A visitor on the Antiques Roadshow was astonished when he discovered the truth about an artwork his wife had inherited.
For those unfamiliar, Antiques Roadshow is a program that invites collectors and antique owners to bring their unique items to various venues for expert evaluation.
The show’s appraisers are highly knowledgeable and can uncover the history, origin, and potential value of these items, regardless of their rarity.
Due to the numerous guests who leave with smiles after uncovering the worth of their items, the show has been a popular hit in the US since its debut in 1997.
There have been many unforgettable moments, such as when a man in Arizona found out that his old blanket was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Recently, another guest was left speechless after learning the true value of a piece of artwork in his possession.
The guest attended the show at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore in June. He shared that the artwork came into their family after his wife’s aunt passed away in 2019.
Discussing the piece, he said, “She was a collector of all kinds of art, but particularly African American artists. And my wife inherited a number of pieces from her, and that’s how we got this.”
Appraiser Myrtis Bedolla, who owns Galerie Myrtis and specializes in African-American artists, inquired if he was familiar with the artist’s name.
He responded, “Yeah, it’s Ed Clark.”
What intrigued Bedolla was the handwritten inscription on the back, indicating the art was completed in April 1976.
Notes on the back also mentioned Yucatan, Mexico, specifically the City of Merida at the Hotel American. Bedolla quickly identified the valuable piece and began sharing insights about the artist.
“Ed Clark was a very important African American artist,” she explained. “He reached a level of prominence later in his career.”
Clark, originally from New Orleans, was born in 1926. He began as a figurative painter at the Art Institute in Chicago.
“His style evolved significantly when he moved to Paris,” Bedolla noted. “He combined European and American post-war abstraction to develop his unique style.”
Upon returning to the US, Clark became part of the New York art scene, creating works for 70 years until his death in 2019.
“Signature to his style are the bands of color,” Bedolla said, referencing Clark’s distinctive works that are displayed in prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and others.
“In recent years, his work has become highly sought after,” she added.
Bedolla revealed that the painting was valued between $50,000 to $65,000, much to the owner’s surprise.
“You have a really beautiful piece here by Clark, and it’s quite a gem,” she remarked, clearly impressed by the discovery.
“Wow, thank you. Yes, we like it very much,” the owner replied, visibly astonished.