Jan and John Maggs Antiques

The Lost Painting

As we entered the auction hall, Jan was immediately struck by a large, unframed oil painting. Although it showed signs of abuse -- scratches and dents reflecting a casual attitude towards its wellbeing -- it clearly was the work of a gifted painter, whose sensitivity to his subject and the play of light on her face and torso made it much more than a mere portrait of a beautiful young woman. Before we left the gallery, we had left a substantial bid on it.

To our amazement, we won the painting for a mere fraction of our left bid. We picked it up at the gallery and brought it home to the shop and gave it a thorough inspection. In addition to a long scratch, an ugly bulge suggested that the canvas had been leaned against a pointed object.  We decided to bring it to our restorer, who was able to remove the bulge and lightly in-paint the scratch. Since we wanted to interfere with the painting as little as necessary, we decided not to repair several other minor blemishes. We had a frame made for it and took it to Rhinebeck.

The painting in our booth at Rhinebeck in October 2004

At the show it immediately caught the attention of another couple -- dealers who exhibit at the show. We told them what we knew about the piece and its creator.  It was our understanding that the painting, which was clearly signed, and two others by the same painter, were abandoned by the artist when he hurriedly left the US to live abroad. The paintings were removed from the local apartment by the auction gallery staff, at the request of the landlord. Our friends decided to buy it and give it a prominent place in their new second home, in London.

A few months later we saw our friends, who just returned from Europe. They told us that they had not only located the painter, who was now living in Brussels, but had also found his telephone number and called him, introducing themselves as the proud owners of one of his paintings. When the identity of the portrait had been determined, the painter told them that the three works had been stolen by his landlord.

Fortunately for all concerned, the ensuing conversation made it clear that the painter did not dispute their legitimate ownership. Upon reflection, it appears that our information had been essentially accurate; the paintings had been abandoned, and the landlord was simply getting the apartment ready for new tenants.

Since their first meeting in Brussels, the buyers and the painter have become friends. Recently, the painter visited them in their London apartment, where he saw his painting for the first time since he had left Massachusetts. He was so bothered by the blemishes that remained, that he spent several hours with paint and brushes, restoring it to his original vision. We were happy that we had decided to do no more than we did.

Plans are in the works to visit our friends when we're both in England, and we're looking forward to seeing it in their London flat.

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