ART investigators drew on the expertise of Dedham specialists as they worked on the final programme of popular TV show Fake or Fortune?

The show explores whether paintings are genuine or just good fakes.

For the final show art expert and presenter Philip Mould visited Munnings Art Museum on Castle Hill to try to get vital clues as to whether a painting really was the work of the famous Dedham artist.

The programme explored the origins of two paintings belonging to Charles Henty.

One is believed to have been painted by Sir Winston Churchill while the other is a landscape of Dedham, believed to be by Sir Alfred Munnings.

Museum director Jenny Hand said: “The view of Dedham includes the recognisable church tower.

“The Fake or Fortune team visited the museum as part of their investigations as to whether it was an authentic Munnings painting.”

Munnings was once the most expensive British artist of his day and the highest price paid for a Munnings painting is more than £4million.

Sir Alfred bought Castle House in Dedham in 1919 and lived at the property, which is now the museum, for 40 years until his death in 1959.

Miss Hand said: “Critically he has been pushed to one side because in the Twenties and Thirties he was commissioned by wealthy clients.

“I think he is under-rated. In terms of his skills in portraying horses, he is unsurpassed.

“He also painted scenes of English rural life. He was not only technically brilliant, but it was also a record of East Anglian life which may have disappeared.”

The museum has 658 oil paintings by Munnings, the biggest collection of his works in the world, including some preparatory works.

Dedham was also the home for Britain’s most notorious forger of the 20th century Tom Keating.

Dr Bill Teatheredge, honorary curatorial associate at the museum, helped the programme research the painting, including looking at comparable paintings and at references which might provide vital clues.

He said: “They were here filming for two days. “It was really quite an experience.”

Fake or Fortune will be shown on BBC1 on Sunday at 8pm when the truth will be revealed. For more information about Munnings Art Museum, go to munningsmuseum.org.uk