These three episodes dive deep into the world of lost masterpieces hidden away in Britain's public collections. 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.
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