Tribute McCahon painting sells for thousands in London

A painting by celebrated Dunedin artist John Z Robinson has been sold in London, but with a forged inscription from the artist it was meant as a tribute to. Mr Robinson painted a series in honour of the late Colin McCahon. McCahon died in 1987 and was a prominent New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years included landscape, abstraction and the overlay of painted text. Art collectors who know Mr Robinson's paintings well, noticed his painting for sale in the catalogue of Chiswick Auctions. It sold in June for 13 and a half thousand dollars, with Mr Robinson's tribute removed and replaced with one purporting to be from Colin McCahon. Mr Robinson told our reporter Tracy Neal there was an obvious clue.