In this experiment, students become forensic scientists using DNA fingerprinting to determine which of four similar paintings is a masterpiece that recently was stolen from an art museum. Students perform gel electrophoresis on paint samples from the artwork and compare them to a paint sample similar to the original masterpiece. By making, pouring, and loading their own gel, students can observe the rate at which colors migrate through the gel and compare them to the original paint sample to determine which three paintings are forgeries.