What goes on behind the closed doors of an artist’s studio? Despite years of study and scientific research, there are still many things we do not know about the production of Old Master paintings.
Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries investigates workshop practices, collaborations, copies and replicas.
Find out about some intriguing works whose secrets defy even the most sophisticated scientific analysis:

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Find out how investigation of this beautiful picture led to a startling new discovery

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This painting shows Rembrandt’s profound influence on his contemporaries. But who painted it?

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From Italy to the Netherlands and back again – where does this painting really belong?

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What light can scientific investigation shed on this intimate nocturnal scene?

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Find out about a puzzling pigment in Corot’s vivid sketch

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Unpick the intricate relationship between this painting and a lost work by Hugo van der Goes

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Was this portrait, presented to Charles I, an original by Dürer, or a copy?

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Two nearly identical paintings exist – can you spot the difference?