A maid who is far from art ruined the canvas (4 photos)

The Briton brought the family heirloom to the BBC show, where it was examined by expert Peter Nahum. The art dealer praised the painting, but noted one nuance.





The work belongs to the English Victorian painter John Atkinson Grimshaw.

The famous American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, who worked with Grimshaw in his studio in Chelsea, once said: “I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmie’s moonlit paintings.”



For over a century the family owned the Grimshaw painting. Nahum was delighted with the painting, but its value dropped by half due to a ridiculous mistake.

“This is one of the stories of our family. Apparently, during the war years, a maid worked in the house, and she decided that the Moon in the picture was a stain and tried to wash it off,” explained the owner of the masterpiece.

A stunned Nachum added: "Now we understand why the Moon doesn't harmonize with the rest of the painting. The maid didn't just wash well, I would say she rubbed off a layer. So this circle, the aura of the Moon in the fog, really became noticeable."



The piece could have brought its owner £30,000, but with such damage its value is £15,000.