Purchasing a 'damaged' work of art

Wed., July 22nd
Congratulations to our collector who just purchased the magnificent 'Gray Lady' AND the 'Michelle'! I think I'm almost as excited as he is. . .! As I mentioned before, there's much less sales activity on the low end of Pat's work, but collectors in a position to buy are taking advantage of some amazing values, and buying those rare prints that they have coveted for so long. Some of you might have been following this 'Gray Lady' print. It's story is interesting, so I wanted to pass it along to you.
When we evaluated this print we saw that it had some significant foxing in dense areas on the front and back sides of the uninked paper. Foxing is a deterioration or discoloration of the paper from moisture and other environmental influences. It is not uncommon, although usually not to the extent it had progressed on this print. There is a highly skilled group of art conservators who specialize in this type of repair. And on a rare print, or original painting, the cost is often very reasonable and will return the work of art to excellent condition (and its before-damage value.) Not only will the repair arrest the existing damage; it will stop any additional foxing from progressing, since the conservator treats the entire sheet of paper, front and back.
And that's exactly what the new collector has done. He purchased this very desirable print, at a reduced price because of its condition; and we have taken it to a highly qualified conservator for the repairs. It will take about 2 weeks for the work to be completed. I will post 'before' and 'after' pictures for everyone to see the 'magic' when it's done!