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1939 Grant Wood "Fertility" Lithograph

Value (2015) | $10,000 Insurance – $12,000 Insurance
Watch  

GUEST:
My older sister gave it to me several years ago, and it's a Grant Wood lithograph, I think. I don't see any numbers on it. And I think she purchased it in Iowa City when she was doing graduate studies there many years ago.

APPRAISER:
While he was there?

GUEST:
He was... yes, he was teaching there.

APPRAISER:
It is indeed a Grant Wood, it's a lithograph by Grant Wood, probably better known to most people as the painter of the famous painting American Gothic.

GUEST:
Exactly.

APPRAISER:
An iconic American image. But Grand Wood also made 20 different lithographs, different lithographic subjects. And this is one of them, in fact, one of his more popular lithographs, I believe one of his more popular lithographs because the scenery resembles American Gothic.

GUEST:
Yes, it does.

APPRAISER:
The lithograph was published by a firm out of New York, Associated American Artists, who during the 1930s through the 1960s were issuing prints by artists, some better known than others, to be sold inexpensively so people could own original art for fairly modest sums.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
This is, like the other lithographs that Grant Wood made under the auspices of Associated American Artists, one of an edition of 250. But none of them were numbered. And unlike his contemporaries-- Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, the other regionalists-- Wood only made 20 different lithographs, whereas those other artists made a couple hundred each. So they're much more common. This is a lithograph entitled Fertility. He made it in 1939.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
It's in the original mat. You can see on the edge of the mat, there's some brown on the mat cut. That probably translates to some mat stain just beneath the mat, which is not going to be very detrimental to the value of the print.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
A fair replacement value on this, or an insurance value, would be in the neighborhood of $10,000 to $12,000.

GUEST:
Oh, my.

APPRAISER:
So...

GUEST:
I'm very surprised.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Todd Weyman
Prints & Posters
Swann Auction Galleries
New York, NY
Appraised value (2015)
$10,000 Insurance – $12,000 Insurance
Featured In
Omaha, Hour 1 (#2013)
Event
Omaha, NE (June 27, 2015)
Category
Prints & Posters
Period
20th Century
Form
Print
Material
Paper

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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