An owner of a rural Pennsylvania antique store paid a mere $12 for what might be an original drawing by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
In January, Heidi Markow, of Salvage Goods Antiques in Easton, Pennsylvania, found the work at a collector’s auction in Montgomery County. She told ABC News that, after she identified the piece “as something special,” her son Carl Paolina bid on three works while Markow continued eyeing other items for sale. Paolina paid $12 for each of them.
The pair said they only learned later on that the work was by Renoir, something they said they believe is true based on the drawing’s signature, its frame, and the type of paper used. They claim there is a stamp on the back of the frame that indicates the work was imported to the United States before being sold to art collector and curator Louis C. Madeira IV.
Markow said she watched Renoir documentaries for months and her undertook her own research following the initial find before eventually contacting Sotheby’s. The auction house referred her to an art appraiser who confirmed the find as a Renoir.
“I am cautiously optimistic based on my extensive research and the provenance linking it to the esteemed Madeira family of Philadelphia. However, I want to emphasize that I am not an expert on Renoir or art authentication,” Markow told ARTnews in a statement.
The New York–based nonprofit Wildenstein Plattner Institute, which is dedicated to art historical research, subsequently invited Markow to submit the drawing for additional evaluation. If experts at the institution also find the drawing to be an original Renoir, the piece will be included in its official catalogue raisonné dedicated to the artist. The review is currently scheduled for April 10.
“That’s why I’m entrusting the Wildenstein Plattner Institute with the examination,” Markow continued. “Their expertise is crucial in determining whether this piece merits inclusion in their catalog. As an appraiser, I believe in the importance of thorough vetting and expert analysis in the art world. I look forward to their findings and am grateful for the opportunity to potentially contribute to the understanding of Renoir’s work.”
The 17.5-by-16.5-inch charcoal drawing is thought to be a portrait of Renoir’s wife Aline Charigot; it dates back to the late 19th century.
