WEBVTT 00:01.701 --> 00:09.376 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: This is one of the Hudson Valley School paintings that was given to me by 00:09.376 --> 00:12.579 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% my parents, who inherited it from my grandmother and my great-aunt. 00:12.579 --> 00:13.380 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: And who is the artist? 00:13.380 --> 00:15.482 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: William Hart. 00:15.482 --> 00:19.052 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: And do you know much about him? 00:19.052 --> 00:24.124 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: I know just that he is a Hudson River painter. But I'd like to know some more, please. 00:24.124 --> 00:28.328 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Okay. Well, yes, he is considered one of the Hudson River 00:28.328 --> 00:30.997 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% School artists. The father of the Hudson River School was Thomas Cole. 00:30.997 --> 00:32.632 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 00:32.632 --> 00:37.971 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% APPRAISER: And then artists after that were Asher B. Durand and Frederic Church. William Hart is 00:37.971 --> 00:42.509 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% considered sort of a second-string painter in that group, but certainly very accomplished. 00:42.509 --> 00:46.246 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And he exhibited all during his lifetime. And his paintings are in museums around the country. 00:46.246 --> 00:47.714 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 00:47.714 --> 00:54.554 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: He was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1823. He immigrated to the U.S. around 00:54.554 --> 01:03.496 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% 1830 and eventually to Albany and Troy, New York, area in 1831. He started out life as a 01:03.496 --> 01:08.001 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% landscape painter for coaches and carriages. So he would decorate the sides of these vehicles. 01:08.001 --> 01:12.205 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: (chuckles) APPRAISER: And was fairly successful at that, 01:12.205 --> 01:15.208 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but then decided he wanted to get into portrait painting. And he goes to the 01:15.208 --> 01:17.944 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Midwest and tries to make his fortune there. That doesn't work out very well. 01:17.944 --> 01:19.279 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Huh. 01:19.279 --> 01:22.782 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% APPRAISER: So he goes to Scotland to study a bit, and then comes back to New York, 01:22.782 --> 01:28.188 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and establishes a studio in the Tenth Street Studio Building, 01:28.188 --> 01:33.159 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% which was a very important artist's studio complex, where all these 01:33.159 --> 01:37.931 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% famous artists were. What we find here is a landscape that is of Keene, New Hampshire. 01:37.931 --> 01:39.232 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 01:39.232 --> 01:44.070 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: And this was a favorite area of his. Most of the works we see by him 01:44.070 --> 01:48.942 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are of cows in landscapes, and the cows are rather large and dominate the composition. 01:48.942 --> 01:50.376 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Oh. 01:50.376 --> 01:55.482 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Those are his later works, done sort, in the late 1870s to '80s. He, 01:55.482 --> 02:00.887 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% he died in 1894. So he was still painting that kind of thing. But this is really refreshing, 02:00.887 --> 02:06.326 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% because it's an early example. It was done around 1859 to 1861. 02:06.326 --> 02:07.694 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Oh. 02:07.694 --> 02:11.464 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: You can see it's, it's rather fresh. He has an interesting approach. He 02:11.464 --> 02:15.668 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% has figures on the right side, the cows are more minimal in the background. And then, 02:15.668 --> 02:21.040 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% of course, the beautiful landscape and the more or less luminous sky make it a, a rather 02:21.040 --> 02:25.145 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% creative composition for him at this period. It's signed in the lower right "W.M. Hart." 02:25.145 --> 02:26.379 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 02:26.379 --> 02:30.917 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: And that's a typical signature for him. The medium is oil on canvas, 02:30.917 --> 02:35.421 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and the frame is wonderful. It's a original frame. Condition-wise, 02:35.421 --> 02:39.292 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% I think it might need a cleaning. There is a catalogue raisonné of William Hart's work. 02:39.292 --> 02:40.527 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 02:40.527 --> 02:44.230 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: This work is listed there. It does mention that it went through 02:44.230 --> 02:47.934 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% American art galleries in 1925. You said you got it from your great...? 02:47.934 --> 02:49.903 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: My great-aunt. 02:49.903 --> 02:53.006 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Your great-aunt. So would she have been in New York around 1925? 02:53.006 --> 02:56.209 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: She was visiting her brother, who lived in Connecticut, 02:56.209 --> 02:59.078 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% but was a stockbroker in New York. So, yes, I'm sure she... 02:59.078 --> 03:00.713 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% APPRAISER: So she has... 03:00.713 --> 03:02.048 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: ...traveled into New York. 03:02.048 --> 03:04.817 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: Perhaps that's where she acquired it. Unfortunately, 03:04.817 --> 03:07.787 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the Hudson River School in general is not as much in vogue today... 03:07.787 --> 03:09.022 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Yes. 03:09.022 --> 03:11.991 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: ...as it was, let's say, 20 years ago. If it were in a gallery, 03:11.991 --> 03:15.895 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I think it would probably sell in the neighborhood of $15,000. 03:15.895 --> 03:21.634 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GUEST: Oh, my goodness! (chuckling) That, that surprises me, thank you. 03:21.634 --> 03:25.171 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Well, you're welcome. And for insurance, I would suggest $18,000 for insurance. 03:25.171 --> 03:28.041 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: (stammers) Thank you very, very much, Debra. 03:28.041 --> 03:29.042 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% APPRAISER: Well, you're welcome. 03:29.042 --> 03:32.345 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: I truly appreciate it. It gives me pleasure every time I look at it. 03:32.345 --> 03:33.513 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: Aw, well, that's great. 03:33.513 --> 03:34.881 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: So I'm very pleased to hear all of this. 03:34.881 --> 03:34.681 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% APPRAISER: Oh, good.