Scientist and the Forger, The: Probing a Turbulent Art World (Second Edition) - Hardcover

by Jehane Ragai (Author)

In The Scientist and the Forger: Probing a Turbulent Art World the author draws upon an enthralling range of case studies, from Botticelli to Leonardo, Campendonk to Pollock and Chagall to Freud, equipping the reader with a holistic understanding of an art world shaped by fast-moving trends, and increasingly permeated by science. We are taken on a gripping journey, becoming witness to the attempts currently being made to safeguard a partly complicit art market virtually under siege.

How can we determine whether it was Leonardo's hand that created Salvator Mundi? How can we prove that a suspected Pollock is a forgery? And how can Man in a Black Cravat be seemingly incontrovertibly attributed to Lucian Freud, despite this artist's adamant refusal to recognize it as one of his own? This book reveals how art historians and scientists collaborate conclusively to authenticate paintings or demonstrate that they are forgeries, and as the enigma of La Bella Principessa continues to baffle, the question remains: do we have enough reason to hope that we shall one day know her true story? Building on the first edition, a more in depth look is taken at some of the greatest scandals to date -- with an interpretation of the psychological behavior of Ann Freedman the former president and director of the Knoedler Gallery.

Front Jacket

Over the last few decades there has been a scandalous increase in the number of forged paintings in tandem with a steep rise in the price of artworks. This also comes with an enhanced awareness on the part of professional forgers that their paintings might undergo scientific investigation. The Scientist and the Forger describes both innovative and long-held approaches to the detection of forgery and authentication of paintings with special focus on ground-breaking scientific techniques introduced in the last decade. It provides both the layperson and the scientist with a description of these new methods while relating them to both the most notorious cases where these methods have been applied. Fresh insights into the psychology of the viewer are provided and attempts to shed new light on the long-sought answer to the question: Why does the revelation that a work of art is forged make us view it differently? are discussed. The psychology of the forger is also explored as are the myriad motivations behind the most egregious incursions into deception. The book concludes by discussing some of the pressing problems faced by the art world today, stressing the importance of using appropriate tools for a valid verdict on authenticity, and making a case for the imperative necessity of integrating honest connoisseurship and competent science.