'COPY' OF A PAINTING DISCOVERED TO BE WORTH £250,000.

WHEN A 'COPY' OF A PAINTING BY WARTIME ARTIST SIR WILLIAM ORPEN WAS FIRST TAKEN TO THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW FOR EVALUATION IT WAS JUDGED TO BE NOTHING SPECIAL. AFTER EXPERTS FROM THE LONG-RUNNING BBC PROGRAM DID FURTHER RESEARCH, HOWEVER, THEY WERE ASTONISHED TO FIND IT WAS AN ORIGINAL, AND IT WAS VALUED AT AN INCREDIBLE £250,000. THIS NOT ONLY MADE IT WORTH MORE THAN THE OWNER'S HOUSE, BUT ALSO THE MOST VALUABLE ARTWORK EVER TO APPEAR ON THE SHOW. THE OWNER, WHO AFTER LEARNING THE VALUE OF THE PAINTING NOW WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, WAS LEFT 'COMPLETELY GOBSMACKED' AFTER DISCOVERING THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS TREASURE. ANTIQUES ROADSHOW'S RUPERT 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 IT WAS WORTH SO MUCH MONEY. HE IS A MODEST MAN OF MODEST MEANS.' THE MAN INHERITED THE PAINTING OF YVONNE AUBICQUE, ORPEN'S BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MISTRESS, AND HUNG IT IN HIS LIVING ROOM BEFORE TAKING IT TO A RECORDING OF THE PROGRAM IN GREENWICH. THE STUNNING AND EMOTIONAL STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING WILL BE TOLD ON THE UPCOMING EPISODE OF ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.