Antiques Roadshow visitor struggles to catch breath after studying life-changing worth of grandfather’s portray

A guest on Antiques Roadshow struggled to catch his breath after learning the life-changing value of his grandfather’s painting.

Expert Rupert Maas was presented with the art work on the BBC programme to evaluate at Belmont House in Faversham.

Rupert admitted that though the painting was signed by David Hockney, ‘this is not at all what I’m used to seeing by David Hockney’.

The guest explained how his grandfather, Wallace, had purchased the piece when he was working as a signalman. 

‘My grandfather saw two young artists on a platform when he was a signalman in a tiny station,’ he said. 

‘He noticed their equipment so he invited them into the signal box and gave them a cup of tea.’

The guest explained how his grandfather, Wallace, had purchased the piece when he was working as a signalman

Rupert admitted that though the painting was signed by David Hockney, ‘this is not at all what I’m used to seeing by David Hockney’

Rupert described the painting as ‘very rough and ready’ and admitted he was ‘initially incredulous’

The grandfather invited the two painters over for Sunday lunch, ‘because they were living in straitened circumstances’.

‘So they came to Sunday lunch and he said ‘oh, bring a painting’ and Wallace bought a painting from each of them,’ the guest revealed.

However, he was able to provide reasoning for why the artwork was Hockney’s and said: ‘A year later, he brandished a piece of paper showing one of these guys [Hockney] had won the gold medal from the Royal College of Art.

‘That’s my case, it’s a Hockney.’

Rupert described the painting as ‘very rough and ready’ and admitted he was ‘initially incredulous’.

The expert had done some research and confirmed Hockney had been in the area in the timeframe the guest described during his final year at Bradford art college with a fellow student.

‘So I think it is a Hockney,’ he added.

Rupert asked the guest how much he thought it was worth who estimated £10,000

The guest was visibly shocked and said: ‘Thank you for that information, thank you very much’

It comes after another Antiques Roadshow expert warned a guest ‘brace yourself’ as he revealed the eye-watering value of a diamond she didn’t think was real 

Rupert asked the guest how much he thought it was worth who estimated £10,000.

‘I think you might be right but I think it is closer to £20,000 to £30,000,’ Rupert revealed.

The guest was visibly shocked and said: ‘Thank you for that information, thank you very much.’ 

It comes after another Antiques Roadshow expert warned a guest ‘brace yourself’ as he revealed the eye-watering value of a diamond she didn’t think was real.

In an episode that first aired back in 1998 and was recently repeated on BBC One, a woman brought along a brooch for Geoffrey Munn to value in Hull.

The accessory was a family heirloom that originally belonged to the guest’s great-grandmother. 

Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.