Apple Still Life with Knife

Apple Still Life with Knife
Art work by Theodore Gegoux (1850 - 1931)

Dear Ted,
Good Evening, I just bought a T. Gegoux, 1902 oil painting of an apple on a plate, with a knife. It is fabulous! Can you please help me in finding the value of the piece? I feel in love with it instantly and I have no experience in dealing with art. I appreciate your help in any way.
We have taken pictures and measured the oil painting. It is about 6 7/8 x 9 7/8 in size. I did find information on other oils, done by T. Gegoux, very much like mine, but not the exact one. Could this also be one that was lost? I found the oil at a garage sale about three months ago, and paid of course very little for it. We live in Melbourne Florida and how it got to this location I dont' know. The lady I bought it from said a friend gave it to her.
Cheryl Molyneaux
Information contributed by Molyneaux family - January 8, 2006 © Copyright - All Rights Reserved.

Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for the information and photos of this Gegoux painting. To my knowledge this is a previously unknown Gegoux work.
Gegoux's works are not common or well known among the art communities. As a life's project I have cataloged 188 works by Gegoux. To my knowledge, no one else has a catalog of Gegoux's work. There do not seem to be many surviving examples of Gegoux's work ... despite the fact that he earned a living as a painter for over 50 years. I am contacted about only one or two unknown Gegoux paintings each year. Demand is not very keen for Gegoux's works ... because he is such an unknown. Having said that ... Gegoux did still life paintings, which were typical of the genre of his day. As such, the Gegoux works tend to vary in value more based on composition rather than his name recoginition.
As to this painting, I would like to offer my opinion based on what I have seen and been told. The painting could have arrived in Florida by various means. The artist's son Frank Gegoux retired in Florida and passed away in 1966 ... his wife Hazel (Grey) Gegoux remained in Florida until her death in 1991. Also retiring to Florida was a common goal for many New Yorkers.
During this period ... 1902 ... Gegoux was painting in New York ... both at Watertown in upstate ... and at NYC. This painting could have been done at either location. This painting is quite small ... but quite nice as you have stated. I would say that the composition of this painting could scarcely be better for a still life of this period. Gegoux's signature appears to be authentic and accurate for the period. Gegoux's name ... unfortunately ... at this time offers very little premium.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Theodore Gegoux III
Los Angeles
909-532-1906
Information contributed by Molyneaux family - January 8, 2006 © Copyright - All Rights Reserved.