Is it or Isn't it?

The starkness of a winter woods with a hint of pink in the clouds and on the horizon.

Every now and then we who are collectors  face a conumdrum if what we have found is a true treasure worth a lot of money, or just another pretty face/thing that we might as well enjoy or sell for a little.  Long ago I bought a number of interesting pictures at a local auction  that included both lithographs and hand painted oils.  Apparently the oils were done by a local artist----oops, not so fast.  One of them was and the other is the question mark!  I decided to display it on a nice brass  easel that my mom had stuck in the attic for years,  probably with the idea of using  it for one of her folk art style paintings that she attempted now and then.  It was one of the items that I decided to keep as we were cleaning out her house after her passing,  because it had always fascinated me and  I thought how cool it would be to actually use it  somewhere in my house.  So, after bringing the picture home and setting it face to the wall for quite a while,  one day a "decorating " bug bit so up from the basement store room came the easel and the art was relegated to a place of honor in my living room.  Actually it is oil on board measuring 19" x 13" with a 4" carved wood frame.  I have no idea if the frame is original to the picture or not,  but it has a certain shabby feel that goes with our cottage on the lake look :) smile here. There is a small paper tag on the back with Amsterdam, Neumann & Vettin, fine art packers, forwarding agents.  I have seen these stickers  with the Amsterdam lable on other items  so don't know exactly what that indicates.  Oh yes, there is a 25/350x  which I assume means this is   # 25 of 350 that were done.  Also, in the September 15, 2010 issue of Antique Trader,  I perked up when I found an article in an auction preview featuring  a photo of a painting by Anthony Thieme which was estimated to bring $30,000-$40,000.  Sure looked very similar to mine  so  I have had the magazine displayed with my picture---several guests have commented on the similarities!    I can dream that someday I might actually get to Antiques Roadshow or an institution where I might get an appraisel by an expert to tell me if yes, indeed, it is a valuable treasure or whether I'll be told to enjoy the picture even though it isn't worth more than a few dollars.  .


close up of the figure in the horse drawn cart.

Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy the thought or illusion of owning a valuable piece of art