Washington Portrait, Once Ignored, Now Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 18th 2010 at 9:02PM

I'm a sucker for the priceless piece in the attic stories. I think a lot of people are, it fuels our fantasies that treasure might exist right under our noses. That's certainly the case in the story of Oliver Chanler who paid little attention to a George Washington portrait hanging in his parents library. He assumed that the painting was a copy but found out around 10 years ago that the picture is actually an original Gilbert Stuart. Stuart's paintings of Washington hang in museums around the U.S. and some sell deep in the millions. That won't be true of this one, the smaller piece is up for sale on March 27 through Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, N.Y. with an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. The painting has never been restored or cleaned. Chanler happens to be related to the the United States' first multimillionaire, John Jacob Astor, so the provenance seems assured and it could be possible that Astor was the original owner of the painting. Chanler's great-grandfather, John Winthrop Chanler, who served in the House of Representatives definitely owned the work.

Tags: art, art auction, ArtAuction, george washington, GeorgeWashington, gilbert stuart, GilbertStuart

Filed under: Auctions, Art

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Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)

Richard Feb 20th 2010 10:23PM

You had Grand Parents?

a1938bmw Feb 20th 2010 10:56PM

Is a "Library" of Playboy from 1950's to date worth keeping?

Britts Feb 20th 2010 10:57PM

its Lady GAGA

srsnakes Feb 20th 2010 11:31PM

Definition of "progressive". One who can read. I have a library. I make less than $50,000 a year. Books are not expensive, just buy less video games and beer.

srsnakes Feb 20th 2010 11:38PM

Obama is a thousand times the man our last President was. Thanks GWB, for leaving the country in shambles. You're a real turd.

Lillian May Feb 21st 2010 3:40AM

This article is not very well written, AND it sounds like many of the people commenting on the value of this painting, don't know anything about how old paintings are appraised! First of all, the article doesn't state the SIZE of the painting (except to say it is a "smaller piece.") Is it a miniature? It may not be a full size portrait. Is the painting signed anywhere by Gilbert Stuart? I can't see his signature in the photos, although it may be there. Gilbert Stuart painted George Washington many times! And Gilbert Stuart's apprentices painted many reproductions of these portraits. Stuart's portraiture was so popular that many other painters tried to make their work look like his. Even if this portrait was painted by Gilbert Stuart himself, it is not "the one and only!" Does anyone know what year this particular portrait was painted? And where? The writer of this article doesn't tell us any of these important facts which would put this painting in historical (and art market) context. The fact that this painting hasn't been cleaned is NOT why the estimated value is lower than others valued in the millions. But this article seems to imply that!

William Bischoff Feb 21st 2010 3:28AM

My husband's 86 year old mother gave him a box of old coins she had had since she was a child. This was when she moved in with us a few years ago. We put them away to await a time for the research we needed to do, to find out their current value. We still don't know the answer to that question, because my two young grandchildren came upon the box, in the top of a closet, and decided they had found a "gold mine". They asked if they could keep any money they found around the house and were assured that they could. They had a good time shopping for little trinkets and snacks for a few weeks, and then brought the empty box to us for other uses. They are all now "back in circulation".

Wayne Deputy Sr. Feb 21st 2010 3:40AM

Man my underwear might be worth a fortune after I eat Mexican..............Now that's real art work.

Wayne Deputy Sr. Feb 21st 2010 3:40AM

SRSNAKES...................OBOZO is responsable for this economy, One Big Azz FAILURE.

Barbara Tardanico Feb 21st 2010 4:26AM

Very thought provoking. Makes one want to check "early attic hand-me-downs". I have plenty of those. Any good web sites to check?

ycav4424 Feb 21st 2010 7:06AM

I am keeping my "dogs playing cards" picture awhile longer. Then I will put it in somebodys attic so it will be worth a bunch of cash later.

Art Feb 21st 2010 5:56AM

With respect to getting "an honest appraisal," it depends on whom you ask. One good way to get a realistic idea of what something is really worth is to ask how much someone who is interested in the item would give you for an item if they had the money. Stuff is often not worth what you would like it to be in your fantasy.

james Feb 21st 2010 6:19AM

i live ten miles from the place , it is an estate in the country , overlooking the genesee valley in upstate ny . now turned into a heath spa

karlthewanderer Feb 21st 2010 1:51PM

SRSNAKES, what the hell does your comment have to do with this story? You need to sell some of your library and get treated for that Bush obsession. He's gone man, he's gone. He did good, he did bad, just like all Presidents. Get over it man and move on with your life.

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