I was reminded of this story while talking with my VU teammates about the “connections” we’ve made in the vintage world since we began this blog in 2016.
My husband and I came across this charming little watercolor while helping to dispose of a local estate. No one in the immediate family knew its history, so I volunteered to research the artist to see what, if anything, had come of his artistic efforts.
Imagine my surprise when I came across his obituary and learned he was a nationally recognized artist! Based on the signature and date, Jack Jandegian was just 15 and living in Wisconsin when he painted the gray bridge river scene. He later attended art school there and ultimately earned a national reputation for his posters promoting the war effort during WWII.
The heirs to the local estate have no idea how this piece ended up with their parents in Arizona, but they agreed that it belongs to the artist’s family, wherever they are.
Hopefully, the next phase of my research will allow me to reunite the “grey bridge” watercolor with the artist’s descendants. That would be the perfect happy ending to this story.
Stay tuned for Part II…
