NOVA · SEASON 39
Mystery of a Masterpiece
Episode 12 · 2012-01-25

- Documentary
Episode overview
In October 2007, a striking portrait of a young woman in Renaissance dress made world news headlines. Originally sold nine years before for around $20,000, the portrait is now thought to be an undiscovered masterwork by Leonardo da Vinci worth more than $100 million. How did cutting-edge imaging analysis help tie the portrait to Leonardo? NOVA meets a new breed of experts who are approaching "cold case" art mysteries as if they were crime scenes, determined to discover "who committed the art." And it follows art sleuths as they deploy new techniques to combat the multibillion-dollar criminal market in stolen and fraudulent art.
55 minutes
Season 39 episodes
1. Engineering Ground Zero2011-09-07
2. Surviving the Tsunami2011-09-28
3. Finding Life Beyond Earth: Are We Alone?2011-10-19
4. Iceman Murder Mystery2011-10-26
5. The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?2011-11-02
6. The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time2011-11-09
7. The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum Leap2011-11-16
8. The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?2011-11-23
9. Deadliest Volcanoes2012-01-04
10. Bombing Hitler's Dams2012-01-11
11. 3D Spies of WWII2012-01-18
12. Mystery of a Masterpiece2012-01-25
13. Ice Age Death Trap2012-02-01
14. Separating Twins2012-02-08
15. Cracking Your Genetic Code2012-03-28
16. Hunting the Elements2012-04-04
17. Deadliest Tornadoes2012-04-11
18. Why Ships Sink2012-04-18
19. Secrets of the Sun2012-04-25