A thrifted painting purchased for just $50 has turned out to be a long-lost work by a famous artist and is expected to fetch an eye-popping sum at auction. CTV News reported.
Allen Treibitz, an art dealer living in New York City, purchased this interesting piece of art at a barn sale. The painting depicts an oversized wooden bear atop a totem pole. In the corner is the signature of the famous Canadian writer and painter Emily Carr, whose work can be compared to John Muir and Henry David Thoreau.
Although Treibitz was unaware of Carr's fame, he thought the portrait was “remarkable” and snapped it up for $50. “It stood out from everything else in that barn,” he recalled.
After examining the painting in more detail, Treibitz thought it might be worth much more than he paid for it. He confirmed his suspicions by contacting the Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Canada. “We were given the photographs and there was no doubt in my mind that this was an exciting Cinderella find,” said David Heffel, president of the auction house.
The painting will be auctioned on November 20 and is expected to sell for between $100,000 and $200,000. This will be a big win for Treibitz.
Heffel Fine Art Auction House
Carr painted the portrait titled “Masset, QCI” in 1912 as part of his ongoing efforts to document the artistic history of First Nation communities in British Columbia. The totem pole depicted is an Indigenous memorial pole that once stood in the village of Masset. Experts believe that Carr gifted the painting to a close friend in the 1930s, who hung it in the family's barn, where it remained until Treibitz purchased it.
“Unfortunately, due to the modern Parisian post-Impressionist style, [the painting] Gerta Moray, an art history professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, explained that it was not well received locally. “He could not find a target for this purpose in either the state museum or any number of public acquisitions at the time.”
Although its artistic merit was overlooked by people at the time, Treibitz believes it is one of the most striking pieces he has seen in his career. “I see very interesting things, [but] “This… is the most important thing I have ever found,” he marveled. “It's very important that this one is found and returned to its home.”
