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“We really don’t know what our parents paid for these, nor their value today,” Julie Foust wrote to the column about two works of art she and her brother planned to bring in for appraisal to the Michigan Design Center in Troy. Each of the siblings took turns at the event explaining what they knew of the items and their provenance to appraiser Brian Thomczek (watch for her brother’s item in a future column).
An email contained some additional family background. “In 1953 our parents purchased these two pieces of art from a dealer who came to our family home in East Lansing, MI” Foust wrote. “I believe he was based in Jackson, MI. They had told him they were interested in seascapes and sailboats. I remember the night he came to the house and brought in a number of pieces. Our parents chose these two…after enjoying these for 70 years we are very curious about their value. I recall my mother saying that it was artwork rescued from Europe and brought to the US to be sold after WWII.”
Foust says she is “emotionally attached” to the painting of the French seascape and keeps it in her bedroom. It measures 19 by 23 ½ and depicts boats docked on a sandy shore with a rocky cliff in the background. “It’s very peaceful,” Foust explained to Thomczek.
The artist, as labeled on the back and signed in the lower right, is “R. Coulon.” Thomczek said it is the work of René Emile Charles Coulon, a French artist. An online search confirmed that Coulon was born in the late 19th century (the exact date seems to be unknown, with some sources saying 1876 and some saying 1882) and showed similar marine-based images. Little biographical information was available other than date of birth and a few past auction results. Some information seemed to be confused with another French artist/architect by the same name, who was born later and best known for furniture and sculpture.
Thomczek said the painting appears to depict the Normandy coast, and that it was beautiful, if a bit dirty. “A good cleaning would really help the blues and other colors pop,” he explained. He recommended Foust consider taking it to Ken Katz at Conservation and Museum Services (conservationandmuseumservices.org) downtown if she was looking for a qualified conservator.
Unfortunately, he added, Coulon wasn’t a particularly well-known artist and there were few recent sales at auction to help him appraise the item. Nonetheless, he praised the quality of both the work and the frame and said in its current condition and as a lesser-known artist it would bring at least $600 to $800 at auction, maybe more.
Foust said her parents bought the works in the 1950s and that the Jackson-based art dealer later came back to the family and offered to buy the works back. Her parents weren’t interested, she remembers. “They said no, we’re a sailing family and we love them.”
Contact Khristi Zimmeth at trashortreas@aol.com.
About this item
Item: Seascape oil on canvas
Owned by: Julie Foust
Appraised by: Brian Thomczek
Estimated value: $600 to $800 and up
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