Plaque of W. Bouguereau's “L’Assault," ca. 1950
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GUEST:
It came down from my grandmother to my mother to me. My grandmother bought it from the artist as she was commissioning a 92-piece set of china for me from this lady. We knew her as Mrs. Floyd, but her initials are E.M. I have no idea what they stand for.
APPRAISER:
All right, and do you know anything about the artist?
GUEST:
I only know that she was 80 when she started painting my set and died shortly thereafter, so I always accused my grandmother and mother of killing her. (both chuckle)
APPRAISER:
Now, she lived right here in Louisville?
GUEST:
She did.
APPRAISER:
Well, Mrs. Floyd was what we call a china painter, and it was a common thing to do. Most people did it as a hobby, and some of them did indeed sell it as a kind of side business.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
But clearly, she was very talented. Have you ever been to Paris, Joan?
GUEST:
I have, and I've been to the Louvre, and I always thought this belonged there.
APPRAISER:
Well, you're close. The original of this painting is in Paris. It hangs in the Musée d'Orsay.
GUEST:
Ah.
APPRAISER:
And it was painted by one of the best-known French academic painters in the second half of the 19th century. His name was William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and he completed the original of this-- which, by the way, is a lot bigger...
GUEST:
I bet.
APPRAISER:
...in 1898. It's called "L'Assaut," which means "the assault" in French, and the central figure-- who represents youth, I think-- is being assaulted here. It's a fabulous painting in the French academic tradition. When did your grandmother acquire this?
GUEST:
I think in the early '50s. And Mrs. Floyd was getting quite old and her daughters didn't want it. They didn't like it. She wanted it to go to somebody that loved it and appreciated it as much as she did, and my grandmother did, and she sold it to her.
APPRAISER:
Now, the fact is that decorative painting on porcelain, particularly if it's done in a semi-amateur manner, as she did, rarely has a lot of monetary value. And I think if we were to put an insurance value on it, we'd have to go as high as $2,500. Most of these china painting plaques-- some of which have done with virtuosity, like this-- very few of them go much above $1,000 for their value.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
So I think, I think you're a winner at Churchill Downs.
GUEST:
I think so, too. (chuckles) Thank you very much. And I'm expecting the Louvre to call me at any time.
APPRAISER:
Any time.
GUEST:
And say, "Please send it," and I'll say, "You may borrow it."
APPRAISER:
Yes...
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