BBC Antiques Roadshow expert refuses to value WWII painting due to surprising backstory: ‘I’m not going to!’
Antiques Roadshow expert Frances Christie was left going against the norm during Sunday’s rerun of the BBC show.
Alongside Fiona Bruce, Christie and her fellow experts headed to the Ulster Folk Museum to peruse over the treasures several guests had brought in to see if there were any hidden gems.
But one guest went home none-the-wiser as to whether their item was worth an impressive sum or not when she had it examined by BBC regular Christie.
“This is an incredibly striking portrait of a priest in watercolour and I love how the artist has captured the glint on his glasses. Can you tell us a bit more about the sitter?” Christie asked the guest.
The Antiques Roadshow guest revealed a familial connection to the portrait, replying: “The sitter is my uncle, Father Dan Cummings. And he was a Redemptorist priest.
“And when World War II broke out, Ireland was neutral. But then, they got a request for chaplains. So, Dan volunteered and joined the British Army. He was part of the liberation forces at Belsen.”
Christie provided some context: “And of course, as we now know, Belsen was one of the very large concentration camps in the north of Germany, and it was one of the first to be liberated by British troops.”
The guest nodded before delving further into the history of the painting: “Once the liberation happened, he stayed on in the hospital for one year.
“And during that period, this was painted by one of the inmates, presumably as part of his recuperation and rehabilitation.”
Christie leaned in to take a closer look as she put her expertise to work: “Well, it’s signed at the top… ‘Baumeister, Hans’, and dated 1946. So the year after liberation.
“As you say, it must’ve been part of the period directly afterward when, you know, we all know the story now, (but) it was such a shocking discovery when they liberated Belsen.
“What I think is incredible about this portrait though is that it brings alive – and you’re sharing with us – the experiences of clearly someone, from here, who devoted his services and clearly made a real difference.
“Clearly, I mean the fact that it’s signed, ‘Hans Baumeister’, who is an artist that I’ve never come across before but looking at the portrait, it’s really beautifully painted.”
The guest then showed a photo of Father Dan, which prompted Christie to comment: “I think the artist has really captured his likeness. And, of course, the trademark glasses.
“As the deliberation neared its conclusion, Christie explained: “In this instance, art really is a symbol of two very different people coming together…
“In terms of value, I mean, this is the Antiques Roadshow, so we usually do put a value on things but I’m not going to put a monetary value on it today because it is so much more important than that.
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“Because of its connection with Belsen, because of your uncle being someone from Belfast who was there at the moment of liberation… it has so much more of an important social (and) historical content.
“Thank you for sharing Father Dan’s story with us,” Christie said as she brought the discussion to a close.
The guest didn’t seem to mind the lack of an estimate – but this isn’t the first time in recent weeks an expert has decided against providing a valuation.
Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan hit headlines after refusing to value an item linked with the slave trade during a recent episode.