Art blogger's £35 painting authenticated as Frances Hodgkins work valued at up to £50,000
An artwork bought for £35 has been authenticated as a Frances Hodgkins painting and is now valued between £40,000 and £50,000 after BBC series Fake or Fortune uncovered its origin.
An art blogger who bought two paintings for £35 in 2019 has discovered one is a Frances Hodgkins original now valued at up to £50,000.
Cambridge resident Robjn Cantus acquired the pair at a Hertfordshire County Council auction of mid-20th century school artworks. Initially attributed to Vera Cunningham, one work was stored away after he chose the other.
When Cantus featured the discarded piece on his blog, a reader suggested it might be by Hodgkins. He consulted specialists and appeared on the BBC programme Fake or Fortune to trace its provenance.
Mary Kisler, New Zealand art historian and leading Hodgkins authority, told the show: "I emphatically think it is by Frances Hodgkins." Following her assessment, art dealer Philip Mould confirmed the painting’s valuation at £40,000 to £50,000 and said the endorsement would ensure it "will be seen and admired".
Cantus said he has no plans to sell. "It’s amazing to know it was enjoyed by children and toured from school to school," he added. The painting, believed to depict an old Roman goldmine in Wales, reflects Hodgkins’s loose, impressionistic style.
Who was Frances Hodgkins?
- New Zealand-born artist who spent most of her life working in Europe
- Joined the Seven & Five Society in 1929 alongside Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore
- Gained critical acclaim in the British press during the 1940s
- Her works are highly sought after in New Zealand, with institutions repatriating key pieces
The image above shows Hodgkins’s 1937 work 'Quarry Farm, Wiltshire', illustrating her impressionistic technique.
“A mid-20th century painting bought for just £35 has been authenticated as a Frances Hodgkins original and valued at up to £50,000.”
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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