Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

I got this from my aunt about 15 years ago. She passed it down to me. I've had it since, I've kept it in my closet and it hasn't even been out.

APPRAISER

Well, it's by an artist named Bessie Potter Vonnoh. And she was a leading sculptor, late part of the 19th century and into the early 20th century. She studied in Chicago at the Chicago Art Institute, and she actually wound up going to Paris and meeting Rodin. And she's known for these very sensitive depictions of a mother and child, children, women standing, and dancers. And it's very different from most people's conceptions of sculpture. Sculpture is usually meant to be monuments, depictions of historical events. And she really rejected that kind of monumental sculpture to depict this intimate subject matter. It has wonderful details here, and yet the features are slightly softened. So it has a little bit of an Impressionistic look to it. And this is sort of as close as sculpture gets to being Impressionistic. It is signed and it's dated 1902, which is sort of early in her career. It has the mark of the Roman Bronze Foundry, which was in New York and it was the leading foundry of its day. In terms of the value, retail value of about $5,000.

GUEST

Really?

APPRAISER

Yeah.

GUEST

Wow, all right. I guess she won't stay in the closet anymore.

APPRAISER

I hope not.