FAKE OR FORTUNE GUEST DISCOVERS UNCLE'S PAINTING WORTH £100,000

A retired accountant inherited a painting from her uncle's will two decades ago without knowing its true value. Mary-Louise Wedderburn appeared on the BBC1 programme Fake or Fortune?, presented by Fiona Bruce and art dealer Philip Mould, to investigate the portrait's origins. The painting, which depicted an Indian woman in formal dress wearing pearls, an emerald pendant and a nose ring, was subsequently valued at more than £100,000.

The portrait was confirmed to be the work of Katherine Read, an 18th-century Scottish artist. According to the programme, the painting represents the earliest recorded work by a European female artist depicting an Indian sitter. Read specialised in portraiture, particularly of women and children, and moved in elite circles during her career. However, many of her works were later reattributed to male artists as fashions changed, and she became largely forgotten over time.

Wedderburn, a distant relative of Read, had long suspected the painting's authorship but sought confirmation from the Fake or Fortune? team. Bruce and Mould compared the portrait with other authenticated Read works to verify its provenance. The programme described the painting as "extraordinarily important" in establishing Read's artistic legacy and her place in the history of portraiture.