Fake or Fortune?
PHILIP MOULD on teaming up with Fiona Bruce to uncover more priceless – or worthless – works of art
TUESDAY BBC1
There’s nothing quite like an art mystery, and Fake or Fortune?, which celebrates its 10th series this year, gives us a thrilling ride. In the first episode, Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate a picture, which the owners hope is by Ben Nicholson, that is painted on to the wall of a house – yes, an actual wall! to find out more.
PFACTUAL
aintings by famous artists can go for millions at auction and there are people up and down the country unaware that they may have a valuable work of art on their wall! Since 2011, Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce and art dealer Philip Mould have been investigating the mysterious origins of intriguing artworks in BBC1’S Fake or Fortune?, which is back for its 10th series this week.
In four new investigations, Fiona and Philip once more use old-fashioned detective work and cutting-edge science to determine whether they’ve unearthed priceless masterpieces - or cheap copies.
In an exclusive interview with TV Times, Philip, 62, tells us about being an art sleuth.
Could you have predicted you’d reach 10 series of the show?
Never! 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. 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 really exciting moment.
What’s the appeal of the show?
I think it’s combining human hope and jeopardy within the world of art. Art is an abstract concept but we can relate to people. 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 into a way it can be understood. The show fuses that with stylistic analysis, and there’s a travelogue element, too.
For the first case, you and Fiona 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 whole house attached! 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 Ben Nicholson was in that room and had actually painted that art? Then, 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.
What did your gut instinct tell you about the artwork?
That this painting was genuine. But it wasn’t in the art-history books, so we had to build a strong case to prove it. This required going back in time, looking at photographs, talking to neighbours, and doing forensic analysis.
What else can we expect from the series?
We have a drawing by one of the greatest post-impressionist painters of all time, Modigliani, which takes us back to the Parisian cafe society of the early 20th century. 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 took me to Miami, and Fiona to Paris.
What do you most enjoy about working with Fiona?
Fiona has become a real friend;
I’ve probably travelled with her more than I have with my own wife! She’s extremely professional, almost teacherlike. 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.
What’s the best thing about being an ‘art detective’?
I can’t paint to save my life! But what I am able to do is empathise with the way the artist tries to relate to the world through images, shapes, colours and poetry. I feel most ‘sleuthy’ when I’m in a lab with Professor Aviva Burnstock, our go-to person for forensics. 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.
When a painting turns out to be worth a fortune, do you enjoy changing someone’s life?
I do but I hate giving bad news. I always try to make sure Fiona does that. She enjoys filming the part of the show where we reveal the outcome of our investigation - I just find it really stressful!
‘THE INTERNET IS A FRENZIED FEEDING GROUND FOR FAKES’
What’s your top tip for spotting a fake?
If it’s too good to be true, it normally is. The internet is a frenzied feeding ground for fakes. You have to be so careful.
What piece of art has fooled you?
I have in the basement of my gallery [Philip Mould & Co in London’s Mayfair] an Elizabethan portrait of a romantic-looking face of a lady. The characteristics of the face are unquestionably from the Tudor period [1485-1603], yet my restorer said it could only have been painted in 1930 or 1940. Whenever I look at it, I still can’t get my head around the fact I’m looking into the face of someone who’s got me duped!
What are your favourite memories from the past 10 series?
We knew we were right in 2015 about a painting that had been done by Winston Churchill but we couldn’t bring it to bear in the show. Then, two years later, the evidence came forward. It happened with a Lucian Freud painting as well. It’s those satisfying moments where we find out we were right after all!
FAKE OR FORTUNE? is previewed on