1941 Thomas Hart Benton "Arkansas Evening" Lithograph
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APPRAISER:
You have some beautiful black-and-white lithographs that you brought in today.
GUEST:
I got them from my mom, who got them from her father. He had belonged to the Associated American Artists. I believe he got these back in the '40s. And my mom has kind of called it a print-of-the-month club.
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
So a couple of friends would come in every month, and she has, I'd say, about 100 stored underneath her bed.
APPRAISER:
Oh, my goodness.
GUEST:
And these are just some of the ones that I had picked out that I had liked. And I thought I'd bring them in.
APPRAISER:
They're beautiful. Does your mother have any sense of what the value might be on these prints?
GUEST:
No, none.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Associated American Artists was very popular and active during the 1930s. And your mother is absolutely correct. Your grandfather was a member of the Associated American Artists. And for five dollars membership, you would get a print.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Now, those prints have accrued tremendously in value. And what you have here is exactly the way the print would have arrived to you-- in a very simple mat with a card that would give you the artist's name, would give you the title of the print, always with the artist's signature. The prints were always black- and-white lithographs, as well. The artist that we have here in front of us is Thomas Hart Benton, and he is one of the most outstanding artists from that particular period. And his prices have gone up considerably. This particular print today, at auction, could fetch anywhere between $1,000 to $2,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
It's in lovely condition. Surprised, huh?
GUEST:
Yeah. Surprise.
Appraisal Details
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