Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest ‘floored’ after expert revealed the value of her grandma’s portrait (marketrealist.com)
A “Treasured” Family Portrait Could Fetch a Fortune on Antiques Roadshow
An “Antiques Roadshow” guest received a shocking appraisal for a family heirloom recently. The guest, who brought in a portrait of her grandmother, was stunned to learn its potential value.
The painting, by renowned American artist Robert Henri, depicts the guest’s grandmother in what she described as her childhood home in Yorkshire, England. The guest explained that Henri was a family friend and that her grandmother, despite being born outside Boston, considered herself a Bostonian. She also pointed out a detail in the painting – a three-stone ruby ring – which she explained were the mayoral jewels of Halifax, borrowed specifically for the portrait.
Appraiser Peter M. Fairbanks noted the unique blend of styles in the painting, combining elements of the Ashcan school, of which Henri was a founder, with the elegant portraiture style of William Merritt Chase. Fairbanks described the painting as “quite unusual” and highlighted the “ruddy complexion” and “dry brushstroke” as distinctive features.
The guest revealed that she’d had the painting appraised in the 1960s and was told it was worth around $4,500. She emphasized the sentimental value, stating, “For us, it’s a treasure.”
Fairbanks, however, delivered a dramatically different appraisal. Citing the painting’s excellent condition and its significance within Henri’s body of work, particularly its connection to the founding of the Ashcan school, he estimated its value between $250,000 and $300,000.
The guest’s reaction was one of pure disbelief. “Oh, no!
Oh, my God!” she exclaimed, later adding, “Well, I’m floored.
Are you sure about that?” Fairbanks reaffirmed his appraisal, leaving the guest visibly shocked by the unexpected fortune hanging on her wall.