ANTIQUES ROADSHOW ART EXPERT DISCOVERS UNKNOWN GAINSBOROUGH LANDSCAPE

AN ART EXPERT FROM THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW TELEVISION SERIES HAS IDENTIFIED AN UNKNOWN LANDSCAPE PUT UP FOR SALE AT SOTHEBY'S, AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST WORKS OF THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH, WORTH AN ESTIMATED £750,000. PHILIP MOULD, WHO VALUES FINE ART ON THE BBC1 PROGRAM, PIECED TOGETHER CLUES THAT CONVINCED HIM THAT THE PAINTING WAS OF A SUFFOLK VIEW BEING OFFERED AT AUCTION WAS CREATED BY ONE OF BRITAIN'S GREATEST 18th CENTURY ARTISTS. MOULD CHOSE TO BID FOR THE LANDSCAPE OVER THE PHONE SO AS NOT TO ATTRACT SUSPICION -- HE PAID £67,250 FOR THE PAINTING, AFTER THE AUCTION HOUSE FAILED TO IDENTIFY IT AS ONLY A PAINTING FROM 'THE ENGLISH SCHOOL'. MOULD, WHO RECENTLY PUBLISHED A BOOK CALLED SLEUTH: THE AMAZING QUEST FOR LOST ART TREASURES, CLEANED UP THE PAINTING AND SHOWED IT TO A GROUP OF GAINSBOROUGH EXPERTS, ALL OF WHOM AGREED ON ITS AUTHENTICITY. MOULD IS NOW OFFERING THE RARE WORK TO THE GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE MUSEUM IN SUDBURY FOR £750,000. MEANWHILE, SOTHEBY'S, WHICH HAD ORIGINALLY VALUED THE PAINTING AT £10,000 TO £15,000, COULD FACE HAVING TO COMPENSATE THE PAINTING'S VENDOR FOR DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATING ITS WORTH.