Dear Erin-Marie,

There is no rush. Please take your time. I just thought it had not reached you and had been lost.

Thank you,

John

Dear John,

I appreciate your patience, you are correct about this piece, it is a limited edition but at auction the value is more of a decorative nature and similar pieces sell between $80USD and $100USD. In the case of collecting such iconic pieces of art I'd recommend looking for limited, numbered editions which are being published in conjunction with the museum who owns the piece. That said, the resale values for these pieces is typically less than the retail value.
As always, if my response leaves you with questions, just ask.

Sincerely,

Erin-Marie

Hello Erin-Marie,

Is this not a limited numbered edition (12 out of 25) and were you able to find out what the St. Petersberg Collection was? Does this or the artist who did the painting have any value? It is really well done and very nice. If it has no value, again this is this just deception of value where none exists.

Also, where would I find numbered editions published in conjunction with the museum who owns the piece? Would that museum produce a limited numbered edition of the painting of such a priceless painting?

Any comments! Much appreciated.

Many thanks,

John

Dear John,

All great questions so let me try to answer them numerically...

1. After extensive searching I was not able to find out who either the St. Petersburg Collection or Leslie Schine is/was in the art community. There's nothing written about the release of your edition, about the company or Schine. While I cannot be sure, this leads me to think this is an unauthorized printing.
2. That doesn't mean it isn't nice!!! You should enjoy it for its decorative qualities and the fact that it makes you smile.
3. Materially, it is exactly what it says it is, a giclee print with hand-embellishments on canvas. A giclee print is a high-quality print which digitally recreates the color of the original painting better than most printmaking methods. The hand-painting is the texture on top of the print.
4. Finding authorized museum editions at auction can be tricky, I recommend looking for documentation that includes the specific museum with the museum's correct trademarks incorporated. It should be included on the back of the canvas (likely as a stamp), if on paper expect an impressed watermark of some sort and it may or may not include a Certificate of Authenticity. In addition to that, an edition number as well. Usually, well known publishers collaborate with museums to release these editions.
5. Yes, a museum would produce a limited edition multiple of a painting because a portion of the proceeds will go back to the museum. In the early 20th century, the Louvre was actually doing this (these do not have Cert. of Auth)!
6. You can always ask an expert at Mearto before you bid on anything and we can always try to advise.

Sincerely,

Erin-Marie