Mystery of 'ugly painting' solved

[KingsOfTheDay]

Couple mystified by delivery of 'ugly' woman painting

Yahoo!7 and Agencies October 7, 2013, 3:44 pm

The mysterious painting bears no initials or title. Photo: BBC

The mystery of an oil painting of an old woman appearing at a couple's doorstep without an accompanying note or return address has finally been solved.

Keith Webb, 82, and his wife Sue were shocked to discover the artwork at their front door in Winchester, Hampshire and had no idea where it had come from.

“Just curious, very curious to know why and who sent it and what we’ve got to do with it. What we’re supposed to do with it," Sue told reporters.

The couple didn't like the painting either, and had banished it to their garage until the mystery of its origin had been solved.

"It's a painting of such a horrid old crone, my wife won't have it in the house," Keith had said.

Everyone the Webbs thought could have sent the painting denied responsibility.

Keith had also eliminated the possibility of the painting being left to him in a will saying none of his relatives recently passed away.

However despite his family's insistence they had nothing to do with it, Webb has since discovered the painting once belonged to his late uncle.

The BBC reports a relative of Keith Webb's living in Australia saw initial stories on the strange artwork and recognised it from his late uncle's home where it once hung.

"I believe it's a portrait of my great, great grandmother," Keith told the BBC.

"Alison, my late cousin's wife in Perth, Western Australia saw the initial story about Sue and I being sent the picture and solved the mystery.

"She remembered staying with my uncle, Charles Webb, in Winchester in the 1970s and that the painting used to hang on his bedroom wall," he continued.

The Webbs had inquired with the Royal Mail about the parcel's origin, though they were unable to provide any further information.

Courier service Parcelforce was only able to say that the package was sent from a WHSmith post office.

Keith said, “I tried very hard to find out if there was a delivery instruction, a delivery note inside. There wasn’t, there was nothing. There’s just my name on the, on the packaging…There’s no painter’s initials there at all. There’s nothing there, no title.”

Keith took the piece to local fine art auctioneers, Andrew Smith & Son, for an appraisal. Fine art expert Andrew Smith was unable to identify an artist immediately, but estimated that it was painted in the early 19th century and currently worth between 200-300 pounds ($300-500).

Future plans for the painting have changed since the Webbs learned of its origins.

Where initially Sue had wanted to throw it away, they are now planning to keep the painting within the family.

"Having initially been so rude about the painting, it now turns out it's come from within the family," Keith said.

"There's been interest from one of my children who might like to hang it in a holiday home he lets.

"But in the meantime, Sue's insisting it's not moving from the garage."