A guest on the BBC programme Fake or Fortune? was momentarily lost for words after an item she inherited from her uncle's will two decades ago received a valuation of more than £100,000.
The latest episode of the BBC1 show featured an "extraordinarily important" portrait, estimated to be worth more than £100,000. Retired accountant Mary-Louise Wedderburn was left a painting in her uncle's will of an Indian woman in a formal pose, wearing a string of pearls, a large emerald pendant and a nose ring.
The painting, wrapped in a sleeping bag, was confirmed as a work by 18th-century Scottish artist Katherine Read and verified as the earliest recorded painting of an Indian sitter by a European female artist.
Confirmation of the Artist
Read was a well-known portraitist who specialised in painting women and children. She studied in Europe and moved professionally in elite circles, but became largely forgotten as fashions changed and many of her works were later reattributed to male artists. Ms Wedderburn always believed the painting might have been by Read, her distant relative, but turned to the Fake or Fortune? team for confirmation.
Presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould were tasked with finding authentic Read works to compare with the portrait of the Indian woman. They trawled through dense family archives, spoke to experts, and gathered letters and wills that could bring fresh insights into Read's life in India. They pieced together not only the story of Read but also the people she may have painted, including the Nawabs of Arcot and the local Mughal rulers.
With the help of experts Professor Catriona Seth, Ashvin Rajagopalan, and artist Lachlan Goudie, the art detectives discovered more about Read's "intrepid, bold and eccentric character" and how she travelled across Europe to Chennai in India, then known as Madras.
Expert Verdict and Valuation
British art historian Charles Greig concluded: "This has been one of the trickiest paintings I've ever had to consider." After saying he was "entirely certain that this painting is by Katherine Read", Mr Greig added: "It is the first painting of an Indian by a European woman artist that is recorded, and that in itself is extraordinarily important."
Ms Wedderburn was initially lost for words at the result and said: "It's wonderful, it's unbelievable. It's just so important to me that it's by Katherine Read, because of the family connection, but also because of who she was. The more that we find out about Katherine Read, the more I think she was just a wonderful woman, she was just super. It's been a fabulous journey, and for Charles to be so categoric about the attribution is fabulous."
Mould said they had "just witnessed a significant baptism in art historical terms", adding: "Now that we have a very significant artist – and we also have a highly likely subject – this is a hugely hot area in the art market. We're looking at £100,000 upwards. What a wonderful result. I'm sure we're going to see more works by this pioneering woman artist in India coming out of the woodwork." Bruce said Read had now been given "a voice", adding: "In a sense she will be brought to life."
Fake Or Fortune? airs on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
