Pamela Gravenor Nance had plans to hang a watercolour of two nuns in Quebec City on a red wall in her living room. It’s her favourite painting and prized possession. The artist was her father Eric Gravenor, who painted later in his life, before he died at age 64.
Instead, the wall and many others in her new home are empty. Half a dozen of her father’s paintings are missing after moving to Hudson, New York.
“I treasure them so much and I wake up in the morning thinking about it actually makes me nauseous,” said Gravenor Nance. “It’s unbelievable that this would happen.”
Gravenor Nance lived in the Laurentians for 30 years before moving south in February.
She hired Transcontinental Moving. The company picked up her belongings on February 12 and arrived at her new home in New York three days later. That same day she started unpacking her paintings.
“I got a very funny feeling. Pieces are missing. And I started recalling particular ones,” she told CTV News.
Using photos and checking the inventory list, she says six of her father’s watercolour paintings went missing sometime during the move.
The moving company doesn’t know what happened, saying the truck with her belongings was locked at all times.
“The shipment never moved from the truck, it’s almost impossible that it went missing due to the move,” said Transcontinental Moving owner Levent Sozen.
Sozen says he has tried his best to help, by asking his employees and calling other customers.
“But nobody had any clue about the picture boxes,” he said.
Gravenor’s signature is on the paintings and there is an appraisal on the back. But for his daughter, this isn’t about money.
“These are my most prized possessions. And you can have your father’s artwork and not necessarily like it, but I’ve lived with these paintings for 30 years and I just adore them,” said Gravenor Nance.
Gravenor Nance says she is going to file a police report and has contacted local galleries. She has also set a $2,500 reward.
In the meantime, she plans to keep the living room wall empty. She’s holding out hope, the irreplaceable art will be returned.
