An episode of Fake or Fortune? on BBC One has identified a previously unattributed portrait as the work of 18th-century Scottish artist Katherine Read. The painting is owned by Mary-Louise Wedderburn, who inherited it from her uncle two decades ago.
The gold-framed work shows a young Indian woman wearing pearl necklaces and a large emerald pendant. Wedderburn had long suspected a possible connection to Read, a family relative, and the program's investigation helped confirm that instinct. The portrait is now estimated at about $130,000.
Born in Dundee in 1723, Read built a strong reputation in her era for oil and pastel portraits, especially depictions of women and children. Museum records in Dundee note that she once charged the same fee for a full-length portrait as Joshua Reynolds, highlighting her standing among leading portraitists of the time.
To verify the attribution, the program's team consulted specialists in Dundee and Chennai, bringing together expertise from Scotland and India. Art historian Charles Greig said he was certain the painting was by Read, while the sitter is believed to have been the wife of a nawab, an Indian prince.
This rediscovery adds new visibility to an artist whose legacy has faded over time, and it may help bring more overlooked women artists back into the cultural conversation in the years ahead.
