Featured ESTATE SALE FIND - CUBAN MASTER ARTIST RENE PORTOCARRERO PAINTING?

This is suppose to be a painting by Cuban artist Rene Portocarrero. I found it today with a couple of other cool & unusual pieces at a estate sale in Coral gables today. (See the unusual child rescue basket(?) I posted in antiques forum that no one yet is sure what it's for).
The seller was the grandson of the owner of all the stuff being sold. He had 3 Cuban master artist' pieces - he told me that 2 were lithographs and this one he said was an original painting.
Is there any way to find out if this is in deed a painting without opening the painting to feel the texture?
I looked up some of his works and his lithos were either signed in pencil in the margin or signed & then had the print run number + what number that print was (like a limited edition work).
Any help would be appreciated - I paid $350 for it and a regular customer to my estate sales who is also a Cuban art collector (he spent $640 yesterday on 2 Cuban paintings I already had!) has already agreed to buy it on Monday for $750!
Obviously I want to keep this customer happy, AND the seller gave me his card with his phone & address and told me I was welcome to come see personal stuff anytime - so I didn't get the impression he was trying to "Hit & Get".
Again, thank you for any help.

 

Is it behind glass? What are the dimensions? This with similar subject -- figure in profile -- is 20" x 29" mixed media on heavy paper.

 

This is entitled 'Flora con paloma" of 'Flora with Dove.' Appears to be same subject as yours.

Debora

 

Apparenty, he did many, many versions of that subject. If I were you, I'd do a Google Images search of your work to help eliminate the possibility that it's a multiple.

Deobra

 

If that's an original work by him your getting ripped off for that price if you sell it for that. Just my opinion.

 

It’s looking good to me as an original painting from what I can see. I agree with Rink, these go for tens of thousands if not more.

 

Do you have a source to support that?

Debora

 

https://artist.christies.com/Rene-Portocarrero-39924.aspx
All of these from Christie’s. Ranging from $150k to $295k. I realise Journeys painting isn’t quite the same sort of painting as these but if it’s an original then $750 seems cheap.

 

Thanks but... those really aren't comparables. They're oil on canvas. The OPs work is gouache on paper. It seems artist returned to the Flora or Woman in Profile theme over and over in his late career and there are many on the market. I see asking retail prices for $1,500-$2,500ish which would make a wholesale price of $750 not unreasonable.

Debora

 

Guess I'm going to have to take it somewhere & have someone take it out of the frame to be sure!
It measures (just the white paper/canvas) 23.5" x 17.5"

 

There were some gouache ones on liveaucrioneers that were bringing 2,000 sane size too.

 

Debora are these paintings or lithos/prints?

 

Here are some that sold on invaluable - #16 down "Flora" looks most like mine & had a pre auction estimate of 3,000 - 5,000 pounds (English money)- wonder why they got so much for his works at Christie's? (well...it is Christie's!)

 

Most of those I saw on internet were identified as gouache on paper. This one on etsy is identified as a silkscreen. There is a group in Madrid that maintains a catalogue raisonné and issues COAs for yours and a few other Cuban artists. Don't know how bona fide they are. (Their address is a business center but they say they collaborate with Christie's among others.) You'll have to run this through Google Translate.

https://fundacionartecubano.org/servicios/

Debora

 

Thank you
Thanks all

 

This one resembles mine & had a auction estimate of $800 - $1,600 - why such a big difference from the ones that sold on Christie's for $30,000 - $80,000?
Should I sell it for $750 - is it a fair price?
Should I send pics to Christie's to see if they'd accept mine for auction (in all the times I've sent requests to accept something I found they've only accepted 1 - a old Swiss travel poster (I don't think they like a providence of "Estate sale find")
I'd hate to give away a good painting by a major artist - because I go through a lot of bad factory paintings before I come across one like this!
Similar one: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/26833558_rene-portocarrero-cuban-1912-1986

 

Take the money and run. Not bad for a quick return on investment and without the need to incur shipping expenses or auction fees, etc.

 

The medium can effect pricing. When the artist produced the work (in what creative period) can effect pricing. Provenance can effect pricing. It appears you have a minor painting by an important Cuban artist done late in his career and one of many he did of the same subject but less ornate than some. There are lots of examples on internet. If you're uncomfortable with price you can do a bit of research to find a wider variety of auction estimates. A good place to start is here. But do be sure and limit your search to versions of your paintings. Otherwise, you'll be comparing apples to oranges.

https://www.invaluable.com/artist/portocarrero-rene-p36klkw1lu/sold-at-auction-prices/

Debora

 

http://www.artnet.com/artists/rené-portocarrero/flora-con-paloma-a-qeC62g4Er6GX4zopDB-FOQ2



http://www.artnet.com/artists/rené-portocarrero/flora-con-paloma-8Wbg3rxcJ8e7urUJERCNBQ2



Wonder whether journey's version will attract special interest because the dove is nesting on her head. Seems a departure from his usual composition.