Helen LaFrance Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Helen LaFrance Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 29, 2024
"Viola Station" Large Oil by Helen LaFrance
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020). Oil on canvas, signed l.r., and with label from a previous fundraising auction from Western Kentucky. Descended in the family from the Western Kentucky resident who purchased the work from the fundraiser. 16.5" x 37" (sight), 21.5" x 42" (framed).
Caza Sikes
Jul. 07, 2024
Helen La France Farm Scene Painting
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen Lafrance (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on board farm landscape painting, depicting two children sitting on a fence, watching three boys climb a large haystack, while a farmer and two horses plow a field in the distance. Signed lower right. Board - 18"H x 30"W. Frame - 20"H x 33"W Artist biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. LaFrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art. PROVENANCE: Private Nashville collection, acquired directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 07, 2024
Helen La France O/C, Baking Pies
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, 1919-2020), "Baking Pies," oil on canvas painting depicting two women in a large kitchen preparing and baking peach pies. A large cast iron stove looms in the center of the room, and a table is set for six in the left foreground. Signed lower right and dated 1998. Narrow giltwood frame. Stretcher: 18"H x 24"W. Frame: 20"H x 26"W. Note: this painting is illustrated in the book HELEN LA FRANCE: FOLK ART MEMORIES by Kathy Moses and Bruce Shelton, p. 72 fig 5.38. PROVENANCE: Private Nashville collection, acquired directly from the artist circa 1999.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 06, 2024
Helen La France O/C Painting, Saturday Night Street Scene
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting a bustling street at night, likely in her hometown of Mayfield, Kentucky, with numerous figures, cars, and brick buildings with hand-painted signs including "Downtown Cleaners" and "Peat's Place." The door to one of the buildings stands opens with a crowd of people milling around tables inside. Stars and streetlights illuminate the scene. Signed "Helen La France" and dated "2004" lower right. Housed in a simple black floater frame. Canvas: 20" H x 29 7/8" W. Frame: 22" H x 32 1/16" W. Artist biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full-time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. LaFrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art. PROVENANCE: Consignor acquired directly from the artist circa 2004.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 06, 2024
Helen La France O/C Farm Landscape, Cabbage Patch Near Barnyard
Est: $2,800 - $3,000
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting a rural landscape with African American farmers tending a patch of monumental cabbages. A man climbs into a cart drawn by two horses while a woman viewed from behind sits on a fence before a barn. Another figure walks toward a distant house at right. Signed "Helen La France," lower right. Titled "Cabbage Patch Near Barnyard" and inscribed "Shelton Gallery" to stretcher. Housed in a simple black frame. Canvas: 21 7/8" H x 27 7/8" W. Frame: 23 1/4" H x 29 3/16" W. Artist biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. LaFrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art. PROVENANCE: Private Southeastern collection, ex-Shelton Gallery, Nashville TN.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 06, 2024
Helen La France Church Picnic Painting
Est: $3,800 - $4,200
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020), "Church Picnic," oil on canvas painting depicting parishioners gathering outside a white frame church. Natural wood grain frame. Signed "Helen La France" lower left and dated 1998. Sight - 30" W x 22" H. Frame - 32" W x 24" H. Artist biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. LaFrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art. PROVENANCE: Private Middle Tennessee collection, acquired directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 28, 2024
Helen LaFrance Portrait of Ralph Waldrop
Est: $300 - $400
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas board portrait painting of Ralph Waldrop, Sr. (b. 1922) a longtime Mayfield, Kentucky realtor and WWII veteran. Subject is depicted smiling and wearing glasses, a dark blue suit, and a red striped tie against a solid dark brown/green backdrop. Signed lower left "Helen La France". Additionally titled and dated 2004 en verso. Housed in a simple carved wood frame. Sight: 19 1/4" H x 15 1/4" W. Framed: 24" H x 20" W.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Nov. 30, 2023
Helen LaFrance 1919-2020 Folk Art Figural Painting
Est: $1,000 - $5,000
Helen LaFrance (American, 1919-2020). An original oil painting on canvas. Titled, "Funeral Painting Outside of Church." A Black folk art figural group painted in the artist's colorful self taught style depicting a funeral cortege with rustic white church building in the middle of a green wooded glade, automobiles, architectural, landscape, and botanical elements, and a profusion of Black mourner figures. The artist is known as "the Black Grandma Moses." Artist signature and dated to lower right HELEN LAFRANCE 2000. Title hand written to stretcher verso. Presented in a fitted wood frame. Work Size: 18 x 35.75 in. Dimensions: 19.25 X 37.5 X 1 in. Condition: Good overall condition having mild surface wear. Frame having mild wear to edges and corners. Estate fresh to the market. Shipping: Hill Auction Gallery does not offer in-house shipping for this item. Gallery will refer third party shippers for all domestic and international buyers. Purchaser pick up available upon request.
Hill Auction Gallery
Oct. 28, 2023
Helen LaFrance (1919-2020)
Est: $4,000 - $8,000
"Fishing" 18" x 24" oil on canvas, signed lower right. Recently cleaned; recent frame.
Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company
Oct. 07, 2023
Helen LaFrance O/C Landscape Painting, Sailboat in the Setting Sun
Est: $300 - $400
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting a sailboat floating on a body of water with an undulating orange horizon line visible in the background. The sky is cast in a rich red-orange color reflecting on the water below, conveying a sunrise or sunset. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Inscribed "N.F.S." for "not for sale en verso of stretcher. Housed in a simple black frame. Sight: 23 1/2" H x 17 1/4" W. Framed: 25 1/4" H x 19 1/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 09, 2023
Helen LaFrance O/C Large Still Life Painting, Magnolias
Est: $500 - $550
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas large still life painting of white magnolias with verdant leaves against a black background. Signed and dated "Helen La France 2004". Unframed. 24" H x 48" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 08, 2023
Helen LaFrance O/C African Landscape with Zebras
Est: $1,000 - $1,200
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas horizontally oriented painting depicting an African landscape with a herd of zebras on a grassy plain and trees with verdant foliage in the foreground, set against a tan backdrop with bright orange paint along the horizon line, indicating a sunrise or sunset. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Unframed. 19 1/2" H x 34" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings"-drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 08, 2023
Helen LaFrance O/C Panoramic Flood Scene Painting
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas (stretched on board) panoramic painting depicting muddy floodwaters sweeping away a house, tree limbs, and other various objects. The swollen river is surrounded by barren trees with a flat landscape and cloudy horizon beyond. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Unframed. 24" H x 48" W. Biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. Lafrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
May. 20, 2023
Helen LaFrance, 1919-2020, Church Gathering
Est: $10,000 - $20,000
Helen LaFrance 1919-2020 Church Gathering 1997 oil on canvas 24 x 36 inches signed
Black Art Auction
Jan. 28, 2023
LARGE HELEN LAFRANCE TIGER PAINTING
Est: $1,000 - $1,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on board painting depicting a crouching tiger emerging from a cropping of green palm leaves on a brown jungle floor. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Housed in an ebonzied frame. Sight: 23 1/2" H x 47 3/4" W. Framed: 24 3/4" H x 49" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. For examples of other Helen LaFrance paintings depicting African-themed subjects, see lot #198 in our July 2020 auction, lot #204 in our January 2022 auction and lot #105 in our October 2021 auction.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 28, 2023
HELEN LAFRANCE OIL PAINTING, "MOVING DAY"
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas rural landscape painting depicting an African American man steering a horse-drawn cart around a puddle on a muddy road. The crowded cart is filled with a woman and children, presumably his family, and their belongings. They are surrounded by an open field with a farm in the background, beneath a partly cloudy sky. Signed and dated "Helen LaFrance - 97" lower right. Titled on label en verso. Float mounted in a simple wood frame. Sight: 18 3/4" H x 26 3/8" W. Framed: 20 5/8" H x 27 7/8" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her 'memory paintings' drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museum and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 28, 2023
HELEN LAFRANCE OIL PAINTING, CHURCH PICNIC
Est: $3,400 - $3,800
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a church picnic upon the grounds before a church's open door and having automobiles scattered across the grass, a family arriving via the dirt road in a horse-drawn cart lower left, children playing a circle game lower right, and ladies preparing a long table beneath the trees mid-ground. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Inscribed with title and "Shelton Gallery", en verso of stretcher. Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight: 17 1/2" H x 23 1/2" W. Framed: 19 1/4" H x 25 1/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her 'memory paintings' drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Oct. 08, 2022
Helen LaFrance Oil Painting, Tornado
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas (laid on board) country landscape depicting an active tornado bearing down on a rural farm community. A man driving a horse-drawn cart on a dirt road in the foreground tries to outrun the twister, while figures to the left seek cover in an underground earthen dugout. A barn sits momentarily untouched in the right foreground, while debris whirls toward it in the sky, and the tornado's path of destruction is visible in the background. Signed lower right. Housed in black painted wood frame. Sight: 17 5/8" H x 31 3/8" W. Framed: 18 3/4" H x 32 3/4" W. Provenance: acquired by consignor from the estate of outsider art collector Paul Collins of Schenectady, NY. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 09, 2022
Helen LaFrance O/C Painting, Tiger in Repose
Est: $800 - $1,200
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting a tiger in repose against a mottled yellow background. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Housed in an ebonzied frame. Sight: 23 1/2" H x 29 1/2" W. Framed: 25 1/2" H x 31 1/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. For examples of other Helen LaFrance paintings depicting African themed subjects, see lot #204 in our Jan. 2022 auction and lot #105 in our Oct. 2021 auction.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 09, 2022
Helen LaFrance O/C, The Wooldridge Monuments
Est: $2,000 - $2,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting the Wooldridge Monuments in Maplewood Cemetery in Mayfield, Kentucky. The National Historical Register site features marble and limestone monuments commissioned for Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge, to commemorate family members and other loved ones of his life, from 1892 until his own death in 1899. (Interestingly, Colonel Wooldridge - who is depicted in marble on his horse - is believed to be the only person actually buried at the site). Sight: 21" H x 46" W. Framed: 22 1/2" H x 47 1/2" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Note: Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. The Wooldridge Monuments were not damaged in the devastating 2021 Mayfield tornado.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
May. 17, 2022
Helen LaFrance O/C Southern Church Picnic
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) large oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a Church Picnic, with automobiles parked in front of a church and horse and buggy approaching lower left; a table is being spread in the background, while little girls play a circle game in the right foreground. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. 18 x 36
Bill Hood & Sons Arts & Antiques Auctions
Mar. 19, 2022
HELEN LA FRANCE (1919 - 2020)
Est: $4,500 - $8,000
KENTUCKY paint on canvas. Signed lower right. 23" x 29"
Ledbetter Auctions
Jan. 30, 2022
Helen LaFrance Oil on Canvas Painting, River Baptism
Est: $1,800 - $2,200
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a baptism, with automobiles and horse-drawn buggy parked in grassy areas around a church depicted next to a lone tree and congregants gathered around a river left midground to observe the baptisms. Signed "Helen La France" lower right and "River Baptism Shelton" on the back stretcher. Additionally titled en pen en verso on the canvas perimeter. Unframed. 22" H x 28" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 30, 2022
Helen LaFrance Portrait of Ralph Waldrop
Est: $500 - $550
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvasboard portrait painting of Ralph Waldrop, Sr. (b. 1922) a longtime Mayfield, Kentucky realtor and WWII veteran. Subject is depicted smiling and wearing glasses, a dark blue suit, and a red striped tie against a solid dark brown/green backdrop. Signed lower left "Helen La France". Additionally titled and dated 2004 en verso. Housed in a simple carved wood frame. Sight: 9 1/4" H x 15 1/4" W. Framed: 24" H x 20" W.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 29, 2022
Helen LaFrance Oil on Canvas, Church Picnic
Est: $3,800 - $4,200
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) large oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a Church Picnic, with automobiles parked in grassy areas aroung the church and a family driving a horse and buggy approaching lower left via a dirt road; a table is being prepared right mid-ground between two shade trees, while little girls play a circle game in the right foreground. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Additionally titled en pen en verso on the canvas perimeter. Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight: 23 3/8" H x 35 3/8" W. Framed: 25 1/4" H x 37 1/8" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 29, 2022
Monumental Helen LaFrance Double-Sided Painting: Africa & Fox Hunter
Est: $2,800 - $3,200
Monumental Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) double sided oil on canvas painting, depicting a horizontally oriented African landscape on one side and a vertically oriented Equestrian scene on the other. One side depicts a large African watering hole with various animals clustered around it, including elephants, lions, flamingos, rhinos, cheetahs, gazelles, zebras and giraffes. In the middle ground, human figures gather in a line headed by hunters with spears, and a cheetah pursues gazelles across rolling hills with a mountain in the distant background. Signed lower right "Helen LaFrance". The other side depicts a fox hunting scene, presumably in Kentucky, with a rider atop his horse and four hounds, with white picket fence against a background of pink, red and orange trees. Unsigned. Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight: 33 3/4" H x 81 3/4" W. Framed: 35 3/4" H x 83 3/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Note: a similar, but smaller Helen LaFrance African scene was sold by this auction house Oct. 23, 2021. Both it, and this painting - along with the two LaFrance portraits in this sale - were acquired by the consignor directly from the artist, who was a personal friend and patron of Helen LaFrance.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 29, 2022
Helen La France O/B Portrait of Cornell Jones
Est: $800 - $1,000
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on board portrait painting depicting Cornell Jones (1923-1998) from Mayfield, Kentucky. Depicted as a middle-aged male, his hair parted to one side, sporting a pencil mustache and attired in a pale yellow suit. Signed "Helen La France" lower right and dated "'89". Pen notes en verso identifying the sitter along with a quote from the artist "ALWAYS dressed nice". Housed in a molded Chinese-style wood frame with brass corner elements. Sight: 22 1/4" H x 18 3/4" W. Framed: 26 1/2" H x 22 1/2" W. Note: In 1973, Cornell Jones became the first African American elected to the Mayfield, Kentucky City Council, and the first African American councilman in Graves County. He was re-elected to a third term in 1977. Jones was also a former president of the Mayfield NAACP Branch and was a WWII Army veteran. Cornell Jones was born in Paris, TN, the son of Velma L. Jones Blythe and James Provine. For more see "Mayor, 45 councilmen are black city officials," in 1978 Kentucky Directory of Black Elected Officials, Fifth Report by the Commission on Human Rights, p. 2; and Papers of the NAACP, Selected Branch Files, 1956-1965: Series A: The South, Jones, Cornell 7:0035 (Courtesy: http://nkaa.uky.edu/). Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - Drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 29, 2022
Helen LaFrance O/B Portrait, Possible Self Portrait
Est: $1,000 - $1,200
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on board painting, possibly a self-portrait depicting the artist in her mid-80's. The subject wears a black and white floral patterned dress with her hair braided over to one side, and looks directly and serenely at her viewers. Signed lower right "Helen La France" and dated "7-2004" lower left. Housed in an antique gilt carved and ebonized wood frame. Sight: 20 3/8" H x 15 3/8" W. Framed: 30 1/2" H x 25 1/2" W. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings"--drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Oct. 23, 2021
Helen LaFrance Folk Art Painted Gourd
Est: $300 - $350
Helen LaFrance (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) painted gourd decorated with blue and white flowers on a blue ground. Signed, "Helen LaFrance," at base. 10" H x 9 1/2" dia. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Kentucky collection, purchased from LaFrance Art Gallery, Mayfield, KY.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Oct. 23, 2021
Helen LaFrance O/B Painting, Autumn Landscape with Farmhouses
Est: $600 - $700
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvasboard painting depicting a country road flanked by a farmhouse and a barn, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage beneath a cloudy blue sky. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Housed in a black wooden frame. Sight: 12 1/2" H x 22 3/4" W. Framed: 14 1/4" H x 24 1/2" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Kentucky collection, acquired directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Oct. 23, 2021
Helen LaFrance Painting, African Scene
Est: $1,600 - $1,800
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvasboard panoramic painting depicting an African village, with human and animal figures bustling among various tents under palm trees, with foliage in the foreground. Signed lower right. Housed in a molded giltwood frame with green mat. Sight: 23" H x 47" W. Framed: 28" H x 52" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Note: while most of La France's paintings depicted scenes from her own life, this painting seems to present a rare, imagined view of the land of her ancestors. It was acquired by the consignor directly from the artist, who was a personal friend, and appears to be one of LaFrance's early works.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 24, 2021
Helen LaFrance O/C, Church Picnic
Est: $3,000 - $3,400
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) large oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a Church Picnic, with automobiles parked in front of a church and horse and buggy approaching lower left; a table is being spread in the background, while little girls play a circle game in the right foreground. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Molded stained wood frame with Lyzon, Nashville frame label en verso. Sight: 15 1/2 "H x 29 1/2" W. Framed: 21" H x 35" W. Provenance: Private Tennessee collection, acquired by consignor's parents directly from the artist. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen LaFrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 24, 2021
Helen LaFrance Oil on Board Panoramic Farm Scene
Est: $2,400 - $2,800
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) large oil on board panoramic painting depicting a group of cows resting and grazing by a barn structure with two male figures working far right foreground, a dirt road bordered by a whitewashed fence and a farmhouse with two female figures and a clothesline mid-ground, and several farmsteads nestled amongst rolling green hills below a bright blue sky background. Signed and dated lower right "Helen Lefrance '95". Housed in an ebonized and gilt wood frame. Sight: 23 1/2" H x 47 3/8" W. Framed: 26 1/2" H x 50 1/4" W. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 30, 2021
2 Small Helen LaFrance Paintings, Quilts on a Line
Est: $400 - $600
Two (2) small Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas paintings, both depicting houses next to quilts on clothes lines in a landscape setting beneath a cloudy blue sky, with groups of children playing "ring around the rosie" in the foreground. One signed "Helen La France" lower right. Both housed in white painted wooden frames with foliate running patterns and off white linen liners. Sights ranging in size from 4 3/4" H x 6 3/4" W to 6 3/4" H x 4 3/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Mississippi collection, acquired by consignor's mother directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 30, 2021
Helen LaFrance O/C, Fourth of July Picnic
Est: $700 - $800
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas painting depicting a crowd of people gathered outdoors for a patriotic program, possibly a 4th of July Independence Day event, with a number of figures dressed in military uniforms. Some people in civilian clothes stand while others are seated at red and white cloth covered tables. At center, a United States flag flies over a dais as one figure appears to speak from a podium and a woman sits at a piano below. A clearing beyond the podium suggests the scene is set in front of a lake. Signed lower right. Housed in a weathered giltwood frame. Canvas - 9" H x 12" W. Framed - 12" H x 15" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020, in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Mississippi collection, acquired by consignor's mother directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 30, 2021
Helen LaFrance O/B, Cotton Farm
Est: $1,800 - $2,200
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvasboard landscape painting depicting six African American figures picking cotton from a field, with three other figures sitting in horse drawn wagons, foreground and background. A farm building occupies the center of the canvas, while two paddlewheel steamboats pass in the distance, and a brownish cloud hovers overhead. Signed "Helen La France" lower right and dated '95. Sight - 17 3/4" H x 35 1/2" W. Framed - 21 1/2" H x 39 1/4" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Mississippi collection, acquired by consignor's mother directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 30, 2021
Helen LaFrance O/C, Church Picnic
Est: $3,400 - $3,800
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) large oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a Church Picnic, with automobiles parked in front of a church and horse and buggy approaching lower left; a table is being spread in the background, while little girls play a circle game in the right foreground. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Housed in a hand made grain painted frame with carved rondels at corners and beaded rabbet edge. Sight - 24" H x 36" W. Framed - 32" H x 43" W. Biography: "Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work." (Source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Helen Lafrance died November 22, 2020 in a Mayfield, Kentucky nursing home at the age of 101. Provenance: Private Mississippi collection, acquired by consignor's mother directly from the artist.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Sep. 23, 2020
Helen LaFrance (American, b. 1919)
Est: $400 - $600
1981 oil and collage on board. signed Helen LaFrance and dated lower right. Sight: 13 x 10 inches.
Cowan's Auctions
Jan. 25, 2020
Helen LaFrance Painting, Quilts on a Line
Est: $1,800 - $2,200
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on canvas landscape painting depicting a woman doing laundry in tubs on the porch of a rural house while chickens and chicks peck the ground below, and another figure works in a fenced side yard. Brightly patterned quilts hang on clothes lines in the foreground, and clouds dot the blue sky in the background. Signed lower right, "Helen LaFrance." Written en verso, on stretcher: "June 1999" and "Mrs. Hough." There is also an address label en verso of frame for Humphries Studio, Hopkinsville, KY. 17 1/2" x 23 1/2" sight, 21 1/2" x 27 1/2" in stained molded wood frame. Provenance: Private Middle TN collection.
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 17, 2020
Helen LaFrance (b. 1919) Steeplechase, 1997 oil on canvas 17 ½ x 35 ½ in.
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Helen LaFrance (b. 1919) Steeplechase, 1997 incized Helen LaFrance -97 lower right oil on canvas 17 ½ x 35 ½ in.
Christie's
Jul. 13, 2019
Helen LaFrance O/C, Children Sleeping
Est: $1,200 - $1,600
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on canvas painting depicting the interior of a bedroom in an African American home, with vivid floral wall paper and two large and colorful quilt-covered beds, one containing three boys, awake and the other containing two girls, asleep; a woman, presumably their mother, is visible ironing clothes through a doorway to the left, and a kitchen with an old fashioned oven can be seen through a doorway to the right. Signed lower right and housed in a simple wood frame. Sight - 17 1/2" H x 35 1/2" W. Framed - 21" H x 38 5/8" W. American, late 20th century. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
May. 22, 2019
Helen LaFrance (born 1919) Church Fair 25 1/4 x 32in
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Helen LaFrance (born 1919) Church Fair signed and dated '95 / Helen La France' (lower right) and inscribed with title (on the reverse)oil on canvas25 1/4 x 32inPainted in 1995. Provenance: The artist.Private collection, Kentucky, (probably) acquired from the above.Acquired by the present owner from the above, circa 1996.
Bonhams
Jan. 26, 2019
Helen LaFrance Oil on Panel, Church Scene
Est: $1,400 - $1,800
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on panel painting depicting an African-American congregation outside of a church, sheltered behind several large trees, with figures gathering around a white cloth covered table laden with food in the background. Other figures, arriving from automobiles, in the foreground. Signed lower right. Housed in a gilt and black painted wooden frame with linen rabbet edge. Sight - 15 3/4" H x 32" W. Framed - 20 3/4" H x 37 1/4" W. American, late 20th century. Provenance: Private Nashville, TN collection. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings", drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 14, 2018
Helen LaFrance, O/C, Family in Mule Wagon
Est: $600 - $800
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on canvas painting of African-American family riding in a mule wagon on dirt road towards church at far left with a blue sky overhead. Signed lower left. Sight - 10-1/2" x 13-1/2". Framed - 17" x 20". American, late 20th century. Provenance: Private Kentucky Collection. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 14, 2018
Helen LaFrance, O/B, Classroom Scene
Est: $700 - $900
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky b. 1919) oil on artist's board interior scene of African-American students in a classroom. Signed lower left. Sight - 12-1/4" H x 15-5/8" W. Framed - 16-3/4" H x 20-1/2" W. American, late 20th century. Provenance: Private Kentucky Collection. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 14, 2018
Helen LaFrance, O/C, River Baptism
Est: $1,000 - $1,400
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, born 1919) oil on canvas painting titled "River Baptism" depicting a small Black congregation standing by a river shoreline watching a baptism, a church and two parked cars can be seen in the background. Signed lower left and titled en verso. Housed in a contemporary wooden frame. Sight - 19 1/2" H x 29 1/2" W. Framed - 21 1/4" H x 31 1/4" W. American, late 20th century. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen La France was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jul. 14, 2018
Helen LaFrance, O/C, Summer Farm Scene
Est: $1,600 - $1,800
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on canvas painting summer farm scene depicting a small frame home with figure on the porch and outbuildings, pasture, trees and animals background, a garden with figure and quilts on clothes line foreground. Signed lower right. Housed in a contemporary gilt wood frame. Sight - 19 1/8" H x 25 3/8" W. Framed - 27" H x 33" W. Provenance: Private Kentucky Collection. Biography: Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her "memory paintings" - drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. (source: "Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories" by Kathy Moses). Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jan. 27, 2018
Helen LaFrance Still Life with Roses
Est: $500 - $600
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) oil on canvasboard still life painting depicting peach colored roses in a glass vase. Signed lower right. Narrow gilt molded frame. 31" x 23" sight, 33" x 25 " framed. Provenance: Consignor was related to the artist by marraige and acquired this painting directly from the artist. Alternate spelling: Helen La France. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals

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