An AI chatbot assisted in identifying a painting by Scottish Colourist Francis Cadell, which was purchased for $100 at a thrift store in 1966. Specialists confirmed the work, titled 'Interior: The Lady in Black,' and it sold at auction for over $250,000.
This case highlights how artificial intelligence can assist in art authentication and valuation, potentially uncovering hidden value in overlooked items and transforming the art market.
An artwork purchased for $100 at a thrift store in 1966 has sold for over $250,000 at auction, thanks to AI technology aiding in its identification. Helene Plotkin, an art teacher, acquired the painting, then titled 'Portrait of Miss Don Wauchope,' in White Plains, New York. The signature was illegible at the time, and the artist was not widely recognized for his later works.
Decades later, Plotkin's son, Barry, decided to research the painting. Using AI tools, they were able to decipher the signature. Specialists at Lyon & Turnbull confirmed the work as a painting by Francis Cadell, one of the Scottish Colourists. The piece was identified as 'Interior: The Lady in Black,' created in the 1920s in Cadell's Ainslie Place studio, depicting May Easter, a frequent model for the artist.
The painting sold on Thursday for £189,200, including premium, at Lyon & Turnbull. This marks a significant return for a work by Cadell, who died in 1937 with limited financial success. The auction house noted the mystery of how the painting traveled from London, where it was previously sold for a much lower price, to a charity shop in New York.
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