The creator of a painting once displayed in a Wrecclesham pub has been identified—but the artwork remains missing.

As previously reported, Joan English has been on a quest to locate a painting of an old man smoking a pipe that belonged to her late father, William ‘Bill’ Wright, the landlord of the Bear and Ragged Staff.

This week, a reader contacted the Herald, recalling the artwork and suggesting it was painted by Georg Hom, a popular 19th-century German artist.

After seeing an image of the painting, Joan, who now lives in Australia, confirmed that it is the one she remembers. However, the painting’s current whereabouts remain unknown, and it’s unclear whether the version her father owned was an original or a print.

Joan admitted she couldn’t recall the authenticity of the artwork. “I always thought it was [real], but I have no proof,” she said. “It always held some mystery and was the only item I remember being present in my life over all those years.”

Anyone with any information about the painting, can contact the Herald at [email protected]