1947 John Ferren "The Prophet" Painting
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GUEST:
I got it at a thrift store years ago for $9.99 because I don't ever spend more than $9.99 on art. And so this was one of the pieces that I brought in. My kids say that it's ugly. I was attracted to it immediately when I saw it. And then actually when I picked it up, I saw the name on the back and it was dated 1947, and I just thought, "Wow."
APPRAISER:
Well, it's also showing in the front right down here.
GUEST:
Oh, I didn't know that.
APPRAISER:
"Ferren." The artist is John Ferren. He's American. He was born in Oregon in 1905. He ended up studying in San Francisco. His family moved around the Northwest a bit. And he became an abstract painter early on. He studied both in Paris and Italy with the idea that he was going to become a sculptor, but after he saw an exhibition of work by Henri Matisse in Munich...
GUEST:
Oh, wow.
APPRAISER:
...he decided he would focus on becoming a painter.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
So he married the daughter of a Spanish artist, and he met a few Spanish artists like Picasso...
GUEST:
Yes, I read that.
APPRAISER:
...and Miró. But they got divorced, and in 1938, he moved back to the States. It's sort of a cataloguer's dream because of so much information...
GUEST:
On the back?
APPRAISER:
...on the reverse. And I want to show everyone it not only has the date of 1947...
GUEST:
Right-- yes.
APPRAISER:
...which you pointed out, but the artist's name printed clearly so that it can be read easily.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
The title.
Guest: "The Prophet."
APPRAISER:
And even the size of the painting, 19 by 26 inches. And this is some kind of artist inventory number.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
This is really terrific to have all this information here. It's like a dream come true.
GUEST:
Oh, far out. It is messed up, though, I know.
APPRAISER:
It has a few surface condition problems, but it's basically in good condition. The medium here is mixed media on board.
GUEST:
Yeah, I love it, and I keep it on my mantel, and it just gives me peace looking at it.
APPRAISER:
Well, I think it's terrific. Do you have any idea what it might be worth other than $9.99?
(laughing)
GUEST:
Uh... I really don't, and actually, my sister is the one that entered me in the ROADSHOW, and I just thought, "Oh my gosh, it was meant to be," you know? And this was what I love.
APPRAISER:
If this picture were offered in a retail gallery, the asking price might range between $15,000 and $20,000.
GUEST:
Really, $20,000? Wow, that is a lot.
APPRAISER:
So we're really happy to see this today at the ROADSHOW.
(crying)
GUEST:
Thank you. Thank you.
APPRAISER:
You're so welcome! I'm so glad you came today.
GUEST:
Thank you. My kids are all going to say, "Sell it," you know, and I'm just going to go, "No!"
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