In 2017, a devotee of antique collectibles bought a painting from a thrift store, which seemingly carried N.C. Wyeth’s signature. Half in jest, she mused that her $4 acquisition might genuinely be an artwork by the esteemed Maine artist and founding figure of the Wyeth lineage of painters. What began as a playful remark took a serious turn when the artwork was later projected to garner up to $250,000 in a forthcoming September auction.
The piece was unsuspectingly bought from a Savers thrift store in Manchester, New Hampshire, as narrated by experts from Bonhams Skinner auction house. The lady had been hunting for reusable frames when she came across the Wyeth artwork, almost concealed amidst an assortment of mostly deteriorated prints and posters.
Upon bringing the piece home, her preliminary internet searches bore no details about the artwork. It adorned her bedroom wall for a few years before being relegated to a closet.
A recent spring cleaning session in May led to its rediscovery, prompting her to share photos of the painting on a Facebook group named “Things Found in Walls”. The group revolves around intriguing finds from walls, excavations, or deserted properties.
The social media post’s feedback prompted her to get in touch with Lauren Lewis, a prior curator acquainted with artworks spanning three Wyeth generations: N.C. Wyeth, followed by his offspring Andrew Wyeth, and subsequently Jamie Wyeth. After personally examining the artwork, Lewis voiced a near-certain belief in its authenticity to The Boston Globe.
Lewis conveyed to the Globe, “While the painting had minor blemishes and needed a gentle clean, its state was astonishing given the mystery surrounding its past 80 years.”
N.C. Wyeth was known for his contributions as cover art for books and magazines. The painting set for the upcoming September auction is one of four he crafted for a 1939 rendition of Helen Hunt Jackson’s 1884 novel, “Ramona”. The artwork depicts the young protagonist with her aging foster mother, shadowed by a religious idol. Bonhams Skinner states that only one other of these paintings has been retrieved till now. There’s speculation that the publishing house, Little, Brown and Company, might have handed the artwork to an editor or to the legacy of the author.
Highlighting the grandeur of the Wyeth family, a previous auction record was set last year. It saw the auctioning of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s collection at Christie’s New York. There, a 1980 piece by Andrew Wyeth titled “Day Dream” fetched an astounding $23.2 million, vastly exceeding its anticipated top valuation of $3 million.
The discovery of N.C. Wyeth’s painting in a thrift store is a serendipitous tale that underscores the mysteries and unpredictable pathways of art. For many, it’s a reminder to appreciate and delve deeper into seemingly ordinary items before us, as they might just carry an extraordinary story or invaluable legacy. This thrift store revelation isn’t just about the financial windfall but also the reconnection of a piece of history to the world of art lovers.
