FOF WHAT HAPPENED NEXT S013E05

Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould revisit their 2017 investigation into two rare portraits of Black British women from the 18th and 19th centuries. Huge cultural shifts have happened since the original broadcast, with both paintings seeing their historical and commercial value soar and one of them finding a prestigious new home. The original episode focuses on two remarkable paintings steeped in mystery – in both cases, the identity of the artist is unknown. The first artwork is a double portrait of Lady Elizabeth Murray and her cousin, Dido Belle, who was born into slavery and eventually became a member of the aristocratic Mansfield family. The painting is on display at Scone Palace in Scotland and was commissioned by the first Lord Mansfield, Dido Belle’s guardian, in the late 1770s or early 1780s, at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. In recent years, Belle’s incredible story has inspired books and a feature film about her life. Now, the current Lady Mansfield is determined to discover the name of the artist who painted her.