A Gold Coast mother says she feels “taken advantage of” by a well-known Sydney art collector who bought a painting from her for just a hundredth of its estimated value.
Single mum Sarah Thomas was struggling financially when she listed a piece by French artist Pierre Soulages on Facebook Marketplace.
She was contacted by Sydney art collector Leigh Capel, who made an offer twice what she had advertised.
“I was delighted I’d made $200 and made more money than I thought I would,” she told 9News.
But her joy turned to disbelief when another person came forward and estimated the value of the piece at $20,000 after recognising its rarity – one of just 200 in the world.
“I was shocked and felt sick to my stomach that I’d handed over what’s not even a weekly shop for me and my three kids,” Thomas said.
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“I was just devastated and I immediately got back in touch with the buyer.”
In the following days, Thomas claimed Capel blocked her number.
9News contacted Capel via a phone call. He declined to comment on the matter.
Thomas said she wanted to talk to Capel and have the painting back.
“I’m gutted, I feel that he completely took advantage of the situation he bought a piece at a fraction of the value when he knew what he was buying,” she said.
