1888 Winslow Homer Etching
Watch
GUEST:
This is a print that was given to my grandfather when the gallery closed. He owned a shop in New York City, and they gave him a stack of prints. My mother didn't particularly care for this one. She thought it was too somber for her, so they stayed under a bed in her room for 15 to 20 years. My wife is an art teacher, and we went over one weekend, and we looked at the artwork, and when I said Winslow Homer, she was like, "Wow, Winslow Homer," you know, "Let's take a look at it." So we researched it out in a library, and I happened to see that this etching-- or whether it was the painting or an etching-- was in the book, and it was called Perils of the Sea.
APPRAISER:
So, your mother had a whole stack of prints, and she basically presented them to you and said, "Choose what you like, and you can take it." It is signed by Winslow Homer down here. Have you ever wondered what that is after his name, the "N.A."?
GUEST:
Yes, I did wonder what that was.
APPRAISER:
It stands for National Academician, and it was basically a society, an artists' society around the late 19th century, that he belonged to which was centered in New York and is still centered in New York. And you can see that below here, the print is dated 1888, and it has the publisher's name there. In the 1880s, Homer was working on the coast of Maine. He was making a series of paintings on the theme of the perils of the sea-- incidentally, the title of this painting-- very dramatic paintings showing man's battle with the sea. They were immediately successful, these paintings. He was one of the most famous artists of his time, still is, and his paintings were selling very well in the 1880s, and because of that, he started to make etchings to sort of increase the output. So after he made this painting-- it was very famous, very well-renowned-- he made an etching, and it was printed in an edition of about 100, and they sold out immediately, too-- very, very well. And this is one of the edition of 100 that was printed in 1888. So, do you have any idea as to the value of this?
GUEST:
Um, no, I would think... Well, after speaking to you, I would think it would be worth a couple of thousand dollars, maybe, but I really have no idea.
APPRAISER:
It's really in beautiful condition, the signature is very strong. I don't see a single problem with it. At auction, I would estimate it at $20,000 to $30,000.
GUEST:
Oh, that's fantastic!
APPRAISER:
I think it would sell very well.
GUEST:
Oh, well, thank you very much.
APPRAISER:
Wonderfully famous etching, really one of his most popular etchings.
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.
