Fake or Fortune? – Series 6
Three concentrated investigations focus on works attributed to Constable, Australian Impressionist Tom Roberts and Gauguin. Each case explores how provenance, technique and changing expert opinion can transform the status and value of an overlooked artwork.
Episodes
Constable
The team investigates a painting of Willy Lott’s Cottage that Philip Mould had previously bought and sold twice without securing its acceptance as a work by John Constable. A detailed chain of ownership, stylistic examination and comparison with Constable’s established work may finally determine whether the overlooked landscape is an alternative view related to The Hay Wain.
Tom Roberts
Fiona and Philip travel to Australia to investigate Rejected, a painting bought online for £7,500 and signed by Australian Impressionist Tom Roberts. Infrared examination reveals inscriptions on the reverse, while Roberts’s surviving sketchbooks and London addresses provide evidence that could connect the picture to his years at the Royal Academy.
Gauguin
Two possible works by Paul Gauguin receive very different investigations. A pencil study resembling a figure from When Will You Marry? is traced through Gauguin’s sketchbook and former owners, while a still life previously sold as genuine is scrutinized for questionable signatures, provenance and style.