A Norman Rockwell Becomes a Harold Anderson

Fellow appraiser Joette Pierce sent me this interesting article from Maine Antique Digest on a changing authentication of a Norman Rockwell painting.  The painting purchased n 1994 for nearly $350,000 was authenticated by an appraiser. During a re-insurance event and new appraisal, the painting was now deemed to be the work of Harold Anderson. The owners believed the painting, as a Rockwell was worth $1.75 million, but with the new authentication and appraisal, it now had a stated value of $20,000.00.

The owners are suing the gallery and the estate of the gallery owner as well as the estate of the initial appraiser (who according to the article was a Rockwell expert), who authenticated and originally value the work.

Maine Antique Digest reports

In 1994, collectors Barry and Isabel Knispel of Saddle River, New Jersey, paid $347,437 to Gallery 63 Antiques, New York City, for Mending His Ways, purportedly by Norman Rockwell. Almost two decades later, an appraisal for insurance purposes revealed the painting is not by Rockwell but by Harold Anderson. The Knispels have filed suit in Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, against Gallery 63 Antiques, Lawrence Sepenuk of Gallery 63, and the estate of Rochelle Sepenuk.

According to records filed with the court, in 1994 the Knispels were solicited by Gallery 63, which sent marketing materials and information on various paintings to the Knispels at their home in New Jersey. In October 1994 the Knispels negotiated for the purchase of multiple paintings, including what Gallery 63 Antiques represented as an original Norman Rockwell, titled Mending His Ways.

 The October 8, 1994, bill of sale reads, “Sold to: Mrs. Isabel Knispel, Saddle River, N.J. 1 Original oil on canvas, by Norman Rockwell. The gallery fully guarantees the originality of this oil.” The bill of sale was signed by the now-deceased Rochelle Sepenuk on behalf of Gallery 63 Antiques; the price was $347,437.

In 2008 and in 2014, Sotheby’s presale marketing said Rochelle Sepenuk was “one of the top 19th Century dealers in New York, and was known for her excellent eye, particularly in sculpture and furniture. She sought out the greatest examples in the field, in both quality and scale.” Sotheby’s October 21, 2008, sale of her estate totaled $5,665,006. Sotheby’s October 29, 2014, “Part II” sale of her estate totaled $2,045,668.

The suit claims that Gallery 63 advised the Knispels in 1994 in connection with the sale that it would arrange to have the painting appraised by an “expert” in the field, Laurence Casper (d. 2014) and Casper Fine Arts. The estate of Laurence Casper and Casper Fine Art & Appraisals are named as defendants in the suit.

Casper examined the painting in October 1994, the suit claims. His written appraisal reads, “[A]s requested...I have examined the painting in detail and find the brush strokes, the painting texture and the draftsmanship consistent with Rockwell’s technique. The type of faces and expressions are typical of his characters in other paintings as well. The painting is not recorded and I believe the painting was commissioned for an advertisement and never used. In my opinion, [the Painting] is an original by Norman Rockwell with all the humor and artistic quality that Rockwell created in all his works.”

With the appraisal in hand, the Knispels completed the purchase, and the painting has hung on their wall ever since. The Knispels insured the painting, and by February 27, 2013, the retail replacement value was $1,750,000, “pending receipt of evidence of authenticity.” Chubb, the insurance carrier, required that the painting, along with other works of art in the Knispel collection, be examined to determine authenticity and current value.

This time, New York Fine Art Appraisers examined the painting, and the findings were not good. The appraisal report noted that the painting is not an “original oil on canvas by Norman Rockwell.” Instead it was determined to be an illustration for a Mobil Oil advertisement by Connecticut and Massachusetts illustrator and commercial artist Harold Anderson (1894-1973), titled Patching Pants. Worse, the report noted that the “Rockwell signature was painted over the signature of the original artist and that this alteration is (and should have been) open and obvious to any appraiser with training and experience similar to Casper’s,” the suit claims. The Knispels have been advised that the painting is now valued at only $20,000.

(The highest auction price for a Harold Anderson we could find was $17,500, paid at Heritage Auctions in October 2012 for Peace on Earth.)

The Knispels are charging breach of contract, negligence, fraud, and violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act.

Source: Maine Antique Digest