He thought it was just another painting—until this comedian spotted a familiar name in the corner
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Art can hold unexpected surprises, especially when a simple discovery turns into an emotional journey through time.
What started as a routine visit to an antique shop soon became a surreal moment for one Australian comedian, as he stumbled upon a painting that struck a deeply personal chord.
What he uncovered left him overwhelmed—and determined to solve the mystery behind it.
A simple visit to an antique shop took an emotional turn for comedian Christian Hull when he unexpectedly found a $200 painting that left him in tears.
While browsing, he noticed a framed artwork that looked familiar, only to realise it was painted by his aunt, Helen McCosker.
The piece depicted a naked man reclining on a pile of patterned cushions, his hands resting behind his head.
Overwhelmed by the discovery, Hull was momentarily lost for words upon learning the painting had been created in the 1980s, before he was born.
‘Oh my God, I feel...This is such a weird feeling to have,’ he said in his social media video.
‘So I'm in an antique store, just going about my business and I saw this artwork here and I thought, oh it looks like something my aunt does.’
‘She doesn't live anywhere near here and she has no connection to Brisbane whatsoever.’
‘I looked down in the corner and I'm like, "Holy f***, my aunt painted this".’
Hull immediately knew he had to buy it, his emotions overwhelming him as he checked the price tag.
‘How much is it going for? It's 200 bucks. I can't even tell you how crazy this is,’ he said.
‘What year was it painted? She probably did this before I was born. This is f****** insane.’
‘Oh my God, I can't wait to text the family group chat. That's crazy.
‘I just need you to know how insane this is. I was just perusing the antique centre, looking for macramé pot hangers and oh my God...My heart is racing.’
The discovery left him questioning how the painting had ended up in Brisbane, considering his aunt had spent her life in Sydney as a children's author and illustrator.
‘How the f*** did this get here? Who bought it? I need to know where this came from,’ he wondered.
Later, Hull shared an update from home, proudly holding the painting and revealing what he had learned about its origins.
‘I just got off the phone with my aunt. It turns out that this is a guy named Andrew and it's her secret lover. Isn't that scandalous?’ he joked.
He quickly admitted that wasn’t the case, adding,: ‘I wish that was the case.’
Hoping for a juicy family revelation, Hull had asked his aunt if he had uncovered a secret, but she shut it down.
‘I said: "Helen, please tell me I uncovered a deep family secret" and she was like, "No, I'm so sorry, I'm so boring",’ he said.
She explained that she had painted the artwork during a life drawing class in the 1980s and that the model’s name was Andrew.
The frame remained the original grey one from when she first completed it.
Neither of them had any idea how it had made its way to the antique shop, but the coincidence left Hull stunned.
‘What a weird, random coincidence,’ he said.
Now, the painting had found its way back into the family, with Hull thrilled to give it a place in his home.
‘And now I've got it and now I'm putting it on my wall. I love this,’ he said.
‘This was such a surreal moment. I'm so excited to own an artwork that I saw, loved instantly and then realised my aunt had drawn it back in the '80s, in Sydney before I was born.’
‘Such an incredible find. I love that I have it and the story of how it found me all the way in Brisbane.’
Watch the full video below.
Finding a family treasure in the most unexpected place is a rare experience—what would you do if you stumbled upon a long-lost piece of your family’s history?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
What started as a routine visit to an antique shop soon became a surreal moment for one Australian comedian, as he stumbled upon a painting that struck a deeply personal chord.
What he uncovered left him overwhelmed—and determined to solve the mystery behind it.
A simple visit to an antique shop took an emotional turn for comedian Christian Hull when he unexpectedly found a $200 painting that left him in tears.
While browsing, he noticed a framed artwork that looked familiar, only to realise it was painted by his aunt, Helen McCosker.
The piece depicted a naked man reclining on a pile of patterned cushions, his hands resting behind his head.
Overwhelmed by the discovery, Hull was momentarily lost for words upon learning the painting had been created in the 1980s, before he was born.
‘Oh my God, I feel...This is such a weird feeling to have,’ he said in his social media video.
‘So I'm in an antique store, just going about my business and I saw this artwork here and I thought, oh it looks like something my aunt does.’
‘She doesn't live anywhere near here and she has no connection to Brisbane whatsoever.’
‘I looked down in the corner and I'm like, "Holy f***, my aunt painted this".’
Hull immediately knew he had to buy it, his emotions overwhelming him as he checked the price tag.
‘How much is it going for? It's 200 bucks. I can't even tell you how crazy this is,’ he said.
‘What year was it painted? She probably did this before I was born. This is f****** insane.’
‘Oh my God, I can't wait to text the family group chat. That's crazy.
‘I just need you to know how insane this is. I was just perusing the antique centre, looking for macramé pot hangers and oh my God...My heart is racing.’
The discovery left him questioning how the painting had ended up in Brisbane, considering his aunt had spent her life in Sydney as a children's author and illustrator.
‘How the f*** did this get here? Who bought it? I need to know where this came from,’ he wondered.
Later, Hull shared an update from home, proudly holding the painting and revealing what he had learned about its origins.
‘I just got off the phone with my aunt. It turns out that this is a guy named Andrew and it's her secret lover. Isn't that scandalous?’ he joked.
He quickly admitted that wasn’t the case, adding,: ‘I wish that was the case.’
Hoping for a juicy family revelation, Hull had asked his aunt if he had uncovered a secret, but she shut it down.
‘I said: "Helen, please tell me I uncovered a deep family secret" and she was like, "No, I'm so sorry, I'm so boring",’ he said.
She explained that she had painted the artwork during a life drawing class in the 1980s and that the model’s name was Andrew.
The frame remained the original grey one from when she first completed it.
Neither of them had any idea how it had made its way to the antique shop, but the coincidence left Hull stunned.
‘What a weird, random coincidence,’ he said.
Now, the painting had found its way back into the family, with Hull thrilled to give it a place in his home.
‘And now I've got it and now I'm putting it on my wall. I love this,’ he said.
‘This was such a surreal moment. I'm so excited to own an artwork that I saw, loved instantly and then realised my aunt had drawn it back in the '80s, in Sydney before I was born.’
‘Such an incredible find. I love that I have it and the story of how it found me all the way in Brisbane.’
Watch the full video below.
Finding a family treasure in the most unexpected place is a rare experience—what would you do if you stumbled upon a long-lost piece of your family’s history?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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