Antiques Roadshow’s 103-year-old guest didn’t like her ‘gorilla arms’ in beautiful artwork

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow

An Antiques Roadshow guest had an honest critique about a beautiful painting of herself from almost 100 years ago.

The iconic BBC daytime series travelled to Derby Roundhouse to film another episode with expert Philip Mould on hand to meet with an array of guests and their stunning artwork.

One of which was a guest with a yellow tinted portrait of a woman, causing Mould to remark: “Sometimes it is the defining colour that gives a portrait its name.

“The Blue Boy, The Pink Boy, and perhaps she should be called The Yellow Girl.

“She’s a wonderful colour. What can you tell me about her? Is she yours?”

She shared: “Well she belongs to the family, she hangs in my parents’ house normally.

“I know the artist was Matilda Mulvey”, as the expert pointed out her signature in the bottom left corner.

Mould shared: “And Matilda Mulvey is a very interesting phenomenon, because she is part of the new wave of female artists that are beginning to right the male balance that dominated art history right through the 17th, 18th and early 19th Century.”

When asked if she got pleasure from looking at the painting, the guest commented: “Well I suppose I’ve grown up looking at it so I don’t think perhaps I took much notice of it when I was little.

“Now that I’m older and friends see it, it’s a big picture, and I suppose people say ‘oh wow, that’s exciting’ and because obviously she is part of the family so that makes it more exciting.”

She went on to state that it had been created around 1930 and that the woman in the picture was actually none other than her grandmother.

“I was looking for the family resemblance and I think I can see it actually”, Mould remarked. “Now, the big question is, what did the grandmother think of it, because it really is quite a striking 1930s image.”

The guest happily replied: “It is striking and well, we can just ask her herself what she thinks of it.”

Mould shared that they had the “astonishing opportunity” to sit down with the woman herself and so the pair moved over to a seated area where he was met with both the woman’s mum and grandmother.

He commented: “I have to say it’s absolutely wonderful to meet the subject of a picture like this.

“And you are the mother, the grandmother and we’ve just spoken to the granddaughter!

“So we’ve got all three of you here. Now, can you recall being painted by Matilda?”

“Oh yes, she was my aunt and she was well known in art circles but not to the general public”, the grandmother stated.

He asked if she remembered the yellow outfit, to which she said that she “loved” the dress.

“And what did you feel like being painted, seeing yourself emerge on the canvas like that?”, he asked.

She shared: “Oh yes it was quite fun. I think she had three sittings with me and I liked her, we got on well.”

But when Mould asked her opinion of the painting, it wasn’t all positive: “I know when I saw it first I said ‘my arms are too long, they look like a gorilla’s.’”

With a smile, he said: “You have got quite long arms though, it’s true, but you have got quite long arms in real life.”

He then sensitively inquired about her age with the guest revealing she was a staggering 103-years-old and aged just 21 when the painting was done.

“And I can’t remember it was either painted as a 21st birthday present or as a wedding present. I don’t remember which”, she clarified.

It was then time for Mould to summarise with delight: “Well the painting itself, I think is wonderful. You’ve brought it to life in an astonishing and novel way.

“Now it’s value, because we obviously talk about values, is £3,000 or £4,000.

“Normall it’s the object and the age of the object we’re in awe of but today, I can tell you for sure, it’s you.”

Overjoyed, the grandmother exclaimed: “Oh thank you! Thank you, what a compliment!”

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