The BBC’s Fake or Fortune program has been accused of devaluing the work of a famous British painter by questioning its “drama and thriller” origins.
The mural was painted by Ben Nicholson on his friends’ bedroom wall in 1947 as a thank you gift for staying at his friends’ homes.
The current owners of the property in Surrey were rescued by conservationists, who expertly removed the artwork in one piece.
The mural went on to feature in 2022 on the BBC program Fake or Fortune, hosted by Fiona Bruce, which explores the origins of important works of art.
Nicholson’s mural sparked controversy over the exhibition before experts concluded it was “probably” an informal collaboration between the artist and homeowner Fred Staite Murray.
At the end of the episode, art expert Philip Mold said it could be worth between £50,000 and £100,000.
But Lay’s Auctioneers in Penzance, Cornwall, who are now tasked with selling it, say the mural is a genuine Nicholson original, completed solely by his own hand.
They say they gave the 30 x 24 inch mural an estimate of £80,000 due to public controversy.
Similar works by Nicholson sold for £200,000, leading to suggestions that the BBC may have “undervalued” the mural by casting doubt on it for the show.
Mimi Connell-Lay of Lay’s Auctioneers said: “From our perspective there is no doubt that this is an original work by Nicholson.
“The whole point of the program is to ask the question of whether it is or not and to create drama and tension. Given its background and provenance, there’s no doubt to people in the art world that this is a Ben Nicholson work.
“But there was an expert who said this.
“It’s crazy that when you look at the dossier of evidence that the experts on the show produced, they concluded that this was probably a collaborative effort.
“One of the experts on the show stated that he did not think that was how Nicholson would draw the mandolin in the mural, but that was his subjective opinion.”
Auctioneers said Nicholson (1894-1982) stayed at the Surrey home of Fred and Madge Staite Murray while they were organizing an exhibition in London in 1947.
They had 10 paintings by the St Ives artist and he asked if he could borrow five of them for the exhibition, and they agreed.
They believe he probably painted the mural to say thank you. Staite Murrays then protected him behind a Perspex screen at Red Stream Cottage in Bramley.
Leading figures from the art world have visited to take a look at his work, which features distinctive inscriptions, scattered dots and geometric shapes.
After Mr. and Mrs. Murray died in 1972 and 1991 respectively, their neighbors acted as unofficial guardians of the mural.
Ms Connell-Lay said: “Madge died in 1991. The Metcalfs, their close neighbors for more than 25 years, remembered him fondly.
“Over time, they heard many stories from him about famous artists and were shown the mural of Nicholson.
“After Madge’s death they acted as guardians, ensuring that Red Stream Cottage had new owners. [Ian and Julie Herrington] They were made aware of the extraordinary heritage within its walls.”
Nicholson painting was probably a ‘gift’
He added: “The work was featured on the BBC program Fake or Fortune in 2022.
“Although some of the Nicholson experts consulted for the program considered the work to be a collaboration between Nicholson and Fred, the program’s researchers emphasized that the mural was one-handed by Nicholson and was a tribute to his close friends, the Staite Murrays. .
“He was not an artist known for collaborating with others, and although he was married to Barbara Hepworth, one of our finest sculptors, he did not collaborate on art with her.
“It seems implausible that he would have collaborated with Fred on this mural; It seems far more plausible that he did this as a gift to the Staite Murrays and as a sign of appreciation after borrowing so many paintings and leaving their walls bare.
“Current owners [the Herringtons] We ensured that the mural was expertly removed and preserved. It is a remarkable work by one of the most distinguished pioneers of abstract art.
“Looking at recent auction records, a work of this size and date (attributed to Nichols) could easily sell for £100,000-200,000 or more.”
The BBC said Fake or Fortune experts had “formed their own independent views” on the potential value of artworks featured in the programme.
A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC is not involved in any merchandising activities relating to the artwork featured in the series.
“The valuation given in the episode was an estimate of the potential price the artwork could achieve, based on the information available at the time to the experts who viewed the artwork.
“Experts in each program always form their own independent opinions, drawing on their knowledge and expertise.”
The sale will take place on April 11.