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The Expert versus the Object: Judging Fakes and False Attributions in the Visual Arts
The authenticity of visual art has always commanded the attention of experts, dealers, collectors, and the art-minded public. Is it "real" or "original" is a way of asking what am I buying? What do I own? What am I looking at? And today more sophisticated questions are being How is authenticity determined and what weight does this determination have in court? This book of essays proposes to answer those questions.
Three lines of inquiry are basic to determining a connoisseur's evaluation, historical documentation or provenance, and scientific testing. A connoisseur is an expert who evaluates the "rightness" of a work based on much careful scrutiny of many works by an artist and familiarity with that artist's usual manner of working with materials. In determining provenance, a researcher traces the physical object from the artist through a chain of ownership to the present owner--simple enough in concept, though it assumes that the documentation is not faked or inaccurate. The goal is to ensure that the object is the same one that left the artist's hand. Scientific testing, although sometimes useful, is often longer on promise than result. Dating paint or wood samples, for instance, can show that a painting was made in Rembrandt's lifetime, but it cannot prove that it is by Rembrandt's hand. If expert opinion is divided, and large sums of money are involved, a dispute over
authenticity may end up in a court of law, where evaluation of expert opinion evidence can be problematic.
The essays in this book clarify the nature of the methods outlined above and explain, based on case law, the present status of authentication issues in court. Contributors include experts from Christie's, London; Sotheby's, New York; and the former director of the Frick Collection; as well as leading art historians and art dealers; an art conservator; a forensic graphologist; a philanthropist and collector; and a specialist in French art law. Their collective knowledge on issues of authenticity will be invaluable for anyone interested in the world of visual art.
Three lines of inquiry are basic to determining a connoisseur's evaluation, historical documentation or provenance, and scientific testing. A connoisseur is an expert who evaluates the "rightness" of a work based on much careful scrutiny of many works by an artist and familiarity with that artist's usual manner of working with materials. In determining provenance, a researcher traces the physical object from the artist through a chain of ownership to the present owner--simple enough in concept, though it assumes that the documentation is not faked or inaccurate. The goal is to ensure that the object is the same one that left the artist's hand. Scientific testing, although sometimes useful, is often longer on promise than result. Dating paint or wood samples, for instance, can show that a painting was made in Rembrandt's lifetime, but it cannot prove that it is by Rembrandt's hand. If expert opinion is divided, and large sums of money are involved, a dispute over
authenticity may end up in a court of law, where evaluation of expert opinion evidence can be problematic.
The essays in this book clarify the nature of the methods outlined above and explain, based on case law, the present status of authentication issues in court. Contributors include experts from Christie's, London; Sotheby's, New York; and the former director of the Frick Collection; as well as leading art historians and art dealers; an art conservator; a forensic graphologist; a philanthropist and collector; and a specialist in French art law. Their collective knowledge on issues of authenticity will be invaluable for anyone interested in the world of visual art.
- GenresArtArt History
268 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 17, 2022
"Museums can hang a picture that is absolutely, certifiably by artist X, but if it is a weak picture, why do it? Every artist has a bad day" (Samuel Sachs II: 107)
This book is a collection of essays by different authors about what it means to authenticate artworks, both technically and legally.
To me, the book suffers from repetition. This happens with droit moral, which the book refers to and defines in several chapters. It also happens with the fear of experts to give an opinion on the authenticity of an artwork, which is being mentioned in more than one chapter. Or with the case of Rio Nero.
At times the book doesn't feel about judging fakes. For instance, chapter 13 describes in great detail how to preserve a contemporary painting, which seems not to have a connection with judging artworks, until you realise preservation can make an artwork look unauthentic/fake. Sometimes everything is fully evident and perhaps many details are revealed about how experts judge a drawing or a Mondrian's painting. Such info may be used by criminals to create better fakes in the future.
There are some contradictions. One of the book's arguments is to praise the experienced eye over any other method of authentication. But when you get to chapter 16 and read the example of Frederick Hartt you wonder if this is so. Even the example in chapter 9 presents the analysis of a signature as an useful and plausible method.
Despite all this repetition or contradiction, the book offers a good insight into the world of authentication in different countries. And the examples and opinions the book is packed with help it stand out from other books on the same topic.
This book is a collection of essays by different authors about what it means to authenticate artworks, both technically and legally.
To me, the book suffers from repetition. This happens with droit moral, which the book refers to and defines in several chapters. It also happens with the fear of experts to give an opinion on the authenticity of an artwork, which is being mentioned in more than one chapter. Or with the case of Rio Nero.
At times the book doesn't feel about judging fakes. For instance, chapter 13 describes in great detail how to preserve a contemporary painting, which seems not to have a connection with judging artworks, until you realise preservation can make an artwork look unauthentic/fake. Sometimes everything is fully evident and perhaps many details are revealed about how experts judge a drawing or a Mondrian's painting. Such info may be used by criminals to create better fakes in the future.
There are some contradictions. One of the book's arguments is to praise the experienced eye over any other method of authentication. But when you get to chapter 16 and read the example of Frederick Hartt you wonder if this is so. Even the example in chapter 9 presents the analysis of a signature as an useful and plausible method.
Despite all this repetition or contradiction, the book offers a good insight into the world of authentication in different countries. And the examples and opinions the book is packed with help it stand out from other books on the same topic.
January 8, 2010
This is an excellent and invaluable source of information for anyone involved in the assessment, appraisal and authentification of fine art.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews