BBC Antiques Roadshow guest questions expert as £20 painting valued for thousands

An Antiques Roadshow guest questioned an expert's appraisal as she was stunned by just how much her family painting was really worth.

The BBC's beloved daytime show set its scene at the picturesque Swanage Pier and Seafront, where viewers were treated to another episode brimming with remarkable treasures.

Among the items presented was a stunning painting by Samuel John Lamorna Birch, brought in by two individuals who shared its charming backstory.

One of the guests recounted: "My uncle and aunt used to go to Cornwall on holiday and they found his studio, which is in the picture there, on the way down to Lamorna Cove and they met the artist and bought this picture from him."

Expert Alexandra Grill was thrilled to discover "The Studio, Lamorna" inscribed on the reverse side, along with Birch's autograph and the original price tag of £20 – a detail confirmed by the owner.

"I know! Isn't that fantastic?" exclaimed Grill, visibly excited.

Grill then delved into the history of the artist, explaining: "Samuel John Lamorna Birch was born in 1869 and he was really responsible for bringing in the second wave of artists down to Cornwall to form part of the Newlyn School.

"The first group of artists came down in the 1880s with Stanhope Forbes and it was Stanhope Forbes actually that suggested to him that he added the name 'Lamorna' to his surname, because there was another local artist called Lionel Birch and they didn't want to get them muddled up."

Grill observed that Cornwall was a magnet for artists due to its "fantastic sense of light and colour and that's really why they went down there."

The second painting, revealed by the guest to be the work of Denys Law, one of Lamorna Birch's students.

The guest remarked: "They're all beautiful. Two of them are seascapes and this one is looking down the valley at the continuation of that stream," while gesturing towards Birch's artwork, and then noting it led into Lamorna Cove.

"That's fantastic. And actually, he was a very good student, I would say," Grill mused before proceeding with her valuation.

"In terms of value, The Studio, Lamorna, I would have thought, at auction, this is going to make something in the region of £2,000 to £3,000."

The revelation prompted a gasp from one of the guests off-camera, as the owner of the painting expressed shock, their face a picture of surprise.

"Really?", the owner enquired, prompting Grill to concede, albeit awkwardly, about the work by the other artist: "And the Law, a lot less. But they're great to have together, aren't they? Teacher and student. A good story. It's part of the whole Cornish art history."

The second of the guests then recalled: "Mum has always said 'Don't forget when I'm gone that that's a Lamorna Birch. It's not to go to a charity shop. It's a good painting.'

"So it's been really good just to find out a bit more about it and why she said that."

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.