Earl Kerkam Painting with Crayon, ca. 1950
Watch
GUEST:
I've frequented the thrift stores over the years, and back in what I think was the mid to late '80s... (laughing) I went to the fine arts department at the thrift store.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
And I found this piece. And I've always loved it and have just kind of taken it from house to house.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Now the big question: what did you pay for it?
GUEST:
$2.52.
APPRAISER:
$2.50. Okay. And do you know who it's by?
GUEST:
No. I've never been able to read the signature. So I've always just enjoyed it.
APPRAISER:
The signature is up here, it's a little indistinct.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
But this is by an artist called Earl Kerkam. K-E-R-K-A-M. Now, he was a very successful, well-paid commercial artist who gave it all up to become a fine artist.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And he studied in New York at the Art Students League, amongst other places. Went to Paris, exhibited with Andrè Derain, who was one of the leading Fauves, came back in the 1930s, and really committed himself to becoming a painter. This is unusual for him. He didn't do too many still-lifes. He tended to do more self-portraits and figurative paintings.
GUEST:
Oh, uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
It's oil on board. But when we look at these lines, these are actually drawn in with crayon, on top of the oil paint. In terms of when it was painted, my guess would be around about the '40-'50s. Now, although he knew people like de Kooning and Pollock, and worked with them in the WPA program...
GUEST:
Really!
APPRAISER:
He didn't make that big leap into Abstract Expressionism that they did. He was pretty much a disciple of Cézanne and Cubism. So he wasn't a radical as such. He passed away in 1965. And a letter was written to the directors of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, saying-- and I think this is verbatim-- "In our eyes, one of our finest artists to come out of America." The signatories of that letter included Willem de Kooning...
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness...
APPRAISER:
Hans Hofmann...
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness...
APPRAISER:
Philip Guston...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And Mark Rothko.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Amongst others. So there you have the heavy hitters of Abstract Expressionism...
GUEST:
My gosh, yes.
APPRAISER:
Saying this guy deserves a memorial exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art. Now, the market hasn't been perhaps as kind to him, but I think this is a lovely little painting. And in auction terms, I would expect you to get somewhere around about $1,500 to $2,500.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So two bucks and 50 well spent.
GUEST:
(laughs) Thank you.
APPRAISER:
Thank you.
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.
