Painting of Bonnie Tyler / Peinture de Bonnie Tyler £50,000

£50,000 Rolf Harris painting of Bonnie Tyler is one of a pair, singer reveals

A ROLF HARRIS portrait of Welsh rock singer Bonnie Tyler which hit the headlines after being valued at £50,000 has a “twin”, it has emerged.

And Australian-born TV legend Rolf, 81, whose family hailed from Merthyr Tydfil, is said to have told the singer he is giving her the copy.

The portrait was completed on a Rolf Harris TV show more than 30 years ago, after Swansea-based Bonnie had a hit with Lost in France.

Bonnie Tyler revealed: “I’m delighted, and very surprised, to learn that any picture of me could be worth so much money, especially so since Rolf phoned me last night to tell me that he did two of these paintings, one in the rehearsals for the show and one during the show itself, and that he is giving me the one that he still has.

“Rolf is without doubt a living legend and a truly lovely man.”

It emerged on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow on Sunday that the Bonnie Tyler portrait now valued at £50,000 had originally been hanging in a toddler’s playroom in Norfolk.

Cathy Sims, 42, who lives with her son Billy, five, had recently kept the painting hanging in his playroom. Her father had paid £500 for it at an auction.

She was told by an expert on Antiques Roadshow it was now worth up to £50,000 – 100 times what her late father paid for it at the charity auction in the 1970s.

Miss Sims, who was given the painting when she was six, did not realise its true value and says she will have to sell it as she can’t pay the insurance costs.

But she added: “At least now I can have a holiday every year.”

The King’s Lynn office manager said she suspected Rolf Harris may have been the artist. But it was only when she sent a hopeful e-mail to the popular painter and entertainer that he confirmed it was his work.

Art expert Philip Mould, at the Antiques Roadshow at Layer Marney stately home, near Colchester, described Mr Harris as a “young old master”.

He told Miss Sims: “I’m used to dealing in Georgian portraits and Tudor portraits, but I wonder will this be a historical portrait of the future – Bonnie Tyler by Rolf Harris?

“He is considered, in a funny sort of way, to be a young old master really. This picture is worth up to about £50,000. There are people queuing up waiting for the next Rolf Harris.”

The stunned owner said: “It didn’t seem to register with my dad that it was by Rolf Harris, even though his favourite song was Rolf’s Two Little Boys.

“I had no idea who the portrait was of – but it fascinated me. I’d never thought of selling it, but now I know its value, I can’t afford the insurance on it, so I’ll have to say goodbye.”

Bonnie Tyler continues to enjoy a busy career touring around Europe, and last year appeared in a TV advert for MasterCard, singing a parody of her hit Total Eclipse of the Heart.

She joined Robin Gibb, now battling liver cancer, on his Australian tour before playing her own concerts Down Under.

This year, she sang a duet with Laura Zen on Amour Éternel, a French/English version of Bangles’ hit Eternal Flame.

As well as having a seafront home in Mumbles, the singer, married to businessman and former Olympic judo star Bobby Sullivan, has a home in Portugal next to that of singer Sir Cliff Richard.

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Un portait de Bonnie Tyler paint par ROLF HARRIS vient d'être vendu à 50 000 livres ce qui équivaut à un peu plus de 58 000€.

Je ne peux pas traduire tout l'article par manque de temps alors je vais juste vous mettre une traduction de la réaction de Bonnie Tyler.

BONNIE TYLER : " Je suis ravie et très surprise du fait qu'une photo de moi puisse valoir autant d'argent. Tout particulièrement depuis que Rolf m'a téléphoné la soirée dernière pour m'annoncer qu'il a fait 2 portraits, un durant les répétitions du concert et un autre durant le concert. Il m'a également annoncé qu'il allait me donner le portrait qui lui reste. Rolf est sans aucun doute une légende vivante et un homme adorable." 

Pour ceux qui désire en savoir plus sur l'article n'hésitez pas à utiliser google traduction.

Source : http://www.walesonline.co.uk