1940 William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. Oil Painting
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GUEST:
My husband was an interior designer in Dallas for over 60 years.
APPRAISER:
Oh, my goodness.
GUEST:
Back in 1969 he saw this painting, and he purchased it. I think, if I remember correctly, that he bought it for a client's home, and they didn't like it.
APPRAISER:
Oh, no.
GUEST:
And so he did like it very much, and he brought it back, and we've had it, then, since 1969.
APPRAISER:
Do you remember how much he paid for it?
GUEST:
He paid $115 for it, and I'm sure that was with his designer's discount.
APPRAISER:
Oh, right, of course. Well, today you've brought in a most interesting painting by William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. What do you know about the artist?
GUEST:
That he was born in Jackson, Mississippi, that he went to Chicago to study
at the Art Institute, he met a girl there and they got married, and they wanted to stay in Chicago. But it was the late '30s and the Depression was on, and they could not make it in Chicago, so they came back to Jackson to live with his father.
APPRAISER:
The artist actually started at the University of Mississippi...
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
...for a couple of years, and then went to the Art Institute of Chicago.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
While there, he was very influenced by Cézanne and Matisse. But you're exactly right—he moved back to Jackson. And when he got there, he started working for the government in the Federal Emergency Relief Administration...
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
...that FDR had started, and he painted at night. But at some point, around 1938, his wife knew that her husband really wanted to paint full time, so she became a dressmaker, and he no longer worked during the day--he painted full time. He went through bouts of depression all through his life, and 1944, he committed suicide, which is very, very sad. So the amount of his work is really quite sparse.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
In terms of his paintings, have you seen other examples of his work?
GUEST:
Only a few things on the internet, and I was surprised to see that he liked to paint people in the rain. And there were several different paintings that showed people running through puddles or walking in the rain.
APPRAISER:
That's absolutely right, he loved that kind of subject matter. He also painted landscapes, both sunsets and sunrises, and he particularly loved painting African Americans and showing their segregated culture and society. And much of what he painted was in West Jackson, so in the area that he was living in. He actually is most known for watercolors, so an oil like this is really quite rare. It was done in 1940, which is a prime time for his work. Do you have it insured for a
particular price, or...?
GUEST:
Well, it's listed on our fine arts inventory for $500.
APPRAISER:
I see. Do you have any idea what you think it really is worth?
GUEST:
Actually, no. I've not done any research to try to find a price. That's why I'm here.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Well, it's very exciting to see this painting. If this were being offered in a gallery, I believe an asking price would be $45,000.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
Well, that's wonderful, thank you.
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