Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

My dearest friend, who was my high school English teacher here in Albuquerque, gifted it to me. I've known her for 50 years.

APPRAISER

You're still in touch with her? Are you...

GUEST

Oh, yes, yes, I... We have lunch every Friday.

APPRAISER

Oh, that's lovely.

GUEST

Yeah.

APPRAISER

When were you gifted this?

GUEST

Within the last year.

APPRAISER

And were you aware of it before? Had you paid any attention to it before during your visit?

GUEST

Well, actually, when I first entered her home about 35, 40 years ago, I saw it hanging on the wall with a, a lot... She had a lot of other paintings, and this one just stuck out. And I, every time I go to her house, I would stare at it and just say, "That is just an amazing painting." It was, it just, for me, it was captivating. It's by Elaine de Kooning, an artist who, back in the '50s and '60s and '70s, I guess, was fairly prolific in painting. And I do know she was the wife of Willem de Kooning, who's, I guess, pretty famous. Elaine de Kooning came to Albuquerque around 1959 as a visiting professor at the art department. And my friend was taking art in the art department, as well. She was getting her undergraduate degree, but she also lived in an area of Albuquerque called Old Town. And Elaine, during that time, lived right next door. So they became best friends. She said that Elaine was quite bohemian and smoked like a chimney, as did she back then.

APPRAISER

Yeah.

GUEST

And they had a lot in common. Before she left, I assume, is when she gave it to Louise as a, as a memento, a nice token of their friendship.

APPRAISER

So I would place this one around about when she was here.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

So 1959, '60, that, that kind of time frame. What appeals to you about this work?

GUEST (inhales)

The energy.

Yeah. GUEST

And obviously, it's a bull.

APPRAISER

It's interesting you say that, 'cause that's the first word that came to my mind, as well, energy.

GUEST

Oh.

APPRAISER

'Cause you really feel it in the brushwork. It's a wonderful piece, and as you say, it's, it's a bull. She went to bullfights, I believe, didn't she?

GUEST

Yes. Louise said she enjoyed going to the bullfights in Jurez, and would go there quite frequently, and became fascinated or enchanted with the whole bullfight, uh, regime.

APPRAISER

And you're absolutely right. She, she was married to Willem de Kooning, so she was involved with the Abstract Expressionist movement, but she never really let go of figuration. So in, to the extent that she was doing portraits, as well. She even did one of, uh, uh, John F. Kennedy.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

But she was known for doing these bull paintings. There's elements of it that look very much like gouache, which is a water-based paint. But there are also areas like this, which look more like acrylic paint. It's a mixed-media work on paper.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

I think it bears a, a little more analysis. So Elaine was... O, obviously the Abstract Expressionists, it was a bit of a boys' club, but she could stand her ground. She was Brooklyn girl.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

And she didn't take any nonsense, and she put up with a lot of nonsense from Willem de Kooning, but she had her own flings, as well.

GUEST

Oh. (laughs)

APPRAISER

So she was quite an independent lady. She was feisty, she was a spitfire. There's been a lot of talk lately about the Ninth Street Women, and these were all artists who were involved tangentially with the Abstract Expressionists. So you, you had Elaine de Kooning, you had Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, uh, Lee Krasner, who, of course, was married to Jackson Pollock.

GUEST

Oh, right, right.

APPRAISER

And Helen Frankenthaler. Back then, Elaine de Kooning and Lee Krasner, pretty much, they were painting, but they were really promoting their husbands at that time, so they took a secondary role. So it's very refreshing now, at last, we're seeing their work in the ascendant and people are looking at them as artists in their own right.

GUEST

I see.

APPRAISER

And what fabulous artists they were. And that's being reflected in their value at auction and at sale. So I don't know what, if you'd had any no, notions about what this one might be worth?

GUEST

Well, she thought maybe $15,000 to $20,000, something like that.

APPRAISER

Right. So would it surprise you if I said more likely, at auction, $50,000 to $80,000?

GUEST

Yeah. (both laughing)

APPRAISER

Well, I'm delighted to hear it. It's nice people still get surprised.

GUEST

Yeah.

APPRAISER

But what a great gift to get. That's fabulous. I mean, it really bears testimony to the friendship, an enduring friendship...

GUEST

Absolutely, she's very special.

APPRAISER

...that,

that you have. GUEST

An insurance value would be about the same?

APPRAISER

Insurance, you're going to be north of $100,000.

GUEST

Oh.

APPRAISER

So I, I don't think you should insure it for less than $140,000, $150,000.

GUEST

Oh, wow.

APPRAISER

Yeah.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

So you might want to have a word with your insurance.

GUEST

My premiums are going up.

APPRAISER

They are. But it's worth it.

GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

Have you spoken to her recently?

GUEST

I just talked to her this morning. I said, "I'm in line, I'm..."

APPRAISER

Are you...

GUEST

You know, she said, "Well, you got to call me at, when, when, when you get home."