Painter William Skilling (American/British, 1862–1964)

TFW you quickly buy something and research it after you get home…

I love original paintings/wall art, and especially when dogs are the subject. I’ll snatch those puppers up at thrift stores, benefit shops, multi-vendor antique centers… from a couple of bucks to a few more than that, but never expensive. They don’t have to be fancy - a heartfelt sketch by a novice can be as moving to me as museum quality painting.

So, last week I found a large (53"x41" w/frame) naive-style painting in a small consignment shop that looked totally unaffordable, but totally wasn’t. A quick Googling on my phone before purchasing it revealed that many versions–with slight differences–of this and other individual works by Skilling are available, so maybe the price made sense? In any case, even if it was a repro, it was beautifully executed/aged, affordable, and I loved it and took it home. Once I got on my computer I discovered that versions of this painting are listed, or have been sold, by antique dealers and auction houses at prices that are way, way out my budget. I literally had to check my receipt to check if, in my excitement, I'd missed a "0" or a decimal point when I paid.

I'm just now reading that some hardcore artists - Munch, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Courbet - did multiple versions of some paintings, but not as nearly many as I'm seeing for this Skilling work. Other than the beagle print on paper (still out of my budget!) I haven't seen that any of the descriptions identified them as versions, duplicates, reproductions, embellished giclée, etc. Surely repros or giclée would be noted and much less expensive? Where do these multiples come from? If anyone is knows anything about what the heck's going on here I’d be grateful to learn more…TIA for any input!

P.S. I'm aware that 1st Dibs prices are often wildly inflated.

P.P.S. There's another painter named William Skilling (b.1940).

 

If it is on canvas I would want to see the actual canvas from the back. Considering when the artist was born I would want to see some real age. If it is not a painting on canvas, but on paper, I would think it is some type of reproduction.

 

Surely repros or giclée would be noted and much less expensive?.......

Why ?

folks are hurting.....and they become greedy......

 

Indeed they do. It may be common knowledge that they're repros (so no need to mention in descriptions?). The prices realized are something I'm curious about - why do people pay so much for them?

 

It's on canvas, with no signs of age - like the ones that sold at auction (at least the ones that show the back). I assumed mine was a repro before I bought it, based on frame, canvas, and seeing variations online. I don't usually buy repros, but I loved the doggos. I'm trying to understand how that info can be omitted from the auction descriptions and why they sell so high. (I'm also interested in where they're produced)

 

Not all auction houses are either knowledgeable,professional, or ethical and the golden rule is always caveat emptor.