Sep 04, 2023 13:00:00

A $4 painting purchased at a thrift store turns out to be a mysterious piece that has been missing for 80 years, and could be sold for up to $250,000

It turns out that an old painting that a woman bought for $4 (about 580 yen) was drawn

by N.C. Wyeth, a famous illustrator who has illustrated books such as ' Treasure Island .' The painting will be auctioned and is expected to be awarded for a maximum of $ 150,000 (about 21.9 million yen) to $ 250,000 (about 36.5 million yen).

Bonhams Skinner : Newell Convers Wyeth (American, 1882-1945) Ramona, frontispiece illustration (Señora Gonzaga Moreno and Ramona) 25 1/8 x 16 7/8 in. framed 28 x 19 1/2 x 1 1/4 in.
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/28621/lot/60/newell-convers-wyeth-american-1882-1945-ramona-frontispiece-illustration-senora-gonzaga-moreno-and-ramona-25-18- x-16-78-in-framed-28-x-19-12-x-1-14-in/

A $4 thrift store purchase turns out to be a rare painting by NC Wyeth : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/01/1197221461/thrift-store-painting-rare-wyeth-worth-quarter-million

Painting bought for $4 at New Hampshire thrift shop could sell for $250,000 at auction - CBS Boston
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/new-hampshire-thrift-store-painting-nc-wyeth-savers-manchester-antique/

Wyeth was an illustrator who illustrated literary works, including the 1911 edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel Treasure Island. The newly discovered painting is one of four illustrations by Wyeth for Helen Hunt Jackson's 1939 novel Ramona , which had been missing for about 80 years. was.

In 2017, a woman stumbled across this piece at a thrift store in New Hampshire. The painting was dusty and the lady paid $4 to get it without knowing its value.

The painting was stored in the house after being displayed for several years, but when the woman saw it again while cleaning, she thought, ``Maybe it's something of value,'' and posted it on Facebook as ` `Things Found In Walls.'' (a community that shares treasures found by chance)”.

This painting caught the attention of Lauren Lewis, a restorer in Maine, who inspected the painting in person and confirmed its authenticity.

The woman said, ``There is nothing more wonderful than seeing the original painting. I hope that the painting will find its way to a collector who will be willing to lend it to someone else or donate it to a museum.''・Sold to Skinner. A Bonhams Skinner spokeswoman said: ``The painting could sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.''

Mr. Lewis said, ``I was surprised to see that there was a label on the back of the painting indicating that it was the work of N.C. Wyeth and that it was the work of ``Ramona.'' The woman is not wealthy, so if the sale was as expected, It will change your life if you do.”