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Betty Behr Fané Listed CA Student Diego Rivera Federico Cantú 1930-'40 - $2,500 (Beverly Hills)
size / dimensions:
16 x 24
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Betty Behr Listed California Artist Protégé of Diego Rivera and Federico Cantú 1930s 1940s Impressionist Portrait of a Female
My cousin and I rescued this painting some thirty years ago from a very unlikely location. When I say it's painted on board, it's actually painted on an electrical schematic. You know starving artists, they paint on anything they can find. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's close friend and Rivera's favorite collaborating muralist was artist Federico Heraclio Cantú Garza (March 3, 1907 – January 29, 1989) ... the Mexican painter, engraver, and sculptor. Cantú was having a relationship with Beverly Hills resident Betty Behr. She was a student / protégé of both artists when she did this portrait. Her pen name was Fane'. It was first confirmed as genuine by the owner of a local high-end gallery on Melrose Avenue, which was owned by a friend of mine many, many years ago.
Twenty years ago, I send photos to "the top California art expert" at Bonhams here in Hollywood. They also confirmed its authenticity and assessed an approximate value in the $2,500.00-$3,000.00 range. It's been hanging in my living room ever since. She's really wonderful. I always felt that she resembled French chanteuse the Little Sparrow Edith Piaf.
Framed, it measures 24.25" x 16.25". The painting measures 19" x 11".
I've been an avid collector since I was a kid (50 years) and an estate liquidator, show, and flea market seller for 30 years this summer. I know values on pretty much e everything are currently soft. Still, quality of execution and how one bonds with an image still count for something.
This is not a fire sale, I simply have too many canvases for the walls in my home. It's time to share my favorites.