Antiques Roadshow's 103-year-old guest giggles 'what a compliment' after self-portrait gets top value

Edinburgh Live

13-06-2025

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WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest offered a candid critique of a stunning portrait of herself, painted nearly a century ago.
The beloved BBC daytime show journeyed to Derby Roundhouse for another episode, with art expert Philip Mould on hand to meet a variety of guests and their impressive artwork.
One such guest brought along a yellow-tinted portrait of a woman, prompting Mould to comment: "Sometimes it is the defining colour that gives a portrait its name.
"The Blue Boy, The Pink Boy, and perhaps she should be called The Yellow Girl.
"She's a wonderful colour. What can you tell me about her? Is she yours?"
The guest replied: "Well she belongs to the family, she hangs in my parents' house normally.
"I know the artist was Matilda Mulvey", she added, as the expert identified the artist's signature in the bottom left corner.
(Image: BBC)
Mould noted: "And Matilda Mulvey is a very interesting phenomenon, because she is part of the new wave of female artists that are beginning to right the male balance that dominated art history right through the 17th, 18th and early 19th Century."
When asked if she enjoyed looking at the painting, the guest remarked: "Well I suppose I've grown up looking at it so I don't think perhaps I took much notice of it when I was little.
"Now that I'm older and friends see it, it's a big picture, and I suppose people say 'oh wow, that's exciting' and because obviously she is part of the family so that makes it more exciting."
She continued to explain that the portrait was painted around 1930 and the woman depicted in it was her very own grandmother.
"I was looking for the family resemblance and I think I can see it actually", Mould observed. "Now, the big question is, what did the grandmother think of it, because it really is quite a striking 1930s image."
The guest cheerfully responded: "It is striking and well, we can just ask her herself what she thinks of it."
Mould revealed that they had the "astonishing opportunity" to chat with the woman in the painting, leading them to a seating area where he was introduced to both the woman's mother and grandmother.
He expressed: "I have to say it's absolutely wonderful to meet the subject of a picture like this.
"And you are the mother, the grandmother and we've just spoken to the granddaughter!
"So we've got all three of you here. Now, can you recall being painted by Matilda?"
"Oh yes, she was my aunt and she was well known in art circles but not to the general public", the grandmother confirmed.
He enquired if she remembered the yellow outfit, to which she confessed that she "loved" the dress.
(Image: BBC)
"And what did you feel like being painted, seeing yourself emerge on the canvas like that?", he asked.
She shared: Oh yes it was quite fun. I think she had three sittings with me and I liked her, we got on well."
The guest wasn't completely charmed by the painting upon first seeing it, as she remarked: "I know when I saw it first I said 'my arms are too long, they look like a gorilla's.'"
Mould pointed out humorously: "You have got quite long arms though, it's true, but you have got quite long arms in real life."
During the segment, Mould gingerly probed about her age, leading to the revelation that she was a sprightly 103-years-old, herself unsure whether the painting commemorated her 21st birthday or her wedding.
Bringing his assessment to a close, Mould expressed: "Well the painting itself, I think is wonderful. You've brought it to life in an astonishing and novel way."
He then appraised the portrait, valuing it between £3,000 and £4,000, adding sentimentally that it was not just about the object but that he was actually "in awe" of her.
Beaming from ear-to-ear, the pensioner exclaimed: "Oh thank you! Thank you, what a compliment!"
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.