'Antiques Roadshow' guest asks 'are you kidding me' after expert revealed the value of his painting
Simply inheriting a painting or artifact from parents or relatives doesn't mean that a person also learns the true value of art. This is true for many of the people who come to "Antiques Roadshow" with spectacular and valuable art, only to be surprised after knowing what it's really worth. One such guest was a man who brought a prized painting made by the famed artist Salvador Dali. While he had some background information, he wasn't prepared to hear the valuation that expert Todd Weyman came up with.
In the episode, the guest shared that about five years ago, he found the unique lithograph by Salvador Dalí in his parents' garage and thought of bringing it to the show. "It was tucked away behind a bunch of boxes. At first, I had no idea what it was, but it seemed relatively significant," the guest told Weyman. He then went on to explain that his father told him that it was a Dali.
The Spanish Surrealist painter and printmaker is remarked as one of the greatest in the world, known for exploring subconscious imagery. Speaking about how the painting came to be in ther possession, the guest said, "Apparently, my uncle owned an art gallery in Chicago back in the day, and my father either gave him a loan or invested in the gallery a while back and this was repayment of the debt or a thank you for the investment."
When the appraiser asked him if his father had any idea about what it was, he said that they didn't know much apart from the fact that it was made by Dali. "I think he just liked the way it looked. I'm not even sure if he got to pick exactly what he got, but other than that, that's all he's told me, and that's all I know," the guest said, adding that it had remained in his basement for half a decade. "I sprayed some Windex on the glass this morning, before I brought it in, maybe wiped a few cobwebs off, but that's it," the guest shared.
Weyman noted that it was part of a limited edition of 150 pieces, according to the number written with a pencil at the bottom. He explained that the lithograph was created in 1965 and its title is "Drawers of Memory." "It's based on an earlier sculpture, as well as an earlier painting that he [Dali] had made in 1936," Weyman added.
"He was very influenced by Sigmund Freud. And Dalí once said that the only difference between the ancient Greek norm of the human body and then the body post-Freud was that Freud had made the body full of secret drawers," the appraiser mentioned.
Coming to the condition of the item, the expert noted that it had buckled a little around the edges, but it could be fixed by getting it rematted. "All in all, it looks like it's in great condition to me," Weyman noted.
After noting that the piece was original, the expert asked the guest if he had any idea about its value. "Well, I've heard of Dalí before, so I know it's got to be worth something. I would hope like $1,000 to $2,000 or something like that?" the guest said. However, the expert revealed that the lithograph carried a replacement value of a whopping $30,000 and blew the guest's mind. "What? Are you kidding me? Whoo! All righty! That is more than I expected," the guest said in response.
The expert then congratulated the guest and asked him to take good care of the artwork.
