Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

My grandmother found it at a yard sale or flea market, and the woman that was selling it was selling it for the frame for about $25-- and it's not this frame, it was another one. Grandmother recognized it as being a William Aiken Walker painting and felt guilty, so she paid $35 for it. And then she left it to me when she passed away, and that's how I have it.

APPRAISER

How long ago did your grandmother make this purchase at $35?

GUEST

I believe it was in the '70s, '60s or '70s.

APPRAISER

William Aiken Walker was born in 1838, died in 1921. He's from Charleston, so he's a Southern individual, and he was actually in the Civil War.

GUEST

Oh.

APPRAISER

Was wounded and went back to Charleston, where he could do more painting. It appears that he's pretty much a self-taught artist. It seems that he spent some time in Germany after the Civil War, but settled in Baltimore, where he did most of his work. And it's probably post-Civil War, somewhere from 1870 to 1890, a date in there, and it's an oil on board. What people think of when they think of William Aiken Walker is what we have here.

GUEST

Yeah.

APPRAISER

Tell me about the subject. You like her.

GUEST

I like her. If you look really closely, she's got this great, big smile on her face, and I just like that.

APPRAISER

It's an interesting period in American politics. Most of his work was done after the Civil War. I think it's important to note that the African-American cotton pickers and folks that he painted were emancipated slaves. His paintings reflect a time, and he's true to form in this painting. This is a sweet example of his work. I think the painting might improve with a cleaning. You can see the varnish has yellowed.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

I talked to some of my colleagues, and even though it's small, it's very nice and it's nicely done. We're thinking an auction range of somewhere between $5,000 and $8,000.

GUEST

Really? But it's so little! (laughs)

APPRAISER

We can't do anything about that. (laughs)

GUEST

Wow. Well, Grandmother always did have good taste.

APPRAISER

I think so.