Lifestyle News

Art and antiques by Dr. Lori

Lladro was founded by the three Lladro brothers: Juan, Jose and Vicente in 1953. The founders formed the family company in the village of Almacera, Spain, near Valencia. After more than 50 years, the Lladro family remains at the helm of the world famous pottery manufacturing firm.

The characteristic and unmistakable style of Lladro figurines relates to the elongated figures of the Mannerist period in Spanish art history, from 1515-1600.

The Mannerist artists, including the famous Spanish master, El Greco and his many followers, produced works of art featuring figures with elegant body forms. Lengthy necklines, expressive arms and long legs typical of the Spanish Mannerist style and this tradition is continued via the collectible Lladro figurines.

Lladro values have skyrocketed over the years. Of course, in locales such as Spain and the Caribbean islands, Lladros are marketed and sold at prices varying from hundreds of dollars to upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. The larger and more complex the sculpture, the more valuable it is.

Lladro pieces have a distinct form and color palette of soft blue, gray, off-white and pink. In 1971, a logo was created that represented the link between art and science, the basis of all Lladro creations in fine porcelain. The logo joined an ancient chemical symbol with a stylized version of a very popular bellflower from the local Valencian region. This flower is incorporated as both a tribute to nature, the mother of clay and to the region of Spain where Lladro was born. The finishing touch to this corporate logo is the Lladro name printed below the symbol.

When caring for Lladro figurines, the first consideration is their fragility. It is the delicacy and the firm’s attention to detail, which make these pieces so valuable and revered. The details on these figurines are very fragile and when cleaning them, time and patience are crucial. Don’t submerge the pieces in soapy water as they will become slippery and may break when handled. It is best to be diligent about removing surface dirt or dust from these delicate works of art. Remove even the small amounts of dust from the Lladro every week or so rather than to let dirt or dust build up on a collectible.

While cleaning the figurines, be sure to sit down at a table and clean. Don’t stand up, try to balance or hold the object in your hand, and clean the piece. This is a recipe for disaster.

Take your time, don’t allow distractions and clean slowly using soft, white cotton cloths, dry cotton swabs and dry sable-hair paint brushes. Don’t use any commercial cleansers or soapy water. Slow and steady will keep these pieces in good condition for the long term. Remember, these are valuable and beautiful works of art.

If you display your Lladro figure in a curio cabinet or china closet, be sure to open the doors regularly and let some of the heat escape.

Some glass display cabinets retain heat and this heat will damage the Lladros – and all collectibles in the cabinet for that matter.

It’s a good idea to open display cases every month or so.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents appraisal events to audiences worldwide.

Dr. Lori is the expert appraiser on Discovery channel’s “Auction Kings.” Visit www.drloriv.com, www.facebook.com/DoctorLori or call 888-431-1010.

Lifestyle News

Art and antiques by Dr. Lori

By LORI VERDERAME

Special to the Sun-Gazette

The art world can be a mysterious one.

If you learn a little bit about the various media and materials used, you can take some of the mystery out of collecting art.

Here are some easy art terms to aid the novice:

Oil: Paint made with natural oils (linseed, walnut, etc.) used as a binder with the color or pigment. Oil paint can be applied onto canvas, paper, wood panel or linen support.

Acrylic: A synthetic (not natural) resin, which dries faster than oil paint and binds the resin with the color or pigment.

Tempera: An age-old water based paint using egg yolks as a binding agent. American master, Andrew Wyeth was best known for reviving this Renaissance technique during the 1900s.

Watercolor: Water is mixed with ground color or pigment. The result is a lighter weight surface texture on paper.

Gouache: Similar to watercolor, with the addition of gum and water to the ground color or pigment. The result is a heavier surface texture on paper.

When it comes to collecting works of art, the material or medium matters but it is not the only aspect that will impact market interest, collectability and value.

A watercolor can be as costly and sought after as an oil on canvas depending on the work’s artist, age, condition and other factors.

While oil paintings are most traditional and one of the oldest methods used by studio artists, acrylic has become widely accepted by collectors of 20th-century paintings and contemporary artists. Acrylic paint enjoyed widespread use in the late 1900s and continues to be used today by artists internationally.

Tempera paint dates back to before the Renaissance period (1400s).

It commonly was applied to wooden panels and board and later on canvas and linen supports too. Oil paints were introduced in the early 1500s and were used with impressive results by the Northern European artists of the time.

Watercolors and gouaches are difficult to master and attract many artists and collectors.

The delicacy with which these compositions are executed remain of interest to many collectors in various subjects. Watercolor and gouache are among the most difficult techniques to successfully master.

Whatever medium you collect, be sure to review artist’s credentials, sales records, condition, exhibition record (museum status) and subject matter as you build your collection.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents appraisal events to audiences worldwide.

Dr. Lori is the expert appraiser on Discovery channel’s “Auction Kings.” Visit www.drloriv.com, www.facebook.com/DoctorLori or call 888-431-1010.

Lifestyle News

Art and antiques by Dr. Lori

On my national appraisal show tour, every year, I appraise approximately 20,000 art and antique objects that people bring to large public events and during private in-home client appointments.

During my annual appraisal event hosted by the Seattle Home Show at the CenturyLink Center, a member of the audience brought a 19th-century work of art for appraisal.

I reviewed the paper, studied the brushstrokes, listened to the owner’s story, evaluated the artist’s signature, and finally, I appraised the painting. I did what I always do. I used my expertise to evaluate an object. Sure, I’ve seen more than my fair share of wonderful works of art and antiques. But, this piece was special.

Over the years, I have appraised and authenticated the likes of stained glass Tiffany lamps, Civil War swords with ironclad provenance, Abstract Expressionist paintings and Alexander Calder mobiles, just to name a few. All of the objects tell a story.

I’ve heard too many stories to recount, alas some stories are more interesting than others. With this particular object, the story was typical, but the piece was fabulous.

But, on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Seattle, Washington, I discovered a work of art that had traveled far from its original home in France. This piece has not been on the books for a long time. It remained in a private collection since the 1940s.

A woman brought the French Impressionist painting in watercolor executed by one of French Impressionism’s stars, Eugene Boudin (1824-1898).

She told me that the painting was left to her by a relative and that her relative received the painting during World War II. The painting was exchanged in Hong Kong as payment of a debt.

Her relative worked in a dry goods store and in order to pay a bill, a shopper who owned the painting traded it for his order. That is all she knew about the painting of men and women at the beach.

The artist, Boudin is known to art historians as one of the artists in the circle of, and the sometime teacher, of Claude Monet. He befriended the young Monet in 1858 and encouraged him to paint a landscape in the Impressionist style. Boudin was a regular at the Paris Salon exhibits, he won a gold medal at the Exposition Universalle in 1889 and was awarded the Legion d’Honneur in 1892.

The site of the newly discovered painting was one which Boudin knew well: the beach at Trouville. The piece was clearly signed and dated as “E. Boudin 1884”.

It was painted during the long period of time when Boudin dedicated much of his artistic production to executing paintings of the middle class at play.

He painted many works featuring figures enjoying a respite from their busy city lives. He depicted the figures sitting on the beach and enjoying the sea air. Boudin’s favorite subjects were beaches, boats and water. Beach scenes by Boudin are in the collections of the Musee d’Orsay and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The beach at Trouville is a subject which Boudin addressed throughout his career dating back to the early 1860s and one, which he painted intensely from 1883 to 1887.

The women on the beach wearing their dress and characteristic hats, the oversized umbrellas and the wooden beach chairs positioned on the sand are forms that are masterfully repeated in this newly discovered painting, as well as other documented beach landscapes by Boudin.

I appraised the Boudin watercolor at $17,000 to $20,000 retail. The piece could sell for more money on the open market, but the owner wanted to keep the painting in her family and asked me specifically to evaluate it just so she could know the truth about it and insure it. Now the truth is out.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents appraisal events to audiences worldwide.

Dr. Lori is the expert appraiser on Discovery channel’s “Auction Kings.” Visit www.drloriv.com, www.facebook.com/DoctorLori or call 888-431-1010.