logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2012
27m 41s

The Philosopher’s Arms: The Fake Van Gog...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Imagine a perfect art fake. A fake Van Gogh that is completely indistinguishable from the original. Does that mean it’s of equal value to the original? Find out in this edition of The Philosopher’s Arms.

Up next
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
How real is the existential threat from AI?
The existential threat caused by Artificial Intelligence is a popular theme in science fiction. But more recently it’s started to be taken seriously by governments around the world and the companies developing the technology. Where did this idea come from, and why is so much mone ... Show More
29m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
The Fake Matisse - Art Mysteries, Episode 3
After a famous Matisse painting from a Venezuelan museum mysteriously shows up in a Miami art gallery, a journalist investigates and discovers the unthinkable: for years, the so-called masterpiece on display at the museum was a fake. A transcript of this episode is available at h ... Show More
21m 17s
Dec 2015
Episode 11: Forgery
<p>This week on Hidden Brain, we explore real and fake, from fine art to fine wine. Shankar speaks with Noah Charney, author of <em>The Art of Forgery, </em>about why art forgers are compelled to spend their lives copying the great masters, and why so many of them want to get cau ... Show More
23m 23s
Jul 2022
The case of the fake Basquiats
Art crime is booming and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings (or at least some very realistic forgeries) are the loot du jour. Reporter Brett Sokol and a guy who used to forge Basquiats explain. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Matt Collette, engineered by ... Show More
26m 6s
Aug 2022
Minisode 2: Discovered - An Unknown Self-Portrait of Van Gogh
This half-hour ‘sode discusses the exciting discovery of a previously unknown self-portrait by Van Gogh, which he painted on the back of his painting known as Head of a Peasant Woman in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. Come for the knowledge, stay in spite of ... Show More
26 m
Oct 2024
Trompe L'oeil
<p>Today, we have three stories about designs meant to fool you. Camouflage meant to fool U-boats. Highways designed to fool your brain into going way faster than it should want to. And impeccably made fake signs meant to guide you to the right freeway. Three classic, favorite 99 ... Show More
32m 31s
Jun 2020
Fake news and misinformation
In this podcast we will be talking about fake news and it’s impact as well as you can spot it 
4m 46s
Sep 2025
True Lies and Genuine Fakes
In 1998, an art gallery gets a mysterious phone call. The caller claims they have been fooled by a master forger and that many of their prized paintings are fakes. Or are they? This is the story of the life and lies of the notorious Eric Hebborn. What did he do, and what does tha ... Show More
41m 6s
Feb 2022
Art Imitates Art
<p>There's a small neighborhood within the SEZ of Shenzhen that is known for mass-producing copies of the most celebrated works of Western art, all painted quickly and by hand. The place is called Dafen Village. There is a very good chance that you've been in the presence of a pa ... Show More
40m 58s
Feb 2023
Fake It and You'll Make It: Elmyr de Hory
A talented artist is even more talented at forgery. He crosses paths with the rich, famous, and fabulous, and his forgeries are eventually forged themselves. Truly and wonderfully ridiculous, no?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
49m 31s