A painting bought at auction for just over £2,000 has been uncovered on the new series of Fake Or Fortune? as a lost piece by Helen McNicoll worth an estimated £300,000.
The buyer, David Taylor, an artist from Lincoln, discovered the signature of the Canadian impressionist after taking the artwork out of the frame.
With the help of the show’s team, which includes presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould, he was able to prove its authenticity.
After carrying out some research, Bruce read out a professional opinion which said they believed there was enough evidence to support the conclusion that the painting was a lost work by McNicoll called The Bean Harvest, dating from the early 20th century.
Earlier in the episode, Bruce found that the picture had been exhibited in Canada five times between 1912 and 1913, but with no indication of its whereabouts since.
Canadian philanthropist Pierre Lassonde, a major collector of McNicoll’s work, flew over to London for a special visit to see the painting in person.
On the show, he said: “For a painting that has been missing for 110 years I think it’s fantastic… I wouldn’t mind adding one more piece to my collection.”
Bruce said: “I’d not heard of Helen McNicoll before we started investigating this painting, but what a pioneer she was – a woman at that time, the early 20th century, travelling abroad with her easel while profoundly deaf.
“I’m so glad we’ve been able to bring her name to wider attention.”
Co-host Mould said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery – the type many art buyers dream of – and a reflection of both David’s shrewd eye and the massive increase and desire for the work of high-quality women artists that is motivating collectors and museums on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Mr Taylor added: “It’s been an absolute adventure, the Fake Or Fortune team and the BBC have made the journey memorable and exciting.
“I believed in the painting from day one, and I’m hopeful that it could achieve a record price.”
The painting is currently being stored in a gallery and Mr Taylor is planning to sell it at auction in the near future.
– Fake Or Fortune? Series 12 airs weekly on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
