null
Page 38Page 39
Page 38
Facts, frauds and fantasyFrom the St John the Baptist to the Sunfl owers, science is revealing forgeries, answering intriguing questions and conserving works for the future . Alan Lansdown gives an insight into the technologyCuriosity and love of intrigue are common characteristics of curators, conservators and art historians – especially when it comes to particularly valuable or rare artworks. Modern scientifi c techniques such as X-ray technology, electron microscopy, mass spectroscopy, chromatography and molecular analyses can help scientists to delve into the fi ne details of masterpieces and works of art, accurately establishing facts on pigments and colours, the characteristics of cracks and blemishes or varnishes, whether there is over-painting, and the effects of long-term environmental exposure. The Wellcome Trust, which donates millions of pounds to academic research, recognised this initiative by awarding grants to encourage interdisciplinary research and practice. The techniques are non-destructive and are now standard methods in conservation, history of art and in archaeology. They are of particular value in the detection of fraud and fantasy. Artists like John Myatt, Wolfgang Beltracchi and Han van Meegeren have profi ted greatly by reproducing famous artworks and passing them off as the real thing. In 2010, the National Gallery held an exhibition titled Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries to explore the vital contributions made by applied sciences in authenticating Old Master paintings. In one example, two ‘identical’ paintings of The Virgin and Child with an Angel by the medieval Italian artist Francesco Francia were on show. One version was acquired by the gallery in 1924 as a bequest from a wealthy businessman, while the second appeared at a London auction in 1954, the property of a respected art dealer. Close examination using optical microscopy showed that the 1924 version was probably a forgery on account of spurious cracks on the surface that had been 38 NADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 2016 www.nadfas.org.ukART AND SCIENCE