Iconografie Films
We are a specialist media production company - majoring in arts, history and museum documentaries. Run by Ishbel Macdonald and Dr Bendor Grosvenor, Iconografie Films aims to bring the best of art history and museum collections into the public eye.
We have currently made 5 series of Britain's Lost Masterpieces (16 x 60 mins) for BBC Four. Also known as The Art Detectives internationally.
In Britain’s Lost Masterpieces / The Art Detectives, art sleuth Dr Bendor Grosvenor and social historian Emma Dabiri, delve into Britain’s local museums and country houses to look for lost and hidden public treasures. They set out to uncover the forgotten but fascinating stories behind the paintings, people, and collections, with some amazing results.
recent work
Britain's Lost Masterpieces seasons 1 - 5
In Britain's Lost Masterpieces, Dr Bendor Grosvenor set out to identify lost art treasures, to resurrect and rehang them. Astonishingly, 80% of paintings in public ownership in Britain sit in storage, and at least 40,000 of these paintings are unattributed. We don't know who painted them or what their subject is - they are unsolved mysteries.
However, Bendor has made his name specialising in identifying these 'sleepers' and he and his team are determined to bring them back to life. Amazing finds await, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Botticelli.
RTS Scotland Nominated Best Documentary and Specialist Factual: Arts
Ishbel Macdonald
Ishbel Macdonald is a documentary producer and director. Having studied archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge in the 1990s, she went on to produce and direct factual documentaries such as St Kilda - Britain's Lost World (BBC 1), Map Man, Britannia - The Great Elizabethan Journey, Lost Kingdoms of Africa, The Private Life of Chickens, The Lost Portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Town (all for BBC 2), Britain's Lost Masterpieces (BBC 4) and Bank of Dave (Channel 4).
Dr Bendor Grosvenor
Dr Bendor Grosvenor is an art historian and broadcaster, best known for discovering paintings by artists such as Van Dyck, Rubens and Titian. He is also a writer and has presented a number of programmes for the BBC, including the BBC4 series Britain's Lost Masterpieces, The Culture Show for BBC2, and Fake or Fortune for BBC1. His new book ‘The Invention of British Art’ will be published in October 2024. Bendor’s blog, www.arthistorynews.com is the most widely read art history blog worldwide.