The Art of More (2015, 2 Seasons)

Have you ever dreamed of working for an auction house? This 2015 TV drama, where greed and glamour collide, explores the world of high-end New York City auction houses, featuring intrigue and rivalry among art collectors and dealers. The plot is centred around a former soldier who leveraged his knowledge of the black market gained in Iraq to infiltrate the art world. The series is filled with themes of forgery, smuggling, and corruption, making it an enjoyable watch that, unfortunately, was cancelled after just 2 seasons.

Riviera (2017, 3 Seasons) 

Imagine you are an art collector and one day, Interpol confiscates your entire collection—except for a Brancusi head that was overlooked. You are now Georgina Clios, an American art curator and the main character of a thriller set in the world of art and luxury on the French Riviera. When your billionaire husband is killed in a yacht accident, you must navigate a web of lies and crimes connected to your priceless art collection. You’ll find yourself drawn to Robert Carver, an art dealer specialising in forgeries and stolen artworks. Throughout the series, you’ll encounter numerous fake paintings, including Claude Lorrain’s Juno Confiding Io to the Care of Argus, Gauguin’s Tahitian Women, Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe, as well as works by Bacon, Picasso, Monet and Matisse.

White Collar (2019, 6 Seasons)

Matt Bomer stars as Neal, a renegade art forger who collaborates with the FBI to apprehend criminals like himself. With a natural talent for art, he creates flawless forgeries of paintings and sculptures. Throughout 5 seasons, the series explores the world of illegal art smuggling, high-profile art thefts to catch, and the restoration of amazing stolen pieces. It provides an intriguing glimpse into the art collecting scene, with plenty of references to GOAT artists, from Rembrandt to Warhol.

Belgravia (2020, 1 Season)

If you love historical fiction, this miniseries set in 19th-century London will captivate you. Perfect for binge-watching over the weekend (it’s only 6 episodes), it blends social intrigue and family secrets with the art world of art and collecting among high society. 

Art plays a crucial role in the storytelling: it is used as a status symbol, reflects the characters’ values, and even conceals clues and secrets. Collecting art and patronage are common practices among the aristocracy and upper class, who use art to showcase their wealth, taste, and social standing.

The Catch (2016, 2 Seasons) 

Imagine coming back home after a busy day at work and finding your favourite million-dollar painting hanging on your bedroom wall. It’s a stolen painting and was used by a con artist as bait to lure her ex fiancé into finding her. The main character, Alice Vaughan, is a private investigator based in LA. In the original pilot, she was a Chicago-based auditor, which is why the series includes numerous art references that are central to the plot.

This miniseries consists of 8 episodes that will keep you glued to the screen as you delve into a tale of a dysfunctional family and an entrepreneurial journey. Set in France after World War II, it follows an ambitious designer who aims to restore Paris’s supremacy as the capital of haute couture. With themes of fashion, art ambition, dark secrets, rivalries, and betrayals, it’s an exciting story that has something for everyone.

The Collection (2016, 1 Season)

This miniseries consists of 8 episodes that will keep you glued to the screen as you delve into a tale of a dysfunctional family and an entrepreneurial journey. Set in France after World War II, it follows an ambitious designer who aims to restore Paris’s supremacy as the capital of haute couture. With themes of fashion, art ambition, dark secrets, rivalries, and betrayals, it’s an exciting story that has something for everyone.

Britain’s Lost Masterpieces (2016, 5 Seasons)

Are you curious to know whether a small portrait of young Rembrandt is a forged copy of his self-portrait or a preparatory study by Rembrandt himself? Or perhaps you wonder if a painting of the Madonna attributed to Raphael might reveal more once the overpainting is removed? Art historian Bendor Grosvenor, along with illustrious colleagues, will uncover the truth—or at least provide the best possible explanation—through exciting technical analysis. This amazing docuseries, produced by BBC (which also has an American syndicated version titled The Art Detectives), has been discontinued after 5 seasons.

Create your binge-watching list of Art TV series to surf on winter nights!