'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'I am too old' after hearing the value of his 20-year-old painting
Art isn't just meant to be collected or passed on as a family heirloom, but it's also a very profitable long-term investment. An "Antiques Roadshow" guest got the shock of his life after finding out that his prized possession was worth ten times what he paid for it. The guest who brought a Helen LaFrance oil painting because he heard that Oprah Winfrey had one of her pieces as well, did not expect that his $1,500 investment would be appraised at more than $10,000 by the show's expert, Aaron Payne.
The guest shared the heartwarming story of how and why he bought the painting. "In Columbus, where I live, I had gone to a guy that I knew dealt with art. I was looking for some Black artists and some pieces. So he told me about this lady, and I guess he impressed me because he said that Oprah had one of her paintings," he told Payne. He further explained that he liked the scene in the painting as it reminded him of the 50s and 60s. "I used to travel with my mother, so it kind of spoke to me," he added.
The appraiser confirmed that the painting was made by Helen LaFrance, who was one of the most prominent artists of her time. "Helen La France was born in Kentucky, and she didn't have any formal training as an artist. And didn't begin painting full-time until she was in her mid-to-late 60s, and she lived to be 101 years old," Payne said. He added that the artist got a late start, but she did a lot of good work, that is still appreciated in the market.
Coming to the painting, Payne explained that it was oil on canvas and the artist called them "memory paintings". "She did paintings of scenes that she remembered from her life as someone living in rural Kentucky. She did a lot of scenes where there were churches and gatherings outside of churches. They're just sort of a naive style of very simple, big blocks of color, but really nice, relatable pictures of life as she remembered it is growing up in the rural South," he explained.
The expert stated that the painting was made in the early 2000s and the artist rose to great prominence after her life was covered by a documentary. "There are several big collectors, as well as museums, that have collected her work in the last few years, and there's been a lot of attention given to some of these artists who were very talented, but sort of overlooked during their lifetime," Payne added.
He told the guest that the artist passed away in 2020, which is why her paintings have become more valuable now. The guest then shared that he probably paid about $1,500 for the item. Payne then shocked the elderly man by saying, "At auction, I think that the value would probably be $8,000 to $10,000." The guest took his glasses off before saying, "Wow! Okay, Good deal. I am too old!"
In the end, the guest had more reasons to be happy as he revealed that he had one more painting from the artist at home.
