Fiona Bruce made a direct demand to a team of experts after they were unable to determine whether 15 prints found in a garage were the work of 20th-century artist Lucian Freud.
Mystery Prints
During Thursday's episode of Fake or Fortune, presenter Fiona Bruce met with Mike Newman, a semi-retired printer and property developer. Mike presented several prints resembling Freud's famous etching Girl with a Fig Leaf, a portrait of Kitty Garman painted in 1948, just before their marriage.
Alongside art dealer and historian Philip Mould, Fiona set out to establish whether the etchings were authentic or clever fakes. Experts compared the prints' distinctive etched lines, composition, and handling with other authenticated early Freud works. They noted recurring features characterising his early style, but could not confirm the prints were by Freud himself.
Expert Uncertainty
Towards the end of the episode, Philip commented: "It's taken us deep into the world of prints and printmaking. I have to admit, often by this stage I have a sense of whether something might be genuine or not, but I can honestly say that this case is as complex as the man himself."
Experts Jill Saunders and Toby Treves examined the evidence, but their conclusion was not what anyone had hoped. "There are a lot of unknowns, unfortunately," Jill said. Toby added: "The question is, when were they made? I think we both agreed that they were most likely made in the 1970s."
Fiona's Demand
Fiona told Mike: "I'm worrying about you going down this rabbit hole. Ultimately the only thing that matters here, whether it's a photogravure or not, or from the original copper plate, is whether it was sanctioned and signed off by Lucian Freud."
Philip insisted the possibility exists, but they can't prove it. Jill added: "We cannot say definitively that these were made for Freud or under his instruction."
Philip noted that if the prints could be linked to Freud, they might sell for between £6,000 and £8,000. He explained: "The valuation I put on of how one might market these can only go up if anything emerges. So, the valuation I put on and keep looking!"
Fiona's response was a five-word demand: "Get back in that garage."
