Latest news with #FrancesHodgkins
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
How to see the discovery of lost Frances Hodgkins landscape and place she painted it
NZ art curator and Frances Hodgkins' expert Mary Kisler has helped authenticate a lost painting by the acclaimed NZ artist. Photo / Jason Oxenham Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read. Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. How to see the discovery of lost Frances Hodgkins landscape and place she painted it NZ art curator and Frances Hodgkins' expert Mary Kisler has helped authenticate a lost painting by the acclaimed NZ artist. Photo / Jason Oxenham A lost painting by New Zealand art great Frances Hodgkins has been authenticated by BBC show Fake or Fortune, with the help of former Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki curator and Hodgkins expert Mary Kisler. The painting was bought by Robjn Cantus for £35 (c$79) in a Hertfordshire County Council auction of its mid-20th Century art collection in 2019. It has now been valued at £50,000 (c$112,500). Robjn Cantus blogged about the painting. Art blogger Robjn Cantus purchased the Frances Hodgkins painting for £35 at an auction in 2019. Soon after his online purchase, art blogger Cantus posted about the painting, which the auctioneers had attributed to English artist Vera Cuningham. He was messaged saying it might be a Hodgkins. Much of the episode is dedicated to retracing Hodgkins' life in Britain, where she spent much of her career until her death in 1947. It also goes looking for the possible site of the abstract landscape – a mine entrance – among the Roman gold mines of rural south Wales, and the local inn where she stayed, as recorded in her letters. Kisler appears on the show via video link from Auckland to verify that the painting is a Hodgkins. 'I emphatically think it is by Frances Hodgkins,' she tells Cantus and the show's presenters, Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould. 'You can read Robjn's painting as fitting into a really large number of Hodgkins' works. When you lay those works side by side, you can see absolutely that Robjn's work fits among them.' Kisler says she wonders if the painting is October Landscape, a piece exhibited at the Lefevre Gallery in London in 1943 alongside works by Pablo Picasso. 'It's a damn good one,' Kisler says of the painting. 'I'd love to have it myself.' How to see The episode can be seen on unofficial video platforms here or here. Sky Television which screens the series in New Zealand on its Sky Arts channel and is currently showing last year's season of Fake or Fortune? says it is investigating with the BBC whether the broadcast of the latest season can be brought forward. Sky also has available the 2024 documentary Frances Hodgkins, Anything but a Still Life, by New Zealand-based filmmaker Blandine Massiet du Biest available to Sky Arts subscribers on its SkyGo platform.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Painting by New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins worth $100,000 goes undiscovered for years
A painting by pioneering New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins, which was bought at a council auction in the UK for a bargain basement price, has been valued at $112,787 (£50,000). In a recently aired episode of BBC arts programme Fake or Fortune, the artwork belonging to art blogger Robjn
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fake or Fortune finds £35 painting is worth up to £50,000
A painting bought by an art blogger as part of a pair for £35 has been verified as a work by New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins and worth up to £50, Cantus, who lives near Cambridge, bought the picture in 2019 when Hertfordshire County Council sold off its mid-20th Century art was originally attributed to Vera Cunningham, but BBC One programme Fake or Fortune has now discovered its true Kisler, an art historian from New Zealand and the foremost authority on Hodgkins, told the show: "I emphatically think it is by Frances Hodgkins." Mr Cantus bought the painting in 2019 at an auction as part of the county council's Pictures for Schools was one of two in the same lot attributed to paid £35 for the pair but wanted only one of them, and the painting that would later turn out to be by Hodgkins was discarded in a barn he used for he put a picture it on his blog, someone contacted him to say they thought it was a Hodgkins work, and so he began his quest to verify that – ending up on Fake or the painting had no provenance, art experts, historians and an archivist all featured in the research. Mr Cantus said the picture might have been broken while on show at a school, and when it was reframed the original labels that on the back of the picture might have of staff changes at the council, when the picture was returned no-one put a new label identifying it as a Hodgkins, so it remained unattributed for years and its value was not spotted. Who was Frances Hodgkins? Born in New Zealand, she left in 1901 and spent the rest of her life in EuropeA breakthrough in public recognition came in 1929 when her friend and fellow artist Cedric Morris suggested she should be selected for the Seven & Five Society, exhibiting alongside Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Henry MooreBy the 1940s, her work was being lauded in the British pressToday, she is little known outside her native New Zealand, where galleries have been "very active in buying and repatriating the works", said Mr CantusSource: Art UK Hodgkins expert Ms Kisler studied the painting."You can read Robjn's painting as fitting in to a really large number of Hodgkins's works. When you lay those works side-by-side you can see absolutely that Robjn's work fits among them," she Cantus said he was "ecstatic" to hear her verdict."I do wonder if this is October Landscape," said Ms Kisler, referring to a painting by Hodgkins that had not been found. "I think it's a damn good one – I'd love to have it myself."Art expert Philip Mould, who co-presents the BBC programme with Fiona Bruce, said Ms Kisler's verification was "unquestioningly justifying that valuation of £40,000 to £50,000 but also, as a result of this endorsement, it's a picture that hereon will be seen and admired". Mr Cantus said he did not intend to sell it, and it was nice to know that it had been "enjoyed by children, seen on walls – that it was toured from school to school".The painting is now believed to be of an old Roman goldmine painted by Hodgkins when she was staying in Wales at the age of 73."The picture has grown on me immensely," Mr Cantus added."I don't have any idea where I'm going to put it but I'll find a space somewhere." A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: "It's obviously a bit disappointing to find out that we could have raised more money for local services through the sale of this painting, but we are confident that we took good professional advice on the valuation based on the information available at the time."As Fake or Fortune shows, the art market is unpredictable, with experts often having different views on the same piece." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fake Or Fortune expert floored by 'find of a lifetime' bought for just £35 and stored 'in a Primark bag' - as owner's eyes bulge learning its life-changing value
A Fake Or Fortune expert was left floored on Monday after being presented with an item bought for £35 and stored in a Primark bag worth a life-changing sum. The hit BBC show, which is presented by Fiona Bruce, 61, and art dealer Philip Mould, 65, continued with a brand new episode. Fans watched as the pair uncovered a historical painting believed to have been created by New Zealand painter Frances Hodgkins. Robjn Cantus had purchased the piece for just £35 when Hertfordshire County Council sold off its mid-20th-century collection. He then explained how he posted a snap of the painting on his blog, before being told in 2021 it may be by Hodgkins. The keen reader also informed him if it is the real deal, it could be worth up to a whopping £50,000. Robjn said: 'The painting came up for sale as some of the less important works from the Hertfordshire Council Pictures for Schools Scheme in 2019. 'I went on a bit of a trolley dash buying the works, as many were not expensive and there were many items in each lot.' However, with no signature on the painting and another name listed, as well as a scant provenance, it remained questionable if it was the real deal. Struggling to have its authenticity confirmed, the historical painting became one of Fake Or Fortune's most difficult cases yet. After liasing with experts from across the industry, Fiona and Philip gathered Robjn to deliver the verdict. With the painting now framed, it was down to Mary Kisler, the foremost authority on Frances Hodgkins, to break the news. Joining on Zoom from New Zealand, Mary said: 'I empathically think it is by Frances Hodgkins. While Robyn appeared lost for words, Fiona branded the discovery 'the find of a lifetime!' With no signature on the painting and another name listed, as well as a scant provenance, it remained questionable if it was the real deal Despite learning how much it would fetch at auction, he said the colourful piece would now proudly hang on his wall at home. Meanwhile, last month an art collector called Barry James was told the true value of his art work supposedly painted by Winston Churchill. He said how he originally bought the piece for just £140 at an antiques market in the village of Ardingly, in West Sussex. He is later told that if it is the real deal, the art work could be worth a whopping £600,000. Fake Or Fortune airs Mondays at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Cambridge blogger discovers story of painting on Fake or Fortune
An art blogger will soon discover if a painting he bought for £35 is by a well-known New Zealand artist and worth up to £50,000. Robjn Cantus, who lives near Cambridge, bought the picture in 2019, when Hertfordshire County Council sold off its mid-20th Century art collection. Attributed to Vera Cunningham, he now believed it was by Frances Hodgkins (1869- 1947) and he said he "bought it because it was the right price, £35 isn't a lot".The story of his quest features on BBC One's Fake or Fortune on Monday. The council said it "took professional advice on the value of each of these pieces" ahead of the sale. "The painting came up for sale as some of the less important works from the Hertfordshire Council Pictures for Schools Scheme in 2019," said Mr Cantus."I went on a bit of a trolly-dash buying the works, as many where not expensive and there were many items in each lot."Mr Cantus needed illustrations for a book he has since written on Pictures for was a 20th Century project, the brainchild of Nan Youngman, which bought modern British art to lend to schools and "give children artwork that was inspiring to look at". The council made more than £440,000 from its initial sale of the artworks. A council spokesperson said the sell-off followed a review of its collection and a public consultation. "We sold a number of works judged to have little or no significance to Hertfordshire at auction in 2019... with the money raised being invested in local services," they said."One of our aims in selling these works was to find them a better home than our storerooms where they could be properly displayed and appreciated, so whilst it may turn out that this specific painting was worth more, we are pleased that it has found a good home with a new owner." Who was Frances Hodgkins? Born in New Zealand, she left in 1901 and spent the rest of her life in EuropeA breakthrough in public recognition came in 1929 when her friend and fellow artist Cedric Morris suggested she should be selected for the Seven & Five Society, exhibiting alongside Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Henry MooreBy the 1940s, her work was being lauded in the British pressToday, she is little known outside her native New Zealand, where the galleries have been "very active in buying and repatriating the works", said Mr CantusSource: Art UK Mr Cantus admitted he did not even want the picture, but he did want to acquire works by Vera Cunningham - and it was sold as a pair attributed to Cunningham."The Fake or Fortune picture had been put in a horrid 1970s frame, when the original frame was damaged," he original labels on its back were lost and "then it is likely someone guessed it was a Vera Cunningham and wrote it on the back". Mr Cantus put a photograph of it on his blog and thought no more about it until 2021, when someone got in touch to suggest it might be by Ms it out of the frame, he discovered another painting on the other side of the canvas. Having done as much investigating as he could, he got in touch with Fake or Fortune because "it gives members of the public the chance to get a painting validated"."I enjoyed what happened off the camera as much as on," he said."Then you have an out-of-body experience: 'Why am I up a hill, in Wales, with Fiona Bruce, looking at a Roman goldmine?'."The outcome of the investigation is not being revealed until the programme goes out."I stopped thinking of the painting when I cycled back from London with it in a Primark bag," he or Fortune is on BBC One at 21:00 BST on Monday. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
