Home / Arts and Entertainment / Charity Shop Painting Fetches Nearly £190,000
Charity Shop Painting Fetches Nearly £190,000
5 Jun
Summary
- Painting bought for under $100 in 1960s charity shop sold for £189,200.
- Artwork by Scottish Colourist FCB Cadell hung in home for 60 years unrecognized.
- AI helped identify artist after son's research led to valuation.
A remarkable artwork, initially purchased for under $100 in a 1960s American charity shop, has resurfaced to sell for an impressive £189,200 at auction. The painting, "Interior: The Lady in Black," is by the renowned Scottish Colourist FCB Cadell. It was acquired by Helene Plotkin, an art teacher, in White Plains, New York, in 1966.
For sixty years, the painting graced Ms. Plotkin's living room without its true value or artist being known, as the signature was illegible. The breakthrough came when her son, Barry, began researching the piece last year, leading to a valuation at Lyon & Turnbull.
Specialists at the auction house, aided by AI technology to decipher the signature, confirmed the artist as Frances Campbell Boileau Cadell. FCB Cadell, a prominent figure in early 20th-century Scottish art, is celebrated for his distinctive interiors and still lifes.
Helene, now 88 and residing in Florida, expressed her delight, recalling how the painting's "regal presence" and "color theory" initially captivated her. Barry shared the family's amazement and pride in this discovery, which validated his mother's long-held appreciation for the artwork.
