The Painting That Was Purchased For Rp. 61 Thousand Turns Out To Be The Work Of The Famous Artist, Estimated To Sell Rp. 3 Billion In Auctions

The painting entitled 'Ramona' by NC Wyeth. (Source: Bonhamsmen)

JAKARTA - A woman did not realize that the painting she bought from a used grocery store several years ago was the work of a well-known artist and could sell at a price many times after her authenticity was confirmed by experts.

The painting was purchased for $4 (IDR 61,526) in a used grocery store in 2017, which is expected to sell for $250,000 when it is due to auction this month.

The painting owner's woman asked Bonhamsmen's auction house to keep her name a secret. He bought the painting from Savers a network of used goods stores in the State of New Hampshire, United States.

"He's looking for antiques like old frames to reuse," said American and European artwork specialist Bonhams

It said he found the painting while turning over the pile of old frames leaning on the wall.

The painting was in a simple white frame and, in the upper left corner, the dark letter "NC Wyeth" was disguised in the dark part of the painting.

The woman lifted the dusty painting, which was about 70 centimeters high and 50 centimeters wide, into her shopping trolley.

"Not knowing what he found, he joked that it was an original painting, but after finding nothing in a quick search on the internet, he didn't think about it anymore," Leeland said.

"The painting was hung in his bedroom for several years and then stored back in the cupboard," he continued.

"In May this year while cleaning, he found the painting again and uploaded several pictures on a Facebook page called Benda which was found on the wall," Leeland said.

After a little discussion in the comments column, he was directed to thetulywine Museum and Lauren Lewis, an art conservator who previously worked at the Wyeth Study Center at the Art Museum.

"Lewis drove for three hours to meet them," said Leeland.

His joy at seeing the painting firsthand was, the first time the sender had realized the painting was genuine and valuable.

Lewis told the Boston Globe he was "99 percent sure the work was genuine", but he also talked to an expert about Wyeth's work agreeing, the work "likely real".

The painting not only has a signature on the front, but is also written on the back of the framed image, along with several price code stickers.

In the upper right corner behind the painting, there is also a label that reads "Ramona" and "Artis: N C W".

Other names were cut off by what looked like tearing on the label, but Lewis knew what he saw.

"My assessment of his condition is, although there are some small scratches and the surface needs to be cleaned, his condition is extraordinary, considering that none of us have known about his journey over the last 80 years," he told the newspaper.

It is known, the painting is one of four series made by Wyeth for the book 'Ramona' by the 1939 edition of Helen Hunt Jackson, which was first published in 1884.

"Wyeth contributed four illustrations, only one was found," said the auction list.

Newell Converts Wyeth is a prolific American illustrator. He is estimated to have painted around 4,000 illustrations for his books and magazines throughout his career.

"His work is well-known for his ability to improve drama and character development from the accompanying text, something he accomplished with live and action-packed scenes, living colors, and skilled use of light and shadows," the auction list reads.

He may be best known for his illustrations for reprints of Robinson Total, Robin Hood, and Treasure Island.

"The 17 paintings that make up the set [Treasure Island] are American illustrations masterpieces," said the website of the Museum of Arts.