Paintings & Drawings

Paul Maze Watercolor, ca. 1939

Appraisal: Paul Maze Watercolor, ca. 1939

Transcript

GUEST: The artist, whose name I really do not know how to pronounce, was a protégé of Consuelo Vanderbilt.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: And she gave the painting to an associate of my father's. When that man retired in 1953, he gave it to my father, and I inherited it in 1999.

APPRAISER: Terrific.

GUEST: It's a watercolor, that's all I really know.

APPRAISER: It is, it's a watercolor with a little gouache mixed in. He's French, so it would have been Paul Maze. And he actually has a very interesting history. Now, you mentioned Consuelo Vanderbilt.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: And she had a chateau in Normandy.

GUEST: Ah, okay.

APPRAISER: And he painted a lot in Normandy.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But during World War I, when he was in the service, he met an interesting man by the name of Winston Churchill. And they became very close friends. And both Winston Churchill and Paul Maze loved to paint in and around Normandy, and would routinely stay at that Vanderbilt house.

GUEST: Oh, okay.

APPRAISER: As a matter of fact, Maze was actually sort of the mentor of Winston Churchill and Churchill's painting. In 1939, along with that painting trip with Winston Churchill, he also had his first exhibition in New York.

GUEST: Ah.

APPRAISER: And it's probable that this would have been painted at that time. He's known for mostly watercolors of landscapes, some still-lifes. This is very unusual for him. And so it's kind of exciting. You're probably looking at auction, $2,000 to $3,000 for it.

GUEST: Ooh, I'm pleased.

APPRAISER: Good!

GUEST: Very pleased.

APPRAISER: I'm glad to hear that.