An Antiques Roadshow guest remained remarkably composed when an expert revealed that a painting she found in a pillowcase was worth a small fortune. The BBC series visited Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey, north Wales, where expert Suzanne Zack examined a "wonderful image" of New York brought in by a guest.
Discovery in a Pillowcase
The guest explained that she discovered the artwork in her late father's loft, wrapped in a pillowcase. "After he'd passed away, we were sorting the house out. It actually went into a charity box but later on, I went back through the boxes and picked it out and put it to one side because it intrigued me," she said. Zack responded, "Well what an amazing discovery, hidden in a pillowcase."
Artist Background
Zack identified the painting as the work of 19th Century American artist Frederick Usher De Voll. She noted that De Voll studied briefly in Paris in the late 1890s and was influenced by William Merritt Chase, a prominent early 20th Century American artist. The painting depicts the New York Stock Exchange surrounded by small figures, likely traders, with towering architecture creating a vertical effect typical of New York between 1915 and 1920.
Appraisal and Reaction
When asked if she liked the painting, the guest said, "I do, because you've just told me a lot I didn't know. But I think it looks different in different lights and you don't see everything straight away." Zack then revealed that the image would likely attract attention in America and fetch between £800 and £1,200. The guest simply smiled and replied, "Good," prompting Zack to add, "I think it's fabulous." The owner thanked Zack for the appraisal. Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
