Overview

• Barry James acquired the garden scene for £140 at an Ardingly antiques fair after admiring its colours and composition.
• The BBC’s Fake or Fortune team used archival research and X-ray imaging to reveal a hidden underpainting beneath the visible artwork.
• A handwriting specialist matched the back-inscription to Colonel Claude Lowther instead of Churchill, undermining the original attribution.
• No recognised Churchill experts or auction houses have formally authenticated the piece, leaving its estimated £600,000 value in question.
• Additional technical tests and provenance investigations are planned before a definitive verdict on the painting’s origins can be delivered.