Painting Found in Trash Sells for $1M

Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:50 AM EST

us-news, entertainment, odd-news, trash, treasure

NEW YORK — An abstract masterpiece by a Mexican artist that was found in the trash by a woman who knew little about modern art has been sold for more than $1 million.

The painting "Tres Personajes" by Rufino Tamayo was discovered in 2003 by Elizabeth Gibson, who spotted it on her morning walk on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She said she took it home because "even though I didn't understand it, I knew it had power."

The brightly colored abstract work was purchased for $1,049,000 by an unidentified private American collector bidding by phone at Sotheby's Latin American Art sale Tuesday night.

Gibson spent four years trying to find out about the painting, finally discovering on the "Antiques Roadshow" Web site that it had been featured on the popular PBS program and described as a missing masterpiece stolen in 1989.

Gibson has received a $15,000 reward for turning in "Tres Personajes" and also will get a percentage of the sale price.

Painted in 1970, "Tres Personajes" was purchased by a Houston collector for $55,000 as a gift for his wife at a Sotheby's auction in 1977. Ten years later, as the couple was moving to a new home, it was stolen from storage.

The husband has since died, and the widow, who wished to remain anonymous, decided to sell it.

Tamayo was born in 1899 and died in 1991. His early work has similarities to that of famed 20th century muralist Diego Rivera. His later work features the vivid colors and expressions of his native state of Oaxaca.

___

On the Net:

Antiques Roadshow FYI: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/antiquesfyi/index.html

Sotheby's: http://www.sothebys.com/

27 Votes
Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.

Published to:

Associated Press's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Artsvine
Regions: United States , New York

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

9.8

3.5

{"commentId":1204753,"authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

Ryan Stolte-Sawa

Saved by Antiques Roadshow. Cool story (for once). Not in love with the painting, though. It reminds me a bit of those Detrol (is that the drug? The one with the plumbing people) OBA commercials.

{"commentId":1204753,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

3 votes

#1 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:25 AM EST

{"commentId":1205003,"authorDomain":"babin"}

babin

I wonder if the ketchup stains from the trash brought down the value?

{"commentId":1205003,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"babin"}

3 votes

#2 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:51 AM EST

{"commentId":1205036,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

Pamela Drew

So often when I hear the stories I'll think for a second, that could be me and then I see what the person rescued or saved, bought for a dime and is worth a fortune and never, never is it something that would appeal to me. It's a sure thing the treasure from the trash isn't finding its way to my hands. My taste for junk is just garbage I guess.

{"commentId":1205036,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

3 votes

#3 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:03 PM EST

{"commentId":1205134,"authorDomain":"babin"}

babin

I see people in my neighborhood digging through trash all the time. They must be looking for art. Although they look fairly poor. I guess they have bad taste as well. The same people tend to ask me for change. I guess they spent it all at auctions.

{"commentId":1205134,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"babin"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:35 PM EST

{"commentId":1205328,"authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}

dungbeetlemania

There's no accounting for taste, I actually quite like it :)

{"commentId":1205328,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}

3 votes

#3.2 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:43 PM EST

{"commentId":1205352,"authorDomain":"geejay"}

TheJonesGirl

Me, too.

{"commentId":1205352,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"geejay"}

3 votes

#3.3 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:53 PM EST

{"commentId":1205502,"authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}

biggerthebetter

I have neighbor who has a GORGEOUSLY decorated house. Very interesting pieces - antiques and just very interesting things. I complemented her on her furnishings and she readily admitted it all came from the trash - roadside pickups. she takes things home, reupholsters things, refinishes, etc. and you'd never know.

I can't compete with NEW stuff, to make my house look good. LOL

{"commentId":1205502,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}

2 votes

#3.4 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:31 PM EST

{"commentId":1205606,"authorDomain":"geejay"}

TheJonesGirl

I see people like that on HGTV shows--why is it that when I go to the thrift stores the cool stuff is MIA?

*grumble*

{"commentId":1205606,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"geejay"}

#3.5 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:03 PM EST

{"commentId":1205162,"authorDomain":"geejay"}

TheJonesGirl

What a story! In my years in the auction biz, I saw this sort of thing happen twice...once to a woman who bought a painting in a thrift store which sold for $15K (not quite a million, but a nice return on a $5 investment!) and once with a family heirloom chest that wound up being early American and selling for a couple hundred thousand.

{"commentId":1205162,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"geejay"}

4 votes

#4 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:42 PM EST

{"commentId":1205188,"authorDomain":"onlynow99"}

Angel_C

People's taste in art are so varied--thank goodness. I LOVE the colors in this piece and the abstract people. I would have picked it up for sure if I'd seen it.

{"commentId":1205188,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"onlynow99"}

3 votes

#5 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:51 PM EST

{"commentId":1205216,"authorDomain":"djd"}

djd

*cough* you heard it here first! Bah humbug (gets ready for festering season).

{"commentId":1205216,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"djd"}

1 vote

#6 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:02 PM EST

{"commentId":1205479,"authorDomain":"craig19"}

Craig19

There are a couple of things in this story that arouse my curiousity. Whose trash was it found in and how did they get it and why was it thrown in the trash in the first place?

{"commentId":1205479,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"craig19"}

2 votes

#7 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:25 PM EST

{"commentId":1205655,"authorDomain":"bmvaughn"}

bmvaughn

Garbage.

{"commentId":1205655,"threadId":"179142","contentId":"1112747","authorDomain":"bmvaughn"}

#8 - Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:14 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"179142","isPrivate":false}

Backyard

Painting Found in Trash Sells for $1M

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: