'Antiques Roadshow' guest loses balance after expert revealed the value of his 100-year-old painting
"Antiques Roadshow" isn't just another platform for people to sell artifacts and collectibles in their possession, but instead, the reaction of guests after learning how much the items cost is what keeps the audience glued to TV screens. This mostly happens to the guests who come to the show with no knowledge of their family heirlooms. Such was the case with one of the most oblivious guests on the BBC show who had walked in with a prized piece of art just by chance but struggled to keep his balance after knowing its value.
In the episode, the guest shared that he wasn't planning to be on the show anytime soon. He explained that he happened to be across the street from the venue of the event, having a cup of coffee with his wife. Looking at the show, his wife suggested that he should bring an old painting that was hanging at home and see if it is of any importance.
The guest obliged and brought the painting to the show. "I left the coffee there and I went down to the house. I live right around the corner here and brought it up here. Now look at me! It's star time here!" the guest said. "Well thank heavens you did!" the expert Hugh Scully replied. The expert went on to add that the painting was one of the most important things he had ever seen on the show. "Well thank god I had the coffee," the guest joked.
He then shared that the painting once belonged to his father-in-law, who was a New Yorker in the rug trade. He explained that he would often go to Paris for business and every time he brought back a painting or something as memorabilia from the trip. He added that he brought this painting from Paris all the way back in the 1920s, and it had been hanging in their home ever since.
The expert then took over to explain the significance of the artwork. "I don't know if there are any Japanese watching the program at the moment but if if there are they'll be quite excited." Scully pointed out that the painting was from famed Japanese artist T (Tsuguharu) Foujita, according to the signature on it. Scully described the artist as the "most important Japanese painter in the Western style of this century."
The expert added that Foujita was a real pioneer who came to Paris just after the First World War. "He was the first Japanese to move into this sort of very avant-garde painting circle," he added. He explained that the artwork was quite unique as it was done in ink and body color, and it had an influence of "Matisse" in the very bold setting of the figures. Scully then asked the guest if he had insured the painting by any chance. The owner, who had no idea of the significance of the painting, said it was just covered under their general home insurance policy. The expert then estimated that the guest should get the painting insured for at least £50,000 or more than $64,000. The appraisal shocked the man who nearly lost balance as he heard it.
Recovering from the shock, the guest remarked that it was the best cup of coffee he had ever had.
