Fake or Fortune/Helen MCColl

Unlike Stefano (Ursolini) I watched Fake or Fortune and thoroughly enjoyed it. Indeed I would say last Thursday’s episode was the best I have ever seen.

Typically the programme – now in its fourth series – would feature a picture by (allegedly) a master and the presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould would prepare a dossier advocating its originality to be shown to the Authentication Committee.

Much would depend on this: an original Chagall could be worth up to £100 million and a rejected one 0.1% of that. Worse, the Committee has powers validated by the courts in France to protect his name and reputation by destroying any fake that is discovered. Not even a hug from Fiona would soothe the owner/buyer who had submitted the picture.

Last Tuesday’s episode avoided such issues because (1) the painter Helen McColl was not that well-known and died aged 35 in 1915 from diabetes complications; and (2) Philip Mould considered its value to be £300,000.

There was no Authentications Committee but there was a billionaire collector of McColl’s work – Pierre Lassonde.

The complication was provenance. There was no record of any sale of the picture entitled Women working in the Fields. This was because the title was incorrect but, in the 1915 Royal Academy Relief for War exhibition, Helen McColl did exhibit a painting entitled Bean Harvest.

By interviewing the head gardener of Wisley Fiona Bruce managed to establish that the central figure in the painting was collecting beans. A further picture in Canada illustrated great similarities, which Professor Aviva Beinstock confirmed. The case was now watertight. The picture, acquired in auction by David Taylor, was not “as titled” but was indeed by Helen McColl.

The programme also highlighted the cyclical nature of art dealing.

At the moment women artist are highly collectible.

Freda Kahlo and Paula Rego lead the way but next month the Pallant Gallery in Chichester is devoting an exhibition to Dora Carrington, as Petworth Gallery did for her namesake (but no relation) Laura.

Dane Laura Knight  is fetching big prices and Gwen John is now more highly rated than her brother Augustus.

However, the cycle can go the other way. I recently received the Christies’ British And Irish Modern Masters catalogue.

The Graham Sutherland carried an estimate of £4,000 -6,000, whilst Sir John Lavery equalled the estimate of Walter  Sickert.

Carel Weight and John Piper have moved out of fashion but John Minton is back in.

There are those pretentious art experts, some of whom were not above authenticating a forgery, who look down upon Fake Or Fortune but the inclusion of this story in a news bulletin including the conflict in Lebanon, the future of Gary Lineker, the death of Maggie Smith and the passing of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands says it all.