An art blogger from Cambridge, England is about to find out whether a painting he purchased for just £35 (approximately $43) could actually be worth up to £50,000 (about $62,000) if it turns out to be the work of a renowned New Zealand artist.

Robjn Cantus made the bargain purchase in 2019 when Hertfordshire County Council decided to sell off its mid-20th century art collection. The painting was originally attributed to an artist named Vera Cunningham and was part of a two-piece lot that Cantus bought simply because, as he put it, "it was the right price - £35 isn't a lot."

However, Cantus now believes the artwork may actually be by Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947), a well-known New Zealand artist whose work could be worth significantly more. His investigation and quest for authentication will be featured on BBC One's popular art detective show "Fake or Fortune" on Monday evening.

The painting originally came from Hertfordshire's "Pictures for Schools Scheme," a 20th-century educational initiative conceived by Nan Youngman. This innovative program purchased modern British art to lend to schools, with the goal of "giving children artwork that was inspiring to look at." The council spokesperson confirmed they "took professional advice on the value of each of these pieces" before the sale.

Cantus explained his initial interest in the artwork: "The painting came up for sale as some of the less important works from the Hertfordshire Council Pictures for Schools Scheme in 2019. I went on a bit of a trolley-dash buying the works, as many were not expensive and there were many items in each lot." He needed illustrations for a book he was writing about the Pictures for Schools program.

The council's art sale was quite successful, generating more than £440,000 from the initial auction. A council spokesperson explained that the sell-off followed a comprehensive review of the collection and public consultation. "We sold a number of works judged to have little or no significance to Hertfordshire at auction in 2019, with the money raised being invested in local services," they stated. "One of our aims in selling these works was to find them a better home than our storerooms where they could be properly displayed and appreciated, so while it may turn out that this specific painting was worth more, we are pleased that it has found a good home with a new owner."

Frances Hodgkins was a significant figure in the art world, though she remains relatively unknown outside her native New Zealand. Born in New Zealand, she left the country in 1901 and spent the remainder of her life in Europe. Her breakthrough in public recognition came in 1929 when her friend and fellow artist Cedric Morris suggested she should be selected for the Seven & Five Society, where she exhibited alongside notable artists including Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, and Henry Moore. By the 1940s, her work was being praised in the British press.

Today, according to Cantus, she is little known outside New Zealand, where "the galleries have been very active in buying and repatriating the works." Her later style featured "very loose paintings of items like rusty tractors or farmyards," Cantus noted.

Cantus admitted he didn't initially want the particular painting in question, but was interested in acquiring works by Vera Cunningham, and the piece was sold as part of a pair attributed to Cunningham. "The Fake or Fortune picture had been put in a horrid 1970s frame, when the original frame was damaged," he recalled. The original identification labels on the back were lost, and "then it is likely someone guessed it was a Vera Cunningham and wrote it on the back."

The mystery deepened in 2021 when Cantus posted a photograph of the painting on his blog. Someone contacted him suggesting it might actually be by Frances Hodgkins. When he removed the painting from its frame to investigate further, he made a remarkable discovery - there was another painting on the reverse side of the canvas. He now believes both paintings are works by Hodgkins, not Cunningham.

After conducting as much research as he could independently, Cantus reached out to "Fake or Fortune" because "it gives members of the public the chance to get a painting validated." The show is presented by art expert Philip Mould and journalist Fiona Bruce.

Cantus described his experience filming the show with enthusiasm: "I enjoyed what happened off the camera as much as on. Then you have an out-of-body experience: 'Why am I up a hill, in Wales, with Fiona Bruce, looking at a Roman goldmine?'" He praised Bruce's preparation, noting she "was always shockingly well prepared each day for the show."

The outcome of the investigation remains under wraps until the program airs. Cantus reflected on his casual approach to the purchase, saying, "I stopped thinking of the painting when I cycled back from London with it in a Primark bag."

The episode of "Fake or Fortune" featuring Cantus's story will air on BBC One at 21:00 BST on Monday, promising viewers another intriguing tale of art authentication and the possibility that a modest purchase could turn out to be a significant artistic discovery.