Fake or Fortune? S13E06 - What Happened Next? Helen McNicoll
Summary:
Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould return to the story of a beautiful painting by Canadian impressionist Helen McNicoll and find out what happens when owner David decides to offer the picture for sale. Could a life-changing windfall be on the cards?
In the original episode, first broadcast in 2024, Fiona and Philip investigated a picturesque outdoor scene of women in a field. It was sold at auction in England as ‘in the style of' Helen Galloway McNicoll, one of Canada's most important impressionist painters. The painting was bought at auction by artist and small-time art dealer David Taylor for £2,000 – but it could be worth as much as £300,000.
Helen McNicoll is one of Canada's most celebrated artists of the early 20th century. As a child, she caught scarlet fever, which resulted in a loss of hearing, and she was tutored at home. Her wealthy upbringing allowed her to travel extensively, and she left Canada to study at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
McNicoll based herself in London for the rest of her life, travelling with British artist Dorothea Sharp, painting in France and Europe, where she adopted the impressionist style she became known for. Tragically, in 1915, she died of complications from diabetes. Despite receiving critical acclaim during her lifetime, McNicoll has until now remained relatively unknown outside Canada, where her work regularly sells for record-breaking, six-figure sums.
The painting was catalogued as unsigned, but David's interest was piqued when he noticed what appeared to be a signature hidden beneath the frame. The artwork had the title Women of the Fields but an incorrect date and was listed with provenance from the Pine-Coffin family of Canada.
Philip travels to Canada to compare David's painting with known McNicoll works and notes some promising stylistic similarities. He meets McNicoll scholar Julie Nash at the Grand Château Frontenac hotel in Quebec City. Julie trawls through McNicoll's exhibition history, but she finds no reference to a painting with the title on David's painting.
Fiona, meanwhile, delves into McNicoll's career, discovering she had a penchant for travel and adventure. With the provenance proving elusive, Fiona looks for clues in McNicoll's career and the subject of the painting. Her investigation leads to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley and an important clue about the activity the painting depicts – harvesting beans.
As if the stakes weren't high enough already, it comes to a critical point when McNicoll's biggest collector, billionaire Canadian businessman Pierre Lassonde, flies over to see the painting. With a life-changing sum of money at stake, will the team be able to find enough evidence to prove David's saleroom gamble paid off?
