Three J.M.W. Turner Paintings Deemed Fakes Are Revealed As Authentic, Possibly Worth Millions (PHOTOS)

Three Turner Paintings Are Real And Potentially Worth Millions

Three oil paintings at the National Museum Cardiff were revealed as genuine works by renown British artist J.M.W. Turner this week, the BBC reports. The paintings, which were originally deemed fakes and then ignored for nearly 50 years, have been reevaluated by recent forensic examinations and are now reportedly worth millions.

jmw turner
The Beacon Light, photo courtesy of the National Museum Wales

The oils were first discounted in 1956 after being left to the National Museum five years earlier by Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, two of the most prominent benefactors of public art in Wales. "Off Margate and Margate Jetty were deemed wrong," explained curator Beth McIntyre to the BBC. "The Beacon Light was said to feature rudimentary beginnings by Turner overpainted by another artist, to the extent that it was not a Turner."

Thanks to modern developments in the field of art investigation, the works resurfaced to undergo a series of X-ray, infrared and pigment analyses. The results were positive, turning even the opinion of long-time doubter and art expert Martin Butlin. In an episode of BBC One's "Fake or Fortune," Butlin stated, "We do occasionally change our minds when we have the right evidence."

jmw turner
Off Margate, photo courtesy of the National Museum Wales

jmw turner
Margate Jetty, photo courtesy of the National Museum Wales

The three works will join four other Turner paintings bequeathed to the National Museum Wales in a landmark exhibition that begins today. For the first time in history, the museum's seven-piece Turner collection will be on view to the public.

This isn't the first time -- or even second -- that the works of J.M.W. Turner have popped up in headlines this month, however. Earlier in September, an artist by the name of Christian Furr stumbled across what some experts believe could be a long-lost Turner painting, potentially worth around £20 million according to The Daily Mail. And shortly after that, The Guardian reported that a man named Jonathan Weal claimed to have uncovered yet another Turner creation, which backed by art experts and scientific tests was revealed to also be worth £20 million.

Let us know what you think of the Turner redemption in the comments section, and check out a slideshow of the artist's stormy work below.

J.M.W. Turner

"J.M.W. Turner: The Davies Collection" is on view until January 20, 2013, at the National Museum Cardiff in Wales.

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