Questions from owners

Selling a William Wendt: questions owners ask

Straight answers for owners, heirs and executors of paintings by William Wendt. If your question is not here, call Steven Stern Fine Arts at (310) 570-5679.

Who buys William Wendt paintings?

Steven Stern Fine Arts in Los Angeles buys and consigns William Wendt paintings, from hills and canyon landscapes to mountain and coastal views. Collectors of California Impressionism are his main buyers, and the gallery offers paintings to them privately.

How do I sell a William Wendt painting?

Email photographs and measurements to StevenSternFineArts@gmail.com or use the seller inquiry. Once the gallery has seen the painting it can buy it, consign it, or advise on a private sale, whichever suits the painting and you.

What is my William Wendt painting worth?

Subject, size, period, condition and provenance decide most of it, and they are explained in our guide How much is a William Wendt painting worth?. The gallery does not quote figures without seeing the painting.

Was Wendt the first president of the Laguna Beach Art Association?

No. Edgar Payne was the association's first president. Wendt and his wife Julia Bracken Wendt were charter members in 1918. Wendt did serve as president of the California Art Club, in 1911–14 and again in 1917–18.

My Wendt has an old exhibition label. Is that useful?

Yes. Labels from the California Art Club or other exhibitions, and dealer labels, help document a painting. Leave them in place and photograph them.

Will my name or the price be published?

Yes. Everything you send stays confidential, and no owner, buyer or price is ever made public.

Do you come to see paintings?

The gallery works with owners nationwide. Photographs come first, and an in-person viewing can be arranged for important paintings.

Should I clean or reframe the painting first?

It is best not to. Leave the varnish, the frame and anything on the back untouched until the painting has been looked at. A conservator can deal with cleaning later if it is needed.

Someone offered me a Wendt watercolor. Is that possible?

Be careful. Wendt worked almost entirely in oil and said late in life that he had never worked in watercolor. Send photographs and the gallery will give you its view.

Do you buy paintings by other artists?

It does. Steven Stern Fine Arts handles paintings by many California and Western American artists; see californiapaintings.com and westernartexpert.com.

Where is Steven Stern Fine Arts?

In Los Angeles: 11901 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 601, Los Angeles, CA 90025. You can reach the gallery at (310) 570-5679 or StevenSternFineArts@gmail.com.

Ready to start? Send photographs through the seller inquiry, read How much is a William Wendt painting worth?, or see the Wendt paintings the gallery has sold.