Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks

About this episode

Jehane Ragai discusses the scientific methods used to authenticate artworks and her journey in combining science with art.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Al-Khalili

Guest: Jehane Ragai

Topics covered

• art forgery
• scientific techniques
• cultural heritage
• chemistry
• personal stories

Keywords

• art authentication
• forged artworks
• science and art
• Jehane Ragai
• art forgery techniques

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American University in Cairo

Books & works: The Scientist and the Forger, Vermeers, Marc Chagall

Places: Great Sphinx of Giza

More episodes of The Life Scientific

• Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers · May 26, 2026 · 28 min
• Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations · May 19, 2026 · 28 min
• Seth Berkley on the importance of vaccinating the world · May 12, 2026 · 28 min
• Hiranya Peiris on unravelling the story of the universe · May 5, 2026 · 28 min
• Washington Yotto Ochieng on the navigation tech that keeps our world moving · April 28, 2026 · 28 min
• Lucy Carpenter on how our oceans are destroying ozone · April 21, 2026 · 28 min