By Laura Ashbaugh
A forensic analysis has confirmed that Vladimir Tretchikoff's Lost Orchid - sold at the Brett Kebble art auction on May 8 - is an original work.
The academic investigation into the matter was still continuing, however, and no records of a second version of the work had yet been uncovered, auctioneer Graham Britz said yesterday.
Professor Alex Duffey of the University of Pretoria, who is investigating the painting, also had heard reports of a third version of the work, but had no details.
The forensic analysis compared the painting in Kebble's collection to other Tretchikoff paintings, using light spectrum examination and chemical analysis of the paint and canvas.
Questions were raised about the authenticity of Lost Orchid, which was sold for a record R3.2 million, after subtle differences were noted between the painting on sale and one published in Howard Timmins's 1969 book of Tretchikoff prints.
The auction of the slain mining magnate's famous collection fetched over R50m, making it the largest auction ever held in South Africa.
"The real problem lies in that there was a cataloguing error," Britz said. "Had they said it was similar to the work illustrated in print, there wouldn't have been a problem."
Amy Thorne, head of research at Graham's Fine Art Gallery, said Timmins's book featured Tretchikoff's prints, not his paintings. The mistake was that the catalogue for the auction said the painting was the same, not similar to, the one in Timmins's book.
Britz said a thorough academic investigation into the history of the painting was continuing, and he expected to release the final conclusions next week.
He pointed out that artists often created many versions of the same painting, which might explain the differences.
Beeld newspaper reported last week that the small differences between the two paintings included
- A discrepancy in Tretchikoff's signature: the artist's signature reportedly did not have the lines struck through the Fs; in the Kebble work, the letters were struck through;
- In the Timmins book, a teardrop lies in the centre of the orchid; it is missing in the Kebble work; and
- The Kebble work lacks the matchstick seen on the stairs above the orchid in the Timmins print.
Duffey is using the university's archives, and although his investigation is continuing, he has yet to find a mention of the painting sold at the Kebble auction.
He said there were many references to the painting with the teardrop in the centre of the orchid as pictured in Timmins's book.
"(Tretchikoff) mentions that he sometimes made copies of the works that he had done previously, but there's no definite reference to additional copies of Lost Orchid."
Duffey said the painting in the Kebble auction was dated 1944, and that in the Timmins book 1948.
As for the signature, Duffey said the discrepancy was not problematic because other Tretchikoff works had the same signature as the one on the Kebble piece.
"The problem is the authenticity of the earlier painting," he said. "Did he repaint it at a later stage?"
Duffey has made an appointment to examine the Kebble painting and expects to conclude his investigation by the end of the week.
Thorne has traced the Kebble painting back to its purchase 25 to 30 years ago, but is not releasing its provenance yet. Kebble acquired the work "a few years ago".
Thorne noted some deterioration in the area where the Kebble painting was dated, but declined to confirm the date on the painting.
In the meantime, the sale of the painting has been set aside until the investigation is finalised. Thorne said the buyers were willing to wait for the outcome of the investigation.
Ironically, at the auction, Britz joked with the crowd that despite Kebble's infamy, all the works up for sale were "clean".