One of my favourite factual
TV programmes, ‘Fake or Fortune’ has
returned to the BBC for a third series. In
the art world where fortunes can be made and lost, the series investigates the
provenance of paintings in order to establish whether they are genuine or fake.
What makes the series
compelling viewing is the way in which the hosts, Fiona Bruce and art expert
Philip Mould unravel the truth about each painting. Since the beginning, the
programme has thrown up some fascinating surprises including the discovery of a
painting by Winslow Homer. The painting with an estimated value of around
$250,000 was found near a rubbish dump.
The programme also
discovered a painting by Monet which had been lost, and proved that a 17th
century Dutch painting from a prominent European collection was a fake.
Interviewed by Gabriella
Griffiths for ‘London loves Business’, Philip Mould was asked to describe the
investigative process used in ‘Fake or Fortune’:
“The first part is just the
eye – there is a lot of Sherlock Holmes in it, it is about noticing things
which have specific characteristics of the artists involved, as opposed to general
characteristics of the era. Brush strokes can work like fingerprints………………The
eye can appear to be airy and poetical and so forensics is a good way to back
you up.
You can look at the
materials used, where the paints originated from, identify the canvas but also
look for things invented after the artists lived. That’s often a big give away……..It’s
all evidence that would impress juries!
The third is the history of
the painting, who owned it? The idea is to dig down layer after layer, find out
who passed it to whom and hopefully bring it back to the artist. Place it on
their easel.”
Working out the difference
between the genuine article and a fake is a skill which every individual learns
in life…..some better than others. These skills of investigation, questioning
and comparison are applied by most people day and daily as a matter of routine
to most areas of life.
As a Christian who lives in
a multi-denominational society, I have often wondered if every person who
claims to be part of a church is the genuine article. Given that these are
difficult times for genuine true believers, how do Christians differentiate
between the genuine and the fake?
The Bible provides a clear
answer to this question. The following list is a summary of personal qualities
scripture tells us should be evident in those who are ‘the genuine article’ as
opposed to ‘cheap imitations’.
True believers are those
who:
ü Can
testify that they have been born again by the Spirit of God.
ü Believe
that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.
ü Have
a hunger for God’s Word.
ü Pray
to their Heavenly Father.
ü Love
their fellow believers.
ü Attend
a Bible believing church.
ü Obey
the Lord (keep His Word).
ü Do
not continue in sin but aspire to live humble, righteous lives.
ü Do
not enjoy living in sin.
ü Love
their neighbours and perform good works.
ü Confess
Christ before men in all situations.
In the final analysis, only
God knows the genuine from the fake, and no doubt there will be many surprises
in heaven, given Scotland’s denominational mix. However, those who concur with
the list above should rest assured that they are most certainly one hundred per
cent, the genuine article.
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