WEBVTT 00:02.635 --> 00:06.473 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: We purchased this at an open house. 00:06.473 --> 00:13.079 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% An artist was selling some of her own artwork, and some of her collection, and she had this 00:13.079 --> 00:16.383 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% available, and my wife and I loved it immediately, and we bought it right away. 00:16.383 --> 00:19.486 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We just thought it was such a sweet painting. 00:19.486 --> 00:23.990 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% The woman who we purchased it from, this was the first painting that she bought when she 00:23.990 --> 00:26.126 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% started her art career in New York. 00:26.126 --> 00:29.863 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: Bessie Lowenhaupt is one of my favorite artists. 00:29.863 --> 00:31.164 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I'm from St. Louis, as was she. 00:31.164 --> 00:32.999 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Okay. 00:32.999 --> 00:35.969 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: So it was a real treat to see this come in. 00:35.969 --> 00:40.874 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Bessie Lowenhaupt was born in 1881 in Mount Vernon, Indiana. 00:40.874 --> 00:44.411 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% She studied at the Chicago Art Institute. 00:44.411 --> 00:50.383 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% She got married and had five children, and didn't become a practicing artist, really, 00:50.383 --> 00:53.686 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% until she was 75 years old. 00:53.686 --> 01:01.127 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The painting is oil on canvas, certainly dated circa 1960. 01:01.127 --> 01:08.501 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Characteristic of her paintings is the balance between abstraction and reality, and also 01:08.501 --> 01:14.974 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the planes of color that she would use to create this harmonious balance in her compositions. 01:14.974 --> 01:18.878 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% She also would use one dominant color in her artwork. 01:18.878 --> 01:20.713 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 01:20.713 --> 01:23.149 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: And she called that the master of ceremonies. 01:23.149 --> 01:25.552 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: (chuckles) Okay. 01:25.552 --> 01:29.422 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: There were always muted tones-- grays, browns, earth tones-- but that was 01:29.422 --> 01:32.759 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% characteristic of her work. 01:32.759 --> 01:39.099 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% She had only one commercial exhibit, in 1968, at the end of her life. 01:39.099 --> 01:41.367 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Uh, that was the year that she died. 01:41.367 --> 01:45.271 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It was at Martin Schweig Galleries in St. Louis. 01:45.271 --> 01:47.740 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% She didn't ever sign her paintings, because she felt that that was presumptuous. 01:47.740 --> 01:49.576 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Okay. 01:49.576 --> 01:52.879 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: And she often didn't title her paintings. 01:52.879 --> 01:55.682 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% But, uh, you have two titles, in fact... 01:55.682 --> 01:57.183 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: Two titles. 01:57.183 --> 02:00.487 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: ...on the back of this canvas. 02:00.487 --> 02:07.427 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This one, on the original tag on the back, with her address, is titled "Girl Standing 02:07.427 --> 02:12.665 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% for a Fitting," but it was titled a, again, and what was the title? 02:12.665 --> 02:13.533 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: One... 02:13.533 --> 02:14.868 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Right. 02:14.868 --> 02:17.003 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% "Woman Descending Stairs." 02:17.003 --> 02:19.139 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Maybe the reason she didn't want to title her work is because she wanted the 02:19.139 --> 02:23.710 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% viewer to take their own idea away from the experience. 02:23.710 --> 02:24.544 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 02:24.544 --> 02:26.479 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Mm-hmm. 02:26.479 --> 02:27.380 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: Was this the frame that you bought it in? 02:27.380 --> 02:29.382 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: We had this recently reframed. 02:29.382 --> 02:31.384 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% There wasn't a right angle on the frame. 02:31.384 --> 02:33.419 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It was sort of a, a weird configuration. 02:33.419 --> 02:37.323 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: She always created her own frames. 02:37.323 --> 02:41.761 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% (chuckles) She would go to a furniture store and pick up scraps of lumber. 02:41.761 --> 02:45.431 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Poplar wood is what she would use, and they would always be very thin strips. 02:45.431 --> 02:47.500 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: Absolutely. 02:47.500 --> 02:53.540 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: And sometimes she would paint them to go with the painting. 02:53.540 --> 02:58.611 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think something like this, easily, at auction, would sell between $4,000 and $6,000. 02:58.611 --> 03:01.447 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: That's great, thank you, I appreciate that. 03:01.447 --> 03:03.082 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It's certainly more than we paid for it. 03:03.082 --> 03:05.351 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: Yeah, do you mind divulging that price? 03:05.351 --> 03:06.286 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% GUEST: Uh, we paid $400 for it. 03:06.286 --> 03:07.820 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% APPRAISER: Wow. 03:07.820 --> 03:08.588 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: Yeah, about a dozen years ago. 03:08.588 --> 03:10.156 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% APPRAISER: I was I was there! 03:10.156 --> 03:12.692 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% GUEST: Yeah. (both laugh) 03:12.692 --> 03:15.728 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: If you had the original frame, it might make a slight difference.