Series 2

Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate Danseuse Bleue et Contrebasses, a small painting believed to be by Edgar Degas. Although its history appears to lead back to the artist’s studio, the work is absent from the accepted catalogue of Degas paintings. Provenance research and scientific testing are used to determine whether the owner possesses a modest imitation or a valuable lost work.

The team reopens the case of three landscapes—The Beacon Light, Off Margate and Margate Jetty—bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales as works by J. M. W. Turner. Dismissed as fakes during the 1950s, the paintings are subjected to fresh archival and technical investigation to establish whether a long-standing judgment deprived them of their true identity.

Philip Mould places one of his own discoveries under investigation: a heavily altered portrait that he believes conceals an unfinished work by Sir Anthony van Dyck. Restoration requires the irreversible removal of later additions, while Fiona insists upon independent authentication. As the underlying image emerges, both Philip’s judgment and the painting’s potential importance are put to the test.