The National Gallery in London will exhibit a collection of fake and wrongly-attributed paintings next year, in a show exploring how modern science has lifted the lid on centuries of forgery.
A number of works that were either deliberately produced as fakes or were simply mistaken for paintings by great masters have been unmasked by researchers testing the materials and techniques.
“I wish we had more fakes,” said gallery director Nicolas Penny. “You only get good at spotting them if you know what you are looking for.”
Among those to be exhibited are a painting acquired in 1923 that was thought to be from the 15th century. Recent examination reveals the materials used were not available back then and it was in fact made in the 20th century.
Likewise, in 1845 “A Man with a Skull” was bought as a Hans Holbein the Younger piece, although its authorship was disputed. Modern analysis of the wood panel support has since proved that it postdates Holbein’s death.
The exhibition will also highlight how original works that were altered to adapt to changing tastes were uncovered through cleaning — and how the analysis has thrown up new masterpieces.
Raphael’s “Madonna of the Pinks” held by the Duke of Northumberland was thought to be a copy until it was identified as genuine in 1992.
It was bought by the National Gallery in 2004 for £22 million (NT$1.19 billion).
“The National Gallery is a place where we display great masterpieces and it’s a place where we study art in all its complexity,” Penny said.
“It’s really naive for people to think that having forgeries is something you should just be ashamed of.”
The exhibition, entitled Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes And Discoveries, will run from June 30 to Sep. 12, 2010.(AFP)
位於倫敦的英國國家美術館明年將展出一系列贗品和被誤以為是某畫家作品的畫作；這場展覽旨在探究當代科學如何揭露數百年的贗品。
一些蓄意偽造，或被誤認為是大師作品的畫作，都在研究者細細檢驗其原料及技巧之下一一現形。
美術館總監尼可拉斯．佩尼說：「我真希望我們有更多贗品，想要一眼就看出真假，就要知道從哪裡找起。」
眾多展覽品中，有一幅藝廊在一九二三年獲得的畫作，被認為創作於十五世紀。最近的檢驗結果顯示，這幅畫使用的原料在當時還未問世，它其實是二十世紀的作品。
另外一個例子是小漢斯．荷爾拜因一八四五年的作品《男子與骷髏》，不過這幅畫的作者仍有爭議。當代木鑲板分析報告已證實，這幅畫在荷爾拜因逝世後才現世。
該展覽也將讓民眾看到，為了迎合市場品味而修改過的畫作如何在去污後重現原貌，並晉身成為曠世鉅作。
諾桑伯蘭公爵擁有的拉婓爾畫作《粉紅色的聖母》一直被認為是贗品，直到一九九二年才被確認為真跡無誤。
國家美術館二ＯＯ四年時以兩千兩百萬英鎊（新台幣十一億九千萬元）買下此畫。
佩尼說：「國家美術館是我們展示曠世鉅作的地方，也是我們研究藝術整體複雜性之處。」
「認為擁有贗品只是可恥的事的人，實在太天真了。」
這場名為「細細檢驗：贗品、失誤和發現」的展覽，將自明年六月三十日起展至九月十二日止。（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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