Amazingly, this fascinating piece was found flaking and dirty in the garbage! An inept attempt was made to “restore” it that involved an abundant application of wax to hold the painting together and a wipe with solvent to remove part of the dirt.
The Dumpster Diver who found the painting gave it to a collector who recognized that under the mess of flaking paint, wax, and dirt, there was a quality vintage image. Some research and closer examination revealed the title and date: “The Discussion” from 1929. This discovery encouraged the collector to contact us for a closer examination and professional conservation treatment.
Once the painting was cleaned, FACL discovered the artist Pruett Carter’s signature in the lower right corner. This is a well-known illustrator and finding this information added value to a piece that had been thought to be worthless. Once the conservation work is completed, the artwork will look perfect and will be, once again, a quality work of art.
FACL recommends you get an expert to look over anything before you get rid of works of art, because many pieces can be restored to have significant value.
You can get more interesting stories and tips on our Facebook page, "Fine Art Conservation" and "Save Your Stuff"
See what you can do at home to preserve your stuff at www.saveyourstuffblog.com
Be prepared at work/office with tips from www.saveyourstufffromadisaster.com
Fine Art Conservation Lab 805 564 3438
Personal Property Appraisal 805 895 5121
Flaking, dirty and thrown in the trash, this discovery was a real treasure.
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