'Extraordinarily important' portrait kept in sleeping bag for protection valued at £100,000
The latest episode of Fake or Fortune unearthed a Scottish story after one of the ‘trickiest’ cases investigated on the show
An “extraordinarily important” portrait by a female Scottish artist, which was kept in a sleeping bag for protection, has been valued at more than £100,000 after art historians investigated the origins of the painting.
The portrait was confirmed to be 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 in the latest episode of BBC One programme Fake or Fortune?
Retired accountant Mary-Louise Wedderburn was left a painting in her uncle’s will two decades ago of an Indian woman in a formal pose, wearing a string of pearls, a large emerald pendant and a nose ring.
Ms Wedderburn always believed the painting may have been painted by Read, her distant relative, but turned to the Fake or Fortune? team for confirmation.
Read, of Logie near Dundee, the daughter of aristocrats Alexander Read and Elizabeth Wedderburn and one of 13 children, was a well-known portraitist who specialised in painting women and children.
Studying in Europe, she moved professionally in elite circles but became largely forgotten as fashions changed and many of her works were later reattributed to male artists.
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 traveled across Europe to Chennai in India, then known as Madras.
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.”
The episode of Fake Or Fortune? is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.