Hello Larry,

Thank you very much for submitting your item for an appraisal.

The presented object appears to be a still-life oil on panel painting of blue and yellow flowers in a vase. The composition is signed "L. Koch" and is in a heavy hexagonal wooden frame. From the images provided, it looks to be in good condition.

I believe that the first initial in the artist's signature is "L" and not "C," so I checked the Benezit Dictionary of Artists for any artists that may have been active in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or the United States (given the presence of the Chicago label on the verso of the work) and was noted for still-life painting. Unfortunately there were no artists that I would consider to be a match and given the overall quality of the piece, though it does have some decorative value, I think it's likely that the artist was an amateur and would not have any records on the secondary market.

Based on recently achieved auction results from similar still-life paintings from the 19th and early 20th century, I would estimate the current fair market value to be between $200 and 300, though retail and asking prices may vary.

If you have any questions about my appraisal, please let me know in the comments section below. Thank you again for your submission and have a wonderful day!

Kind regards,
Anne