APPRAISER: Tim, your grandfather was a really interesting artist, but this is just such a luscious painting. Henry Siddons Mowbray was born in, actually, Alexandria, Egypt, in 1858, studied in Paris, and died in 1928. You have an idea of when this was painted, and what series it's from, don't you?

GUEST: I think it was painted at around 1895. I don't know the exact date of this, but other paintings similar to it were painted at that time.

APPRAISER: Well, apparently, your grandmother wrote that your grandfather was very much influenced by classical themes, with themes of the American Renaissance, and with figures of muses and virtues, and these lovely allegorical figures are terrific. You were telling me that you would wake up to this painting in your bedroom when you were 16 years old.

GUEST: Yeah, he considered his murals much more important than his easel paintings like this, but I was much more enamored by these paintings than the murals.

APPRAISER: What's interesting to me-- you mentioned the murals-- is that he was great friends with Augustus Saint-Gaudens and with the architectural firm of Stanford White, McKim, Mead, and White. And the great mansions that were being built in Newport and New York have design programs that were commissioned by these architects that your grandfather worked on. Because it was the American Renaissance period, they were building Renaissance-style architecture and interiors that went along with it. So a lot of Roman scenes, a lot of classical scenes. And, again, these absolutely beautiful figures. A beautiful palette. We have the roses, the pastel colors of the figures, a great aesthetic accomplishment in the easel format. It's just a terrific example of the painting and of the period. Given that, at auction, I would estimate it at between $50,000 and $75,000.

GUEST: Wow. I could never sell it, unfortunately. It would stay in the family.

APPRAISER: Nice to wake up to. (both laugh) Thanks for coming.

GUEST: Well, thank you.