A woman on Antiques Roadshow was left stunned after finding out the painting she had bought at a charity shop for £25 had racked up a huge value.
The BBC show returned to one of the grandest houses in Wales, Powis Castle, on Sunday, July 2.
In the episode, guests shared their stories behind a whole range of items, including a ventriloquist’s dummy, a 300-year-old love token and a gold brooch in the shape of a bird.
READ MORE: Antiques Roadshow guest bursts into tears at family ornament’s huge valuation
But it was an oil painting, which depicted the Scottish islands, that had people talking as the guest that bought it at a charity shop for £25 almost 10 years ago was left amazed by its valuation.
(Image: BBC)
Introducing the piece of art, a thrilled Grant Ford explained: “This is such an immediate, fluid, colourful painting, I’d love to be able to paint just like this.
“It really is a confident, colourist painting, now, it’s an oil on canvas and it’s clearly signed lower right, Cunningham.”
Asking the guest how she came to own it, she replied: “So I bought this painting 10 years ago, it’s a Scottish scene, a peninsula on the west coast of Scotland and we’d all had a family holiday there.
“We were driving home, all the way back to Shropshire, and my children were only 10 and 12 and I realised the rain was coming down and I had no raincoat for the children, so I stopped at the nearest charity shop and went in to get a raincoat but I didn’t get a raincoat, I got a painting.”
(Image: BBC)
“What a lovely story, gosh, I wish I got there before you,” Grant responded.
He went on to explain that John Cunningham was born and bred in Lancashire but was centred in Glasgow where he was a senior lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art.
Upon retiring he became a professional artist in 1985, and the oil painting brought to the Roadshow was a desired piece.
Grant then asked: “You go into the charity shop for a raincoat, and you find a picture by John Cunningham, one of his favourite subjects, what did you pay for it?”
(Image: BBC)
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The guest explained she paid £25 for the painting 10 years ago, to which Grant replied: “I just think that’s an amazing bit of luck because this is a very sought-after painting and actually holds quite a lot of value.
“I can confidently say it’s worth £4,000 to £6,000.”
“Oh wow, that’s quite astonishing for £25, I’m glad I bought it,” the delighted guest.
To which, Grant replied: “You could have found a raincoat that day, luckily you found a brilliant painting.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
