Original watercolor painting of the schooner "Brilliant" in 1995 under full sail off the coast of Maine. I purchased the work in 1999 / 2000 from Joan P. Woodhull the owner of the "Art of the Sea" gallery in South Thomaston. As I recall, she described the artist as a physician from the Midwest (perhaps Chicago) known for his maritime art works. The painting is signed and dated.
Watercolor on paper in excellent condition by the artist whose signature is hard to discern. The 1932 vessel "Brilliant" has a highly valued provenance and is now moored at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut where the schooner serves as an offshore sailing classroom. WoodenBoat Magazine describes the Brilliant as “one of the best maintained and sailed classic yachts in the country, if not the world." The watercolor is indeed "brilliant", and it bears the signature of the artist and year he painted it. I would like to identify the artist and determine the estimated value of the work as a potential item for consignment.
29 1/4 inches tall x 41 1/4 inches wide
Dealer or Gallery
Yes
Dear Tony Cook,
Thank you for your appraisal submission. We had previously requested additional signature images and a photograph of the verso of the work in order to write a comprehensive appraisal. Without additional images, this appraisal will be based on the information that was originally provided.
The work is a hyperrealist maritime watercolor painting on paper. Dated 1995, it depicts the schooner "Brilliant" at sea. It is signed illegibly to the lower margin. According to the information provided, the work was attributed to a midwestern artist by the gallery "Art of the Sea." We were not able to find any archived information of artists exhibited or sold at this gallery, therefore the artist of this work remains unknown. From the images provided, the work appears to be in good condition, there is likely a slight draw to the sheet as is typical of watercolor paintings. The upper margin of the work also includes possibly marks or creases around the sails.
Without an artistic attribution, the Fair Market Value of this work is estimated based on sales trends of similar, contemporary maritime paintings, watercolor paintings, and the condition. Watercolor paintings typically sell less than oil paintings of maritime themes. Most comparative works on the market are early 20th century pieces, and sell under $500. Due to the quality of the work, we estimate the FMV between $200 and $500.
Thank you again for your submission.
Kind regards,
Charlotte B.
Kind regards,
Charlotte B.
