Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MY ROTHKO

Two (2) things I love...
ok three (3)
1.  I love to watch Antique Road Show where the person has some random something they bought at a yard sale for $1 and it's valued at $75,000
2.  I love to look for those kinds of things on eBay and elsewhere
3.  I love to buy lottery tickets when the lottery is very high with the change I scrape out of my ashtray
ok...four (4)..four things I love
4.  I love to dream that someday...I will get very very lucky

This past summer my artist friend turned me on to


I bought some books about him and his work..and I must say I really like it
especially the yellows

So...this fall...when I was trapped cozied inside one cold day
I googled his name for some further study

when up came a link to an eBay sale going on at the moment
the description from the gallery said the painting was purchased in a 1930 California estate
and had the name "Rothko" but no first name..help on this would be appreciated

oh man!
so first things first...
I BID!!!

because I like nudes
it was a good price
she had a cello
and the back of it was painted also

then I started to do a little more research
this is his wife Edith (with the hat)..who he painted long ago
ok...maybe I'm dreaming but I see some real similarity!

this is his signature
the one on the left is my Rothko, the one on the right is from his website
there were many more signatures, this is the one I used for comparison
..he signed and painted over the years so differently

later he signed his work on the back of his paintings..this is how you knew which was the front
and just for the record...he only began painting his abstracts in the late 40s
and only became quite famous after he met his untimely death by his own hands, 
in his New York City apartment

of course I can't display my nude Rothko in my breakfast nook
but when I opened her up...I kind of felt this electricity in my veins...
I mean a real live feeling

I love her face

and her round full womanly beauty

and her cello

and the possibility...oh yes...the possibility

that before he got serious...he just had some oil paints laying around and his wife
popped out of the shower and he painted her...and cast his work aside because he had no idea
none
that he would someday sell his work (after death)
for millions of dollars

and that if someone were going to fake something
they wouldn't have faked in it 1930

they would have faked something like this
now

I have done some research
and found an authenticator and an expert in appraisal
each for about...

$200

PER HOUR!

Ok...I love five things (5)

5.  I love to realize that I already am very lucky...
...and if this painting happened to be some obscure early work of
Mark Rothko
found in some random estate sale
and I could sell it for $75 million dollars
and I could share that fortune with the ones I love and like???

well...right now...today...I would rather spend
$200 per hour
on an electrician, plumber, carpet layer, tile layer and landscaper

so it will hang way back in the depths of
822
and gain value
if only to me




13 comments:

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Gina:
Oh, the anticipation, the thrill of the chase, the excitement, the heart racing wonder of it all....where will it end?Whatever, we love your nude and wish that it were ours, Rothko or not!!Enjoy!

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

This is exciting! Have you been to the Rothko Chapel in Houston?
You may have yourself a real treasure. It's interesting that both sides are painted and the signature does seem very similar. Authentic or not~ if you love it, you love it!
I'm not sure that I would be able to stand the excitement of such a discovery...call the appraiser!

Marissa said...

Wow! What a thrill! The signature looks exactly the same!..That is so exciting!!! keep us posted!

Anonymous said...

wow, looks like you might have hit the jackpot! I think it is his wife, looks like her to me, it is lovely isn't it,

Maureen Wyatt said...

The anticipation is like a lottery ticket before the draw. You get to play out how you will spend it in your mind with none of the actual responsibility. It's a very good painting at the least and I truly hope you find out some day that it is the real thing!

An Urban Cottage said...

I don't believe he used the name Rothko until 1940 but it's always fun to wonder! It certainly give the painting a lot of mystique!

Unknown said...

OMG.. I think you may be onto something GINA!!!! yikes, there is electricity in my veins over here as well. What if? All arrows are pointing to the real deal.. I love the nude. Maybe it's better to just keep the mystique going and never know, unless you need cash!
Fun post.
xo Nancy
Powellbrowerhome.com

Sweet Bee Cottage said...

Oh my stars! What a fantabulous find! I love it whether it's worth having it appraised or not.

Ivy and Elephants said...

Oh, I love the possibility! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.
It is beautiful no matter what.
Hugs,
Patti

Stina said...

Nice post you have done.:-) Hugs Stina

marcela cavaglieri said...

The excitement is what keeps us in this crazy world of antiques, isn't it??? I'm crossing my fingers for you on this one, thank you so much for your lovely visit!!

By the way...the painting is gorgeous!!!

Unknown said...

I don't think you need to spend the $200 to be happy with this painting. Rothko or not, it's a treasure in your eyes. (I love it too!! - especaily your story of her coming out of the shower and her "womanly body"). A great find - real or not.

TSL said...

Here's to your Rothko being THAT Rothko, and even if it isn't, that is okay.