artauthentication

Art authentication is the process of determining whether a work of art is genuine, in terms of authorship, date, and production. It seeks to establish that a piece was created by the claimed artist, during the stated period, and in the stated workshop or studio. Authentication supports conservation decisions, loans, insurance, and market or scholarly assessment.

Key elements include provenance research, connoisseurship, and scientific analysis. Provenance traces ownership history and documentary records such as catalogues raisonnés, sale catalog entries, and exhibition histories. Connoisseurship relies on stylistic and technical knowledge of an artist's oeuvre, while scientific tests examine materials and construction methods.

Scientific methods used in authentication include imaging to reveal underdrawings or later additions, and material analyses to identify pigments, binders, and supports. Techniques such as X-ray fluorescence, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray radiography are commonly employed, often noninvasively. When appropriate, dating methods for organic materials or wooden panels, and archival research, contribute to the attribution process.

Authentication is typically conducted by a panel or committee of conservators, art historians, scientists, and archivists, sometimes issuing a certificate of authenticity. Outcomes can be disputed, and opinions may change as new evidence emerges, affecting value and eligibility for loans.

Challenges include subjectivity, fraud, incomplete records, and testing constraints. The rise of global markets and digital art has added new dimensions to provenance, with blockchain-based records and certificates becoming more common as part of contemporary authentication practice.