Questions from owners

Selling a John Frost: common questions

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

Who buys John Frost paintings?

Steven Stern Fine Arts buys and consigns John Frost paintings, from desert views and Sierra landscapes to San Gabriel Valley foothills and canyon scenes. Collectors of California Impressionism are his main buyers, and the gallery offers works to them privately.

How do I sell a John Frost painting?

Photographs are the first step: the whole front, the whole back, the signature and any labels, plus the size of the painting. Send them with the seller form or call Steven Stern Fine Arts at (310) 570-5679. The gallery then talks through purchase, consignment or private sale with you.

What is my John Frost painting worth?

There is no single answer, because every Frost is different. The factors that matter are set out in How much is a John Frost painting worth?. Steven Stern Fine Arts gives a confidential evaluation once it has seen photographs and the dimensions.

Is there any obligation?

No. An inquiry and the confidential evaluation that follows place you under no obligation to sell.

Do you buy small sketches and sporting subjects?

Yes. Send photographs and measurements. Small sketches and his later hunting and fishing subjects are judged differently from his finished California landscapes, but they are of interest.

My Frost has a gallery or exhibition label. Is that useful?

Yes. Labels help document a painting. Leave them in place and photograph them.

Will my name or the price be published?

They are kept private. The gallery never publishes the names of sellers or buyers, or the prices paid.

Do you come to see paintings?

Often, yes. Most conversations begin with photographs; when a painting warrants it, the gallery arranges to see it in person.

Should I clean or reframe the painting first?

Please don't. Cleaning, revarnishing or reframing before the painting has been seen can remove evidence and harm the surface. Any treatment should be done by a qualified conservator, after advice.

How do I know my painting is by John Frost?

Signature, technique, materials and documented history are weighed together. Send clear photographs and the gallery will tell you whether it deserves closer study.

Do you buy paintings by other artists?

Yes. The gallery handles a wide range of Early California, American Impressionist and Western paintings. Its main site is californiapaintings.com.

Where is Steven Stern Fine Arts?

The Los Angeles gallery is at 2525 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405, and is open by appointment. Mail goes to Suite 601 on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles (mailing address on the contact page). Call Steven Stern Fine Arts at (310) 570-5679 or email StevenSternFineArts@gmail.com.

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