California modernist Bentley Schaad up for auction

One of the most interesting California modernist painters working during the mid-century was Bentley Schaad. His work rarely comes up for auction - so I was surprised to see an interesting piece up for sale at Bonhams and Butterfields.

Bentley Schaad "Untitled "Forms" Oil on canvas 24" x 36"

Robert Bentley Schaad was born in Los Angeles, California in 1925.  As a student he went to the Art Center in Pasadena and also attended the Jepson Art Institute and Claremont College.  From his mentor Henry Lee McFee, Schaad learned the principles of painting including line, color, and form.  Schaad was a talented artist and his technical ability enabled him to teach for the majority of his career at Otis. He eventually becoming the Dean of Fine Arts at Otis, teaching many of Los Angeles's best contemporary artists.

Schaad wrote the influential book, The Realm of Contemporary Still Life Painting (New York: Reinhold Publishing, 1962), which served as an instructional text that demonstrates the techniques of line, form, and color theory.  Schaad was known as an aloof and private person but adored by his pupils as a master teacher. 

Schaad is considered a principal figure in the Los Angeles modernist art movement of the mid-century. From his early still life paintings to his geometric constructions, Schaad’s compositions were complex and always had a recognizable aesthetic sensibility. 

For more information on Schaad, go to our website, Anderson Shea Art Appraisals.

Lopez Baylon "Untitled (Seascape)" Oil/canvas

If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, this month’s ART FIND is certainly a treasure to one lucky bargain hunter.

Our reader bought this painting by Lopez Baylon during a white elephant sale at Girls Inc. in Carpinteria, California several years ago. She paid $5 for “Untitled (Impressionist Seascape)” and said, “I wasn't sure if it would fit in my dining room but I figured for $5 why not take a chance. I love anything blue and with boats in it.” This time her chance paid off!

Lisandro Lopez Baylon was an artist born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1951. He studied at the Pan American School of Art and at the Buenos Aires School of Fine Arts. Baylon he has lived and exhibited in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he was influenced by the landscape of the West. He is often known for his depictions of Western scenes of Native Americans and cowboys.

Baylon also painted many coastal scenes such as this one. Baylon painted in an Impressionist style, using muted, pastel colors and loose brushstrokes. He often paints with a palette knife to achieve a soft Impressionist technique.

In my appraisal research, I found that multiple galleries sell Baylon’s work, which indicates a demand for the artist’s paintings. Comparable paintings currently for sale are listed between $1,500-$2,000. At auction, Baylon's work has sold for up to $900 with one estimated to sell between $800-$1,200 for a Western scene of a horse and cowboy.

In order to assess the most current Fair Market Value, appraisers look at paintings comparable in size, subject, condition, and date for sale at galleries and at auction. As auction pricing is typically less than retail gallery pricing, appraisers find a value somewhere in between when attributing a Fair Market Value.

It is always important to have a Fair Market Value appraisal completed on an artwork you are considering selling. Values are always changing and an appraisal report will give you the most current market analysis of an individual artist’s work. It is important to have values reassessed every 2-4 years so you can be certain a gallery or auction house is offering a fair price.

This Lopez Baylon painting entitled, “Untitled (Impressionist Seascape)” would have a current Fair Market Value of $1,000-$2,000.
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Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation. Campbell is a member of the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). Ph. 805.616.2781/www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

* This is not considered a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.

Jack Martin Smith - Gaviota Beach

As an art appraiser I often come upon great paintings with no auction records and no galleries selling the artist’s work – making it hard to value them. This month’s artwork is a lovely painting by Jack Martin Smith -- and was submitted by a Carpinteria, CA resident. Our reader purchased “Gaviota Beach” in the 1990s for $175 (and also got a tour of the artist’s house!) This 29" x 23" painting was also included in a 1993 exhibition of Smith’s work put on by the Carpinteria Valley Art League at our local post office.

Smith (1911-1993) was an art director, perhaps best known for his work on The Wizard of Oz, Cleopatra, and many other major films. Jack Martin Smith was born in California. As a young man, he attended USC. During the 1930s, he lived in Los Angeles and was hired as a set designer for the movie studios.

Smith also painted in both watercolor and oils -- but in the fine art world very few auction records exist and no galleries sell his work. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for appraisers to assess values. The value of an artist’s work is based on comparable sales records that have occurred in the public art market (both gallery and auction). A paper trail of pricing must exist in order to substantiate value.

In my appraisal research, I found that a gouache painting by Smith’s entitled, “The Emerald City, from the Wizard of Oz” sold for $4,000. The only other painting I could find was a seascape that sold at auction in 2005 for $225. Pricing for “Gaviota Beach” would not be estimated to sell as high as Wizard of Oz painting, a very famous subject and therefore most desirable to buyers.

The technique and subject of Smith’s “Gaviota Beach” would appeal to a number of collectors – but the lack of auction records would make auction houses hesitant to place a high estimate on selling price. An auction estimate for this painting would likely be estimated between $300-$500 based on it’s large size, quality, subject, and condition. If this type of painting were by an artist with stronger auction records and/or galleries, it would be expected to sell for much more.

Many of my art appraisal clients ask how to be sure the art they buy will increase in value. My suggestions is that you buy what you love and not worry about it rising in value. If you do want to invest in art, do some research before purchasing. Buying art by a listed artist with auction records means that the artist’s work already has demand on the market and will likely continue to rise in value.

Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation. Campbell is a member of the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). Ph. 805.616.2781/www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

* This is not considered a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.

Morris Graves "Untitled (Trees and Houses)" 1934

This month’s ART FIND by the California modernist artist Morris Graves (1910-2001) is entitled “Untitled (Tree and Houses).” Our blog reader inherited two of the artist’s paintings from her aunt, who was a potter at UCLA and knew the artist.

Morris Graves was born in Fox Valley, Oregon. A primarily self-taught artist, he dropped out of high school and began working on a boat during the late 1920s. This enabled him to travel to Japan and China, an influence that would permeate his art throughout his life.

During the Great Depression, Graves worked as an artist for the Federal Arts Project. Upon returning to the northwest, Graves and fellow artists Mark Tobey, Guy Anderson, and Kenneth Callahan founded a school of artists known as "Mystic Painters of the Northwest.” Their artistic philosophy was influenced by the natural world and Eastern religions.

One of the key moments in the Graves’ career was when his artwork was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s "Americans 1942: 18 Artists from 9 States" exhibition

“Untitled (Tree and Houses)” is characteristic of Graves’ style and palette. While Graves worked primarily as an oil painter he also explored tempera, gouache, watercolor, and ink and wax on thin paper in a technique used in Oriental scroll painting.

This painting is signed and dated on the back of the canvas. The artist’s neutral, earth-toned palette incorporates loose brushwork and a thick application of paint. During this period, Graves often painted images of the nature, trees, and animals. “Untitled (Tree and Houses)” was painted during the height of the Depression in 1934. An image of barren tree surrounded by an austere landscape of houses appears to reflect the bleak mood of American history during this period.

In the art market, Graves’ work is highly sought after by collectors and dealers. At auction, his oils have sold for as much as $68,500. His works on paper appear to demand higher prices, with a current mixed media on paper listed for sale at $75,000.

The provenance, defined as the history of ownership for a work of art, is strong in the case of this painting. It came directly from the artist to the current owner’s aunt, thereby increasing the painting’s desirability collectors. In the art market, appraisers always evaluate the provenance of an artwork as it can dramatically effect the value of artworks when the history of it lineage are unknown.

At auction, “Untitled (Tree and Houses)” would likely be estimated between $15,000-$20,000 but could sell for much more depending on the auction house, location, bidders in the room, and other factors. If this painting were appraised for insurance purposes, the retail replacement value would be much higher.

Lloyd Moylan "Untitled (Sycamores)"/Photo courtesy of private collector

This month’s ART FIND by Western artist Lloyd Moylan is one of my favorite entries yet. When our Santa Barbara, CA reader submitted the painting, it was interesting to discover that she is related to the artist. McMichael has had the painting in her family for many years. She inherited it from her mother who acquired it from her aunt -- who happened to be Moylan’s sister-in-law. The artist likely gave her the painting around the time of his death in 1963. She has never had it appraised.

Lloyd Moylan (1893 - 1963) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a young man, he studied at the Minneapolis Art Institute and the Broadmore Art Academy in Colorado Springs. Eventually made his way to New York where he attended the Art Students League. From 1929 to 1931, Moylan taught at the Broadmore Academy and later became a curator for the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of New Mexico and the Penrose Public Library.

This untitled painting of horses and riders is representative of Moylan’s style and subject-matter. The artist is best known for his depictions of Southwestern desert scenes, landscapes, and images of Native American subjects. Moylan traveled throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Colorado.

Moylan’s signature use of saturated color and his expressive, loose brushstrokes appear to be informed by the European post-Impressionists and Fauvists. In some of Moylan’s other work he explored modernist techniques such a cubism -- breaking objects into rudimentary planes of space.

The art market for Moylan’s work has a wide range of pricing which, like in every art appraisal, is based on age, condition, rarity, artistic merit, technical workmanship, current trends and rarity of an artist’s work. Moylan’s paintings have sold for up to $5,750 at auction. In the gallery market his paintings are currently for sale between $5,000-$10,000 depending on the medium, size, subject, and date.

This painting appears in good condition and at 30” x 20” in size -- is quite large for Moylan’s work. Painted in the artist’s signature style, subject, and palette, this painting would be desirable to many collectors of his work. An art appraiser would also factor in that the painting has not been on the market for many years, thereby increasing its appeal to art collectors. These are all factors art appraisers evaluate when valuing an artwork.

If this painting was to be sold in at a gallery in the California area, it would be estimated to have an appraised retail value between $7,000-$9,000. A treasure indeed!

Henrietta Shore  "Jean Charlot" circa 1927/ Photo courtesy: LACMA

I recently completed an art appraisal of a Henrietta Mary Shore (1880 - 1963) painting for a Santa Barbara, CA art collector. Shore was an innovative painter of her time, often compared to Georgia O'Keeffe.

Henrietta Shore was born in Toronto, Canada and moved to New York City -- where she began her studies at The Art Students League. She learned the technique and style of American realist painting as a student of Kenneth Hayes Miller, Robert Henri, and William Merritt Chase. Shore was one of the founding members of the New York Society of Women Artists. Shore also attended the Heatherly Art School in London as a pupil of the great John Singer Sargent. Shore began exploring modernist techniques of the period. Her foreshortened, magnified botanical studies became known as Abstract Realism.

In 1913, Shore moved to Los Angeles and helped establish the Los Angeles Society of Modern Artists. She was part of a school of West Coast modernist artists who explored new concepts of modernism while maintaining realist subject-matter. Shore won a silver medal at the 1915 Pan-American Exposition in San Diego. She and fellow artist Helena Dunlap had a two-woman exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum.

Henrietta Shore had earned a strong reputation as an artist and in the late 1920s a retrospective of her work was held at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. In 1924, she was among twenty-five women chosen to represent American women in Paris. She also traveled to Mexico where she painted portraits of artists Jose Orozco and Jean Charlot.

After returning to California, Shore met photographer Edward Weston, who completed a series of photographs based on Shore’s work. Shore eventually settled in Carmel, CA and continued to paint. During the Great Depression, Shore worked for the Treasury Relief Art Project and completed murals at the Monterey post office and another at the Santa Cruz post office.

ART FIND: Trick of the Eye

Michelangelo Meucci "Trompe-l’œil Still Life of Ducks" 1887

A common question I often get from art appraisal clients is whether they should spare the expense of getting an Insurance appraisal. Most insurance companies require an official appraisal every 2-4 years on artworks valued at over $5,000. This enables collectors to protect your artwork in the case of damage, theft, fire, loss, etc.

In the case of this month’s artwork submission, “(Untitled) Ducks” by artist Michelangelo Meucci -- I would certainly suggest having an official Insurance appraisal completed. Submitted by Santa Barbara, CA area residents, this painting was inherited from their great-uncle's daughter. She studied art in France around the turn-of-the-century and brought the painting back to the U.S.

Michelangelo Meucci (1840-1909) was an Italian artist specializing in trompe-l’œil painting. Trompe-l’œil (meaning “trick of the eye”) was a highly realistic style meant to create an optical illusion. Artists would meticulously paint subjects intended to appear in 3-dimensions. While the style was popular throughout art history, trompe-l’œil painting had a resurgence of popularity both in Europe and the U.S. during the 19th century.

This painting, done in Florence, Italy in 1887, depicts three dead birds hung on a wooden board. The artist’s skillful technique makes the background texture of the painting appear to be wood rather than canvas.

Meucci’s work has sold for up to $12,484 at auction, with most paintings selling in the $3,000-$5,000 range. At 35” x 46” including the frame, this is one of the largest Meucci paintings that has been on the market.

It appears to be in excellent condition and depicts a common subject for Meucci, giving it a value on the high end of his market. If this painting were to be sold in a gallery it would likely be sold for $5,000-$7,000 with an estimated insurance value of up to 50% higher.

As this painting is over 100 years old and highly valuable, an appraiser would strongly recommend having an official insurance appraisal done. Insurance values should be diligently updated every 2 years, even during stable markets. It is particularly important to evaluate works when there are either rapid increases or decreases in market values, such as our current economy.

Artworks that have risen in value, but have not been reappraised at a higher price, will only be insured for the old appraisal price -- in the case of loss, damage, or theft. For artworks that have decreased in value, an updated art appraisal can save clients from overpaying on insurance premiums. Also, if an overvalued artwork is damaged or stolen, an insurer may refuse to reimburse a client for the higher value if it is not a current value (even if the client has been paying a higher premium to protect that overvalued artwork).

This month’s painting, “(Untitled) Ducks” Michelangelo Meucci is quite a treasure! While an insurance art appraisal may seem like an extra expense, it is important to protect a unique and irreplaceable artwork such as this.

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READERS: We need your submissions! Please email us a photo of your painting, drawing, or sculpture for next month’s ART FIND.

Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation. Campbell is a member of the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

* This is not a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.