Charles-Théodore Frère Painting, ca. 1850
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GUEST:
It's been in our family for four generations. The woman that owned it and purchased it, I believe, was my mother's great-aunt, who lived back east.
APPRAISER:
Now your mother's great-aunt, would she have been a well-traveled person?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Maybe made a grand tour?
GUEST:
Yes, yes.
APPRAISER:
Through Europe and maybe North Africa, that sort of thing?
GUEST:
Absolutely.
APPRAISER:
Okay, that's the typical situation when a painting like this would make its way back to the States.
GUEST:
Interesting.
APPRAISER:
It's a very fine example of the Orientalist School is what we call it.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Which were North African, Middle Eastern subjects.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The artist signed the oil, it's an oil on canvas. And his name is Théodore Frère. There's also a plaque indicating the artist. And he was a French painter of the 19th century.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Born in 1814, died in the later part of the 19th century. And he was regarded as Neoclassical painter. A lot of his work was exhibited at the Paris Salon.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
But at that time, in the middle of the 19th century, Orientalist School subjects were all the rage. They were exotic subjects and so many French and European artists would travel to North Africa-- in this case, Cairo-- and they would paint the bazaars or they would paint the markets. Because people back home were insatiable for that kind of subject.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
In relation to Frère's body of work, this is a top example for one of his Orientalist subjects. It's a large painting, approximately 30 by 30. It has probably its original gilt and gesso frame, and it's in a remarkably clean state. I would imagine that your family took good care of it, kept it out of the light. They probably had it cleaned once or twice during its lifetime.
GUEST:
I have no idea.
APPRAISER:
It's in wonderful condition. (laughs) I tapped it earlier, it's not lined, and it hasn't been tampered with other than being cleaned. Probably dates to the 1850s or '60s.
GUEST:
That's what I was really wanting to pinpoint.
APPRAISER:
This little flake here that you see on the canvas is the only condition issue that I see. And it's not difficult for that to be remedied by a conservator. It would require a little bit of overpainting, and that's all.
GUEST:
Okay, okay.
APPRAISER:
Overall, the canvas is in really pristine condition considering its age. On the marketplace today, for an auction value, this painting would probably fall in the top tier of Frère's works, and conservatively today I would easily expect in the region of $20,000 to $30,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my Lord! Does that mean I have to get it insured? (laughs)
APPRAISER:
You might want to do that. Thanks for bringing it.
GUEST:
Wow, I'm just blown away.
APPRAISER:
Thanks a lot.
GUEST:
Thank you!
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