An Antiques Roadshow expert was left stunned by a special painting of Hamlet’s Ophelia
Antiques Roadshow guest reacts to valuation of rare painting
An Antiques Roadshow expert was left stunned by a “conundrum” painting worth thousands.
A recent episode of the popular BBC show was filmed at Stephens House and Gardens in North London, where residents turned up to have their treasures and artwork valued by specialists.
During the programme, which was broadcast last weekend (September 21), print expert Alexandra Gill was shown an unusual painting depicting Hamlet’s Ophelia.
“I’m really glad you brought this in, because this is a perfect example of a work that’s a bit of a conundrum,” she began.
“Because it looks 19th century but actually, it’s a 20th century artist. Frank Cadogan Cowper was working in first half of the 20th century,” reports the Express.
The visitor revealed that her great-grandmother purchased the artwork in the UK after moving from Boston. She subsequently took the piece back to America with her.
“Cowper has always been known as the last of the Pre-Raphaelites. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English artists. It’s main artists were John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti,” Alexandra explained.
“They were really, themselves, harking back to the Italian Renaissance. They focused a lot on detail, and a lot of the subjects were literary and religious.
“So, Cowper took this on in the 20th century, and I find it really interesting. This is a time of massive change in the arts, we’ve got Picasso and Matisse.
“And yet, we have an artist here who is holding true to his own vision and continuing with this absolutely fantastic Pre-Raphaelite style work.”
Alexandra went on to explain that Cowper would often have the whole story in one scene, with this particular painting portraying Ophelia, a character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
“He would always include a lot of symbolism in his work, so that people could work it out. So, I think the beads probably play a part in it. Even that reflection of the spinning wheel, that’s there for a reason,” the expert continued.
Alexandra then revealed that the painting could fetch between £12,000 to £18,000 at auction, if its condition met the correct standards.
“Oh my, okay! That is more than I expected… That’s lovely. Oh my gosh, I love it. Well, I loved it anyway. Thank you so much,” the stunned guest replied.
Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
