Artwork 'copy' worth £250k
Published: 07 May 2010
A MAN who took a painting to the Antiques Roadshow thinking it was just a copy was stunned when experts told him it was worth 250,000 ? a record for the programme.
The owner had kept the heirloom on his wall for years without realising it was a forgotten treasure.
Viewers will see his reaction on Sunday when the episode is broadcast. He declares: “I’m completely gobsmacked – it’s worth more than my house.”
The lucky owner, a retired writer in his 60s, has asked to remain anonymous despite appearing on the programme.
The painting is the work of First World War official artist Sir William Orpen and the subject was his mistress, Yvonne Aubicque.
Portrait
Orpen was in France recording the horrors of trench warfare when he found time to paint his young lover, who was the daughter of the Mayor of Lille.
The painting shows her with red cheeks sitting meekly with her hands crossed on her lap wearing an army greatcoat.
Orpen was nearly court-martialled for painting a private subject during wartime but escaped punishment after his friend Lord Beaverbrook stepped in.
In 1920 Orpen painted a near-identical version of the portrait and gave it to the aristocrat as a thank you.
The work was then bought by the current owner’s uncle soon after World War II.
When the artist died in 1931 the first painting was left to the Imperial War museum and it was always assumed the second one was a copy.
It was handed down to the current owner who hung it in the living room of his home in south east London for years before taking it to the Antiques Roadshow.
Despite there being an inscription on the picture stating “Copy by person unknown”, expert Rupert Maas suspected it was by Orpen’s own hand.
Mr Maas realised the painting was of a high standard and spotted the signature on the work, Nepro Mailliw, was William Orpen spelled backwards.
He carried out more research and found a reference to the second painting by Orpen in a letter.
Mr Maas said the valuation was the highest ever for a painting on the show.
He said: “The owner’s uncle bought the painting because he loved it and the owner kept it and hung it in his home all these years because he loved it.
“Both men had no idea it was by Orpen himself and the current owner was staggered that is was worth so much money and couldn’t believe it. He is a modest man of modest means.”
Mr Maas added: “It is an extraordinary story.
“Orpen was an official war artist and was not supposed to be doing private work.
“He painted his mistress and called it ‘A Spy’ but when he sent his work back the censor, a Lieutenant-Colonel Lee, was alarmed.
“The idea of a spy was extremely tricky because the English spy Edith Cavell had just been executed and Mata Hari had also been executed.
“Orpen was summoned back to London to explain himself and he tried to bluff it by creating a story.
“He said that the woman was a German spy who was to be shot by the French and he had been allowed just an hour to paint her.
“He said that she had been given the greatcoat to wear by one of the guards and she was hoping that when she took it off her simple beauty would astonish the firing squad and they wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger.
“In the end Orpen had to come clean – he was facing a court marshal. He charmed Lt Col Lee and they became good friends. The painting was renamed ‘The Refugee’.
“Orpen was also friendly with Lord Beaverbrook and it seems it was he who got him off the hook.
“Orpen went back to France and in 1920 painted another version of the picture which he probably gave to Lord Beaverbrook to say thank you.
“This painting was the one brought to the Roadshow and the owner’s uncle had bought it before the Second World War.
“The owner had been told by the Imperial War Museum that it was a copy but I was able to tell him that it was not a copy, but another version.
“It is warmer than the original and might be more desirable because of it.”
The Antiques Roadshow programme was recorded at Greenwich, south east London, and on Sunday viewers will be able to see both portraits side-by-side.
Mr Mass added: “It makes you wonder just how many people there are out there sitting on national treasures like this.”
