Fake or Fortune? series 10 sees art mysteries solved once more. Paintings from celebrated artists can be sold for millions at auction and there are art lovers up and down the country unaware they could be sitting on a goldmine.
Since 2011, BBC1's Fake or Fortune? has been investigating mysteries behind intriguing works of art — and it's back for its 10th series this week. Here's what we know...
Fake or Fortune? When does it start?
The new series of Fake or Fortune? starts on Tuesday August 23 at 8pm on BBC1.
Fake or Fortune? Who are the hosts?
Question Time and Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce teams up with international art dealer Philip Mould for four brand-new investigations, each focusing on a different artwork.
On working with Fiona, art expert Philip says: "Fiona has become a real friend; I've probably traveled with her more than I have my own wife! She’s extremely professional, almost teacher-like. I'm always admiring of the way she's able to communicate and talk to a camera. She often corrects my pronunciations of certain artists’ names, too."
Fake or Fortune? What art work is featured in the first episode?
For the first case, Fiona and Philip examine a painting that’s been done directly on the wall of a spare room of a cottage in Surrey…
"This is the first time we’ve considered a painting with a house attached," teases Philip. "Homeowners Ian and Julie were told this painting was by artist Ben Nicholson, a towering figure in the abstract art movement in 20th century Britain. There are two aspects of jeopardy here. Firstly, could we prove, by going back in time, that Ben Nicholson was in that room and had actually painted that art? Then, if we were able to prove it was genuine, could we safely remove it from the wall? The house was being radically overhauled by Ian and cracks were already running through the painting so we knew, whatever the outcome, this picture was in peril."
Fake or Fortune? How do Fiona and Philip determine what's fake... and what's worth a fortune?
Fiona and Philip once again use old-fashioned detective work and cutting-edge science to determine whether they’ve unearthed priceless paintings — or cheap copies! And Philip LOVES being an art detective...
"I think the appeal of Fake or Fortune? is that it combines human hope and jeopardy within the world of art," says Philip. "Art is an abstract concept but people we can relate to. The difference between what’s real and what’s not is sometimes so obscure but the human narrative helps us break down this world of high stakes and mystery into a way it can be understood.
"I feel most ‘sleuthy’ when I'm in a lab with Professor Aviva Burnstock, our go-to person for forensics," he adds. "We might be examining an infrared photograph that looks, not just at the painting, but through it. Suddenly, the artist's ideas, hesitations and ambitions, which are invisible to us, come to the surface."
What can we expect from the rest of the series?
"We have a drawing by one of the greatest French post-impressionist painters of all time, Modigliani, which takes us back to the Parisian cafe society of the early 20th century," says Philip. "Then there’s a painting in a catholic church in Port Glasgow, which took us to Belgium and to a really dark ages moment in art history. The final case centres on a couple who had bought, very cheaply, a painting they believed was by one of the greatest founders of impressionism art, Alfred Sisley. That investigation took me to Miami, and Fiona to Paris."
Has it really been going 10 series?
Yes! And, it seems, the last person who could have predicted that is Philip.
"We always wondered whether we could bring art history to BBC1 but our very first programme — centred on French artist Monet - seemed to strike a chord with people," he recalls. "That’s when we realised it is possible to bring complex, academic subjects to a big audience if it’s presented with an intelligent and light touch. It was a tremendously exciting moment."
