Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks
The Life Scientific
BBC
4.6 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever heard of the unsuccessful Dutch painter who decided to humiliate his critics by forging Vermeers, which the artworld subsequently dubbed 'masterpieces'? Or the businessman who bought a Marc Chagall painting that he displayed with pride for years, before a television investigation revealed to his horror that it was a fake?
Today we're exploring the scientific techniques used to reveal forged artworks - and bring down scammers still trying to make millions from fake masterpieces.
Jehane Ragai is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the American University in Cairo, with a passion for science matched by her love of arts and culture. Early in her career Jehane helped analyse the Great Sphinx of Giza and later became fascinated by the world of art forgery, leading to her acclaimed book, ‘The Scientist and the Forger’.
Her life has not been without its difficulties, but - perhaps unsurprisingly, as the daughter of renowned Egyptian feminist Doria Shafik - she’s not one to shy away from a challenge. And as she tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Jehane feels priveleged to have been able to integrate her twin passions into a career; advice she now passes on to her students.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
Transcript
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| 0:53.5 | Hello, I'd like to begin today with a story about perhaps the most famous art forger in history. |
| 1:00.1 | In the 1930s, frustrated Dutch painter Han van Meijeran, or Van Meegeren, as we say in English, |
| 1:06.7 | set out to embarrass his critics by forging apparently lost Vermeers, |
| 1:11.2 | which turned out so convincing the experts declared their masterpieces. |
| 1:14.8 | One was even bought by Herman Gerring during World War II. |
| 1:18.5 | After the war, Van Meegroen was caught and charged with treason |
| 1:21.9 | for selling a national treasure to the Nazis, |
| 1:24.7 | until he shocked everyone by declaring the work of fake, something he proved |
| 1:28.9 | by painting another on the spot. He was cleared of collaboration and convicted on the lesser |
| 1:34.0 | charge of fraud. Pulling off a scheme like that today would be much harder, thanks to modern |
| 1:38.9 | authentication techniques, a field my guest knows all about. |
| 1:43.4 | Jehan Raghari is an emeritus professor of chemistry at the American University in Cairo, |
| 1:48.5 | with a passion for science matched by her love of arts and culture. |
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