Q Not sure if you can help, but here goes. I have a 14-by 16-inch painting by John Fulton, the American bullfighter who painted with the blood of bulls he killed.
— Dennis, Lima, Ohio
A The writer does not indicate what "help" he seeks, but . . . who knew? Fulton is new to me (and he has no record in the art market), but I sure learned.
Born in Philadelphia as Fulton John Schoccitti in 1932, he was the first American to qualify as a matador in Spain, becoming a full matador in 1963. By then he had rearranged his name.
Bios tell that, as a child, he saw Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power in "Blood and Sand," the story of a doomed matador. As a young adult, Fulton accomplished a year of study at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and learned flamenco dancing. The dance teacher had a barber friend who was a bullfighter, and in short order Fulton picked up a scholarship to art school in Mexico. There he learned bullfighting.
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Fulton later made his home in Seville, where he died in 1998. His bullfighting career was a struggle, and he never hit the majors with top bulls in good arenas. To pay bills, he sold his art. The blood-of-bulls paintings were only a portion of his work.
Smart collectors know that, in art, there is often a disconnect between celebrity and talent. Dali is one example: Are his works great art, or the talented work of a celebrity? Ditto for Fulton. In his lifetime, he mixed with the likes of Peter O'Toole and Ernest Hemingway. Celebrity. Certainly the blood paintings smack of sensationalism. Today's corollary is Damien Hirst, who has achieved huge celebrity, breaking art records by creating even more sensation. How his works will weather future markets remains to be seen.
With Fulton, we know. He has no sales trail in the recorded auction market. But he has the legacy of an admiring Web site, www.johnfultonmatador.com. If the reader seeks info on Fulton's life, the site's contact link is a start.
If the goal is to sell, the task is to find an auction house or dealer in tune with both Fulton's career and his work.
Q I bought this at a house sale because I like the box. What are all the little tools inside? Value? I paid $10.
— Nina, Colonial Heights, Va.
A The dovetailed wooden carrying case houses dies for a tool and die maker. If you have received $10 worth of pleasure from having it, that is the value. A die maker who needs the now-obsolete individual pieces, or someone who fancies the box, might pay more — if you find them.
» AUCTION ACTION
A collection of more than 900 Time magazine covers from the 1920s through the 1990s brought $40,000 recently at Mastro Auctions. Covers, signed by the cover subjects, include four U.S. presidents, David Ben-Gurion, Leo Durocher, Milton Friedman and George Halas. About 20 percent are personalized. The collection is remarkable for its overall excellent condition. Primarily rendered in ballpoint or Sharpie, signatures are sharp and clear. All signatures were authenticated.