Portraits

Every year, the Fake or Fortune team receive hundreds of requests for help from the owners of mysterious portraits. Everyone wants to know two things - who is it and who painted it? The team choose three of the most promising portraits to investigate further - a portrait of a child, believed to be by prized modern artist Willem de Kooning, a portrait of a young lady, attributed to 18th century society painter Philip Mercier and a portrait of a formidable looking man, said to be by 19th century German master Adolph von Menzel. Philip Mould takes on the de Kooning case, meeting Belgian owners Jan and Chris Starckx. Fiona Bruce wants to know how an 18th century portrait of a lady ended up in the flat of Richard and Jenny Williams, a retired couple in Eastbourne. The investigation into the portrait of 'The Old Gentleman' takes an unexpected turn when the team delve into the story of owner Lance Miller's grandfather.