Buyer believes painting listed for $200 is $31K McCahon
By Soumya Bhamidipati of RNZ
A painting thought to be worth about $200 has instead sold for over $31,000 in the United Kingdom, after it was identified as a work by famed Canterbury artist Colin McCahon.
The work, titled 'Truth from the King Country: Load bearing structures' was consigned to John Nicholson's auctioneers for £80-100 (NZ$180-220). It instead fetched £14,000 (NZ$31,220) when it sold on 23 April to a New Zealand buyer against Australian bidding.
A publicist for the auction house, Lucas Field Media, said the painting was identified as a work by the leading New Zealand artist on the day of the sale.
"We had no contact from anyone about the painting before the sale."
The 23cm x 33cm acrylic on canvas board artwork had been catalogued as 20th Century School, possibly Australian. It depicts a black 'T' shape against a green and yellow landscape.
"The work, from 1978, was inscribed, signed with initials, and dated verso, but the signature was not initially recognisable."
The company noted a photo of the back of the painting, published on the auction house's website, may have helped with the identification. The title and 'T' motif have also been used by McCahon in other works. Colin McCahon Trust not approached
However, the New Zealand-based Colin McCahon Trust said it had not been approached to verify the artwork.
Chair Peter Carr said the trust had a rigorous process for reviewing and verifying artworks thought to be by McCahon, carried out by a panel of experts.
"The work sold at auction last week has not been through this process so it is not possible to comment on the veracity of the artwork. The trust was not aware that the work was for sale and has not had any correspondence with the auction house."
The organisation is currently working on creating a digital archive of all of McCahon's works "to enable access and to preserve the integrity of his extraordinary body of work".
The Colin McCahon Legacy Project launched in November last year, and new works have been uncovered and listed on the website.
"However, there are more than 900 works in private collections yet to be researched for the new digital archive, in addition to the 600 works in public collections," Carr said.
"McCahon is one of New Zealand's most significant artists and his work holds a unique place in Aotearoa's cultural heritage. The new website will be the only complete record of McCahon's work, and the trust is committed to ensuring these taonga are digitally available to all New Zealanders and to international website visitors who are interested in McCahon's body of work and interested in New Zealand art history."
The trust encouraged owners of possible McCahon artworks, including pieces listed on its original website and those not yet verified, to contact it for a confidential discussion.
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