art discovery discovery
JMW
Turner: the source
art
discovery
Wildenstein institute expertise old master expert opinion
Christie's Sotheby's Francoise Boucher
Grisaille by Françoise Boucher: the lost prototype of the print seen below The Lost Boucher
There are many reasons why the chance of discovering, or for that matter, re-discovering an art treasure is becoming somewhat hopeless. The aspiration is nonetheless kept alive by means of good marketing by commercial interests in order to encourage general participation in the 'art industry'. Issues that make such efforts futile surround; litigation, museum bias, government intervention, lack of educational focus on art Connoisseurship, and monopoly control through certain allegiances and alliances. These, in and of themselves are all great issues, and are introduced in varying degrees of thoroughness within this art project by using excerpts from Art World’s Dirty Little Secret r malcolm setters / graham setters
There are many new tools that are presently being used in the search for truth: forensic science for instance, but there are also counter-productive forces that confront such unbiased efforts. Beyond the areas just mentioned, there is the 'catalogue raisonné'. These definitive works written about specific artists can be an advantageous tool for research, but if the concept of such a production is used incorrectly such a collation can be a devastating weapon.
The problem usually arises when those commissioning their production do so in
order to limit the quantity of an artist's work (accepted as authentic) in order
to control the artist's market. The bigger problem becomes manifest when a cataloguer is
not a connoisseur. Chances are they will include only the sure bets, those
artworks with outstanding pedigrees, while neglecting the more novel aspect of
an artist's development. In other words, most often, only the historically
recognized works are included. Often, the cataloguer has limited initiative or
even ability when it comes to recognizing
new discoveries. These
are the works that have never been seen before or those that lack iron-clad
provenance.
A cataloguer that has any doubt as to the authenticity of a work, or wishes not to recognize it for any one of a number of reasons will often disparage it and attribute it as a work by a student of the 'Master' in question; a studio work done with the help of students; a work by a follower, or a copy done "after" another well-known artwork. Worst of all it might be called a fake - that which is meant to deceive. The cataloguer is likely to be correct with most entries, but the over-riding political pressure in some instances is bound to make even the most altruistic actuary bend in deference to authority.
What constitutes a Copy, and why does the concept have the art world running scared? Art World’s Dirty Little Secret
Terms
and conditions J.M.W. Turner
Site criticism is appreciated at
jmwturner@shaw.ca
Penticton
© setters 2003, Rescuing Turner: The Art Project &
http://www.jmwturner.ca
Lost Kauffmann Turner un'Copy' Murillo German Master 15th c Manet