TV series
Journalist Fiona Bruce teams up with art expert Philip Mould to investigate the provenance or attribution of notable artworks.
Availability
Fake or Fortune? premiered June 19, 2011. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Journalist Fiona Bruce teams up with art expert Philip Mould to investigate the provenance or attribution of notable artworks.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
American artist Jeffrey Kroll asks the team to investigate a small flower painting inherited from his father and signed “P. Mondrian.” Provenance research, handwriting analysis and scientific testing are used to determine whether the picture is an early figurative work by Piet Mondrian or an ingenious later imitation.
Directed by Guy Arthur, Nicky Illis
Episode 2
Art dealer David Taylor bought a painting of women working in a field for £2,090, suspecting that it might be by Canadian Impressionist Helen McNicoll. With almost all identifying labels removed, Fiona and Philip trace its exhibition history across Britain and Canada in an effort to reconnect the neglected work with its original title and artist.
Directed by Matthew Smith
Episode 3
The programme ventures beyond fine art to investigate two pieces of rock memorabilia: a silver guitar said to have belonged to Ronnie Wood and a piano linked to John Lennon. Manufacturing records, photographs, witness testimony and instrument specialists are used to determine whether either object can be securely connected to the musicians.
Directed by Christopher Boreham
Episode 4
The team examines The Head of the Lake, a landscape signed by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and purchased largely for its ornate frame. Historical exhibition labels, a period canvas-supplier stamp and technical analysis appear promising, but the investigation must also confront repeated earlier rejections and evidence recorded by one of Corot’s contemporaries.
Directed by Sara Moralioglu
Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026
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Fiona BruceSelf - Presenter
Philip MouldSelf - Presenter
Bendor GrosvenorSelf - Researcher
Aviva BurnstockSelf - Technical Specialist
BBC OneUnited Kingdom
BBCUnited Kingdom