AI ART
Meet the internet’s newest art appraiser
Google just identified thrift store art as a certified masterpiece.
Helene Plotkin bought a painting in White Plains, New York around 60 years ago. The portrait featured a woman in black, with pops of blue and orange that added a dramatic flair to the piece. She adored the bold colors and brush strokes. But when it came to monetary value, Helene didn’t give it a second thought.
Then her son, Barry, decided to dig a little deeper. He uploaded a photo to Gemini and asked it to identify the work.
Turns out, the $100 thrift store find was worth (drumroll) $254,000.
What AI spotted:
Gemini tied the painting’s orange accents and lilac background to the Scottish colorist, F.C.B. Cadell.
Google also identified Cadell’s muse as the subject of the studio portrait.
It instructed Barry to check the back of the painting for a canvas stamp to verify authenticity .
From there, Gemini recommended auction specialists Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh.
Democratizing expertise.
The auction house backed up Gemini’s findings, and the painting made bank!
But beyond a personal win for the Plotkins, this points to something bigger. What once required connections and credentials, is now readily available to anyone with a smartphone.
It’s giving Antique Roadshow for the modern era. IYKYK.
Ooh, thrifting just got a lot more fun! - TL