A Modigliani, however, was assessed at £100,000 by an art expert after they leaned up close and smelled it.
Presenter Fiona Bruce of BBC One’s Fake or Fortune looked into whether the drawing seen above, which is believed to be by the Italian artist Modigliani and to have been created between 1915 and 1919.
But after confirming it smelled like the “period it was formed,” Dr. Kenneth Wayne conducted a “smell test” to establish its worth.
Presenter Fiona Bruce looked into whether the drawing in the image, which is believed to be from from 1915 to 1919, was indeed by the Italian artist Modigliani on Tuesday night’s episode of BBC One’s Fake or Fortune.
The drawing was characterized as feeling and smelling of the period it was done by the president of The Modigliani Project, who is presently in charge of a new Catalogue Raisonne of Modigliani’s works, persuading a panel of specialists that it was authentic.
When Henrietta Sitwell, the owner, disclosed that her late grandpa had met the Italian artist in Paris in the 1920s, she broke down in tears.
The appraisal, she added, “is clearly a fantastic outcome, but what I’m really struck by and thankful for is the rekindled connection to my late grandpa via this lovely and delicate artwork.”
Mr. Mould, an art expert, adding that it’s also possible that the subject of the sketch is the same as Modigliani’s well-known oil painting from 1918, “Little girl with plaits.”
Dr. Kenneth Wayne conducted a “smell test” to establish its worth after confirming it smelled like the “period it was formed.”
It is fantastic to have assisted in christening a new and undiscovered piece by Modigliani, he added, adding that the name Modigliani is a magical one to collectors worldwide.
It is much more emotional as a rediscovery of a Modigliani since it was handled by two persons who knew him and contributed to the creation of his famous legacy.
The ninth season of the BBC program premiered last week and focused on the uncommon cooperation between amateur painter Fred Murray and English abstract artist Ben Nicholson.
Viewers were shown the moment a section of the wall was hacked away to rescue the painting, which was a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a market worth of between £50,000 and £100,000 and had been painted straight into a bedroom wall in a Surrey house.