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Art Discovery: $100 Painting Now Worth $500,000
4 Oct
Summary
- A 1939 purchase for $100 was later appraised at $500,000.
- The painting by Joseph Kleitsch depicts early Laguna Beach.
- It was rediscovered on PBS' Antiques Roadshow in 2014.
A painting acquired for $100 in 1939 was revealed to be a valuable piece of art history on PBS' Antiques Roadshow. The artwork, by California Impressionist Joseph Kleitsch, was presented by the daughter of the original buyers.
In 2014, art expert Debra Force appraised the painting at $500,000. The artwork, created around 1925, depicts "The Drugstore" in Laguna Beach, California. Its direct provenance traced back to Kleitsch's widow, who sold it to the parents of the programme's guest.
Born in Hungary, Kleitsch studied art internationally before moving to Southern California. He focused on painting the developing coastal community of Laguna Beach. His sudden death in 1931 at age 49 contributed to the rarity of his California works.
The painting, a 40-by-40-inch oil on canvas, captured a piece of early Laguna Beach history near the unpaved Pacific Coast Highway. The 2014 appraisal was a retail estimate, not a sale price.
Following its television appearance, the painting was acquired by John and Patricia Dilks in 2016 for an undisclosed sum, reportedly exceeding the $500,000 valuation. It was later featured in museum exhibitions in 2016 and 2023.
This journey from a $100 purchase to a museum-featured artwork underscores its value not only financially but as a rare historical record of early Laguna Beach.
