Fake or Fortune?: Cezanne and Pissarro (BBC One Tuesday 10 October 2023)

Fake or Fortune?: Cezanne and Pissarro airs Tuesday 10 October 2023 on BBC One.

What is this episode about

On the trail of Camille Pissarro and his friend and protege Paul Cezanne, two of the greatest Impressionist and post-Impressionist artists, Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould travel to France.

Following the clues left by Dominique Rogers’ simple watercolour, Fiona finds herself in the breathtaking landscape of Provençal France. She is the great-great-niece of the poet, art critic, and close friend of Cezanne’s whom he painted multiple times, Anthony Valabregue. Even though Dominique isn’t a fan of Cezanne’s work, she insists that the painting was a personal gift from the artist to Valabregue Sr.

Fiona travels to Aix-en-Provence, Cezanne’s birthplace, and spends time in the artist’s studio as well as the nearby quarries under the imposing Mont Sainte-Victoire, whose ochre boulders and slender trees inspired so much of his work. Is this the wall on which Dominique painted her tree?

Since Fiona now knows that Cezanne wasn’t copied during his lifetime, she knows that studying the paper and palette will be essential to establishing the provenance. But what if, after his passing, a fan or worse, a forger, meticulously replicated it?

Meanwhile, Philip goes to Pontoise in northern France, where Pissarro settled down with his big family and frequent visitors included Cezanne. Pissarro’s passion for painting rural scenes and the toiling farmers who tend them grew over time.

Zana Glaser’s father, Tom, was an avid art collector, so she inherited a drawing of cabbage vendors from him. The Pissarro committee agreed that the drawing’s outline and signature were authentic, but they rejected Tom’s 2012 auction bid because they believed the drawing had been coloured by someone other than Pissarro.

Zana seeks assistance from the Fake or Fortune group. Is it possible to demonstrate scientifically that the outlining and colouring occurred simultaneously? Another possibility is that a member of Pissarro’s artistically talented family coloured the drawing to increase its value and prestige.

If the Pissarro is correct, its value could reach £50,000; if not, its value is likely to be no more than £1,000, despite the great artist having done the outline. Because of this renewed interest in Cezanne’s work, the painting could be worth as much as £100,000. If not, it has negligible value. Can the group put together enough proof to convince the appropriate authorities?

Series 11 Episode 3 of 4

When can we see the episode

Fake or Fortune?: Cezanne and Pissarro airs Tuesday 10 October 2023 at 8:00pm on BBC One

Featured Image Credit: BBC One