This program is addictive the excitement finding a true art treasure is worth more then the actual price

As a native Detroiter and a painter, this episode had me on the edge of my seat, well done!

A wonderful adventure, a picture that becomes profoundly interesting as we watch, and a great artist as great dramatist. Rich and exciting. Thank you!

Why am I crying that it was authenticated? What a fascinating journey this little painting has been on.

How wonderful rescuing a masterpiece from obscurity. I love this show.

my first episode & looking forward to more... the keeping of records is vital too our lives & like many written word, is tragically missing in this world of type on a screen & clicking. well done hosts, the accents, the calm, the thought into words & the intellect made this show a joy to behold...

What a wonderful program! I love the Fake or Fortune series but somehow missed this episode. To see it linked to my own DIA was great!

It was wonderful to see the full sized painting the study was based on. It was so vibrant even via zoom. I'm so glad you were able to share your painting with the world even while the world was shut down during covid.

Fantastic work on everyone's account!

The painting, the story, the discovery is just inspiring. Nice super !

Wonderful program. I would love to see more episodes.

Fascinating episode. I love the investigation and history and scientific analysis aspect of these shows. So well done. Thank you.

A wonderful episode and story, from a Detroit area viewer. I must go to the DIA and look at the finished Benjamin West painting.

I love this show! Good to see new episodes!

I want to know more about the collector. Does he paint? How did he find his way to collecting? He has a very good eye. And, bravo for spotting this beautiful sketch! I'm curious to know more about Benjamin West now, too. Thank you. This was just fabulous! ❤

This was SO good! Brilliant program.

This is like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) without the blood and guts and guns. I forwarded a link to this show to my artist/art therapy friend who loved the CSI shows to the extent that she thought about getting involved until she learned that she needed to carry and shoot a gun. To me, it seems that investigating a crime scene is similar to investigating an art scene. Both are exciting, but the art scene presents a less physical danger.

What a fantastic find. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. Thank you

These two are great as a team. To have the privilege of a job like this. What could be better?

So happy for Hugh! Well done sir.

I mean I don't think of art one way or another but I dig this show, very well done! Held my interest all the way through which is lacking from entertainment these days. It has me appreciating the few paintings I have on my walls, particularly one that had no form until I put a frame on it at which time the oil picture came to life. :)

How I’ve missed this show

This is a good one and so are many many more. Thank you so much for uplifting my world 🗺 💐.

Another beautiful bravura episode -Covid or no-Covid layer over it. Thanks so much for pursuing it and posting the story!!

So happy for the gentleman.

I could listen to Fiona and Philip chat forever and ever as the soundtrack of my life.

great find so happy for him great history he has now for the sketch

Interesting process - provenance and science working together

What was the “family scandal” that prompted the Nash Family to “destroy all of [John Nash’s] personal records after his death” in 1835? I can see online that Nash died with a great deal of debt; but does that qualify as a “family scandal,” such that his survivors would be prompted to destroy his papers?

Indian Yellow is one of my favorite colors to work with in my paintings!

Love this show

A beautiful picture after the restoration.

Just wonderful!

Realmente una investigación muy minuciosa y bien documentada. Enhorabuena al nuevo propietario y a los dos investigadores

This is a great show! Thanks for helping them in their investigation.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH! WONDERFOUL PROGRAM!!.........

Wonderful story!

I’m so happy for Hugh!

Very good episode and what a find.

This was absolutely fascinating!

I can definitely read "B West" at the bottom of the restored painting at 52:51, and possibly 178..., once you know West's signature, it is quite visible, and written higher than the superimposed signature.

Good one. Hadn't seen this one.

Amazing episode!

Masterpiece Presentation

I love Fake or Fortune I had learn so so much about art thank you for sharing

Wonderful program.

I love this show! Fabulous find! I think I would have to give some sort of percentage to the poor people who sold it for so little. Otherwise I would feel guilty. Thanks just me:)

Thank goodness the DIA still exists amidst the post-heyday, urban decay of near apocalyptic Detroit.

0:36 is the 'expert' on camera referring to the artist Lucian Freud? Not sure. I'm not in the painting's world, but fine violins and bows. Thanks in advance if one can shed light on this - I assume it's from a previous episode...

Youre also including the frame size when u measured the picture! Therefore up to about an inch off!

Colnagi archives destroyed? Was thus because he was involved in laundering at least one piece, first stolen from the altar of the Monastery in Amelia, placed on the Portioncola in Assisi and then smuggled out by the Berensons in a false bottom suitcase under some French dolls to be laundered by Colnagi auction to Isabella Stewart Gardner. Another a Raphael Deposition from the Cross also came to Gardner through colnaghi. Is it any wonder archives destroyed?,

Fiona herself is a wonderful work of art. I’ve little doubt that she could quite readily brighten the darkest of days.

my fave show

Would have been nice if they'd said why the farmer thought it was a west.

Why do I feel like Dr. Lori Verderame could have solved this in about 10 minutes by looking at the back, and frame?

Brilliant as they say

Well spotted Huw!! Brilliant investigation

Great show!

Well presented

Oh how delightful ... nice provenance ...

The person who sold it on eBay is probably sad right now 😢

My favorite show

Is that a date (year) to the right of the signature? I'm seeing a 1, a 7, an 8 perhaps and lastly a 7? Those typical, elongated 7s of the 18th century?

This is what happens when you don’t sign your artwork

I am surprised an artist would sign/date a sketch- but I know zilch about artworks!

I don't know what the problem with the signature is. It clearly says B West 1787, just not where you overlaid it.

Phillip & Fiona hung the finders out to dry. I hope the girl never settles with the greedy family who let the painting end up at the dump.

Benjamin West was A long distance cousin of my Husband! I believe he is buried At Windsor Castle, as he was A favorite of George the 3rd!

I try not to buy anything on line. I won't buy clothes unless I can try them on and check for defaults. Art or anything like that I can't say enough about what a bad idea it is. I ordered something many years ago and didn't recieve it. Plus it's too easy to fall victim to theft or worse identity theft. Fortunately twenty dollars wasn't enough to lose sleep over and ,I just learned to not trust a random seller on line.

Love this program but as an artist, it does make us feel bad when you say a fake it worthless. Untrue.

When they got to Indian yellow and mummy brown all I could think was, "people are weird."

I dont know a lick about art but this was pretty well done. Could be a movie with Tom Hanks. Or is there one like that already

Why is there a clock running in the top-right corner? It's more than a bit annoying. Otherwise though, I've always enjoyed this show.

I am particularly drawn by the guilty, hag-ridden figure of Judas Iscariot. He FEELS "damned for all time" as he says in "Jesus Christ Superstar". Very moving.

A lovely little picture and good detective work. Sadly over restored and brightened in my view, and disrupted by new work, losing some of its intensity. I would not have let that man who thought he could repaint Judas's face anywhere near it. But at least we have film of how it looked before.

How much did he pay for the restoration ?

hello sir or very very good work ❤❤❤❤❤

See BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell

Loving Eviva

The BBC shoul d have helped Hugh a bit with a stylist. He only seems to own blue clothing. So interesting for a man who collects art.

This isn't a sketch. It's a painting.

$66,000.00 picture for $50 pounds! Not bad! Not bad at all!

###SPOILERS*** Wonderful outcome, Well do Hue!

👍

💙

What? “Are you prepared to pay for the restoration? .- Yes, yes”. Again, what? What human doesn’t ask “how much?”. Then again, they have an hour of program and they have to edit.

sooo an artist is, oh let's say taking a walk, and notices a cow peeing and it immediately spirngs to mind..."humm, that would make a great yellow for my painting....".

salvator mundi=fake! no HALO, no beard!, straight COLLAR!

she is so cute :-D

Our lady of the ship wreck Los Angeles county ocean blvd Long Beach ca.

Grease the wheels of provenance.

feel Hugh deserves much more credit to have beeen able to see any lofty potential at all in thiswreckof pictur,wa hat did he see to even hint at West or was it puregut feeling,intuition a 50quid ebaychancebid,strannge

I hope no one ever tells Fiona the story behind the 18th century dye "caca dauphin."

To eat Nash naush

Like the series. It's so fake but it's made a fortune.

50 British pounds to 50 thousand!!!😎

Is that lady short or is Fiona 6'5"?

From £50 to £50,000 and you get to hang with Fiona... come on, mate, show some excitement!!

The Optical Crypo Club.

Is that not true ?