A canvas purchased at auction for more than £2,000 has been revealed on BBC series Fake Or Fortune? as a missing masterpiece by Helen McNicoll, and was worth a whopping £300,000. Purchaser David Taylor spotted the signature of the Canadian impressionist after removing the artwork from its frame.

With assistance from the programme's team, including presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould, he managed to establish its authenticity. Bruce revealed there was sufficient evidence to confirm the painting was a lost work by McNicoll entitled The Bean Harvest, created in the early 20th century. Earlier in the programme, Bruce discovered that the picture had been displayed in Canada on five occasions between 1912 and 1913, though its location since then remained unknown.

Canadian philanthropist Pierre Lassonde, a prominent collector of McNicoll's pieces, travelled to London specifically to examine the painting firsthand.

During the show, he remarked: "For a painting that has been missing for 110 years I think it's fantastic... I wouldn't mind adding one more piece to my collection."

Bruce commented: "I'd not heard of Helen McNicoll before we started investigating this painting, but what a pioneer she was - a woman at that time, the early 20th century, travelling abroad with her easel while profoundly deaf. I'm so glad we've been able to bring her name to wider attention."

Co-host Mould declared: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery - the type many art buyers dream of - and a reflection of both David's shrewd eye and the massive increase and desire for the work of high-quality women artists that is motivating collectors and museums on both sides of the Atlantic."

Mr Taylor remarked: "It's been an absolute adventure, the Fake Or Fortune team and the BBC have made the journey memorable and exciting. I believed in the painting from day one, and I'm hopeful that it could achieve a record price."

The artwork is presently housed in a gallery whilst Mr Taylor prepares to put it up for auction in the coming months.

Fake Or Fortune? broadcasts weekly on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.