First, we investigate an uncatalogued portrait from the Bodleian Library, using restoration and forensic research to prove it's an early Grand Tour portrait by the great Roman artist Pompeo Batoni, revealing a surprising anatomical detail that brings the sitter to life.
Next, we confront two mysterious landscapes from Birmingham Art Gallery: a possible late sketch by Thomas Gainsborough and a cracked Flemish scene. Through meticulous cleaning and dendrochronology, the Gainsborough is downgraded to a copy, while the Flemish work is revealed as a rare 17th-century collaboration from the studio of Yan Brueghel the Elder.
Finally, we travel to Cardiff to examine a Renaissance Madonna gifted by the pioneering Davis sisters. Infrared analysis and expert opinion suggest this "follower" piece, once bought by a dealer for a fraction of its true value, contains work by Sandro Botticelli himself.
