The Secret Sketch Uncovered From A Nazi Treasure Trove | Fake Or Fortune? | Perspective

Discovered in 2012 among 1,500 other works in a Nazi hoard, the team try to deduce whether a small watercolor sketch is the work of famed British 20th century sculptor Henry Moore.
Subscribe and click the bell icon to get more arts content every week:
/ perspectivearts
Perspective is KZbin's home for the arts. Come here to get your fill of great music, theatre, art and much, much more!
📺 It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit, the world's best history documentary service and get 50% off using the code 'PERSPECTIVE' bit.ly/3zj7Soo
Any queries, please contact us at:
[e-mail]
#Painting #Art #History

[@carrierockwell2447]

I always enjoy this show. It is very educational. I love learning about artists I may not of heard or learn about the historical factors behind the artwork too. As a working artist and teacher of art myself, I absolutely do understand the need for provenance as this show is mostly concerned, but, it is important to educate the audience about art practices as well as provenance. These sketches are called thumbnails. Art dealers do know this term and absolutely understand the meaning. It is the way all trained artists work in order to work out how they want the piece to end up. As a traditional painter I usually quickly draw on my canvas when doing portraits. Many times though I am working with photos and need to workout my placement of people against background and will do thumbnails. When I find actual areas of interest for backgrounds I will do thumbnails too especially when the light fascinates me. This technique is the very beginning for all artists and all artists have tons of journals with thumbnails. If they don’t I strongly encourage artists to do thumbnails in journals as opposed to working, for instance, only digitally or only on their canvas. When it comes to sculptures it is imperative to use thumbnails to work out all angles as this episode stealthily reveals. Absolutely love the show. Thank you for all the history and pieces of artwork we may not ever have been able to know about on our own.

[@tamarrajames3590]

This was a very satisfying body of researching provenance. The gradual accumulation of provable movements of the sketches, from Moore himself to the director of the museum, to its confiscation by the Nazis, and purchase by Gurlich has added one more significant piece in the oeuvre of Henry Moore for the world to view and enjoy. A job well done…I am glad it wasn’t looted from a private collection.🖤🇨🇦

[@genicabre]

Shouldn't they go back to the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Hamburg? Dr. Sauerlandt had bought them and they had been confiscated by the Nazis...

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@genicabre I believe there was a ruling that if a piece was taken from a German museum and sold by the government…it is a legitimate purchase. It will be in the collection of the museum he willed the collection to. It only goes back to the previous owner if it was looted from a private collection.🖤🇨🇦

[@christiansalomon1560]

❤

[@joseffinat966]

Gestolen goed gedijt niet, dus wat gestolen is moet terug naar de rechtmatige eigenaar of erfgenamen,zou er niemand meer zijn in leven zou ik zeggen richt een museum voor gestolen kunstwerken zodat ieder het kan zien maar ook met de feiten geconfronteerd van van het repentant = berouwvolle kunst betreft en wat het heeft veroorzaakt aan verdriet van velen zo kan men zeker niet de tranen van velen niet vergoeden maar misschien dat men weer een stukje genezing op gang kan brengen en met de entre geld kaartverkoop iets goeds ermee kan doen vooral de zwakkeren onder ons of aan het Joodse volk maar zeker iets waar men aandacht geeft aan onderdrukking en waar het naar leidt als men elkaar uitsluit ( het tweede gebod heb een ander lief gelijk jezelf )

[@borge2014]

I love this series. It is presented with so much gusto and poetry all along the research trail.

[@LightspeedSuzuka]

What a fascinating episode! They did so well covering the details of a very complicated subject and time. It's a very different approach from the usual, and I hope they do more collaborations like this in the future!

[@Big_Pickle]

When they showed it to his daughter and her face immediately lit up it was case closed slam dunk very clearly a genuine Moore. Also, the fact the piece was found with a hoarde of other original masterpieces made it very easy to believe in the piece’s authenticity.

[@diane9247]

Well, this was gripping all the way through! A wonderful example of the diligence of art historians.

[@Big_Pickle]

It was a great show but it felt from the very beginning the piece was genuine. The way the daughter’s face lit up when she saw it. Where the pice was found, among many other masterpieces, made it pretty obvious.

[@danielclaeys7598]

Germany had the Bauhaus Movement that was touching everything from art and architecture to furniture and even clothing. Moore would have looked more than appropriate in the new landscape of Germany.

[@rts1115]

Gratifying on so many levels. Thanks Fiona and thanks Philip

[@TheTubeTube2]

I really enjoyed that, thank you!

[@myzenlifeinnature]

Glad that the algorithms popped this up for me.

[@MissPerriwinkle]

marvelous hosts....great series !!!!

[@janetsmith1650]

Laura, I just found your channel and really enjoy it! You're doing great!

[@Jcarolinajr]

Great viewing! Intriguing and very stimulating, and more. Bravo 👏🏿

[@Schlei602]

Great work.Thank you!

[@jasongold6751]

A detective story of merit. "The games afoot"! On a side note, seeing Landsacpe photography by Steve O'Nions, I saw rock formations in parts of Wales and England close by! The rocks all look like Henry Moore's work! Sure it was the inspiration? The depth of Nazi crimes can never reach a nice conclusion. Very good work by investigators..

[@donaldkasper8346]

The feet are on the ground always as stability points for a sculpture design.

[@earlperson741]

I TRULY ENJOY THIS SERIES....... THE 2 HOST SIMPLY KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING.....I REALLY LIKE GOING WITH THEM ON THERE JOURNEYS TO FIND OUT IF THE ART WORKS THEY'RE DEALING WITH, IS REAL OR NOT.....THIER PRESENTATION FAKE OR FORTUNE IS ONE OF THE SHOWS I USE TO SAVE ME FROM THE DAMMED NONSENSE ON COMMERICAL TV!!!! THANKS SOOOOOO MUCH!

[@berolinastrassmann]

Art sleuthing at its best: this program combines art, history, mystery and suspense all in one. I bet there are hundreds of stories buried in the Gurlitt's hoarded collection. So good the stolen works are recovered.

[@user-sz5yw1pb3b]

Fascinating documentary !

[@stephenrimington5860]

Awsome. Work. These. Presenters do. And. Shine. A light on hidden. Art works. Thankyou. Both

[@MossyMozart]

@Stephen Rimington - Curious: Why. All. The. Full. Stops. ?

[@modenasolone]

Weird how they worry about "looted art" yet the museums are filled with looted art.

[@kathyinthewallowas9190]

this looted art involved mass murder, so wake up

[@cyd6691]

“If it was art stolen or looted it should be returned !” The irony All those thousands of pieces taken from Africa!

[@lulana9545]

Apparently, they are really trying to go through their collected works and archives. However, provenance research is time intensive and funding is rather bleak? There was an investigative Research into the situation in Germany a couple of years ago by a German late night show. The main issue really is that there's a need of many more provenance researchers at museums and collections.

[@Otto72ish]

Great episode.

[@stephenjablonsky1941]

The Germans were excellent record keepers. They listed all the art they stole and all the Jews they murdered. This was a wonderful detective story delving into the tortured history of the Nazi Era.

[@joseffinat966]

Ja het is mooi om te zien hoe het werkelijk zit ja vind het mooi als het gestolen is dat het terug gaat maar men zal zeker er goed naar moeten kijken en dat doen deze twee wel gewoon weer een knap staaltje van zoek werk maar de vraag is wat kost zoiets wie kan de rekening betalen om zoiets te laten uitvoeren en het af moet geven terwijl het niet om diefstal gaat, ben benieuw wat kost een taxatie en onderzoeken en hoe gaat het in zijn werk graag antwoord van jullie zijde ( nieuwsgierig 🧐 😲

[@englishrose4388]

Loved this episode in particular. I’d enjoy it if the show did more of the recovered pieces. I’m not a fan of this articular art, but the story and research was great.

[@evelyne7071]

Very nice !

[@knelson3484]

Fascinating!

[@3251JOE]

Disappointed that you did not mention whether you told Henry Moore's daughter she was right.

[@MossyMozart]

@3251JOE - What makes you think that they didn't?

[@richardparker7121]

In case you missed the same show I just watched, Henry Moore’s daughter told the that they were right. Lol. (Everyone involved knew the exact outcome of how this was gona play out. Yes I luv this show, but it is just that.

[@ellenmarch3095]

Spoiler.

[@Big_Pickle]

@@richardparker7121when her face lit up upon presentation it was immediately clear to me it was done by her father.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

The way television is produced, the goings on and communication is quite different than the suspenseful edit. And of course everyone involved in the show, and especially the artists daughter are made aware of the final verdict.

[@neghinitza]

Please consider adding and pinning a comment so on mobile we don't get spoilers on accident. The first comment is always visible. Love the show, thank you.

[@grokeffer6226]

Good show. 👍👍👍

[@Meine.Postma]

Lovely episode

[@S.L.S-407]

What a great conclusion.

[@katharinatrub1338]

Wheeelll, ...Cuckoo clocks, although they are often associated with Switzerland, it was almost definitely invented in Germany sometime in the 17th century. I am delighted by all I learn by watching your Episodes!

[@pdruiz2005]

At 27:22. I find it comical that Fiona is fluent in Italian (her Italian is beautiful) and French. But she hasn’t bothered to learn German, with its harsh consonants and its difficult grammar. I feel you, Fiona, I feel you. Lol.

[@Muttonchop57]

When I saw "secret sketch" I thought OMG a Nazi comedy routine?!!!"

[@pdruiz2005]

At 46:26. Thank God this little palace didn’t burn down with 8,000 pieces of this art still within it. It would’ve been a catastrophic blow to modern art today. Loss of that Van Gogh alone-this is the famous portrait where Van Gogh painted himself to look like a Zen Buddhist monk during his “Japan obsession” phase-would’ve been tragic.

[@Philip-bk2dm]

Just think about all the talent that has and will remain unknown and unvalued in the lifetime of the artist. I think that a yearning for fame must be something that a true artist should discard early on and work as if recognition and monetary reward were utterly unimportant.

[@joseffinat966]

Ja wat is een artiest, is de mens opzicht geen kunstwerk en de maker ervan ook niet beloont wordt voor al zijn werk,laat staan betalen 😅 als mens durft men nauwelijks vragen bij die OBER ( mag ik de rekening A.u.b) misschien blijft het bij afwassen 🧽 in de keuken van die Hele grote ARTIEST 👨‍🎨

[@Art-ot2jn]

That can be said about everyone's life many die without a pot to pass in no fault of their own

[@annabellelee4535]

Oh, ouch! I hate seeing my favorite Van Gogh sitting there being called "degenerate".

[@NickVenture1]

Hello. Goering also aquired Van Gogh paintings for his own collection even though some of the artist's works were decommissioned by ignorants from public collections. Sometimes such artworks were to be designated as "degenerate" in order to become available for purchase by a smart Nazi art collector. You got it?

[@pigoff123]

I have been to Berlin before and after the wall came down. It is a beautiful city.

[@Philip-bk2dm]

What would be the "value" of the sketch if it were not coupled with a great name? Swift might have included a bit about art collectors in his 'Gulliver's Travels', and Erasmus certainly understood the insanity of artists and collectors in his ' The Praise of Folly'.

[@millawitt1882]

God I Love This Show!👍😀❤️

[@celtoloco788]

fk i love this show. Gets better every episode

[@shawnathon60]

I remember when they found these,..

[@UsernamesForDummies]

I’m surprised that they didn’t mention that from Hitler’s two exhibitions, the one with the “degenerate” art had by far more visitors than the “ideal” one.

[@pigoff123]

My Aunt lives in Hamburg.

[@acommenter5184]

This was an interesting episode, as usual - but I found some of the logic presented by the hosts to be odd. I hope and presume that it is/was irrelevant to the Museum whether or not the work is by Moore, at least in the context of their mission to return looted works to their rightful owners.

[@moongirl786]

The director of the Kunst Museum Bern did subtly correct the female host in this part 15:58

[@kathleensue1]

Thank God for The Monuments Men.

[@trout211]

At 5:16, the shadow makes a recognizable image that the sculpture itself doesn't readily display. Was that its purpose, perhaps, at the right time of day?

[@margueritemitchell1829]

❤❤❤henri moore

[@jameswebb4593]

Naturally Moore would use both sides of a sheet of paper, he was a Yorkshireman . Waste not want not , and were's there's muck there's brass . He certainly figured that last part right.

[@zincminus3793]

Prefer to see them stay in the museum where they belong

[@nancymilawski1048]

This is staying in the museum. This was not on display because they wanted to know it's background. It turns out it had a very simple ownership. The artist to the Hamburg dealer to confiscation by the nazis to purchase by Gurlitt and kept by his son.

[@markr.h.2574]

Max Sauerlandt wasn‘t an art dealer, he was the then director of the arts and crafts museum (Kunstgewerbemuseum) Hamburg.

[@deethebee80]

Did you watch the video !!??

[@julieletford5695]

​@@nancymilawski1048 I think it should be returned to the family it was confiscated from.

[@nancymilawski1048]

@@julieletford5695 I believe it was conviscated from the gallery, not a family. That gallery owner liked this artist and purchased his work.

[@pauladouglas9891]

One thing about the Germans, they kept good records even of all the bad things they did.

[@chrisdeoni1697]

The drawings on the back page were the "Shroud of Turin" moment. Why no DNA test?

[@MrQbenDanny]

Great point. If any DNA matches the daughter, the case is closed.

[@MossyMozart]

@Chris De Oni - DNA testing of what? Do you think Moore licked his drawing?

[@joseffinat966]

@@MrQbenDannyja en nee wel als het om opsporing van mensen die ergens niet weten waar hun fam is ,nou laat ik in het kort zeggen DNA moet men niet te pas en onpas gebruiken ook daar is men vaak over de schreef gegaan dus ik blijf een twijfelgeval wat DNA 🧬 maar zou ook goed mogelijk zijn dat men met instemming,het ligt helemaal in wat voor situatie het wil gebruiken dus openheid waarvoor men het wil gebruiken

[@valerielester7210]

Good question. May be the DNA is lost to time. Although they're making strides all the time

[@johnsweeney5946]

Higeldy pigeldy? Amazing verbal erudition.

[@birdwatch2516]

I don't why they keep condemning This art dealer only interest in personal gain. Seems to me he put himself at great risk to save as much art work of these greats as possible.

[@annabellelee4535]

Also, the condemnation of him for buying the artwork so Jewish people could flee Germany. Does one condemn the pawn broker for buying? I would hope not. I am glad he saved so much artwork and provided the funds for people to flee the country. A life is more important than a piece of art.

[@phyllispeterson5800]

Is Philip genuine or is he acting for the camera ?

[@michaelkyriacou7026]

This is at least ten years old,probably more!!!

[@lorilynnchristiansen2071]

And would that make this less interesting? Your comment is meaningless, as I am guessing you are 10 years old at least.

[@englishrose4388]

Thank you, Phillip, for naming that the reclining female figure has been exploited. As a woman, I very much appreciated your saying that.

[@bethbartlett5692]

*🔹They we're selling on the International Market prior to and during the War.* *🔹Where is the Documentary describing and what is the current position on these pieces?* ✨🌎💫

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

Are these my life drawings?

[@daveg686]

👍

[@pdruiz2005]

SPOILER ALERT! Yay! A rich Swiss museum got to be a little bit richer. Not exactly an ending that warms the cockles of one’s heart, like in other episodes such as the Aussie family who desperately needed the money. I do wonder though-Gotlitt’s son. Did he know the complete history of this art hoard so out of guilt he just kept it piled up in his tiny apartment? He had every motive to sell these pieces and become a rich man, especially with the Allied policy that if the Nazis took art from German museums and sold it, it was fair and square. But he didn’t. I think guilt really weighed heavily on that man and on what his father did.

[@theresabraddock9310]

seems to me that the results are that Cornelious Gerlit's father purchased this quite legally, without anything to do with the Jews. He bought from an art dealer friend who bought it from the artist himself. so, doesnt it really belong to Gerlit's family?

[@joseffinat966]

Als dat echt aantoonbaar is dat iemand het van de kunstenaar heeft gekocht met handtekening van de artiest en datum dan is het een legale verkoop geweest ,als het door latere verkoop gekocht wordt zou ik zeggen dat het nog steeds legaal was en is ,het is net als je koopt een auto bij een garage legaal en dat later de fabrikant zegt ja maar die is van mij dan zal men ook heel gek vinden dat de fabrikant dat wil en zeker ook voor door verkoop het nog steeds legaal is ,men moet wel goed kijken dat het niet gebeurt met vervalste kwitantie,maar handtekeningen is vaak ook te herleiden naar iedere handtekeningen die de kunstenaar heeft gezet ✍️

[@KylaA5952]

Except he left it in his will to the museum

[@bethbartlett5692]

Yes, but the will left it to the Museum.

[@sophiejones3554]

It was looted by the Nazis from the Hamburg Arts and Crafts museum, so it is their property (the purchase from the Nazis doesn't count, as the Nazis were not the legitimate owners). Remember though that German museums cannot reclaim works the Nazis looted from them. So, the Bern museum owns it. Of course, even if it legitimately belonged to Dr. Gürlett it would still go to the Bern museum, because Cornelius Gürlett left everything to them.

[@annabellelee4535]

@@sophiejones3554 No, Germany has a law that if the paintings were sold, and it seems that they did sell the artwork, then the buyers were the legit owners. You forget that the Nazis were the leaders of the country and the museums were under gov't control. The museum even said if the drawing came from a Germany museum, they get to keep it as their own because of the law.

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

🕯

[@pauladouglas9891]

It is interesting that Hitler hated 'degenerate' art, but instead of destroying it😢He recognized it's value and sold it .

[@benediktmorak4409]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@annab.5255]

"Darkest moments in European history" - didn't you mean the darkest moments in German history.

[@julianagranziera5329]

You should have told Henry Moore's daughter she was right.

[@yas4435]

❤

[@harbourdogNL]

I'm no Philistine, but I feel when you've seen one Moore, you've seen them all.

[@bodeaalex1142]

He is very repetitive, indeed. You should look into his London underground shelter drawings during the war, though.

[@harbourdogNL]

@@bodeaalex1142 Was not aware of them, will google, thanks!

[@joseffinat966]

@@bodeaalex1142kunt U daar toch wat meer duidelijkheid in geven want niet ieder is een kunstkenner zeker ik niet dus waar precies en waar men naar moet kijken ,kijk sommigen zijn zo knap aan het vervalsen dat een kunstkenner om de tuin kunt leiden en als leek helemaal, je hoopt op dat alles eerlijk en waarheidsvinding het belangrijkste is en men weet dat er veel ontvreemd is echt schandalig 😢

[@pdruiz2005]

Henry Moore is so repetitive his sculptures are now cliched. You expect to see weird, rounded sculptures of women lying down in any random park of a major global city nowadays. And cliched is surely not something Moore would’ve wanted for his art.

[@atodaso1668]

Switzerland is where most of the stolen Jewish items are

[@arielvalencia4583]

the main thing here is not art is the perfect order that nazis applied to all that worked against, them, when recovering the stolen things ..just a thought...hihi

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Well, turns out Fiona isn’t perfect, English, Italian, French and Spanish but can’t speak fluent German. ;-)

[@JamieTransNyc]

I disagree with the Degenerate Art restoration practice. This art was seized from a museum, and bought by Gurlitt for a pittance (5 francs). It should be returned to the museum it was seized from.

[@pdruiz2005]

Nope. The Nazis were the legitimate regime in control of Germany and thus in control of all state museums. If they decided to sell works of “degenerate art” from these museums to any buyer willing to pony up the cash, then this art was legitimately purchased by the buyers. Not the buyers’ fault the Nazis were so hateful they were selling this art for a pittance. This is what happens when a nation allows such awful people to gain power. Again, not the buyers’ fault.

[@jiggyfun807]

It's still Amber in my book, I wouldn't be so confident showing this one.

[@traciw.6044]

Too many ads, worse than television. Love the series, but I dislike all these ads. Pull back some

[@MichaelFlynn0]

well done

[@vilijanac]

I don't think all drawings are his. He wouldn't pen hatched shading.

[@Ardna53]

Love this show! ❤

[@MossyMozart]

@ Will Budić - Do you think the Foundation would really have missed something so "obvious"? I suspect that you may be wrong in your judgement.

[@bigjohnknew]

A group of sketches that would have collectively taken him 5 minutes. Not exactly a masterpiece

[@studio107bgallery4]

Not a Gauguin, a Cèzanne….

[@MossyMozart]

@Studio107b gallery - Sorry, wrong episode.

[@joannevandyke5112]

Timely story authoritarian oppression of art and freedom of expression.

[@capjoartist1200]

Fiona is a very beautiful and sexy , intelligent woman and Philip is a real genuine gentleman

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

💵💵💵💵💵🇺🇸

[@simonstergaard]

at 41min.... yeah but where on the drawing..where he had his finger in his ear or what. This series is just a tad to mainstream....

[@lukefer7579]

Most definitely FAKE

[@CONEHEADDK]

Oh - that's why people laughed at Henry Moore... Crap

[@Art-ot2jn]

Not that appealing to me a version of nudity if that's ur thing

[@TerryTerryTerry]

Quite funny the bullshit language around art and the value of signature and artist.

[@schoonerkiva]

Phillip please quit whispering! It doesn't make you any more of an expert or mysterious. The show is otherwise fantastic!

[@pdruiz2005]

Those are hideous drawings. Valuable, yes. But this is the least beautiful piece of art I’ve seen on this show. Clearly this was drawn when Henry Moore was at the peak of his fame and could therefore afford to be sloppy and lazy with his drawings. Lol.

[@nelsonx5326]

Modern sculpture, yuck.

[@debprobst330]

Couldn't agree more

[@MossyMozart]

@NELSON - Thank goodness for the artists, lots of people disagree with you.

[@peterkurg8169]

What a crock

[@wiliammound7942]

What?