Jared Whipple, a mechanic from Connecticut (USA), had salvaged hundreds of works of art that had been discovered by one of his friends in the dumpster of an abandoned barn. After four years of research, it emerged that these paintings were by Francis Hines, a famous American artist who died in 2016 and is particularly known for having wrapped several New York monuments, including the Washington Square Arch in 1980, reports the DailyMailrelayed by Capital.
The pieces found would be worth a total of several million dollars, according to the estimate of museum curator Peter Hastings Falk. Especially since some of them seem to have been wrapped with the same white polyester fabric that had been used by Francis Hines for his “wrappings”. These would be worth nearly 22,000 dollars each. Other drawings, representing car parts, subject of fascination for the artist, could meanwhile sell for 4,500 dollars each.
on sale soon
After discovering the origin of these works, Jared Whipple contacted the artist’s family. The latter authorized him to keep the paintings and sell them. With the help of Francis Hines’ son, Jonathan, a first exhibition was organized at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury (Connecticut) from September 26 to November 21, 2021.
Between 35 and 40 of these works will be exhibited from May 5 to June 11, 2022 at the Hollis Taggart Art Gallery in Southport (Connecticut) and in New York, in the Chelsea district. These works will be on sale this time, with the aim of promoting the work of Francis Hines worldwide.