She couldn’t believe how much the painting was worth after being passed down from her grandmother
Antiques Roadshow viewers have been moved by one of the most ‘charming’ appraisals ever after a woman found a family heirloom she once had to remove an insect from was worth a serious amount of money.
It all unfolded during an episode of the American version of Antiques Roadshow on PBS, back in 2018.
The woman took a painting on to the TV show that has been passed down in her family for generations, with her great-grandfather originally gifting it to her grandmother over 70 years prior.
Looking for a valuation, she revealed the history behind the artwork, also saying that it had been appraised twice, once in 1998 as a print at $200 (£157), with the second time in 2004 at $250 (£196).
The woman also said that after being given the painting by her grandmother, she saw that there was a dead mosquito underneath the glass, so she removed it to take the dead insect away, but put the glass back on quickly after, as she recognised that the painting looked legitimate.
The woman took the painting to Meredith Hilferty, the Director of Fine Art Auctions at Rago, and a paintings and drawings appraiser for Antiques Roadshow.
Hilferty asked the woman if she knew anything about the artist, with the painting depicting Native Americans making their way on horseback through the American mountains.
The appraiser told her that it was good she took the mosquito out (PBS)
She said that she knew that he was born in France and had associations with the Sioux tribe, with a mark on his signature signifying that he valued his association with them.
The professional clarified that his name was Henry Francois Farny, and that he moved to Pennsylvania from France at six years old, and he formed a relationship with the Seneca tribe, taking an interest in all Native Americans.
Focusing on the landscape instead of violence around the groups at the time, the piece was truly unique, with Hilferty revealing the value that the painting would sit around, in an auction today.
She stated: “If we were going to put this in an auction today, I would suggest an estimate of $200,000 (£149,500) to $300,000 (£224,350).”
She couldn’t believe how much the painting was worth (PBS)
The seller burst into tears, speechless, before joking: “So I can’t hang it up.”
After saying that she didn’t know what to say and shedding a few tears, she asked Hilferty if she should have left the mosquito in the back.
Hilferty explained: “It’s actually not a bad idea that you took the bug out, ultimately we would like for our conservator to do that, but the bug could have continued to decay and caused a stain.”
Several viewers in the comments praised Hilferty for being straight forward with the seller, and letting her have her moment to process the price, with one labelling it as one of the most ‘charming’ appraisals in the show’s history.
Featured Image Credit: PBS / Getty Stock Photo
