BBC show Fake or Fortune? made history when it stumbled upon an “extraordinarily important” painting worth £100,000.
The art detective series fronted by Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould was brought a painting wrapped in a sleeping bag and turned out to be a very rare find.
Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould of BBC’s Fake or Fortune? Credit: PA
They were trying to authenticate this painting that had been stored inside a sleeping bag Credit: PA
“We have just witnessed a significant baptism in art historical terms, and now that we have a very significant artist – and we also have a highly likely subject – this is a hugely hot area in the art market. We’re looking at £100,000 upwards,” Phillip said during Thursday’s episode.
Retired accountant Mary-Louise Wedderburn was left the painting in her uncle’s will and brought it to the art experts to authenticate.
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But it was how she delivered it to the gallery that raised eyebrows, she had wrapped it in a blue sleeping bag and then surrounded it with plastic.
“We see all sorts of packaging, but this is certainly a first,” Fiona narrated.
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Mary-Louise Wedderburn was gifted the painting by her uncle in his will Credit: PA
Fiona couldn’t believe the painting was wrapped in a sleeping bag
Fiona said it was an incredible find and an opportunity to shine a light on a woman artist
Mary-Louise said she would not sell the painting but instead put it on public view
She turned to Mary-Louise and asked smiling: “Is this a sleeping bag?”
Mary-Louise replied: “I’m afraid so, I didn’t have any bubble wrap big enough.”
The painting turned out be painted by 18th-century Scottish artist Katherine Read and is the earliest recorded painting of an Indian sitter by a European female artist.
The striking artwork shows an Indian woman posing and wearing a string of pearls, a large emerald pendant, and a nose ring.
Fiona and Philip had a tough job ahead of them and needed to find authentic Read paintings to compare to the portrait.
The art detectives had to not only compare art works, but dig through family archives, interviewing other experts and historians.
The experts learn much about Read who was a well-known portraitist in her time and travelled across Europe and then to to Chennai in India, known then as Madras, where she may have painted the intriguing portrait.
“This has been one of the trickiest paintings I’ve ever had to consider. I’ve read your dossier very carefully and it’s incredibly impressive,” exclaimed art historian Charles Greig during the episode.
After much work the various experts concluded it was indeed a Read portrait.
Greig added: “The evidence… [was] very conclusive. And more so, it is the first painting of an Indian by a European woman artist that is recorded, and that in itself is extraordinarily important.”
Mary-Louise herself could not believe what the experts had learned, especially because Read is a distant relative to her.
“It’s wonderful, it’s unbelievable… It’s just so important to me that it’s by Katherine Read, because of the family connection, but also because of who she was,” she said.
“What a wonderful result, I’m sure we’re going to see more works by this pioneering woman artist in India coming out of the woodwork.”
Fans watching at home were delighted with the result and to learn more about women artists.
“Love when they shine a light on women artists. Catherine Read is a new one to me,” wrote one person on X.
Another added: “I can honestly say I haven’t been so drawn in (pardon the pun) by a programme in a very long time. Well done.”
