TASTE in ART?

Taste: Do you have it? Is yours good, bad, classic, contemporary, funky, in sync with today’s popular culture or intensely idiosyncratic?

Art appraisers know that art is not about good or bad taste, but that art appraisals are often all about taste – and not the individual appraiser’s particular affinity for one style or another. It’s the art market’s preference for particular styles at particular points in time.

Taste can get to be a thorny issue with clients. Too often their art education really begins with making a very common mistake: believing that art, especially art in their possession, will only appreciate in value.

My favorite client bought a very large and beautiful painting thirty years ago for more than $20,000. The artist was considered “hot” and his work was a perfect fit for the interior design of his newly built, then-very contemporary house. Both art and home referred to the Southwestern United States.

Over the years the client received updated appraisals from the gallery which sold him the work. These appraisals were for insurance coverage, and it the painting’s value seemed to grow until it more than doubled.

Recently this client built a new house in the large-scale Mediterranean-style popular now in this part of the country. That once-perfect painting no longer works in its new surroundings and my client would like to sell it. Unfortunately, there is no market for it, even at its original selling price. There is nothing wrong with this painting – it is in pristine condition, with a beautiful paint surface and impressive technique. It’s just out of fashion.

How can the art lover minimize the probability that he will purchase art that does not decline in value over the short run?

1. Be prepared to make mistakes; just try to make them early in your collecting career when the works you are buying are not so costly. That’s why it is so important to look, look and look some more before you purchase. As for buying expensive art on vacation in Hawaii, Santa Fe or some other exotic place – don’t hand over your MasterCard while you are still in a state of euphoria over being away from the office in a glamorous setting. Get photos from gallery, along with information on the artist. Go home, get back into your routine and see if you just miss that painting so much you can’t stand it. I’ll bet it will still be there.

2. Do not think that your financial and professional successes automatically make you bullet-proof when it comes to buying art, especially works being produced now. Working with an experienced art consultant or appraiser who knows the market could help you make a more informed decision on whether to purchase a work at a given price.

3. Your artwork will most likely go through an out-of-fashion period, and may not realize higher prices in the market until well after you have been laid to rest. Don’t take it personally. Your grandchildren may profit handsomely, if they don’t donate your collection to Goodwill before it has had time to become fashionable again. Fingers crossed.

Submitted by, Judy T. Nelson, ISA AM
for Guernsey, Nelson, Kolker and Associates

“Royal Splendor in the Enlightenment: Charles IV of Spain, Patron and Collector”

A Glimpse into Unforgettable Worlds—A Study of Contrasts at the Meadows Museum, Dallas TX

March 7 – July 18, 2010

Reading the various articles announcing this exhibition, I thought the show primarily highlighted Goya and Lopez’s works commissioned by Charles IV as court painters. I was both disappointed and pleasantly surprised to find however, that the exhibition focuses on the grandiose life of Charles IV, with the majority of the paintings by Goya and Lopez on the other side of the museum in a small side gallery. Here was a king who lived in a grand fashion (like they always do),which here in America,we have no concept of. Splitting his time between four royal palaces coordinated to the seasons and to the Royal Palace in Madrid, Charles IV and his family experienced untold wealth. Highlighted in the exhibition are a myriad of objects which exemplify his plush lifestyle: exquisitely ornate desks, chairs, clocks, tapestries, paintings and even a hand carried gold and inlaid wooden carriage used by the Queen.

Contrast these decorative objects with the comparatively small paintings across the hall, where Goya’s work, created outside the realm of court painter, rest in a small alcove, along with some beautiful portraits by Lopez. It is no wonder these two men were chosen for their royal position.

How Dallas came to possess these paintings, along with other wonderful pieces (to name a few) by Velasquez, Murillo and Ribera is thanks to Algur H. Meadows, who began to collect Spanish art in the 1950s, and whose collection is one of the finest outside of Spain. The selection from the permanent collection on view is worth your time if you have it.

But I digress….I began this article with a mention of contrasts. As court painter, Goya produced the large portrait of Charles IV whose image is marketing the show, as well as two idyllic scenes cartoons) which were converted into tapestries.

On this side of the museum however, we witness another side of Goya’s life-the horrors of the French invasion, the darkness and brutality of prison life, the folly of man and a certain introspection which I believe resulted not only from going deaf in 1792 at the age of 46, but also from extended illness. I may be wrong on this, but I am not aware of any artist earlier than the 19th century who gives us such telling portraits of himself and whose views permeate each of his works, no matter who or what he is painting.



As an example,I grew up with a tiny reproduction of Goya’s portrait of the four year old Don Manuel Osorio de Manrique Zuniga, who was the son of Count and Countess of Altimara, painted c. 1788. This fair-skinned child stands innocently poised in a refined red costume bound with lace and satin, holding a string tied to a magpie, whose beak clutches a card bearing Goya’s name as the artist. Back in the looming darkness to the proper right of the boy crouch three cats, waiting for the right moment to pounce on the bird. To the proper left of the child is a bird cage filled with smaller birds that are at least for now, safe from the cats’ reach. The child’s name is written in a fine script across the bottom of the painting. The symbolic elements of this piece keep me coming back to it day after day. What message is Goya hiding within this official portrait? Innocence and vulnerability contrast with the “evil” eyes of the cats, and only a tiny string stands between them and their prey.

Dallas is lucky to have a number of Goya’s works, to include first edition sets of his four great print series: La Tauromaquia, Los Disparates, Los Caprichos and Los Desatres de la Guerra. Due to the fragile nature of prints however, these are not always on view. They may be examined by appointment if you are interested.



One of the small gems in this show, if I may call it that, is “Yard with Madmen”, 1794, a 16 7/8 x 12 3/8 inches, oil on tin. Based on what Goya actually witnessed in a Spanish prison, where the criminally insane were kept in shackles along with the other law breakers, the small dark scene arrests the senses-prison brutality reigns and there is little hope for a better tomorrow.

Contrast this record of Goya’s life with the portrait of Charles IV completed five years earlier, and you have a good idea of the juxtaposition of circumstances that this show presents. I have only brushed over a few pieces, and mulled over a few perspectives on the show. There are certainly many more for you to explore. I hope that you will visit this gem of an exhibition in Dallas. It’s worth the trip.

Submitted by Kim Kolker, ISA AM
for Guernsey, Nelson, Kolker and Associates, Fine Art Appraisals
The Fine Art of Appraising

Re-Discovered and Newly Authenticated Art

An art dealer I once worked for, told me one day that “all the really good old paintings have already been found, purchased and are hanging in museums or private collections somewhere. It is impossible for a dealer to find great paintings of known artists 19th century and older of any quality”. This statement was made before two really interesting re-discoveries and authentications were recently made; The Torment of Saint Anthony by Michelangelo, 1487-88, purchased by the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas in 2009 and now a newly authenticated work by Vincent Van Gogh, Le Blute-Fin Mill, 1886, now on display in the Museum de Fundatie in the central Dutch town of Zwolle, Netherlands.
The Michelangelo painting was executed in oil and tempera on a wooden panel and believed to be one of only four easel paintings to come from Michelangelo’s hand. The truly amazing part of this discovery is that Michelangelo was only 12 or 13 years old when he painted it. Yes that’s correct….12 or 13 years old. The story behind the story is that young Michelangelo was granted access to prints and drawings in Domenico Ghirlandaio, his teacher’s studio. It was there that he discovered and was attracted to a 15th century engraving by German master Martin Schongauer, The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Using this engraving as an inspiration to try his hand at painting, young Michelangelo visited local fish markets, studying the fish scales and iridescent quality of the scales. The addition of these beautiful scales adds an original element to Michelangelo’s painting compared to the Schongauer’s engraving. Michelangelo’s painting is relatively small measuring 18 ½ x 13 ¼ inches.
The Michelangelo painting was sold at auction in London, July 2008 and then went under conservation and technical research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The painting had been known to scholars for decades, but until its recent cleaning, the discolored varnishes and disfiguring overpaints prevented a full appreciation of the young Michelangelo’s masterful execution. After a brief showing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2008, the painting was unveiled in its new home, the Kimbell Art Museum in the fall of 2009. Art patrons in the Dallas Fort Worth area were thrilled by the rediscovered Kimbell acquisition. If you haven’t seen it yet, and are in the area, a visit is a must and a treat!


Back in the 1970s, Vincent Van Gogh was all the rage amongst art history students. I was no exception, intrigued by his bright and often unnatural use of color, thick wild paint strokes and fascinatingly sad life story. Last week artdaily.org, a net art newspaper, reported on the most recent painting to be authenticated - a genuine Vincent Van Gogh. Le Blute-Fin Mill, a 19th century painting of a Paris mill, was declared an original Van Gogh, 25 years after the death of its collector Dirk Hannema. The Van Gogh was purchased by Hannema in 1975 from a Paris antique and art dealer for 5,000 Dutch guilders ($2,700). He then immediately insured it for 16 times what he paid for it. He was absolutely sure it was an original Van Gogh. His claims were discredited, however, because of earlier purchases of other “past masters” and claims which turned out to be forgeries.
The painting is atypical compared to Van Gogh’s more widely-known works such as his starry night paintings in rich dark blues and yellows and his crows over wheat field paintings. In contrast, the sky in this painting is very pale blue, almost ivory white and motionless. One can see hints of the typical Van Gogh stroke in the treatment of the women’s clothing as well as the strokes and almost rickety looking stairs and windmill, although the overall effect of the painting is still more sedate than what one usually thinks of with a Van Gogh painting. The colors in the women’s gowns are more typical of his works, especially the two women in the lower left hand corner of the canvas.
An interesting note about Dirk Hannema is that he was a brilliant art curator, being assigned as director of the Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam in 1921 when he was 26 years old. He collected high quality works by lesser known artists with a preference for works of old masters that were yet to be authenticated. He spent two years in jail just after WWII in 1945. During the war, before the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, he had been given responsibility for all of the museums in the country. He was arrested and stood trial for being accused of aiding the illegal sale of several artworks to the Nazi’s which once belonged to the Koenigs Collection. He was never formally convicted and was later released. In 1958 he created an institute for his collection and was allowed to live in Nijenhuis Castle in the village of Heino on the condition that he allowed public access to the collection. Hannema personally gave guided tours by appointment until his death in 1984.
As an appraiser of fine art, an art historian and general lover of all arts, I am excited to know that “all the really good old paintings have already been found and purchased” is not necessarily true. I find it exceedingly hopeful that there is still a possibility of artworks just waiting to be discovered and re-discovered. I look forward to seeing them someday in museums where the masses can enjoy them.

Submitted by Christine Guernsey, ISA AM
For Guernsey, Nelson, Kolker and Associates, The Fine Art of Appraising

Insuring Your Art, A Sign of The Times

If there is one question I am asked more often other than "what kind of wood is this", it is what should I insure in the collection. Not being an expert in insurance I won't advise anyone on the types of coverage that can be purchased from a company. However, some thoughts may be helpful - especially as the insurers are evolving in their coverage of art.

Insurance is basically risk management on the part of the insured and the insurer. The Insured wants to minimize the potential loss of a valuable asset. The insurer wants to minimize their risk in having to provide to provide insurance coverage and maximize their profits for providing this service. In a perfect world this relationship can be a win-win situation. Unfortunately, more often than one might like the insured is either under insured, over insured, or not adequately protected with proper documentation of their assets.

Here are some basic thoughts:

* Photograph and document your collection, or at least the most valuable works in your collection. Include current appraisals, original sales receipts, and any additional paperwork that speaks directly to the value of your art.

* Buy as much insurance as you can comfortably afford, whether or not that amount covers the entire value of your art. Most loss, damage, or theft affects only a portion of a collection, not the entire collection. To repeat-- receiving some compensation is better than receiving no compensation at all. See the definition of terms at the end of this article.

* Make sure you understand your insurance policy. This means reading the fine print, and asking every question about every conceivable loss or damage situation that you can think of. You don't want to find out after a loss that you were not covered for that specific type of loss. Important questions should be asked and answered by written communications that you can file and retrieve later if necessary.

* Theft/damage insurance for art, added onto your home insurance, generally costs $1-$2 annually per $1000 of coverage (less if you have a good security system in place). Several insurance companies specialize in covering art and antiques exclusively. Coverage details can be discussed and/or negotiated with your insurance company. There's no excuse for not insuring an art collection. If you can afford the art, you can afford the insurance. And remember-- you don't have to insure for every last penny of value in your collection. Loss or damage rarely affects an entire collection, and you'll find that in the large majority of cases, even partial coverage will reimburse you for a substantial percentage of the dollar amount involved in most occurrences. Understand you risks and the most likely event you are insuring against. Are you in a flood plain, earthquake area, tornado prone state etc.?

Homeowner’s Insurance policy:

If one was to look at a home insurance declarations page, which is usually the first page in a home owner’s insurance policy, they would see Part I: Property Protection. This protection is usually broken down into four additional sections:A. DwellingB. Other StructuresC. Personal PropertyD. Loss of UseCoverage A. Dwelling typically covers your house, attached structures, fixtures in the house such as built-in appliances, plumbing, heating, permanently installed air conditioning systems, and electrical wiring.Coverage B. Other Structures typically covers detached structures such as garages, storage sheds, and fixtures attached to the land including fences, driveways, sidewalks, patios, and retaining walls. Detached structures used for business purposes are not covered under a personal home owner’s insurance policy.Coverage C. Personal Property typically covers personal property including the contents of your home and other personal items owned by you or family members who live with you. This protection can be based on actual cash value or replacement cost. Home insurance policies may provide limited coverage for small boats; however, most home insurance policies do not cover motorized vehicles unless they are unlicensed and used only at your home. Some items may have coverage limits such as firearms, artwork, business property, electronic data, jewelry, and money. Extra coverage is usually available by adding endorsements to your policy.Coverage D. Loss of Use typically covers living expenses over and above your normal living expenses if you cannot live in your home while repairs are being made or if you are denied access by government order.

Endorsements can also be added to your home owner insurance policy at an additional cost to provide extra protection. Examples of endorsements include:

1. Guaranteed replacement cost coverage will pay the cost to rebuild your home as long as you have met the requirements of your home insurance policy.2. Extended replacement cost coverage insures your home for a specific value and usually adds a 20-25% extended limit if reconstruction costs run over.3. Inflation Guard increases the amount of your home owner insurance to keep up with inflation so that you can maintain adequate coverage to replace your home in the event of a loss.4. Scheduled personal property protects articles such as jewelry, furs, stamps, coins, guns, computers, antiques, and other items that often exceed normal policy limits in your regular home owner’s insurance policy. It often provides coverage that is broader than the coverage in the home insurance policy. There normally is not a deductible for this coverage. Increased limits on money and securities provide additional coverage for money, bank notes, securities, and deeds.5. Secondary residence provides protection for a second home such as a summer residence.Theft coverage protection broadens the theft coverage to include personal contents in your motor vehicle, trailer or watercraft to be covered without proof of forcible entry.6. Credit card forgery and depositor's forgery coverage provides protection against loss, theft or unauthorized use of credit cards. It also covers forgery of any check, draft, or promissory note. No deductible applies to this endorsement.

Important: Check your policy. Some policies have limits of coverage under your homeowners by class of property. Some policies calculate your homeowners by a percentage of the total value of the house. For example your house is worth $200,000 and your contents policy is 50% or $100,000. If you have a piano that is worth $50,000 then all you have remaining is $50,000 for the rest of the contents. If your house burns down, you have a problem. It is also important to note that coverage on homeowners is usually a named peril. Not included unless scheduled separately would be your baby throwing your diamond ring into the running garbage disposal.

Check your policy for a co-insurance clause. If you have both a loss and this clause in your policy you may be disappointed in the final settlement by the insurance company. Basically this clause states that if your scheduled property is under-insured then if a loss occurs you will share the loss with the insurance company. The theory behind this is that you are self insured for the difference thereby limiting the liability on the part of the insurance company. If it has been some time since the insured has updated values, this is definitely a concern if a claim is made. On the flip side during economic downturns the only punishment for you the insured is that you may be paying premiums that do not reflect the true value of the property.

Submitted by John Buxton, ISA CAPP

Shango Gallery, Dallas Texas

(For Guernsey and Associates, Fine Art Appraisals)

Meet our associate John Buxton:

Mr. Buxton has been in the antiques and appraisal business for more than 35 years as an recognized expert in African, pre-Columbian, South Pacific, and American Indian Art.

In 1990, he created the computer database, Auction Trak, for the appraisal, research, evaluation, and authentication of tribal art. A year later, he founded and incorporated Art Trak, Inc., an art services computer network. Buxton Appraisal, Authentication and Consulting Service was formed in 1996.

Mr. Buxton is a Certified Appraiser of Personal Property with the International Society of Appraisers, which is the largest personal property appraisal organization in the United States. Buxton is a past national director for the International Society of Appraisers and he is only the second appraiser with the organization and one of four appraisers nationally to qualify with a certification in African art.

Since 1974, Buxton has performed auction bidding for museums and collectors, and appraised, authenticated, and evaluated tribal art for private and institutional clients. Buxton has written, lectured and served as an expert witness as an appraiser and dealer in tribal arts. Buxton has been an appraiser with the PBS Antiques Roadshow since it first season in 1997. John Buxton writes for http://www.arttrak.blogspot.com/ .