Works by Armenian-American impressionist estimated $30 million
Works by an obscure Armenian-American abstract impressionist discovered in a New York cottage have been appraised at $30 million.
In 2007, the new owner of a bungalow in Bellport, on Long Island, found thousands of paintings, drawings and journals by Arthur Pinajian in a garage and attic. According to News 12 Long Island, the collection was valued by Peter Hastings Falk, author of Who Was Who in American Art. He also once appraised art from the Andy Warhol estate.
Some pieces already have sold for $500,000. Fifty of his landscapes are currently on exhibit at Manhattan's Fuller Building.
A recently published book by art historian William Innes Homer calls Pinajian's abstractions among the best of his era.
The run-down bungalow and one-car garage were purchased for around $300,000 in 2007.
American art historian William Innes Homer, who died last year, had compared Pinajian to a "lone researcher in a laboratory pursuing knowledge for its own sake."
The art historian wrote: "He pursued his goals in isolation with the single-minded focus of a Gauguin or Cézanne, refusing to give up in the face of public indifference.
"He was passionate and unequivocally committed. Ultimately, Pinajian's work reflects the soul of a flawed, yet brilliant, artistic genius. When he hits the mark, especially in his abstractions, he can be ranked among the best artists of his era."
