‘Fake’ painting found to be worth $3.2 million
It’s every art collectors dream – buying a picture with the wistful hope that one day they’ll be told it’s worth millions of dollars.
Meet British businessman Henry Reid, the man who thought he was the owner of a “beautiful painting” but is actually the millionaire buyer of an original John Constable painting.
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Appearing on BBC show Fake or Fortune, the twisted tale of the painting was revealed – with art dealer Philip Mould convinced it might be an original form the start.
After originally purchasing it in 1995 for $16,250 as a young dealer, Philip took it to a leading expert who said no.
“Being a dealer, I couldn’t hang onto it for a very long time, because art dealers can’t afford to put money into a picture and hope and wait,” he said on the show.
He had a chance to buy the painting five years later at double the cost, and tried to prove the picture’s authenticity – and failed.
Philip then sold it to Henry in 2000 for nearly $57,000.
“It was a beautiful scene, it was beautifully painted and I loved it - it was as simple as that,” says Henry.
The businessman also admits he had a hunch Philip was right – and Philip was right with experts in Los Angeles confirming it was an original
Despite letting the sale of the century slip through his hands, Philip managed to handle his multi-million dollar loss surprisingly well.
‘I’m enormously happy for [Henry],” he said.
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