'Fake or Fortune?' hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce share the amazing find with viewers. Photo: BBC Studios
'Fake or Fortune?' hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce share the amazing find with viewers. Photo: BBC Studios
'Fake or Fortune?' hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce share the amazing find with viewers. Photo: BBC Studios
'Fake or Fortune?' hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce share the amazing find with viewers. Photo: BBC Studios

Bedroom wall painting uncovered as rare Ben Nicholson piece


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An artwork that was painted directly on to a wall inside a British home has been uncovered as a rare collaborative piece by artists Ben Nicholson and Fred Murray, on the new series of Fake or Fortune? by the BBC.

The abstract piece, estimated to be worth £50,000 to £100,000 ($58,8380 to $117,688), had been displayed in the spare bedroom of a cottage in Surrey, owned by couple Ian and Julie, for the past 20 years.

They had been told it was an original Nicholson by an elderly neighbour who knew the previous owners, but finding out the truth had become a matter of urgency as their home was undergoing construction work that could damage the piece permanently.

In order to get to the bottom of the mystery, the couple turned to the BBC show for the investigative skills of art dealer Philip Mould and presenter Fiona Bruce.

In the first episode of the show's 10th series, Mould and Bruce consult specialists of the artist, museum curators and the family of the home's previous owner to find answers.

British artist Ben Nicholson, who died in 1982. Alamy
British artist Ben Nicholson, who died in 1982. Alamy

If the painting was to be a genuine Nicholson piece, Mould had estimated it could be worth £200,000 as the artist was regarded as "a key figure in European avant-garde" and his artworks have sold for more than £1 million.

This particular artwork depicts a lot of geometric shapes and bright colours, which are evident in Nicholson's other works.

Through the team's investigation, they discovered that the artist had been close friends with the former owners of the Surrey cottage — Madge and Fred Murray — after they found letters sent between them.

Fred had also been a painter and sculptor and a sponsor of Nicholson in his early years.

After the art experts considered the letters proving Nicholson stayed at the cottage and the painting itself, they drew their conclusion that he was likely to have partially created the piece.

Two works by Ben Nicholson, both dating 1949, on display at Sotheby's in November 2019. Getty Images
Two works by Ben Nicholson, both dating 1949, on display at Sotheby's in November 2019. Getty Images

Their evaluation said: "We are of the opinion that this work does contain elements consistent with the work of the artist Ben Nicholson.

"However, we also strongly believe that parts of the composition are by a different hand, most likely that of Fred Murray.

"It's our conclusion that this artwork is probably an informal collaborative piece, and potentially the results of a playful artistic dialogue between Ben Nicholson and his close friend and supporter, Fred Murray."

Despite it potentially not being an original, Mould assured the current owners of the work of art that this was still good news.

He explained: "We're dealing with something most unusual — a collaboration with Ben Nicholson and another artist, something he wasn't known to have done.

"He was an amateur but he was somebody who could paint and also a pivotal part of his life so it's entwining two crucial figures together who were connected to each other. It's a very personal thing.

"I can imagine lots of people being both intrigued and drawn to it, and potential collectors as well."

After Mould estimated the value between £50,000 and £100,000, the couple confirmed they would have the segment of the wall with the artwork painted on carefully extracted, so it could be sold.

Nicholson, the son of artists Sir William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde, died at the age of 87 in 1982 and according to the Tate is "recognised as a leading exponent of the modern movement in Britain".

The British modern artist was married three times, with his second wife being sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth.

After discovering Cubism, the art form would go on to influence his work throughout his life, with the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian often cited as another inspiration.

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

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Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

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Europa League final

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Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)  

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While you're here
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

Asian Cup 2019

Quarter-final

UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
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Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

RESULTS FOR STAGE 4

Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.

Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)

Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)

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What is an ETF?

An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.

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The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash. 

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Updated: August 24, 2022, 9:47 AM`