When we go antiquing nowadays, it’s hard to really get those bargains like we did in the past. But that’s not the case with Pennsylvania native Heidi Markow, who snagged a painting by the famous impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Even if you don’t know the exact details of an item, sometimes you can tell something has value, and that’s just what Markow thought. Owning an antique business herself, Markow spotted the painting at an auction in Montgomery County.
She didn’t really look closely at it; from a distance, she had a gut feeling and simply liked the painting. Markow told her husband to place a bid on it, and he successfully won the charcoal sketch for a steal — twelve dollars.
Upon receiving the painting, Markow realized that this painting had something to it. The high-quality framing and the tag on the back showing it was from an art import business in Manhattan were the first clues. The faint artist signature at the bottom right hand side was the third hint that convinced Markow to get in touch with a specialist from Sotheby’s, who referred her to an appraiser.
Upon examination, Markow said, the examiner gave her a congratulatory greeting. Her suspicions were confirmed; it was a valuable painting, by not just anyone but by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a leader of the impressionist art movement in the late 19th century.
The small 17.6 inch by 16.6 inch framed charcoal drawing is now with the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, where it is receiving a final confirmation of its authenticity. After that, Markow stated that she planned to sell the painting at auction, where it’s believed to be hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars.