Philip Mould OBE is a renowned hunter of lost paintings. An international art dealer with a large gallery in London's West End, he is also an established author and broadcaster, and one of the country's foremost authorities on British portrait painting and has been dubbed ‘the art detective’.

Philip has been sleuthing paintings for nearly 25 years. Discovering the Winslow Homer painting on the Antiques Roadshow, where he is one of the team of art specialists, was what ignited his recent BBC1 series Fake or Fortune, which he presented with journalist Fiona Bruce. They are now commencing filming their second series to be broadcast in Autumn 2112. He is well known for his numerous discoveries including five lost paintings by Thomas Gainsborough.

From1988 to 2011, Philip Mould was official art adviser to the House of Commons and to the House of Lords. His books on art discoveries include "Sleepers - In Search of Lost Old Masters" and "Sleuth".

PHILIP'S FAVOURITE SITES

John Llewelyn - A site that allows me to fantasise how one day I shall be well dressed. The site is chic and tawny, like his suits.

Allegra Hicks - Who says you can’t buy good taste? I imagine decking my bedrooms with Allegra. She’s a princess of pattern and the site thrums with it.

Plantlife - A site that allows you to brush up on your green credentials while at a West End desk. This charity protects wild flowers, our most fragile wild cultural asset. Giving her membership is better than bunching your beloved.

Kids in Museums - Museums that are not friendly to children are a pain. I know from my own experience. This is a fantastic charity with a simple online guide  for making the museum friendly for families without turning it into a crèche.

English Heritage - Plan a trip around England with this. Historical pit stops for those who need that type of fuel.

CleanupUK - Just started up. This site is unadorned and not overly wrapped - as befits the litter ethos. From the street up, the charity espouses zero tolerance for litter. Phenomenal work now being done in the Olympic boroughs’ less salubrious areas. 

30 November 2011