GUEST
It's a Gustave Baumann print. It's titled Winter Corral. We bought it in Santa Fe in June of 1970 and I still have the original bill of sale, which was $95.
APPRAISER
Do you know anything about the artist?
GUEST
No, my wife was familiar with him. That's the reason we bought it, at her insistence. And she heard that he was a fairly good woodblock artist, and so she said buy it, and we did.
APPRAISER
Well, he was born in Germany and his family moved to Chicago in the early 1900s. And as the story goes, as a teenager, he was in a bar, in Chicago, and met a friend there. And he was talking to this fellow and he said, "I just got back from New Mexico and you really should go there, it's a wonderful place." So, two years later, in 1918, Baumann ends up in Santa Fe. And he becomes one of the central figures in the Santa Fe artist colony. His prints are just beautifully colorful. It's what his work is known for. He lived until 1971 in Santa Fe, and created hundreds of color woodcuts. Now, you said you've had it for about 30 years.
GUEST
Yes.
APPRAISER
Did you ever have it evaluated in that time?
GUEST
No. No, we did not.
APPRAISER
And you bought it at a gallery in Santa Fe, right?
GUEST
Yes. In three easy payments-- $35, $30, and $30 on monthly payment.
APPRAISER
Well, I should tell you, the color woodcut market right now for color woodcuts made in the first half of the 20th century is incredibly strong. And Baumann, being such a well-known artist, his prices are phenomenally strong right now. So, the value of this piece has increased quite dramatically. Would you hazard a guess as to what this is worth today?
GUEST
No, no, I'm not good at guessing. If my wife were here she might, but not me.
APPRAISER
Well, first of all, it's in beautiful condition. You've kept this very well. Color woodcuts have a tendency to fade if they're exposed to light over time. And this obviously hasn't. The colors are still as bright as they should be. Doesn't look to me like there are any condition flaws. At auction today, conservatively, I would expect this to sell for around $10,000. So, you've done quite well with it over 30 years.
GUEST
Thank heaven to have a smart wife.
APPRAISER
And it's wonderful to have something always of local interest on the show.
GUEST
Oh, for heaven's sake. Well, thank you very much.
APPRAISER
Thank you for bringing it.
GUEST
Thank you, Todd, thank you.
APPRAISER
You're welcome.
Passport
Follow Us