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Proceeds from painting to benefit SCC
June 28, 2007
A Norwegian painting that used to hang in PLU’s Scandinavian Cultural Center sold at Sotheby’s auction house in London for $525,000 on June 27.
Painted by Norwegian artist Nikolai Astrup in 1910, “White Night, Buttercups at Jølster” depicts the landscape of Ålhus, a farm near his family home. Astrup was one of Norway’s best-loved painters, and the piece was sold as part of Sotheby’s annual Scandinavian Sale.
“We couldn’t be happier. This is going to put us in a position to offer exciting new programs, make stronger ties between PLU and contemporary Scandinavia, and enhance our scholarship program,” said Susan Young, director of the SCC. “We’re excited that this painting is going to benefit the university as a whole.”
Donated to PLU by Tacoma resident Neil Anderson in 1999, the sale marked the first time the university opted to sell a donated item, Young said. All of the 2,000 artifacts housed in the SCC were donated to the university.
“Its not our practice to give away donated artifacts,” she said.
However, the university realized it lacked the resources to maintain such a valuable piece of fine art. After receiving the blessing of Anderson, the SCC council and PLU decided the most prudent action was to sell the painting, Young said.
The net proceeds of the sale – about $400,000 – will be put into the endowment and used to benefit the SCC, fund student scholarships and enhance the center’s programming. Young said Anderson was happy with the university’s decision to sell the piece because the sale’s proceeds will “benefit PLU in perpetuity.”
The painting hung in the SCC’s Stuen Room for about a year. Covered in dirt and grime, the painting was unimpressive and eventually placed in storage. Young didn’t realize the painting’s value until last Christmas when a Seattle couple expressed interest in it, eventually offering to purchase it for $50,000.
“That’s when we thought maybe we should look into this more,” Young said.
Through a consultant, Young contacted Sotheby’s, an auction house that deals exclusively in fine art. The auction house estimated the painting’s worth at between $500,000 and $700,000.
Young, SCC councilmember Janet Ruud, and development officer Ed Larson and his wife, Betty, attended the auction in London.
“We couldn’t be happier. This is going to put us in a position to offer exciting new programs, make stronger ties between PLU and contemporary Scandinavia, and enhance our scholarship program,” said Susan Young, director of the SCC. “We’re excited that this painting is going to benefit the university as a whole.”
Donated to PLU by Tacoma resident Neil Anderson in 1999, the sale marked the first time the university opted to sell a donated item, Young said. All of the 2,000 artifacts housed in the SCC were donated to the university.
“Its not our practice to give away donated artifacts,” she said.
However, the university realized it lacked the resources to maintain such a valuable piece of fine art. After receiving the blessing of Anderson, the SCC council and PLU decided the most prudent action was to sell the painting, Young said.
The net proceeds of the sale – about $400,000 – will be put into the endowment and used to benefit the SCC, fund student scholarships and enhance the center’s programming. Young said Anderson was happy with the university’s decision to sell the piece because the sale’s proceeds will “benefit PLU in perpetuity.”
The painting hung in the SCC’s Stuen Room for about a year. Covered in dirt and grime, the painting was unimpressive and eventually placed in storage. Young didn’t realize the painting’s value until last Christmas when a Seattle couple expressed interest in it, eventually offering to purchase it for $50,000.
“That’s when we thought maybe we should look into this more,” Young said.
Through a consultant, Young contacted Sotheby’s, an auction house that deals exclusively in fine art. The auction house estimated the painting’s worth at between $500,000 and $700,000.
Young, SCC councilmember Janet Ruud, and development officer Ed Larson and his wife, Betty, attended the auction in London.