A lost Jackson Pollock painting discovered in an Arizona attic is set to auction at J Levine Auction & Appraisal in Scottsdale.
The lot was one of several canvases by respected contemporary artists (including Kenneth Noland and Jules Olitski) found during what Levine and the consignor initially believed to be a routine valuation.
Josh Levine of J Levine Auction holds up the long lost Pollock
Auctioneer and company founder Josh Levine explained: "Interestingly, this estate first came to our attention when we were contacted to take a look at a signed 1992 L.A. Lakers poster.
“We ended up signing a contract to auction the contents of the estate, and that’s when we found many of the paintings stored away.”
It turns out that the owner had inherited the paintings from his half-sister, Jennifer Gordon (Cosgriff), who had moved in New York artistic circles.
However, Levine wanted to be absolutely certain that the work was genuine.
He carried out months of research, establishing the relationship between Gordon (Cosgriff) and a number of high profile artists and critics.
He also commissioned a forensic test on the painting.
It showed: "...the dating of the painting to the mid-twentieth century is well established as no pigments or binding media introduced in the late 1950s and 1960s have been detected. Furthermore, the artist’s working materials and painting technique are illuminated."
Levine said: "The forensic report really just reaffirmed what I already believed to be true based on the provenance.
"Based on their work and findings, I believe this painting was one of Pollock’s missing gouaches in his catalogue raisonne or from the period of 1945 to 1949."
If buyers are satisfied with this provenance, the painting could sell for several million dollars in the June 20 sale.
Pollock's record at auction is $58.4m, set for Number 19, 1948 in a 2013 sale.
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