Summary: Over the last few decades there has been a scandalous increase in the number of forged paintings. In retaliation, there has been a rise in the use, efficiency and ability of scientific techniques to detect these forgeries. The scientist has waged war on the forger. The Scientist and the Forger describes the cutting-edge and traditional weapons in this battle, showing how they have been applied to the most notorious cases. The book also provides fresh insights into the psychology of both the viewer and the forger, shedding light on why the discovery that a work of art is a forgery makes us view it so differently and providing a gripping analysis of the myriad motivations behind the most egregious incursions into deception. The book concludes by discussing the pressing problems faced by the art world today, stressing the importance of using appropriate tools for a valid verdict on authenticity. Written in an approachable and amenable style, the book will make fascinating reading for non-specialists, art historians, curators and scientists alike

Contents: Establishing the First Link in the Art Chain: Attribution: The Connoisseur and the Art Historian The Ely Zakhai Case and a Gauguin Forgery. Microscopy Related Techniques: The Van Meegeren Forgery ; Francisco Francia's 'The Virgin and Child with an Angel' a Forgery ; Authentication of a Manet Painting ; Russian Avant Garde Forgeries, the Kandisky and Popova Forgery Cases ; The Unexpected Dramatic Case of the Chagall Forgery. Scientific Techniques Reliant on Mass Spectrometry: The Trotter Affair ; The Jackson Pollock Affair ; Authentication of Vermeer's 'Saint Praxedis' ; The Fernand Leger Forgery ; Leonardo's 'La Bella Principessa'. Some X-ray Based Techniques: Authentication of a Hitherto Unknown Van Gogh Floral Still Life. Infrared Reflectography: Authentication of Leonardo's Salvator Mundi. Digital Techniques for Art Authentication: Authentication of Vincent Van Gogh's 'Sunset at Montmajour. Study of the Panel and the Frame: Dendochhronolgy: The Beltracchi Forgeries. The Beguiling "Odalisque": Challenges to Authentication. Three Portraits, Two Women: Can Science Decide? Psychology of the Viewer. Psychology of the Forger. Reflections on the Turbulent World of Art Authentication.

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