Normally I don’t write about TV shows or movies. I watch plenty but typically have nothing interesting to say about it.
While not sure this instance is an exception, I am excitedly starting a new series and wanted to share a little.
Recently I heard friends of a friend chatting about a British reality series about art called “Fake or Fortune” and thought, “That sounds like my kind of show.”
The premise is that two hosts, one a British art collector, try to find out if various art works are genuine or forgeries.
They consult experts and use various technologies to examine the works — mostly paintings, but some sculptures as well. The technology includes x-rays, paint layer analysis and pigment analysis.
In one episode, they lifted the tiniest paint sample from a Venice cityscape and took images of its cross-section to show the paint layers. They found red and white layers underneath the multicolored top paint layer that created the scene.
These two preliminary colors layered over the canvas was a typical technique of the artist to whom the painting was attributed. However, the colors stood in reverse order. Instead of a thick layer of red followed by a thin white coat, whoever painted the work in question painted a thick white layer and added a thin red coat and then the scene above that.
This was a factor in determining that this painting was not by the artist to whom it had been attributed. The painting’s owner still loved it — he’d inherited it from his parents and planned to leave it to his children. I thought that was a lovely attitude to have upon learning his painting was a knock-off. I had to agree with him; it remained a beautiful work of art.
The two hosts also delve into the ownership history of the artworks — looking through gallery sales’ ledgers and other historical documents to find as much proof as possible as to the provenance of the pieces.
In an episode I watched most recently, they managed to trace unbroken ownership of a painting right back to the painter’s son. This was an exceptional case though; usually ownership lineage isn’t documented so clearly.
Throughout each episode, the hosts travel to various places important in the story of the investigated art work. They traveled to Venice when looking into the Venetian cityscape, they went to the studio of a famous sculptor when looking into one of her potential works, etc.
They also talk about the process of how the pieces they look at were created. When investigating a bronze sculpture, the hosts talked to workers in the bronze industry. Hosts and experts together explained that the artist first makes a clay sculpture, from which she then makes a plaster cast, which is used as a mold to pour liquid bronze into, and described many details of the procedure.
The series is multi-faceted. It features a combination of science and sleuthing, explanations of art technique and process and a travelogue. As expected in a reality TV series, they do make everything sound extra dramatic — but in an enjoyable (at least to me) way.
An aspect of “Fake or Fortune” I particularly enjoy is exposure to more art information. The episodes I’ve watched so far have investigated purported works of well-renowned artists — I’m sure I’ve seen their works in museums — but I have enjoyed learning a bit more about each.
If you like British reality TV and/or art, I recommend checking out this series.
ALDONA BIRD is a journalist, previously writing for The Dominion Post. She uses experience gained working on organic farms in Europe to help her explore possibilities of local productivity and sustainable living in Preston County. Email columns@dominionpost.com
