‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest nearly falls down after expert revealed the value of her 1915 painting
"Antiques Roadshow" is famous for delivering staggering appraisals, and sometimes, the show's experts sweep guests off their feet. One such guest who nearly dropped to the floor was the owner of Jane Peterson's "The Floats" gouache painting, who couldn't believe that her great aunt's prized possession was worth $50,000. It was the show's appraiser, Nan Chisholm, who shed light on the artwork's significance, leaving the guest gasping for air and scrambling for balance.
In the episode of the PBS show, the guest shared that the painting from the renowned artist came from her great aunt, who was a teacher in New York. "She was a teacher at Brooklyn Polytech High in New York in the 1920s, somewhere in that area. And at the same time that she was teaching science, Jane Peterson, who is the artist, was the director of drawing for the Brooklyn Public Schools," the guest told Chisholm.
The guest went on to add that her great aunt was also artistic, so she managed to strike a friendship with the artist. "I do know that my great-aunt spent one of her summers off up in Gloucester, which is the site of this painting, and painted with Jane. She acquired this painting from Jane, and it has been in our family for about the last 80 years," she shared. Chisholm then took over to explain how significant the artist and the painting were.
The appraiser told the guest that Peterson came to New York to study at Pratt Institute in 1895 and graduated in 1901. She then studied in Europe and lived in Paris for some time, where she met great artists like Gertrude Stein, Picasso, and Matisse. "She also traveled with artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and John Singer Sargent," she added. The expert then brought the attention of the guest to a label stuck on the back of the painting from George Of. "He was another artist, but he's really better known for making frames, and we think that he probably created this frame," Chisholm explained.
Coming back to the artist, the appraiser added that Peterson got a lot of honors and recognition and was honored by Time magazine as well. "She tends to use these very bright colors and a lot of vibrant brushwork, kind of Post-Impressionist. And this being Gloucester, is one of her favorite places to paint," she explained. Before coming to the appraisal, she asked the guest if she had any idea of the value of the painting. The guest shared that her grandmother had it appraised at $9,200 back in 1998.
"Well, I looked at that appraisal and I noticed that it was referred to as a watercolor, and it's actually gouache, which is a water-based paint, but it's very opaque," Chisholm said in response. She then went on to deliver a retail estimate of about $50,000, leaving the guest in shock. "Oh my word!" the guest said as she gasped and held the frame of the painting for support. "Aunt Olga, thank goodness you saved it," she said while trying to keep her balance.
In the end, the appraiser thanked the guest for bringing the amazing artwork to the show. "I was really excited to see it today," she said.
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