I have two pictures.  One is a painting of a woman holding a child. 
She has a black lace scarf on.  The signature on the painting reads A.
Gentilini. This painting was found in my father's belongings when he
died three years ago. The other is a painting of a little boy in a
straw hat holding a fishing pole.  The signature reads Angelo
Gentilini.  I know the picture of the little boy is at least 25 years
old.  There is a butterfly on the little boy's hat.  I believe the
other picture has a butterfly in it on the lady's hand.   The little
boy painting I bought at a garage sale in the Kansas City area 25
years ago. Are either of these paintings valuable?  How can I find out?

Hi there!

Searching on [ "Angelo Gentilini" ] returned only 8 hits with Google,
all in Italian, and all relating to a race car driver by that name.  I
don't think he's your man.  :)

Trying again on [ "A. Gentilini" artist ] produced a single hit, a
page with a link to the following image:

Locked Up
http://www.vittoria.com/images/gallery/img0059.jpg

[ Found in "The Purple Room" - http://www.vittoria.com/purple.htm ]

I suspect that information about our elusive Mr. Gentilini is not
going to be found online, so my next step was to put a call in to the
Toledo Museum of Art, to speak with the curator.  No information was
found in the TMA's records about this artist, and it was suggested
that perhaps this artist is one the many "unknowns" whose works turn
up in basements and attics - these works are purchased "because I
liked it", with no eye toward who the artist is or what else s/he has
painted or why.  Such artists are often quite difficult to track down.

That doesn't mean that your paintings have no value, though.  The only
way to truly discern the value of a painting is to have it appraised -
ideally by a reputable art appraiser in your area.

For a rough estimate, you might want to try an online appraisal
service, such as What'sItWorthToYou:

What'sItWorthToYou.com
http://www.whatsitworthtoyou.com/

Online appraisals at What'sItWorthToYou are $9.95, and require that
you submit as much information as possible, including photos and/or
detailed descriptions.  A word of caution:  online appraisals are
*not* binding for purposes of insurance or auction.  They are useful
only in determining a rough value for the item, to help you decide
whether or not to seek a physical appraisal.

What'sItWorthToYou describes the online appraisal process here:

How We Determine Value
http://www.whatsitworthtoyou.com/forms/index.cfm?DSP=determineValue&LANG=E

If you're still in the Kansas City area, there are a number of
qualified individuals who can help you determine the value and origins
of your paintings, either by referring you to a reputable appraiser,
or appraising the paintings themselves:

The Jayne Gallery
4549 Main Street
Kansas City, MO, 64111
816-561-5333  (Referrals only)

The Morgan Gallery
412 Delaware, Ste. A,
Kansas City
(816) 842-8755
Fax: (816) 842-3376
www.morgangallery.com
E-mail: morgangallery@primary.net  (Appraisals)

Premier Gallery of Kansas City
303 West 73rd Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64114-5708
Telephone:  (816) 363-4500
Fax:  (816) 363-4547
E-Mail:  info@premier-gallery.com 
Web:  http://www.premier-gallery.com/

If you are no longer in the Kansas City area, you can still be matched
with a reputable appraiser through What'sItWorthToYou.com, at the end
of the online appraisal process.

Good luck with finding the value of your paintings!  If you're no
longer in the KC area and would like to find appraisers in your
current area, please don't hesitate to ask for clarification.  I'll be
happy to search out appraisers in your area!


--Missy