One Antiques Roadshow guest was almost lost for words on Sunday evening, when expert Rupert Maas revealed her drawing was worth as much as £20,000.
The guest owned an illustration by LS Lowry, a renowned English artist who was revered for his detailed depictions of Lancashire and Salford.
Back in the 1980s, the guest spotted a drawing of a coastal area, and picked it up for around £250 in a Manchester gallery.
The drawing caught her eye because it featured a local building which she admired, but she wasn’t particularly a lover of Lowry’s work.
“Are you a Lowry fan?” Rupert asked.
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She replied: “I can’t say I am really. I mean I appreciate his talent and what he did, but it’s not the sort of thing I’d normally buy.”
Rupert went on to explain Laurence Stephen Lowry’s work has become highly desirable in recent years, with his illustrations fetching enormous sums at auctions.
He admired the condition of her illustration, saying: “The thing about this particular drawing is it’s in such spanking condition.
“It’s beautifully unrubbed, it’s almost like the day he did it. So I’ve got to ask you, you’ve had it a long time, you must have bought it in the 80s?”
Then Rupert revealed the drawing would be worth an awful lot more than she originally paid for it today, with the audience nearby letting out noises of surprise.
He said: “It’s now become a status symbol to own a Lowry, that means everybody wants one and this is a particularly good one so I’ve got to put rather a lot of money on it.
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“£15,000, maybe rising to £20000.”
The woman looked a little rattled by the reveal, and exclaimed: “Gosh, that’s fabulous thank you!”
Rupert went on to explain Lowry, who was remembered as a relatively humble man, would have been surprised to learn how much his drawings were worth in modern times.
Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday on BBC One.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
