Charles H. Wilda Oil "The Hour of Prayer" Oil, ca. 1885
Watch
GUEST:
It came from Canada. My stepfather had it, bought it back in 1929, and it has just worked its way down to me.
APPRAISER:
You've had it for roughly how many years?
GUEST:
Since '66.
APPRAISER:
Do you know anything about the artist?
GUEST:
Not particularly, other than he was sort of in the late 1800s, maybe right around 1900, and he did a lot of spiritual painting.
APPRAISER:
Well, I think spiritual's an excellent way to define the characteristic, the feeling we get when we see this painting.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
The artist is Charles H. Wilda, who is an artist born in 1854, died in 1907. He grew up in Vienna. He had a studio, actually, in Cairo. And he is part of what you were alluding to, a movement in art that became extremely popular at the tail end of the 19th century, which today is referred to as Orientalism. The painting's an oil on panel.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It's an original painting. And it's signed here, "C.H. Wilda." A little hard to see.
GUEST:
I was going to say, you've got better eyes than I do, that's for sure.
APPRAISER:
And the painting is called "The Hour of Prayer." And, in particular, the expression on the gentleman's face who is engaged in prayer, I find to be really beautifully painted. It's a real evocation of his spirituality, of, of his being in prayer. Orientalism really captures everyday life. And this was all part of a coinciding interest, a subsequent interest which took hold in the 19th century in Europe of all things North African, Near Eastern, Middle Eastern. The detail is wonderful-- the way that the figures are rendered, the architectural detail, the smooth surfaces, the attention to the texture of the surfaces. It is absolutely a beautiful painting and a great example of Orientalist art. The overall market for Orientalism? Strong. Was very strong for a while, there was a little bit of a decline, but there's been a real resurgence in interest in Orientalist art. Wilda happens to be an artist who's a little bit lesser-known in this area, but who has done extremely well with some of his paintings at auction. I would date the painting roughly to about circa 1880, 1890, somewhere in there, although it's worth noting that the painting is not dated. Do you have a sense of what the painting might be worth?
GUEST:
Somebody had told me, "Oh, $5,000."
APPRAISER:
Well, I think... I think there was a time when the painting probably did have a fair market value of $5,000.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
How many years ago did you receive the estimate of $5,000?
GUEST:
Oh, probably 15.
APPRAISER:
I would say, in 2018, if your painting came to auction, we would value it at $30,000 to $50,000.
GUEST:
(stammering) Now... Oh, okay. Well... wow! (laughing) I don't know what else to say. Oh, my goodness. I... Forget those "$5,000" people, that's... (laughing) Oh, my goodness!
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.
