28-04-2025
Antiques Roadshow shocks Baltimore widower with value of late wife's 1970's painting
When PBS's iconic ' Antiques Roadshow ' set up shop at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore last June, collectors and fans arrived with hopes their cherished items might hold hidden value.
For one widower, the real surprise wasn't a family heirloom, but a painting from his late wife's beloved art collection—revealed to be a rare and valuable work by an acclaimed artist.
'My wife passed away in 2019, and she was a collector of all kinds of art but particularly African American artists,' the owner told appraiser Myrtis Bedolla of Galerie Myrtis.
Clutched in his hands was a striking painting by Ed Clark, complete with a handwritten inscription dating it to April 1976.
Bedolla immediately recognized the treasure before her. 'Ed Clark was a very important African American artist.
'He reached a level of prominence later in his career,' she explained, referencing the New Orleans-born artist whose work now hangs in institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
'Something that is indicative of his work are the bands of color that is signature to his style,' Bedolla added, pointing out the vibrant, sweeping hues that mark Clark's distinct visual language.
'The artist's work has become highly sought after in recent years.'
After a close inspection, Bedolla stunned the owner with her verdict: the Ed Clark painting could fetch between $50,000 and $65,000 at auction.
'You have a really beautiful piece here by Clark, and it's quite a gem,' she told him, visibly moved.
For the widower, the appraisal was more than just a financial windfall—it was a touching tribute to his wife's lifelong passion for collecting, and a reminder that her discerning eye continues to leave its mark.
The Baltimore episodes of 'Antiques Roadshow' have been airing Mondays throughout April on PBS, with the final episode—featuring moments like this—airing Monday at 8 p.m.
The same episode also featured another remarkable discovery: two oil paintings by Lynne Drexler, created in 1959 and 1961.
The guest who brought them inherited the pieces from a great aunt who lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and was herself an artist with a storied past.
'My great aunt was an artist, and she studied under Hans Hofmann and wound up becoming friends with several of the other artists that studied along with him, and one of them was a woman named Lynne Drexler,' she told appraiser Aaron Payne of Aaron Payne Fine Art.
'I've always loved them.'
Payne described Drexler, who died in 1999, as an abstract expressionist whose work has only recently received overdue recognition.
'These are great examples of her work,' he said about the oils on canvas, which are both signed and dated on the back.
Payne noted that for years, many women artists of this period were overlooked. 'But in recent years, there have been several books written, and there been several exhibitions really focusing on the women abstract artists of that period,' he said.
The market for Drexler's work 'has really shifted,' he added, mentioning major shows at galleries in New York and London.
'So they've started moving into major collections, and they've also done very well at auction.'
The owner's reaction to the appraisal—between $350,000 and $570,000 for the pair—was one of pure shock.
'Oh, my goodness, I'm speechless. … I would have never imagined. That's fantastic.'
Baltimore's 'Antiques Roadshow' episodes have been airing Mondays throughout April on PBS, with the final hour—showcasing discoveries like these—airing Monday at 8 p.m.
