Is This $6,000 Jean-Léon Gérôme Oil Painting A Fake Or A Fortune?

[@jbeach1964]

Fake or Fortune has always been one of my favorite shows. Pairing Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould to investigate these art works is both entertaining and informative. I always enjoyed seeing them on the original, British version of Antiques Roadshow. I also love the juxtaposition of the tracing the historic provenance of the item with the intervention of modern, scientific methods to substantiate (or question) the legitimacy of the piece. I wish this series was still in production today! 🎨❤

[@pilsplease7561]

I love both of them, they are great presenters and so enthusiastic about art and I really just like how they try and put in the effort and learn so much and dont give up untill its absolutely beaten to death and proven or disproven.

[@EyeByBrian]

You wish F.orF. were still in production? It *still is*. There were four new episodes broadcast in autumn 2024. AFAIK they are at work on the 2025 episodes.

[@jbeach1964]

@@EyeByBrian ... Awesome! I did not know that ... I will have to search for the new episodes ... Thanks!

[@nicholasczech6973]

This show is truly a hidden magnificent masterpiece itself. The provenance of its splendor is absolutely intricate and well shot. One of the best, underrated series out there.

[@ivyandroses25]

I agree. I just love this show.

[@desmondclancy824]

Wish there were more like it!

[@sharonmorgan2762]

I agree absolutely. Well done Fake or Fortune team!

[@bennyboy0421]

This is a treasured program! The 2 hosts are absolutely charming, attractive and knowledgeable! Thank you!

[@bobbie_art]

I was a bit surprised that Philip clearly did not know how UV light is used as a simple, fairly standard tool to locate overpaint and residual varnish. You completely lost me there and the conservator was also clearly not impressed by Philip's lack of basic knowledge. Later in the episode he was brought up to speed I think. It was immediately visible that the signature darkened under UV. Even simply placed on top of the final varnish it turned out later. Too many red flags as far as I am personally concerned to simply assign this painting with a gap of 100 years of provenance. I think Akkerman's judgment was not incorrect. Fantastic series to watch, despite Philip's astonishing lack of standard knowledge. So knowledgeable...no I do not share that opinion.

[@Anna-Gunilla1792]

@@bobbie_art Well, we are sorry to hear that.

[@PlanttreesMS]

Congratulations Fiona and Philip! And to Jon Swilhart too! What a joy for all of you! Your work is always so thorough and convincing, it's great to have a positive outcome. Love your show!

[@chrisdeoni1697]

FABULOUS EPISODE 👌 👏 👍!!! JON SWIHART deserves an episode for HIS work!!! It's fantastic 👏.

[@Ontario100]

Really enjoyed this episode. ❤ I went to a local art museum yesterday for an exhibition and there was "The Carpet Merchant of Cairo" by Gerome ! Thanks so much for posting these episodes!

[@db7266]

This show should have won an award, if it hasn't already:)

[@THSeaNotes]

I love these Fake or Fortune episodes!❤

[@flooklh]

You two are amazing. What an exciting and interesting undertaking to trace the provenance of this lovely painting. Congratulations on a job extremely well done!

[@CrimFerret]

That leads me to wonder if the other one that Ackerman declared fake might also be real. Might be worth checking on.

[@gyselapacheco1254]

As an artist and a lover of art. I absolutely love this show. Would love to see more episodes. Love these two as well.

[@sirbernardmendesfrance6817]

Fascinating research and historical analysis from the investigative journalist[s], here on it’s authenticated history from inception to the present.

[@robertdavenport6705]

just watched the first 18 minutes and not read any comments . this picture does not seem to have the vital spark of life like the real Gerome's so far shown. Will now watch the rest and see what others say. Love the series , always interesting.Later - Well , I was wrong. Will have to wait 50 years or so for the next attribution. I'll be 152 then , but I can wait.

[@amherst88]

Thanks *so* *much* for posting ❤

[@anabelapauseiro2408]

I enjoyed this video very much and am willing for more! Thank you.

[@adelheidsnel5171]

fabulous outcome and outstanding research!!!

[@mycatsnameiskaren8253]

Thank you for this show. Great episode!!!

[@luisv7117]

I had learn so so much about art thank you for sharing and uploading

[@tscully1504]

Fascinating story and investigation across the world.

[@donaldprice9569]

My eyes welled with tears as the verdict was read by Fiona. I have watch many of your presentations, however, as a lover of fine art this one touched me deeply. Thank you.....

[@Earth098]

Thanks a lot for uploading!!

[@borge2014]

Fabulous episode.

[@j.c.linden]

There is something very wrong in a world where the opinion of ONE person counts so much! The other disturbing thing is that paintings ARE valued by how popular the artist happens to be at that moment in time.

[@nancymilawski1048]

I believe of these decision making bodies are committees. These committees need to have m9re transparency about how they work

[@millyheyd3076]

You did a fantastic job. As for the position of the hands, Gerome was thinking as a Christian not as a Moslem

[@nancymilawski1048]

Especially in the earlier works.

[@millyheyd3076]

The position of the hands echoes the theme of Christ in Majesty without the stigmata (see the Colmar, Isenheim alterpiece)

[@davidferguson5536]

The game is on! Release the team!😎

[@MCML50]

A very nice and interesting video from you both, you are very good at finding art and so thrilling.👍👍

[@jeff__w]

~SPOILER~ The painting, renamed _At Prayer_ (possibly because there was no reason or maybe no way to determine if the figure was an Arab or a Turk), sold for £94,500* with fees ($130,000), exceeding the low end of a pre-sale estimate of £80,000 to £120,000 ($110,000 to $165,000), on 26 October 2021 in Sotheby’s “The Orientalist Sale.” The owner, Jon Swihart, had acquired the painting for $6,325 at auction in New York in 1999. This episode “Gerome” [S09E02] of _Fake or Fortune_ first aired on 9 August 2021. _*Clarification:_ Per @jlasf’s comment, while the sale price _was_ £94,500 ($130,000), the sole bid was for the low estimate of £80,000 ($110,000), with Sotheby’s fees making up the difference. Thanks, @jlasf, for the clarification! 👍🙂

[@jlasf]

Almost correct: The painting had only one bid at the low estimate of £80,000 ($110,000). Sothebys' fees bring the sale price to £94,500. ($130,000) So, Jon ends up with £80,000. ($110,000.) That's a good return on his investment. If he put that same $6,000 in the stock market in 1999, it would be worth $40,000. So, he's up $70,000.

[@jeff__w]

@@jlasf Thank you for that excellent clarification! I have edited the comment to reflect that and credit you. And, _definitely,_ Jon’s return on investment was _way_ better than had he put the money into the stock market-thanks for adding that detail. 👍🙂

[@GigiStar01]

Thank you!

[@theiconjodi8966]

congrats to the owner!

[@barrymoore4470]

I was surprised that an object of figural art was allowed in the mosque for assessment. I didn't even think mirrors were allowed in those spaces.

[@srf2112]

The means the other painting is an original as well. The museum will be happy.

[@movingpicutres99]

Further investigation is warranted, said the expert. That would be very interesting, too.

[@tedheslin9777]

Gerome, my favorite painter. I always considered Ackerman tops on Gerome, but who ever knows for sure. Who is really an expert? Maybe steeped in knowledge but an expert?

[@partiallyhuman]

Love this show

[@wallacejeffery5786]

Outstanding

[@RogerEbert-vy5pv]

The quality of the hands will tell you the ability of the artist.

[@Hearthealing66]

So interesting. Thanks

[@Cyberlucy]

What's interesting is that these paintings they are talking about are apparently early in this guy's career. Obviously they aren't going to be as technically good nor as culturally appropriately as his older works. Why this is not taken into consideration by Ackerman I don't know.

[@jlasf]

Yet another lesson that experts know nothing. Time after time, this excellent show has proven experts wrong. The era of subjective judgement is over. "It doesn't feel like a Raphael." With current scientific and forensic research tools and the internet, data is now the definitive answer.

[@evansquilt]

Gülru Çakmak is a professor at UMass-Amherst, about ten miles from me.

[@jlasf]

Not near Boston, as they say. But they're British, so we'll let it slide. I went to Amherst College.

[@fabiodeoliveiraribeiro1602]

The value of the allegedly fake painting declared to be genuine was multiplied by 10 or 20. A good deal for the owner. What did the show's owners get here? A small fee?

[@jlasf]

Spoiler: The painting sold at Sothebys for $110,000. If you are asking if the TV show producers get a commission, I doubt it. They make their money through a TV production deal.

[@Griffintheelder]

It´s definitely not an Arab man but rather an Ottoman Turk. The facial features confirm this, as well as the Yatagan sword.

[@keithbraham6438]

Since I was a teenager and discovered the Impresionists, have always said "I would never do anything bad for money, but for a great piece of art I would have to be a primary suspect"

[@catserver8577]

I would guess the hundred year gap may have been that no one who owned it wanted it displayed, I mean it's portraying a man incorrectly worshipping.

[@AFAskygoddess]

It really is an unattractive composition, too. The only reason it was bought was for the signature.

[@kiribati9393]

@@AFAskygoddess tbh I fidn the composition quite apealing

[@TheKenchambers]

Is there any possibility that an artist, who understands that his works are becoming popular, would hire another artist to fake his work? Then afterwards put his signature on it.

[@p5rsona]

Fiona 😍

[@edwardhamm5535]

The 'East' never experienced the enlightenment or the subsequent industrial revolution. The Ottoman Caliphate did not permit such thoughts, so by the19th century the East was culturaly backward due to religous prohibitions. This loss of a ruling Muslim Caliphate in 1922 is exactly what Osama Bin Ladin was working to restore not just in the East, but worldwide.

[@afusmackdown]

The man painted looks worried or a man under siege. On his knees waiting to die. That is why he is facing the wrong direction.

[@wayneG68]

The sign on the first painting says "draughts players", telling us what's going on in the painting. The second painting was named "Follower of Gerome', yet is attributed to the painter and NOT the person in the painting?

[@renzo6490]

What value does a painting have? Sure, it's nice to own something of monetary worth. But would they have loved it less, had it been deemed a work by someone other than Gerome?

[@grokeffer6226]

👍👍👍

[@paullynn473]

Would forgers go to any length to fool the buyer, of course they would. 🎨

[@jlasf]

Yes. If you watch other episodes of this series, you will see forgers are very clever. While Gerome is not famous now, a forger could have done this when Gerome was popular.

[@clarisemason5527]

❤

[@arielvalencia4583]

nice! you already had all elements to authenticate and common sense...and..chemical analysis? is original you dont have to depend in a veredict of a supposed conoisseur they are wrong many times and respond to dark interests...

[@oneworldawakening]

Would love to watch more of the Fake or fortune videos, but not if they'e and long and drawn out as this one, where every step in the process is padded with drama.

[@nancymilawski1048]

This is a program on BBC and this is the normal length. I change the playback speed in the settings to one of 1.5, 1.75 or 2.0 dependent on whether I can still understand the speakers. 😃😃

[@oneworldawakening]

@@nancymilawski1048 Thanks for your polite reply. Sorry I was a bit cranky. The show is very interesting and well produced!

[@BigHaasDenver]

Yeah I restore the pain and I got to listen to kidding took me 5 years the painting will be in London by March 2025 I paid $5,000 for it no it's worth 3 million dollars

[@afusmackdown]

The expert is an arrogant idiot. Her testimony would be deemed circumstantial and prejudicial. She is guessing what the artist was thinking with no evidence whatsoever. She is out of order, the whole court is out of order.

[@bojanadozic615]

I don’t like the painting, orientalism is not my genre.

[@robbyakes8736]

WAR IS EVIL.

[@TheTeacher1020]

Too much teasing the owners! Cut the BS!

[@tomobedlam297]

I could see it was genuine right off. If it was a fake the bloke would have signed it with a more famous name surely.

[@jlasf]

This could be a fake done at the time when Gerome was very popular. In his time, he was a very famous and valuable painter.