“I have two paintings that hung in my grandfather’s house in Mexico City for years and were passed to my parents when he died in 1979,” wrote Ian Stahl to the column requesting an appraisal. “When my parents moved to Michigan in 1980, they brought them with them but kept them crated in their basement for 44 years. I have attached pictures of the two paintings with close-ups of the signatures. Please let me know if you’d be interested in checking these out.”
Stahl brought the unusual pair to a recent appraisal session held at DuMouchelles art gallery and auction house in downtown Detroit, where appraiser Bob DuMouchelle examined them more closely. There, Stahl shared some family background with the appraiser and a crowd gathered for the event, including the fact that his grandfather had connections to the movies.
“It’s interesting that your grandfather was involved with the movie industry,” DuMouchelle commented. “I wonder if these were used as props? Were they local things used in an American western?” At this point, unfortunately, their early history is lost.
The larger portrait reads “Beatification of St. Josephat” in old Spanish and is dated 1732. The artist is Metrano Pablo De Talavera. Three works by the artist were found on artnet.com and had similar styles, although little information was listed about the artist. The last piece sold in 2014. “The signatures match,” DuMouchelle told Stahl. “I do believe this is by the same artist.” He also believed the work may have been cut down from a larger image.
The other painting depicts a sleeping nude and a menacing figure and is dated 1923. It is signed by Daniel Sabater Salabert, a Spanish artist who lived from 1888 to 1951. According to the website askart.com, he was born in Valencia and worked in a fan designer’s studio before moving to Madrid, where he was exposed to art by Velázquez, Goya, and Ribera. It went on to say that early in his career, he painted military themes and moved to Paris, but his work took a dark turn after returning to Spain, where his canvases began to feature more macabre scenes full of witches and monsters.
The work by Talavera is early and considered Spanish Colonial, explained DuMouchelle, who added that Spanish Colonial pieces are often coarsely done dark portraits or religious images. He appraised it at $1,200 to $3,000 at auction but said that the subject matter may be off-putting to some. DuMouchelle appraised the other piece by Sabater at $300 to $600, adding that the artist has never commanded much at auction and the market would be small. It, too, would have a limited appeal due to the subject matter.
If Stahl could prove that they had appeared in movies, it could add value. “Any time something shows up in movies, it adds history and intrigue,” DuMouchelle added.
About this item
Item: Spanish paintings
Owned by: Ian Stahl
Appraised by: Bob DuMouchelle
Estimated value: $300 and up at auction
Now Scheduling Free Appraisals in June
Curious about the value of that collectible, garage sale bargain or family heirloom? Now’s your chance to find out more about it – for free! Appraisers usually charge for their services and expertise but we work with DuMouchelles in downtown Detroit and independent appraiser Brian Thomczek to offer free appraisals as part of the column. The next DuMouchelles appraisal is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16; the Troy appraisal at the Michigan Design Center is scheduled for June 19, both at 10 a.m. If you are interested in being considered, send a photograph of your item with what you know about it to trashortreas@aol.com. If you and your item are chosen for one of a dozen appraisals at each location, we will be in touch.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Trash or Treasure: Are these family heirlooms actually movie props?
Reporting by Khristi Zimmeth, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
