Kinkade Hometown Christmas

THOMAS KINKADE "HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS" HAND-HIGHLIGHTED LIMITED EDITION CANVAS, NUMBERED 161/325 E/P, IN THE ORIGINAL GOLD GALLERY FRAME WITH MEDIA ARTS GROUP DNA AUTHENTICITY PLATE A framed Thomas Kinkade limited edition canvas of "Hometown Christmas," the rain-slicked small-town street at dusk with lit cottage windows, wreaths, a red mid-century sedan, strolling figures under an umbrella, and a cat crossing the wet pavement. The canvas is numbered in ink at the lower left "161/325 E/P" beside the artist's signature, carries visible hand-applied highlight texture across the pavement and window lights, and is set in the original ornate gold gallery frame with a beaded and floral outer molding, a gold slip, and a linen liner. An engraved brass plaque on the liner reads "HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS / Hometown Christmas I / THOMAS KINKADE." The verso carries the "MAGI" publisher's seal, a brass plate reading "AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED / Media Arts Group, Inc. / DNA Technologies / DNA MATRIX DOUBLE SECURITY SYSTEM," a barcoded stretcher label reading "9/13/02 / 670303 / 18X24 / ...etown Christmas," stretcher date stamps reading "13 SEP 2002" in black and "SEP 20 2002" in red, a hand-drawn signature mark on the canvas back, and a hanging wire on D-rings. Flaws are confined to the back and the frame edges: gold paint loss, scuffing, and exposed staples along the rear outer edge of the frame, light rub marks on the back of the molding, and dust in the frame recesses. No certificate of authenticity is pictured with this lot. UNTESTED beyond visual inspection - no DNA verification, no black-light exam, and the canvas has not been removed from the frame. Sold as one framed canvas. Description Subject: winter street scene at dusk, wet pavement with reflected light, lit cottages, wreaths, figures with an umbrella, a red sedan and a second period car, a cat in the roadway Medium and format: limited edition lithograph on canvas with hand-applied highlighting, stretched over a wood stretcher and set in an ornate gold gallery frame with gold slip and linen liner Marks: signed and numbered on the image "161/325 E/P"; brass liner plaque "HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS / Hometown Christmas I / THOMAS KINKADE"; verso "MAGI" seal; verso brass plate "AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED / Media Arts Group, Inc. / DNA Technologies / DNA MATRIX DOUBLE SECURITY SYSTEM"; stretcher label "9/13/02 / 670303 / 18X24"; stretcher stamps "13 SEP 2002" and "SEP 20 2002" Size: canvas image 18 x 24 in per the verso label, framed overall approximately 33 in wide by approximately 27 in tall per the tape-measure photographs Attribution note "Hometown Christmas," also catalogued as "Hometown Christmas I," was painted by Thomas Kinkade in 2002; the gallery McLennon Penco, which exhibited the original oil on board from the Kinkade Family Foundation, dates the painting to that year and notes how heavily the image was reproduced as canvas and paper editions. That 2002 date lines up with the stretcher label dated 9/13/02 and the September 2002 stamps on this piece. The E/P designation stands for Examination Proof: the published Thomas Kinkade statement of editions, reproduced by CV Art and Frame and by Thomas Kinkade Studios, describes it as a small special canvas edition offered so collectors could preview a new release, individually hand-highlighted and designated E/P during numbering, and Herndon Fine Art adds that E/P canvases began around 2000 and were sent to galleries roughly a month ahead of general release. The 325-piece edition size on this canvas is consistent with that small proof tier. Media Arts Group was Kinkade's publisher for pieces produced before 2004, and the DNA Matrix Double Security System referenced on the verso plate is the DNA Technologies marking program described on that company's own site and in Kinkade collector references, used to tag authorized work against counterfeiting. Buyers should note that most Kinkade canvas signatures of this period were machine applied in DNA-laced ink rather than hand signed, as Herndon Fine Art explains, and that the studio itself states it does not authenticate artwork after the fact. No certificate of authenticity accompanies this lot, and dealers generally treat the matching certificate as important to documentation. All identification and dating comments are offered as the consignor's photo-based opinion and are not guaranteed. Bid on the item(s) as pictured. Notes for bidders Hang from the existing wire onto two anchors rather than one, since the framed piece is large and the ornate molding carries real weight. Dust the frame with a soft dry brush and never a damp cloth or spray polish, which will dull the gold finish and can wick into the carved detail. Do not wipe the canvas surface; hand-highlighted canvases have raised acrylic highlights that scuff, and any cleaning belongs with a conservator. Keep it off exterior walls and out of direct sun and away from heat vents, since heat cycling loosens canvas tension