing in concerts with his sister Mabel and producing drawings of recognized merit. The Beardsley family’s means were modest, and by 1888 Aubrey had quit school to work as a clerk. At the age of nineteen Aubrey Beardsley embarked on a career as an illustrator, and with the encouragement of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes in France and Joseph Pennell in England he quickly made a name for himself. His fame was ensured with the publication of the Dent edition of Malory’s “LE MORTE DARTHUR” in 1892, and by the following year the “Beardsley boom” was in full flower.

In 1894 Beardsley became the art editor of ” THE YELLOW BOOK” under the general editorship of Oscar Wilde, but his advancing tuberculosis and Wilde’s arrest put an end to that satirical periodical before 1895 was out. Beardsley’s increasingly poor health forced his move from health resort to health resort, but under the patronage of André Raffalovich he continued, despite severe difficulties, to produce his drawings. In 1896 alone he created numerous illustrations for “THE SAVOY, THE RAPE OF THE LOCK”, and “LYSISTRATA”. During 1897 Aubrey Beardsley’s health continued to decline as serious work became increasingly difficult and his creative output dwindled. His death occurred at Menton, France, on 16 March 1898.

http://www.antique-appraise.com/fourfreedoms.jpg

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms series was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943. The Post published the paintings as a series after the United States government declined it. The posters were such a huge success that the United States government changed its mind and the Office of War Information later issued the series as posters as an incentive for War bond purchasers.The original “Four Freedoms” paintings were taken on a Bond raising tour covering sixteen American cities, allowing almost a million and a quarter people were able to see the paintings in person. The more than $130 million dollars worth of bonds sold by the Four Freedoms Tour helped shorten World War II.

Mike Wilcox

Wilcox & Hall Appraisers

The famous Venini glassworks was established in 1921 by Paolo Venini on the island of Murano near Venice. A large glass industry already had existed there for centuries, transforming quartz silica and other common materials into three-dimensional art as well as everyday items. But Murano glass had become predictable and commercial.

Venini wasn’t a craftsman; he didn’t blow glass, but he revolutized the way glass was created, marketed and sold.

Venini extended Modernist trends beyond architecture and painting into glass art with dazzling designs that have been the subject of several museum exhibitions and Venini glass still seems fresh today.

His studio’s designs from the 1930s-1950s are especially collectible. While you can find bowls and other simple pieces for $2,000, a tall 1950s-era vase will be valued as high as $17,500. Rare vintage pieces attributed to specific Venini designers now approach $100,000.

Venini visited Venice as a soldier during World War I and the city made a deep impression on the young man drawing him back after the war. His forbearers had been glass-makers, but Paolo Venini was trained as an attorney. He invested in an existing glassworks with antique glass dealer Giacomo Cappellin, but by 1925 the partnership had dissolved and Venini was pursuing a strikingly independent course.

He adopted the French fashion industry’s approach of using designers to create individual styles and lines of glass. Most had never worked in glass, but were painters, architects and other artists who brought fresh ideas to the island. He liberally encouraged them to experiment with new design concepts and new glassmaking techniques. At the same time, Venini insisted that his designers collaborate closely with Murano’s expert glassblowers and other artisans.

He also reached out to a wider audience and new markets and he regularly entered his glassware in major exhibitions throughout Europe.

Distinctive Venini lines are associated with particular designers and art directors including Napoleone Martinuzzi, Carlo Scarpa and Fulvio Bianconi and serious collectors pursue their work.

Napoleone Martinuzzi

Originally a sculptor, he was the art director from 1925 to 1931. Martinuzzi’s designs are notable for their intense colors and originality – glassworks like Vetro pulegoso (bubble glass rendered opaque by millions of bubbles), Pasta vitrea (glass paste), and Incamiciato (double layered colored glass).

Carlo Scarpa

His daring designs became a Venini trademark. He left the glassworks shortly after World War II and became one of the 20th century’s notable architects. He developed glass manufacturing techniques such as “a murrine” that employed small glass patches and designs with ribboned, corroded and milky surfaces. His son developed one of Venini’s signature geometic lines, “Occhi” (eyes), which feature blobby circles within rectangles.

Fulvio Bianconi

Bianconni was an illustrator who renewed the company’s postwar fortunes. His most creative period was in the 1950s when he produced some flamboyant designs, such as the famous “Pezzato” (patches) and “Fazzoletto” (handkerchief) vases.

All true Venini pieces are etched with identifying stamps. These have changed from decade to decade, but they are widely cataloged and make the works easily identifiable. They include the Venini name, the designer’s name, ID numbers and other marks.

Venini managed the enterprise with great verve until his death in 1959. In the 1980s the Venini family sold the glassworks and now it is owned by Royal Scandinavia. Many original designs have been reissued, but if you can afford it, go for the vintage pieces.

Their limited availability only increases their value. And, the older ones were made in charcoal furnaces. Many collectors believe they have a special beauty that pieces fired in modern gas kilns cannot match.

To begin collecting, educate yourself on all aspects of Venini glass.

The Internet is a good place to start. Visit the Venini site for a list of museums with Venini glass.

Click here for the Venini site.

Look for the glass displays at major museums including the Corning Museum of Glass, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Follow the glass sales at major auction houses.

Read books by glass experts; such as “Italian Glass: Murano-Milan, 1930-1970″ by the Kunstmuseum director Helmut Ricke and the glass scholar Eva Schmitt.

Always buy from a reputable dealer or gallery and be sure that you have a certificate of authenticity with the production date for your purchase.

Problems viewing videos?
youtube.com

At the DHL All-Star FanFest in NYC, WorthPoint’s Dan Borsey visits the Thomas Kinkade booth. Kinkade’s painting of Yankee Stadium has been valued at $1million. Dan the Man in the WorthPoint Van also examines the autographs of the great baseball personalities on the gigantic FanFest ball.

More of Dan the Man in the WorthPoint Van’s DHL FanFest videos:

• Commiserating & Celebrating with the Fans

• “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” Contest at FanFest

Reporter – Dan Borsey
Videographer/editor – Matt Kohn

WorthPoint – the premier Web site for antiques and collectibles

“The Endeavor is to present a painting which will give pleasure without tiring the intellect. Something beautiful to look upon. A good place to be in. Nothing more.”

Parrish focused on painting in the 1920s. His greatest pieces from that period include Daybreak (1922) and Enchantment (1926). During this time, The House of Art published prints due to popular demand. Another shift occurred in his work in 1931 when he left behind his usual themes of androgynous figures in fantastical settings for landscapes. Known as his quiet period, in 1930-1960 all his work, except Collier covers, were landscapes, (see his Brown & Bigelow calendars). In 1961 he composed his last work, Away from it All, but lived to see his own revival in the 1960s before dying at The Oaks in 1966.
Though Parrish used models, he never painted a person live. He chose to photograph his model and transfer the negative onto glass plates. The background was already painted before adding people. He then would project the human images upon paper or canvas. Either a sketch or stencil was produced and then laid upon the final product. His painting technique contributes a lot to his style. Called glazing, Parrish used varnish between each layer of oil paint. Since varnish took weeks to dry, he often worked on multiple projects at once. For more about Parrish’s life and works please see Maxfield Parrish by Coy Ludwig.
Experience and a good eye are best while collecting Parrish pieces. Due to his prolific life in New England, Parrish works are scarcer and higher priced on the West Coast. Collectors should be aware of condition, color, rarity, and size. It is best to utilize multiple factors to determine a real Parrish due to the plethora of reproductions both made in the early 20th century, called old reproductions, and those made today, new reproductions. Also, many sellers will detach illustrations from books and frame them for sale. Cropping is common; especially when there was damage to the piece, but over cropping is a sign of severe damage or a reproduction.
Knowing the environmental factors that can effect Parrish’s work is the first step towards being a wise collector. Since his major medium was paper, the aging process heavily effects value and many factors lead to the deterioration of the paper and color including: temperature, air and light. Ideally, his works should be kept in 45-55% humidity at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Without humidity the paper will turn brittle, but with too much humidity the paper softens. Also, air, carrying dust, spores, ash and bacteria, activates acids in the paper, destroying it over time. Often air seeps in due to bad framing or during the framing process. If, during the latter, the paper was exposed to too much air and oil from human hands, small brownish gray spots occur over time. One can clean the paper with mild soap, but it is best to see a professional conservator. Overexposure to light leads to bleached colors and yellowing. Underexposure to light, combined with some humidity and bad ventilation, creates a breeding ground for bacteria and insects. It is essential that collectors’ have a good balance of light and a well-framed work to stay in good condition.
To insure a real Parrish work, one must know the signs of a reproduction. Newer printing processes create shiny, more brilliant color. Also the shaded areas will appear blurry in a reproduction. Some sellers have been known to soak reproductions in coffee or tea, peel back the original backings, and insert a reproduction with a period frame. Therefore, an original backing does not guarantee an authentic picture. Backings are often redone, and some prefer “museum framing” or the use of rag board as a new backing. However, the value goes down with a redone backing. Also, deteriorating old frames can cause damage to the piece and are often replaced. A new frame does not equal a reproduction; so ask questions about any previous damage. Perhaps the most important factor in telling a reproduction is its size. Cropping lowers the value and is often a sign of past damage. Also, many reproductions are larger than the original, so know the size of the piece you are looking for. If there is no frame, the paper itself reveals the truth; older paper is heavier and the back will show patina, a brownish color due to the paper’s age.
Most importantly, use all the tools you can to expose a reproduction, because sometimes the seller is unaware. Some fading is to be expected in original pieces, so if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. The best advice to any collector is to learn more by attending auctions and antique shows. Only by first-hand experience can a collector become a smart collector.

References

Flacks, Erwin. Maxfield Parrish. Collector’s Press: Portland, 1998.
Gilbert, Alma.

The Make Believe World of Maxfield Parrish and Sue Lewin. Pomegranate Books: San Francisco, 1990.
“Maxfield Parrish.” http://en.wikipedia….. 12 July 2007.

Monet’s Lilies
The 1919 “Le Bassin aux Nymphéas” (“The Water Lily Pond”) set a record for the artist this week when it sold for $80.4 million, dispelling any claim that the Impressionist market is dead. American owners sold the work at Christie’s in London where, according to the Bloomberg news, a “weak dollar and strong demand from Russian buyers have encouraged Americans to sell Impressionist works” there. The story focused on the financial side of the sale that brought in $284.5 million total, a European record, while an article in The New York Times looked closely at the individual works and at their public, some of whom belong to Russia’s newly rich.

Coin Collectors Roll the Dice
Also in The New York Times, coin collectors cum chip collectors turned their attention to defunct casino collectibles at the annual Casino Chip and Gaming Tokens Collectors Club convention in Las Vegas this week. Chips as collectibles from the Desert Inn and the Showboat Casino, both long gone from the Vegas Strip, have recently sold for $20,000 and $29,000, respectively. Most items were moderately priced at the convention. Recent sales indicate that with the right chip, a collector can cash in big. Antique ivory poker chips, casino ashtrays and swizzle sticks competed with slot-token collections for sale.

Titanic at Auction
A canvas, cork-filled life preserver, bloodstained and with the provenance of the Titanic, was estimated to fetch $80,000 at Christie’s Ocean Liner sale June 25. According to the auction house’s Post Sale Summary, it brought in $68,500.
Bloomberg news reported that the preserver belonged to a farmer from Nova Scotia who assisted with the cleanup of the wreckage and found the vest. The 1912 relic is said to bring out “everything about the tragedy,” including the elegant vessel itself, surrounded by frozen passengers floating at sea.

Third Coin’s a Charm
The United States Mint will debut the design for the first United States coin to feature readable Braille on July 2 in Dallas, Texas. According to a press release from the U.S. Mint, the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar coin prototype will have the word “Braille” in Braille code on the tail’s side of the coin. The mint has printed Braille coins twice before, but neither was readable. The Alabama commemorative quarter-dollar, part of the 50 State Quarters® Program, used Braille in the Helen Keller image, but the Braille was too small to be readable by the blind. The 1995 and 1996 Paralympics Silver Dollar featured Braille, but, again, the code was too small to be readable. Read the entire press release on CoinLink.

Functional Art
According to insiders, swelling prices in the contemporary-art market are pushing up expectations in the contemporary-furniture market, possibly to its detriment, The New York Times reported. High prices were realized by big names like George Nakashima and Pierre Jeanneret, whose pieces sold for well above their estimated auction prices. Tiffany lamps were a hit, including a rare “Apple Blossom” table lamp that sold for $775,000, setting a new world record. A Jean-Michel Frank wrought-iron table from the 1920s went for $420,000 (estimate: $60,000 to $80,000) while many lots went unsold.

All-Star-Studded Auction
This summer’s All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium will host the auction of 140 collectibles belonging to former New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, including his World Series rings, Most Valuable Player trophy and uniform. Also included in the July 14-15 sale are Lou Gehrig’s warmup jacket, which he wore during the last game of his 2,130 consecutive-games streak, Hall of Famer Whitey Ford’s ball signed by President Kennedy, the ball Babe Ruth whacked for his 712th home run and a Jackie Robinson game bat. An article on ESPN by the Associated Press notes there couldn’t be a more appropriate place for the star-studded sale than a big game at Yankee Stadium.

Taking some of the mystery out of recognizing value in Fine Art Paintings is a topic I get many e-mails on. 31 Club Members call and e-mail me about wonderful paintings they’d like to buy, but the artist can’t be identified. Maybe there are only initials, a signature that can’t be read, or just simply a monogram with a figure on the painting. Perhaps the signature can be read, but the artist is not in the guides on paintings. People have often said to me, “I liked the painting, but I didn’t purchase it because I couldn’t identify it.” This could be a huge mistake.

If you judge a painting to be worth $400 because of the frame, the content, and quality of the work, and you can purchase it for about $100, then your decision is made. Even if the painting is not signed, you might not want to hesitate to purchase it. I have seen paintings in beautiful frames sell for $100, and after a little research, it was discovered that the frame was a Newcomb-Macklin frame worth up to $1,000. And this might be a real shocker: Some vintage frames have been known to bring over $100,000. And, unsigned paintings can still sell for thousands, as William shared with me when he saw an unsigned painting sell for over $5,000.

I have seen signatures appear after the painting had been cleaned and have found signatures hidden behind a frame. So, if you buy a painting for a few dollars and know that it’s worth more than four times what you paid for it, then it has met our rule for buying. Anything from there that enhances its value is only a plus.

I’ve accumulated many secrets over the past 45 years in this business and I’ve shared many of them them in my book. Today, I’ll share one of those secrets with you.

Did you know that, like authors who’ve written under pen names, artists also painted under alternate names? Did you know Leon Gaspard also painted under the name Leon Schulman and John Edward Castagno used the name Czako? Artists painted under alternate names, and they are listed in the back of American Signatures and Monograms by John Castagno. In the back of this book on signatures and monograms, you will also find the initials used by some of the greatest artists to ever decorate a canvas. If you find a painting signed with only initials, the identity of that artist might be discovered right here in this book. If you’re serious about finding valuable paintings, there might be a true treasure waiting for you because others didn’t have this information, but you did. Castagno’s books are very expensive, but if your interest lies in this area, his books will prove to be key tools for you. The link to the book is at then end of my Blog.

At a house I was called to about several items, I stumbled across a painting of an Indian Chief that looked to be unsigned. I asked what they were asking for it. The answer came quickly: $250. I thought that was a good price, but I asked if I could take it out of the frame. They agreed, and lo and behold, there was a signature behind the frame I didn’t recognize. I had just made a very serious mistake.

You see, the owner quickly asked if I would mind if they waited another day before they sold the painting. We had already settled on several other items I was purchasing, and I didn’t want to miss out on those items as well, but I said, “Sure” anyway.

That evening I quickly researched the painting and found that it was worth about $10,000. I called back the next day but they told me that their daughter really liked the painting, so they’ve decided it should stay in the family. You see, they had done their research after I left, also. So, remember this story, and keep this in mind: If you come to the conclusion that something should be purchased, stop trying to convince yourself further and simply buy it.

You may find that this approach will produce several paintings that will only return you a small profit, but by taking a risk, you might end up with a piece that will make your whole year or even more.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle’s Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers who are making more money than they thought possible.

My 220 page book is FREE when you join.

http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/21incantiqueandcollectibles/Detail?no=1

LINK:

American Signatures & Monograms

http://www.amazon.com/American-Artists-II-Signatures-Monograms/dp/0810858959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213354832&sr=

31 Club Member, William, struck again. Yesterday, he called asking about several paintings he was going to see at a local house sale in the Houston area. The first one was a Texas Porfirio Salinas painting, an artist I am very familiar with. It was one of his bluebonnet paintings; a very small one. Since the painting was in Texas, and that’s where Salinas is most popular, I was fairly certain the price would be out of our range. This proved true when we discovered the asking price was $15,000. There was no need to even try to bargain on this painting, so we moved on to the next offerings, and the interesting part of the story was yet to come.

William Fisher was the next artist on our list, an artist from New York. Out of place for Houston, right? After doing research, I suggested offering $200 apiece for three of Fisher’s paintings. We negotiated over the course of the afternoon, but we were unable to come to an agreement on the price, so we passed on these, even though there might have been a little profit there. Remember, we aren’t looking for a little profit.

The last painting was a very modern painting offered for $800. While the artist is listed, there have been only a few of his paintings sold at auction, but I saw that they were all sold for higher than the high estimate. That was about the best news we could have hoped for, and perhaps we could be on to something here. We discovered that there was no other interest in the painting, and after several calls back and forth, we finally settled on a price that satisfied us all — $600. My educated guess is that at a Modern Design Auction or Sale, this painting has the potential to bring in $5,000 or more. Bingo. We made a hit. The painting was purchased through the Associates Program.

Let’s review the behind the scenes steps that brought us to the point that we bought this painting. First, while researching auction prices for this artist, I saw that his prices had climbed recently. Second, when they did sell, they brought more that the high estimated price. Third, the painting was in an area where this type of work was not especially appreciated, generally. This created an almost perfect game plan for us. It took patience to secure this purchase at the price we wanted, and I’m certain it will pay off.

I’d like to tell you who the artist is, but that will come after it’s sold, and I’ve selected two places that we could best sell this piece. Some of you might be industrious enough to figure it out, but, I promise I’ll tell the rest of you later. Depending upon which company we decide to sell it through, the sale will be either in September or November.

The Associates Program through the 31 Club is making it possible for anyone who makes a good find to prosper buying and selling fine art paintings, antiques and collectibles. Come Ride Shotgun With Us.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Rub elbows with like-minded 31 Club Members, and Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to Make High Profits and Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. www.31corp.com

Problems viewing videos?
youtube.com

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Reporter Melanie Gallegos takes us to CHAC Gallery in the Santa Fe Art District in Denver for a look at some of the best Hispanic artists in the region. WorthPoint- the premier site for art, antiques and collectibles.

Problems viewing videos?
youtube.com

Everyone has treasures in their garage or attic–items they aren’t sure what to do with but hate to let go. How do you know whether your treasures are antiques or collectibles or simply of sentimental value? You could go to an event like the one held recently in Manassas, Virginia – where Worthologists and other experts examined and evaluated “treasures.” You can also look your item up in WorthPoint’s data base, called the Worthopedia, which provides recent prices from hundreds of auction houses. In this video Dennis Pryba (Pryba Fine Art) evaluates a pen and ink drawing from the Art Deco period.

Problems viewing videos?
youtube.com

Videographer Korene Gallegos videotaped the work of artist Stevon Lucero in Denver. Lucero talks on camera about the early years of his art career, the public perception of Hispanic artists in the late 1970′s and how he and his fellow artists had only one objective – to make beautiful things. Take a look at Stevon’s bold colorful canvases.

Click here to view Stevon Lucero’s work on the web.

Click here to read articles about Stevon Lucero.

The Artists’ Atelier Tour is an exclusive art studio tour in Buenos Aires, designed with the art collector in mind. Created by Natalia Margiotta, owner of art gallery Galería 5006, the Artists’ Atelier Tour takes artists, art enthusiasts, and art buyers into the private studios of artists represented by the gallery, ranging from classic master painters to feminist photographers to politically-bent performance artists, encouraging guests to create a dialogue with the artists and learn more about them, their ideas, and their work.

Each tour is limited to no more than 10 guests, keeping the atmosphere intimate and personal. Natalia picks guests up at their hotels or rented apartments, or they can opt to meet her at her gallery space in the lobby of the Design Suites Hotel in Recoleta. The Design Suites location has a schedule of rotating exhibitions and is currently showing the nostalgic “Saudades” series by photographer Alejo Schatzky (other recent exhibitors include Eleonora Margiotta and Fabiana Barreda).

Once all guests are accounted for, the tour heads to the first of four studios in the block of neighboring areas of Recoleta, Palermo, and Villa Crespo. Each studio is completely unique and beautiful (the tour is worth it just to see inside some of the magnificent porteño architecture), and the artists welcome the visitors with coffee and pastries, stacks of canvases (both finished and in progress), drawing portfolios, video projections, and books of photos of international exhibitions and installations. The artists are in all stages of their careers, from emerging to established, and all have impressive résumés and extensive bodies of work.

All of the work shown on the tour is for sale through Galería 5006. Prices, which will impress those whom the exchange rate favors, start at around $500 for a limited-edition photograph by Alejo Schatzky to $20,000 for a gigantic canvas by renowned abstract painter Ricardo Roux. If a guest has an interest in a particular piece, Natalia will carry the desired work back to her studio for the guests to inspect more carefully before making any decisions.

The tour concludes a few hours later with a lunch at Galería 5006’s private studio, where work by several other artists is on view. Many guests purchase pieces at this point and the gallery handles all of details of exportation and shipping.

Name: Artists’ Atelier Tour
Address: Design Suites Hotel, M.T. de Alvear 1683; Galería 5006, Charcas 5006
Phone number: (5411) 4772 0737
URL: http://www.galeriadearte5006.com.ar, http://www.arttour.com.ar
Email address: galeria5006 [at] fibertel [dot] com [dot] ar
Cost: $150 per person, includes transportation and lunch

The Artists’ Atelier Tour is set to go international, opening in New York City (with local NYC artists) in April 2008. Reservations can be made online or over the phone.

Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club Blog:

Today’s Photo: Lynn Bogue Hunt, “Blue-Fin Tuna” sold for $126,000 at Copley Fine Art Auction.

I’ve talked about the value of some fishing lures and their boxes in a past Blog at the main blog site at www.31corp.com as well as duck decoys and some that have sold for over $1,000,000. But, today I want to expose you to an area of the Fine Art Market that isn’t so closely followed, and that is hunting and fishing paintings – or sporting paintings.

These types of paintings are commanding higher and higher prices with each auction. It seems that the market simply can’t get enough of these paintings to satisfy the would be buyers. The great thing about sporting paintings is that they appeal to several markets, and these markets bid against each one another to purchase the better pieces. First you have the outdoor sportsmen that love the sport, and then there are the collectors of individual artist’s works. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the collectors who just like paintings of the great outdoors.

I could list some of the greatest artist in the world that have painted hunting and fishing scenes, but I thought I would share some with you that might not come to mind quickly.

Alexander Pope’s,”Hunters Still Life” sold for $187,000. Or how about the $143,750 a buyer paid at Cobb’s Auction for Philip Russell Goodwin’s, “Unexpected Game” in 2002. Let’s not leave out Lynn Bogue Hunt and his painting called “Bluefin Tuna” that crossed the auction block for $126,000, after having been estimated to bring in between $15,000-20,000. These artists aren’t household names, and you might run across one of their paintings some day. I did, and it was a painting by Frederick Morgan I sold for $115,000.

To my surprise, often watercolors in the hunting and fishing paintings seem to bring as much as the oils. Frank Benson’s watercolor “Gulls at Sea” brought $153,500, while Aiden Lassell Ripley’s watercolor painting titled “Rising Woodcocks” was hammered at $41,400. I think you will find that these are very favorable prices in the watercolor market.

Some have ask why I give examples of paintings that sell for so much money when they think their chances of ever finding a painting that will bring them the large bucks is unlikely. The reason is that I personally know so many people that have done just that, so why couldn’t it be you?

Don’t ever assume a picture on the wall is a print. Be sure to examine any hunting or fishing pictures very closely. Today there are so many watercolors in these fields that the supply is almost endless and these valuable watercolors can very easily be passed over as prints.

The hunters will soon be in the fields and the fishermen on the lakes, but the money is on peoples walls, so keep a keen eye out for these paintings.

If you like what you read here, there’s a world of information in my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. It’s available at my website www.31corp.com or through Amazon.com. You’ll get FREE MENTORING when you purchase the book, plus you’ll automatically become a member of the 31 Club. Come Learn and Build Wealth for your future with us.

I am interested in information about D. Kaiting, artist of a painting I purchased at an auction. It is an oil painting of a landscape, 2′ x 3′ in a gold frame. I’d like to know about the artist.