A guest on Antiques Roadshow was so shocked by the valuation of a painting that had been in his family for decades that he hid behind it when the potential price tag was revealed. He had brought in a green-washed landscape painting, signed by David Hockney, but English painting specialist Rupert Maas was initially unconvinced that it was genuine.
Hockney was a key contributor to the pop art movement in the 1960s and the painting looked nothing like the iconic work he was famous for, the Express reports. But the guest on the BBC show believed the picture was painted by the artist when he was very young, before he went on to develop his style.
Rupert began: “We are sitting here all day and people bring pictures and the thing they want to know is, is it or isn't it by the artist they say it's by. In this case, your picture says it's by David Hockney.
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“This is not at all what I am used to seeing by David Hockney. David Hockney is one of Britain's leading modern painters, so you will have to tell me what your case is.”
The guest then explained: “My grandfather saw two young artists on the platform when he was a signalman on a tiny station in Trimley St Mary between Felixstowe and Ipswich. He noticed their equipment so he invited them into the signal box and gave them a cup of tea.
“He eventually invited them home for Sunday lunch because they were living in [difficult] circumstances. So they came to Sunday lunch and he said, 'Bring a painting', and Wallace brought a painting from each of them.
“A year later, he brandish a piece of paper saying one of these guys had won the gold medal at the Royal College of Art. So that is my case, that it is a Hockney.”
Rupert responded that “it's not what everyone would think of as a Hockney”, which the guest accepted was true. The expert then pointed out the rather wonky signature, as well as the fact that it had been roughly sawn, to which the guest replied that his mother had sawn it so it would fit into a frame she had.
Rupert then said: “Well I did do a bit of homework, having been initially incredulous. It turns out he was in the village near Felixstowe in 1957 as it was his last year at Bradford Art College and he was there with another artist called John Locker. So will that be the other chap who gave you a painting as well?”
The guest said it would have been the other artist, adding that he had the other painting at home. Rupert asked if it was in the same colours, to which the guest replied that it was.
Rupert then added: “I have this idea that they only had green and brown with them because they were broke! It turns out they loved John Constable and thought they were in Constable country, which of course Felixstowe is not quite.
“And they sort of made a pilgrimage. And also it turned out to be a wonderful place to paint and so they stayed there and hence this meeting with your grandfather, which is quite extraordinary.”
Rupert then delighted his guest when he said: “So I think it is a Hockney. I've come round to your way of thinking.” He then asked the guest what he thought it was worth.
The guest said he believed it would be worth around £10,000, but Rupert shocked him when he said he thought it was closer to £20,000 to £30,000. “£20,000 to £30,000?” the guest asked in disbelief, before hiding behind the painting in shock. “Thank you for that information,” he added.
After the conversation, Rupert spoke directly to the camera, telling viewers: “One of the things about Hockney is that he is so instantly recognisable to most people, that when you see one that isn't, you question it really hard.
“That's the problem with that picture. But it's widened my horizons greatly. I now know what an early Hockney looks like.”
Antiques Roadshow episodes are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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