Lucian Freud artwork worth tens of thousands discovered after friend painted over it with £200 piece

Original canvas was reused by artist's friend Tom Wright and remained hidden for 70 years

The original Lucian Freud painting that Tom Wright painted over (Photos SWNS)

A Lucian Freud artwork worth thousands has been discovered hidden underneath another painting.

The original artwork by the 20th century portraitist depicted an amalgamation of the Suffolk countryside and the Welsh mountains.

But it remained concealed for 70 years after Freud’s longtime friend Tom Wright reused the canvas for his own work – worth around £200.

Wright’s depiction of his native Suffolk countryside sat in his cellar gathering dust until he died two years ago and relatives discovered the hidden painting.

“Lucian” was scrawled across the back of the canvas, prompting experts to take a closer look at the painting.

Amy Scanlon, head of pictures at Sworders, where the work will be sold at auction, said the piece had garnered a lot of interest from potential buyers.

Tom Wright’s Suffolk landscape concealed the original for 70 years (SWNS.com)

She said: “It’s such an interesting story. Most of the pictures we get are pretty straightforward. It’s very rare to get detective work to deal with.

“It’s in at £20,000-30,000, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”

‘Lucian’ was scrawled on the back of the canvas (SWNS.com)

The expert said the restoration to reveal the underlying paintwork had been painstaking.

Ms Scanlon added: “It’s been nearly two years for the whole process. The restorer had to remove it flake by flake with a scalpel.”

Born in 1922, Freud was one of the most significant painters of his generation and the grandson of the renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. The British artist died in 2011.

Just before the Second World War, he met sign painter Wright while drinking in the Shoulder of Mutton in Hadleigh, Suffolk, where Wright was hanging a pub sign.

Freud befriended the local artisan and persuaded him to join the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, of which the artist was already a member.

As canvas was rationed during the war, it is thought Wright took an old one from the school and reused it.

Painted in 1939, Freud’s original work on the 20 x 24 inch canvas is thought to be an amalgamation of the Suffolk landscape and the Welsh mountains after he took a trip there in the same year.

Predominantly known for his nude portraits, Freud’s works have sold for millions at auctions.

However, Sworders said the rediscovered work would sell for significantly less because it was a landscape.

SWNS