Luigi Galea Painting of Malta, Spain

Appraised on: June 26, 2010

Appraised in: Billings, Montana

Appraised by: Alasdair Nichol

Category: Paintings & Drawings

Episode Info: Junk in the Trunk (#1519)

Originally Aired: November 7, 2011

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (1:03)

GUEST: My wife purchased it about 40 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, at a garage sale for 75 cents.

APPRAISER: I was interested when I saw it. Then I looked at the back and it said "Malta, Spain." It reminded me of paintings I used to deal with quite a lot when I worked in the UK. Any paintings done of Malta-- and this one's most likely Valletta, the harbor in Valletta, which is the capital of Malta-- they tend to be of great interest to Maltese buyers. I happen to believe this work's done by an artist called Luigi Galea, and he typically did paintings like this and of Malta. So the subject's right, the medium is right-- it's a brush paint, which is thicker than watercolor-- and so I think there would be quite a bit of demand. I think at auction, on the basis of this Luigi Galea-- and I really think it is-- probably about $2,000 to $3,000.

GUEST: Hmm, wow.

APPRAISER: And frankly, even if it's not, and I think that's unlikely, just as a view of Malta, it's going to be worth in excess of $1,000. So for 75 cents, that's a pretty good buy.

GUEST: It sure is.

APPRAISER: I think it's probably the first one I've seen in the U.S.

GUEST: Well, great, thank you.