Need advice on my first painting! Chen Mau for $8.

[Spartcom5]

Finally found my first painting worth anything at a thrift store for $8. It is a beautiful Chen Mau oil painting. I find it so interesting that he incorporates horse hair into the painting. Of course not ALL is great. The painting has started to crack somewhat, there is a stain of some kind on it, looks like it would come off easily if someone knew what to do though. So now I am stumped, I love it for myself, but would like to get it fixed so it doesn't get ruined further. Chens paintings sell for quite a bit but those are big painting whereas mine is smaller. So what would you guys do? I am planning on bringing it to a well known auction house who deals in fine arts and maybe they could point me in the right direction. Meanwhile however, should I put it in a bag to keep it from getting dusty? Forgot to mention the price tag WAS ON THE PAINTING. I had to carefully peel it off and thankfully it came off cleanly, but then my fingerprints are probably on it somewhat. Argh, I really need it professionally cleaned or something. It amazes me how clueless thrifts are on paintings, I mean really come on, putting a sticker price tag on the actual painting?

 

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[Kentuckiana Jones]

You got off easy. Last painting I bought at GW had 5 price stickers on the canvas. (They put 5 stickers on nearly every item here). Luckily, even their super sticky tags don't stick well to oil paint.

 

[diggummup]

I'd leave it is and let the new owner deal with it. That's Chen Mao by the way. A little history... The Chen Mao Museum. A private collection of the Chen Mao School Student Produced Oil Paintings.

 

[randazzo1]

I recently learned (on here) not to sell pieces on ebay. I auctioned off a small original water color. Similar prints (not originals) by the same artist are listed in galleries for $300. So I started the auction at $50 and it sold for $50. Disappointing. If you look at the Chen Mao’s on ebay you will see the same thing. Everyone here recommended selling the pieces in person in the future. I’m doing a big fleamarket soon where I’m going to bring all my Art.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

I'm surprised they used a tag and didn't just write the price with a sharpie marker on the canvas.

 

[Spartcom5]

Ehh yeah no big deal, looks like a student Chen Mao painting so no real value, but still cool!