1944 Kelly Fearing Watercolor Painting
GUEST:
I was at a garage sale in Sebring, and I was on my way out, and I saw it laying up against the garbage can. And I asked the woman if she'd mind if I took it because I wanted the glass and the frame. And she said, "You can have it, take it." So 15 years ago, I scooped it up, put it in the back of my car, and off I went.
APPRAISER:
Well, you mentioned the glass and the frame. What about the painting? Did that register at all?
GUEST:
No, not for me, it did not appeal to me at all.
APPRAISER:
Is this one you have hanging? Is it one you enjoy on a regular basis?
GUEST:
No, not really. I did not want to get rid of it because I knew that there was some value in the frame and the glass. So I put it under a bed for several years, and then the cat was sleeping on it, so I took it out, dusted it off and put it back in the closet. And then put some luggage in front of it so it wouldn't get broken, and that's where I pulled it out this morning.
APPRAISER:
It's signed and dated '44, 1944 down here.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Now, do you know anything about Kelly Fearing? Did you get a chance to do any research about that?
GUEST:
Well, that he is from the Fort Worth area, and that he belonged to an artist circle there, and that he graduated, I think, from Columbia.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
He seemed to be fairly accomplished.
APPRAISER:
He was born in 1918, and I think it was Arkansas in fact. And then you're quite correct, he graduated from Columbia University. In 1943 he moved to Fort Worth.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And he became part of what was known then as the Fort Worth Circle. Now, bear in mind in Texas at that time, they were very much in thrall to American regionalism. This is the 1930s and '40s. If they weren't doing bluebonnets and cowboys, which were very popular in Texas at that point, they were doing regionalist paintings. Now, the interesting thing about the Fort Worth circle is that they really advanced the cause of European modernism in Texas. So they were looking at Miró, they were looking at Picasso and Braque and the Surrealists and all those things. So he was a great proponent and supporter of theirs. And you can see all those elements feeding into this painting, I see. Particularly Surrealism, Metaphysical Surrealism.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
I think it's a fascinating picture. It ticks all the boxes for me. It's the kind of thing I enjoy looking at. Some people might find it a little disturbing-- the houses are almost a little somewhere between Edward Hopper and Bates Motel.
GUEST:
(laughing) Right.
APPRAISER:
And the figures here and the terrible weather and whatnot.
GUEST:
They're struggling.
APPRAISER:
The broken-down car. Clearly it's a slightly depressing time, but bear in mind this is 1944, the Second World War was raging.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And he was an interesting chap. He taught for over 40 years at the University of Texas in Austin. And he was a very spiritual kind of fellow. He used to go to India, he was interested in mysticism. And I think that imbues a lot of what's happening in this painting in fact. So I think he's a fascinating artist. And the medium is watercolor, I don't know if you noticed.
GUEST:
Yes, I knew it was a watercolor.
APPRAISER:
With a little bit of gouache as well, or some people call body color, which just adds a little substance to it. So the painting, I would think quite comfortably at auction probably $5,000 to $8,000.
GUEST:
Okay, very good. That's very interesting.
APPRAISER:
So not bad.
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
And the frame and the glass?
GUEST:
(laughing)
APPRAISER:
Five dollars, maybe five dollars.
GUEST:
Well, as long as I can get something for the frame and the glass.
APPRAISER:
There you are.
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.