The Lost Portrait is a story that traces the origins of a beguiling portrait of Charles Dickens shown aged 31 as an emerging literary star in the midst of writing his masterwork, A Christmas Carol. The portrait has been lost for over 150 years and was last seen in public at the Royal Academy in London in 1844. The work, which was painted by the professional female artist and social campaigner Margaret Gillies, miraculously reappeared earlier this year in South Africa. It’s been on quite a journey and has now returned to us in time for Christmas and remarkably, it is the 175th anniversary year of Dickens’ iconic Christmas ghost story. Tune in to this three-part series to hear Philip Mould, co-star of BBC’s Fake or Fortune, delve into this remarkable story….