I've seen countless Roadshow appraisals where the folks acted like total ingrates because the widget that they bought for a dollar wasn't worth millions, but this gentleman's reaction was from a pure and humble heart.
After watching the original AR valuation today I looked it up to see what became of the story. I got teary at his reaction in the end of this. How wonderful for him! :)
Because Orpen had created such a scandal, he didn't want to add to the embarrassment he had caused his benefactor. But pride prevented him from entirely obscuring his workmanship. So, he "hid" his authorship in plain sight with the reverse signature.
Yevone Aubic was about 18 at the time, she appears in many of Orpens war paintings in cameo . Later she married Orpens chaffeur William Grover Williams, he along with a Frenchman Robert Benoist as Great War French fighter ace raced inter war for the Buggatti team. All three later went on to run French Resistance networks, both men dying in Concentration Camps. Yvonne later became a judge at the Crufts dog show, and the two balck and white terriers on Black and White Whisky are siad to be two of hers.
While modern mores have become more liberal, you have to remember that in Orpen's time, having relations outside of marriage was taboo and sometimes punishable by law. Combine that with the possible that he, a British solder, may have consorted with a French spy, well the potential for very real retribution had to have placed Orpen in an embarrassing and legal morass. He technically violated his commission by doing work that wasn't directly involved with the war effort. However, from today's view, we cut him slack because of the beautiful art he created. In this case, the end justifies the means.
Morality dosen't come into it. Propoganda was the problem. The story Orpen put about was that he had attended the execution of a female spy. So what? Yes the French had shot Margaretha Geertuida Mc Cleod. Bettter known as Mata Hari. The Germans had shot Edith Clavell. McCleod was Dutch, the Netherlands being neutral at the time, causing friction. Clavell was a propoganda bonnaza. Orpin's guilding of the Lily was the female spy was stripped nacked before she was shot. That was the 'Outrage'. The British phoned the French, the French furiously denied it, and the hunt was on. Orpen was threatned with being cashierd, bang goes post war carrer , and his 'place in society'. Beverbrook intervened. Orpin wrote a grovelling letter of apology, and the matter went into history. The story of the Female spy being naked when shot lived on! It got attached to McCleod. Though when she wa sshot she had ben allowed two Catholic nuns as companions. One wrote a detailed report of the execution for the Pope. In it McLeod's clothing is described in deatil, the nun refers to a low cut blouse, odd a sshe wa sknown to consider her breast toi small and didn't draw attention to them. Aubic appears in many of Orpens paintings of the Great war as a cameo. Her story of post war Buggatti racing along with her husband William Grover, formely Orpin's Chauffeur . The Prosper Network in WW2 France, dog breeding, black and whate terriers, se ethe front of Black and White Whisky bottle, and her being a Gruft's Judge are a tale in itself.
I saw this when it originally played on the BBC and was taken by the loveliness of this painting. Then in a later show this nice man found out that the value of this portrait, which he clearly loved, was worth so much that he probably couldn't afford to keep it. After the auctioneer, lawyers and the tax man take a whack out of 250,000 pounds there will not be much left and he will have lost an item he treasured. It is a sad story.
I don't think that discovering your painting is worth quarter of million pounds is a sad story at all. What does ownership of material things really amount to after all, since we all die it's pretty meaningless. We're only ever custodians at best. Better to live a comfortable life while you're here.
Orpen was about 35 at the time Yvonne Aupic was 18. She later went on to marry Orpen's Chauffer William Grover Williams and with Robert Benoist became part of the SOE in WW2. She died 1977
It was a conventgion amongst painters at the time used to identify a second version of a work. Orpen was vain, he wanted it identified, but not as the primary work. His story was he had been ordered to attend the execution of a German Female spy by the French. He painted her portrait, then he guilded the lily by saying the woman had been stripped nacked for her execution. All this by the way to make a few quid on the side. The story got out, leading to utter fury in the British High Command, as the story would have been German propoganda gold mine. The French , equally furious , denied it. Orpin got caught out. He was threatned with being cashierd, dismissed with disgrace for an officer, so his place in Society, where he earnt a living as a painter, would have gone. He was made, after Beverbrooks intervention, to write a grovelling letter of apolgy.
Well, I never knew that the English called what we Americans call the First World War or sometimes "The Great War", "The Fourteen Eighteen War." Do the Brits refer to WWII as the "Thirty-Nine Forty-Five War?"
Yes, here, before WWll it was referred to as "The Great War"in the US. "WWl" or "The First World War " makes no sense without the context of the later conflict, that's true. My comment was because I'd never heard anyone call it the " fourteen eighteen war" and I do extensive reading of military history. Is this terminology common in GB?
First World War mean the first war involving the world, not the one before the next one, so yes the term was used at the time. 14-18 war is a common expression for us, though not used by Americans, obviously
I love the old man's sincere and emotional response...priceless.
Myself.
Bless his heart, what a lovely gentleman. I hope he is happy, and settled in the new life, that this discovery has brought him.
I've seen countless Roadshow appraisals where the folks acted like total ingrates because the widget that they bought for a dollar wasn't worth millions, but this gentleman's reaction was from a pure and humble heart.
I'm in shock and tears. What a lovely man.
I normally don’t really understand why valuations on random paintings can be so high but this one is just so gorgeous you kinda get it
After watching the original AR valuation today I looked it up to see what became of the story.
I got teary at his reaction in the end of this. How wonderful for him! :)
👍👌👏 Absolutely fantastic! Rupert Maas did extremely well and the owner is such a nice fellow.
The man’s reaction was beautiful.✨
Because Orpen had created such a scandal, he didn't want to add to the embarrassment he had caused his benefactor. But pride prevented him from entirely obscuring his workmanship. So, he "hid" his authorship in plain sight with the reverse signature.
Yevone Aubic was about 18 at the time, she appears in many of Orpens war paintings in cameo . Later she married Orpens chaffeur William Grover Williams, he along with a Frenchman Robert Benoist as Great War French fighter ace raced inter war for the Buggatti team. All three later went on to run French Resistance networks, both men dying in Concentration Camps. Yvonne later became a judge at the Crufts dog show, and the two balck and white terriers on Black and White Whisky are siad to be two of hers.
What a life !!
She was a string woman.
Her lifes story is worthy of being made into a movie
It's better than the original.
hahahaahahaa. his reaction is one id give... "what do i do with it??? its worth more than my house!!"
Looks like it couldn’t have happened to a sweeter man
He reminds me of Wallace.
I was so happy for him
While modern mores have become more liberal, you have to remember that in Orpen's time, having relations outside of marriage was taboo and sometimes punishable by law. Combine that with the possible that he, a British solder, may have consorted with a French spy, well the potential for very real retribution had to have placed Orpen in an embarrassing and legal morass. He technically violated his commission by doing work that wasn't directly involved with the war effort. However, from today's view, we cut him slack because of the beautiful art he created. In this case, the end justifies the means.
Morality dosen't come into it. Propoganda was the problem. The story Orpen put about was that he had attended the execution of a female spy. So what? Yes the French had shot Margaretha Geertuida Mc Cleod. Bettter known as Mata Hari. The Germans had shot Edith Clavell. McCleod was Dutch, the Netherlands being neutral at the time, causing friction. Clavell was a propoganda bonnaza. Orpin's guilding of the Lily was the female spy was stripped nacked before she was shot. That was the 'Outrage'. The British phoned the French, the French furiously denied it, and the hunt was on. Orpen was threatned with being cashierd, bang goes post war carrer , and his 'place in society'. Beverbrook intervened. Orpin wrote a grovelling letter of apology, and the matter went into history. The story of the Female spy being naked when shot lived on! It got attached to McCleod. Though when she wa sshot she had ben allowed two Catholic nuns as companions. One wrote a detailed report of the execution for the Pope. In it McLeod's clothing is described in deatil, the nun refers to a low cut blouse, odd a sshe wa sknown to consider her breast toi small and didn't draw attention to them. Aubic appears in many of Orpens paintings of the Great war as a cameo. Her story of post war Buggatti racing along with her husband William Grover, formely Orpin's Chauffeur . The Prosper Network in WW2 France, dog breeding, black and whate terriers, se ethe front of Black and White Whisky bottle, and her being a Gruft's Judge are a tale in itself.
Why would 22 people dislike this? Did someone personally insult them?
That guy: No-one could paint like him.
John Singer Sargent's ghost: Diddums.
Beautiful.
I saw this when it originally played on the BBC and was taken by the loveliness of this painting. Then in a later show this nice man found out that the value of this portrait, which he clearly loved, was worth so much that he probably couldn't afford to keep it.
After the auctioneer, lawyers and the tax man take a whack out of 250,000 pounds there will not be much left and he will have lost an item he treasured. It is a sad story.
I don't think that discovering your painting is worth quarter of million pounds is a sad story at all. What does ownership of material things really amount to after all, since we all die it's pretty meaningless. We're only ever custodians at best. Better to live a comfortable life while you're here.
I bet you're fun at parties
I totally agree, we are only a custodian of wordly things. We should enjoy life while we can.
Love this. "It's worth more than my house!"
Please Roadshow, have a chair nearby. One day someone will fall over.
That was insane!!
What a lovely man. "Stronger" than tea? Like insurance!
How did he acquire it?
Value aside i thought it was a beautiful painting not surprised to learn she was his mistress as there was such feeling emanating from the piece .
Yes I agree. There was certainly love in the brush strokes. Her face is memerising, I could look at it for hours.
Orpen was about 35 at the time Yvonne Aupic was 18. She later went on to marry Orpen's Chauffer William Grover Williams and with Robert Benoist became part of the SOE in WW2. She died 1977
Wow It’s Very Beautiful How Can I Join The Show Thank You
So, what did he do about it?
That is the look of a woman who's been thoroughly worked over.....
I was thinking the same thing!!!
Im happy for Grandpa
I think his version is the better of the two
why is william orpen written backwards on the copy painting?
Saravana Prabh he was so proud of it he found a way to sign it.
Saravana Prabhu he was so proud of it he found a way to sign it.
It was a conventgion amongst painters at the time used to identify a second version of a work. Orpen was vain, he wanted it identified, but not as the primary work. His story was he had been ordered to attend the execution of a German Female spy by the French. He painted her portrait, then he guilded the lily by saying the woman had been stripped nacked for her execution. All this by the way to make a few quid on the side. The story got out, leading to utter fury in the British High Command, as the story would have been German propoganda gold mine. The French , equally furious , denied it. Orpin got caught out. He was threatned with being cashierd, dismissed with disgrace for an officer, so his place in Society, where he earnt a living as a painter, would have gone. He was made, after Beverbrooks intervention, to write a grovelling letter of apolgy.
Definitely time for a mid-strength beer
What on earth do I do with it.
Give it to your grandkids, but don't tell them how much it's worth :D
How much does the fellow get after taxes in the UK? 20,000?
wow....opps WOW !
Interesting picture. But I object to Edith Cavell being described as a spy!
She was. Recordes now releasid show she was.
This is where the use of the word gobsmacked is appropriate.
Wow, if he would have been lucky enough to sell it, pay the taxes and buy BTC he would have about $1B, assuming he kept it this long!
how did that work out for you ?
Well, I never knew that the English called what we Americans call the First World War or sometimes "The Great War", "The Fourteen Eighteen War." Do the Brits refer to WWII as the "Thirty-Nine Forty-Five War?"
Well they didn't know to start numbering them back then. We didn't call it the first world war until the second one.
Yes, here, before WWll it was referred to as "The Great War"in the US. "WWl" or "The First World War " makes no sense without the context of the later conflict, that's true. My comment was because I'd never heard anyone call it the " fourteen eighteen war" and I do extensive reading of military history. Is this terminology common in GB?
@@curiouscharacter1 Ah I see. First time I heard that as well. Maybe the guy was showing off a little.
First World War mean the first war involving the world, not the one before the next one, so yes the term was used at the time. 14-18 war is a common expression for us, though not used by Americans, obviously
Common enough expression heard it used many times. Weird you thought he was showing off. Are you American?
A job for fake or fortune
👍❤