The WWI 'copy' that's worth £250,000
(May 10, 2010)An unknown second version of a painting that a prominent First World War artist made of his French lover has come to light at the Antiques Roadshow – and been valued at a record £250,000.
A picture, that was thought to be a copy, brought to the Antiques Roadshow has turned out to be an original painting by Sir William Orpen of his mistress and worth a AR record price of £250,000 Photo: BNPS
Sir William Orpen, who depicted life on the Western front, made the copy as a present for the newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook, who had helped him escape a court martial for painting the original.
Strict rules prevented military artists from painting personal subjects while on tour, but Orpen was so smitten with Yvonne Aubicque, daughter of the mayor of Lille, that he could not resist.
Until now it has been thought that there was only one version of the work, given to the Imperial War Museum on Orpen's death in 1931.
But now the second version has emerged from a south east London home.
Rupert Maas, a painting expert, said the owner was "staggered" to hear its history and value.
Curators at the Imperial War Museum had told the owner, a retired writer in his 60s who does not want to be named, the painting was just a copy. Its back does bear the inscription 'Copy by person unknown'.
But he had a nagging doubt about his picture of a radiant young woman, draped in an army overcoat, which had hung on the wall of his suburban home for years.
Maas was taken by its quality and noticed that the signature – Nepro Mailliw – spelt 'William Orpen' backwards.
He researched the painting and found a reference to the second version in a letter from Orpen to Beaverbrook.
It emerged Orpen returned to France in 1920 to paint it.
Maas said: "Orpen was an official war artist and was not supposed to be doing private work.
"He painted his mistress and called it A Spy but when he sent his work back the censor, a Lieutenant Colonel Lee, was alarmed.
"The idea of a spy was extremely tricky because the English spy Edith Cavell had just been executed and Mata Hari had also been executed.
"Orpen was summoned back to London to explain himself and he tried to bluff it by creating a story.
"In the end Orpen had to come clean – he was facing a court marshal. He charmed Lt Col Lee and they became good friends. The painting was renamed The Refugee.
"Orpen was also friendly with Lord Beaverbrook and it seems it was he who got him off the hook.
"Orpen went back to France and in 1920 painted another version of the picture which he probably gave to Lord Beaverbrook to say thank you."
He described the second version as "warmer than the original".
He said the owner was "staggered" by its value, the highest ever given for a painting on the popular Sunday evening show since it started in 1977.
Maas said: "His uncle bought the painting because he loved it and the owner kept it and hung it in his home all these years because he loved it.
"Both men had no idea it was by Orpen himself and the current owner was staggered that is was worth so much money and couldn't believe it. He is a modest man of modest means.
"It is an extraordinary story."
The owner said: "I'm completely gobsmacked. It's worth more than my house!"
His reaction can be seen in this Sunday's edition of Antiques Roadshow, which was filmed at the Imperial War Museum.
