Alfred Joseph Casson Landscape Oil, ca. 1935
GUEST:
The artist is A.J. Casson. He's one of the members of the Group of Seven, which is a very famous group of painters in Canada, mainly in the Toronto area. My grandfather was actually friends with A.J. Casson, and they lived next door to each other. And one night, he had snuck a painting out and gave it to him as a gift.
APPRAISER:
Why did he have to sneak it out?
GUEST:
His wife actually didn't really appreciate his painting.
APPRAISER:
So, Casson's wife?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
You know, that's very interesting, because today he's a highly regarded artist. But, in truth, he was not financially successful as an artist until he was about 60 years old. So that makes a certain amount of sense to me.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
He worked as a commercial artist and in the commercial design and lithography fields and supported himself. So even though he was quite a well-known painter, he wasn't doing well enough financially, and that probably explains, explains part of that. So, do you know that he wasn't one of the original Group of Seven?
GUEST:
Correct.
APPRAISER:
That Group of Seven was more than seven people. When one person would, for one reason or another, drop out of the group, which was founded around 1920, someone else would be pulled in. So apparently, that Group of Seven, at various times, was a group of six or seven or eight or nine.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
He joined the group when he was about 28, around 1926 or something like that.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And then it disbanded around 1932, so it was a pretty short span of time…
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
...that they were working. He was a quite elderly man when he died, and he was active in the art world in Toronto in many different ways
throughout his life. This is an oil painting. These artists often worked in a kind of flat and broad style, with these wide areas of color. It's probably a picture that was executed in the 1930s or '40s. It's difficult to say with certainty, because his style was relatively consistent. Do you know what it's worth?
GUEST:
It's kind of an ongoing family guessing game, I guess.
APPRAISER:
So what's the range?
GUEST:
It's anywhere from $15,000 up to $40,000.
APPRAISER:
I'd say you're probably, auction-wise, in the $25,000 to $35,000 range here. So your family wagers are pretty on the money. If you were planning to keep it, which I kind of think you probably are...
GUEST:
Right, yeah.
APPRAISER:
...I'd suggest you insure it for around $40,000.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
So the high end of your speculation.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Well, thanks a lot for bringing it.
GUEST:
Well, thank you.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.