A rare work by one of Britain’s finest artists prompted an equally rare response after being given an astronomical valuation on Antiques Roadshow.
Sunday evening’s instalment of the long-running BBC show welcomed guests and their prized possessions at historic country venue Stonor House, in the heart of Oxfordshire.
But art historian Lawrence Hendra was visibly stunned after being confronted with an original work by mid-20th century artist L.S Lowry, famed for his industrial urban landscapes.
The artist, who died in 1976 aged 88, is one of Britain’s most faked artists, but his framed painting of a crudely drawn male figure was fortunately authenticated by an undisclosed gallery, having been purchased for less than £200 in the mid-sixties.
‘He painted the mood of the nation, I think,’ said Hendra. ‘Provenance of Lowry is crucial.
A rare work by one of Britain’s finest artists prompted an equally rare response after being given an astronomical valuation on Antiques Roadshow
Art historian Lawrence Hendra was visibly stunned after being confronted with an original work by mid-20th century artist L.S Lowry
‘Now thankfully, on the reverse of your picture you have a label from the gallery that represented Lowry as you know and sold many of his works and you also have this letter.’
Producing a piece of correspondence from the gallery, he added: ‘And this letter was sent to you from the director of the gallery in 1998, and he says “further to your letter of the 29th July the painting by Lowry was sold by us in 1965 for £175 and its got all of the labels and stock codes.”‘
However the valuation elicited little more than a subdued chuckle and a thank you from its elderly owner – a contrast to the usual astonished reaction.
‘In terms of value, I think if your painting were to come up for auction, I would expect to see it sell for a figure in the region of £60-£80,0000,’ said Kendra.
The show previously welcomed Swallows and Amazons actress Sophie Neville while filming from the Lake District, 50-years after she appeared in the iconic family film.
The former child star, 64, who played Titty Walker and is now an author, brought along memorabilia from the 1974 set including pirate flags and a bow and arrow.
The film, based on the 1930 novel by Arthur Ransome, followed the Walker children and their adventures in the Lake District while setting sail in their dinghy named Swallow.
Expert Mark Allum was blown away by the collection, as Sophie said: ‘[Starring in the movie] was an amazing opportunity and we came up her and filmed it on location’ as they looked out over lake Windermere.
The artist is one of Britain’s most faked artists, but his framed painting of a crudely drawn male figure was fortunately authenticated by an undisclosed gallery
Its £60-£80,0000 valuation elicited little more than a subdued chuckle and a thank you from its elderly owner – a contrast to the usual astonished reaction
Seeing the Swallows’ original flag from their boat the antiques impresario said: ‘I just have to touch it in reverence’.
Sophie then quipped: ‘My character Titty made that flag, in reality the prop men made it, and I was 12 played a nine-year-old and I thought that those stitches were pretty shoddy and big and I could had made a much neater one’.
Moving onto valuation Mark mused: ‘In monetary terms, worth about £4,000 to £6,000 at auction’.
Shocked the actress asked: ‘Really?! These little things?’.
Smiling he assured her: ‘Those die hard fans out there would kill for a bit of movie memorabilia like this’.
The show previously welcomed Swallows and Amazons actress Sophie Neville while filming from the Lake District, 50-years after she appeared in the iconic family film
The former child star, who played Titty Walker (pictured second right in the movie) brought along memorabilia from the set including pirate flags and a bow and arrow
![Expert Mark Allum was blown away by the collection, as Sophie said: '[Starring in the movie] was an amazing opportunity and we came up her and filmed it on location' as they looked out over lake Windermere'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/17/10/85904433-13537637-image-a-53_1718614816339.jpg)
Expert Mark Allum was blown away by the collection, as Sophie said: ‘[Starring in the movie] was an amazing opportunity and we came up her and filmed it on location’ as they looked out over lake Windermere’
Seeing the Swallows’ original flag from their boat the antiques impresario said: ‘I just have to touch it in reverence’
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