francene--blog. Year 2013
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Dec 29th

12/29/2013

 
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Everyone dreams of finding one of their possessions is actually worth a fortune. Recently, a painting featured on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow has been revealed to be a Sir Anthony Van Dyck portrait worth about £400,000.

The Antiques Roadshow show will be broadcast on the UK BBC tonight. One of the people featured, Father Jamie MacLeod who runs a retreat house in north Derbyshire, took the artwork to Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in 2012. He wanted to sell the piece by the 17th Century Flemish artist to buy new church bells. At the time, the presenter thought it might be more valuable than first thought.

The paintings featured are all well-known, not the new discovery.



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Following restoration, the painting was verified by Dr Christopher Brown—one of the world authorities on Van Dyck. The painting emerged from under layers of paint to show Van Dyck's skills of direct observation that made him such a great a portrait painter.

The portrait, originally bought at a Cheshire antiques shop, is the most valuable painting identified in the show's 36-year history.

Van Dyck was the leading court painter in England under King Charles I and is regarded as one of the masters of 17th Century art.


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Another painting, a Van Dyck self-portrait, was recently sold to a collector who wants to take it abroad. It has become subject to a temporary export ban. The National Portrait Gallery is trying to raise £12.5m to keep it in the UK.

My husband told me a story of finding and selling paintings when he was a boy of about 10 years in London just after the end of WW2. His father used to buy old pianos and refurbish them before selling them on. While he worked, he sent his two sons out to search for good pianos. I can't remember how it happened, but somehow they got hold of five large oil paintings. They might have been included in a lot. With the cumbersome paintings under their arms, the brothers traipsed into various second-hand shops and finally sold them on their father's instructions. To this day, my husband wonders about their real value.


Deb link
12/28/2013 06:34:35 pm

I am in Australia and Yes! we watch the antique road show! It is fascinating to see what treasures are uncovered.

Francene Stanley link
12/28/2013 09:38:17 pm

Isn't television wonderful? I remember when the Antiques Roadshow set up in Melbourne a few years ago. It did my heart good to see my former country again.

Beth Hewitt link
12/28/2013 10:25:31 pm

Hi Francene,

What a lovely post. I love the antique roadshow and also love antiques and their social history. You just never know where a treasure might be hiding.

Beth :)

Magical_Mystical_Mimi link
12/28/2013 11:45:32 pm

The BBC's Antique's Roadshow is my very favorite! This is a great post. It would be very interesting to know what those paintings were and their value.
Stopping by from the UBC.
Happy New Year!

Sophie Bowns link
12/29/2013 02:26:55 am

It's fascinating to see work which has been hidden from the public eye for so long!

Alana link
12/29/2013 04:39:32 am

Antiques Road Show. Yes, another show we Americans took from the BBC - you've had it a lot longer than us! I watch the American version on our Public Television on and off, here in upstate New York. We all dream of a treasure in our attic (or elsewhere in our house), don't we.


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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