There is a painting by the Scottish Colourist, Samuel Peploe. It’s called Pink Roses in a Glass Vase. It was painted in the late 1920s and now hangs in a gallery in the United States, gifted from a private estate. It’s a beautiful piece. But the story behind how items like this pass from a family to an institution is often not so simple.
I have sat in a room with a family torn apart by a single painting. The parents had been avid collectors. Over 40 years they had acquired a small but valuable selection of art. When they died, their three children were left to sort it out. The estate was worth £2.2 million, placing it well into the Inheritance Tax bracket. But the main source of conflict was a painting worth around £500,000.
The Unwritten Promise
The father had always told his eldest daughter that the painting would one day be hers. The other two siblings either didn't remember this or chose not to. The problem was, it was not written down. The parents’ will simply split their entire estate ‘equally’ between the three children. A simple instruction, but a devastatingly ambiguous one.
What does ‘equally’ mean when one asset holds so much financial and emotional value? The daughter felt betrayed. The sons felt she was trying to take more than her share. We spent six months trying to mediate. The legal and valuation fees climbed past £80,000. Communication broke down completely.
The Real Cost of Ambiguity
In the end, there was no agreement. To break the deadlock and help settle the estate’s IHT liability, the executors proposed gifting the painting to a national museum. This is a mechanism available to UK estates. A gift to the nation can sometimes reduce the overall tax bill. But it was a solution born of failure. The family lost the painting forever, and the daughter lost a promise from her father. The relationships were fractured, perhaps permanently.
This outcome was entirely avoidable. A will must be specific. For significant assets like art, property, or jewellery, you must name the intended recipient. A separate, non-binding Letter of Wishes can provide further clarity and personal reasons, guiding your executors and removing doubt. It prevents a legacy of affection from becoming a legacy of dispute.
These conversations are not easy. We have them with families every week. If you need to clarify your own intentions, let’s talk.
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Written by Sean Kiani, Estate Planner at Inheritance Made Simple. Sean writes and reviews the firm's guidance on estate planning, wills, trusts and inheritance tax, and works with families across Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset and Central London. Verify Sean's Society of Will Writers membership listing.