Rembrandt "The Death of the Virgin" 17th Century Copper Etching

So I have this piece coming in. Yes I know. I have an appraisal on it of 46K. The client purchased for 31k at auction a few years ago, I also have that receipt. My problem is this. I see Christie's recently had one similar that sold for less than 10k. Why is there such a difference in my clients appraisal and the selling price at Christie's? My client said they know they will not get 31K but they want to sell. I am a little scared of this piece. It is authenticated, it is real that is not my concern. I just don't know if we can pull it off.

Here is the description from the appraisal and some pictures of the piece.

Etching and drypoint on laid paper with wear and small tears in the margins only. Signed and dated, Rembrandt F. 1639 Strasburg Lilly watermark, fleur-de-lis on crown shield with 4+WR countermark below shield (Ash and Fletcher 36) A seventeenth century impression.

I will be honest I have no idea what all that above means. Could it be the one at Christie's was a later impression of the same plate? The client said she does have a source up North but would prefer to work local and is willing to let us have a go at it. We are getting several high end pieces in this month including a Peter Max Liberty and a couple more Dali's and a few Picasso. Along with some other odds and ends. We are going to have another 500 lots. I am so over whelmed. This would most likely not be in this months auction. I want to do it right. I would love some thoughts on it. Thanks so much.

 

The appraised value is likely for insurance purposes .
Tastes change......markets fluctuate ...& the water is rising in the Lone Star State.
I don't know how many general auction houses are in your area but....
You're new....
Word travels fast....
More & more folks are hurting, & looking for fast cash....
& it seems like you can't say no ! ..( not a bad or good thing.....just a thing! )
Now...
You have to know where to cap your auction.....& set a date for accepting items for a particular sale.
At the moment , you look at everything , but will soon have to decide where in the market you want to position yourself.

As for the Rembrandt ...if you don't have the clientele .....then for now, it's a waste of your time to offer it.
On the other hand , if you want to get into high end fine art ......advertise that you're looking for items like this ....& hopefully the clients ..Buyers... will come around !

IMO...

 

These folks want 29K...
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#...ng+Rembrandt&tbm=shop&spd=6464098136727550564
20-30k here...
http://www.phillips.com/detail/REMBRANDT-HARMENSZ-VAN-RIJN/NY030011/7
Here... 4-6 k starting
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1611752_rembrandt-etching-death-of-a-virgin
Found a few more but prices weren't disclosed...
I imagine (as you hinted) that there are edition/quality/mounting/etc. variables, which are wayyyyyyyy above my ability to speculate. Dang, Robin, you're in the big leagues, now, gurrrrrllll...

 

Heres the thing , that frame looks very much like the one I had on a set of reproduction etchings from Rembrandt that I bought in the 90s . Im not saying yours is the same thing , but it sure gave me pause . I just get a weird vibe from this , don't ask me why . No help at all , Im sure !
I think with Rembrandt , impressions made in his lifetime are more valuable than ones made after his death . not that later ones cant be valuable .

 

Wow. Scary, Johnny. Very.

 

We have a COA from Park West Gallery out of Michigan. There is actually a lot of paperwork that comes with this item. Most of it is currently in a safe deposit but I do have copies here until we actually decided to take the item.

They seem pretty legit. http://www.parkwestgallery.com/

What more could we do to prove it's authenticity? Really I am asking cause I don't know. I sure don't want to sell a fake. Although, I feel strongly this is the real thing. This consignor has a pretty extensive collection of high value art.

 

Park West is fairly legit but they specialize in cruise ship auctions where people tend to spend too much money on items which can be purchased for significantly less on land.

It is also not uncommon for a seller to provide a grossly inflated insurance appraisal to make the buyer feel that they got a good deal.

 

These were purchased in Michigan. The seller actually paid a good portion of the sell with other art work on an upgrade program? I don't know what that is really. Just what I am reading on the receipt. It looks like they traded in 4 other paintings to off set the cost of this. I see what you mean about the appraisal though. Which the seller has already said they know they won't get anywhere near. I am guessing this is a good sign that it is genuinely what they say it is though.

 

Unless you offer everything on an as is where is basis, you are exposing yourself to a fair bit of liability offering high ticket items without doing due diligence.

 

All items being sold here today are sold as is where is without warranties gurantees or otherwise implied. ;-)

My favorite part of the opening announcement. LOL.

 

What Mark said ! Though I could never put it so succinctly . Also Id make sure the provenance was impeccable , meaning provable . All youd need is for it to pop up on the stolen art registry as some looted ww2 item ! Its a pretty rare item if genuine , and that always worries me . Too good to be true , etc .

 

Oh , they weren't touted as anything other than a repro , Gila . They weren't trying to be passed off as the real deal . I was heavily into gothic in the 90s .

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!
I see.
Nothing more apocalyptic than the Death of the Virgin!

 

Ohhh...I can think of something that would trump that !

 

I feel pretty confident this is the real deal. The piece is highly insured by a well-known Insurance Company. Surely they would check the authenticity and whether it could be stolen before putting together such a high value policy on it. That combined with all the other documents and paperwork we have I don't think this is a fake by any means.

Also this client could more than afford it and this is by no means the most valuble piece in the collection. She isn't selling cause she needs the money. She is selling because she no longer has a taste for it and is refreshing her collection. I mean I hear you but I would be shocked if this wasn't the real deal.

 

Has the seller set a reserve? Is it reasonable? If the seller is expecting 20K and the current market says less than 10K (Less than 5K?), it would probably be wise to pass.

 

I'm seeing tons of copies out there. That plus the cheap frame really makes me pause.

 

Also, as Johnny pointed out, this gallery isn't known for high end art. My cousin was fond of cruises and bought several items from Park West while on the cruises. Some of the artists were on the cruise to help sell the art. It's not exactly mass produced, but I still characterize it as "sofa" art because that's where it ends up. I'd want to get it vetted by a curator before accepting that it's worth over a few hundred. I keep harking back to the frame. It's not what one would expect on a genuine Rembrandt.

Who was the appraiser, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Are you safe, legally, if you sell it with all uncertainties and question set out right in front? Emphasizing the buyers' need to possess or engage their own appraisals or whatever?

 

The appraiser is Morris Shapiro