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gerard van weyenbergh

Art authenticity research is in full evolution.

Contemporary art is not validated on the basis of views anymore; rather, it is authenticated on the basis of research, references, analysis, provenance, and forensics.


Proof of authenticity, evidence of authenticity, and demonstration of authenticity are the most important things that the art market need at the moment.


As a result of technological advancements, analytical methodologies have also advanced. It is now necessary to carry out authentications in a methodical and stringent manner throughout the process. There is a requirement that the evidence be documented, collected, gathered, and presented in a logical manner within the context of an objective academic style of authentication research.


As a result of artists moving about throughout their lifetimes and the fact that the artwork they created has been increasingly sold and relocated to various nations, particularly in the past one hundred years, it is not uncommon for recordings to be situated in more than one country. Even for artists who have lived their whole lives in the same nation, it is not uncommon to discover a significant percentage of works to be located in a variety of nations.


Because of this, conducting fruitful research necessitates having the capacity to visit art libraries and archives located in a variety of different locales. We do not all report to work at VWART.COM from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, either Monday through Friday. We are an international network of professionals who are situated in 17 different countries and speak 15 different languages. We have rapid access to the most extensive art libraries, archives, and museums in the world.


The internet is an incredible treasure trove of information; nevertheless, as of the time this article was written, it only comprises a fraction of one percent of the total human knowledge. This leaves out a little more than 99 percent of the information, which needs to be found and preserved in the traditional manner. This can be accomplished by consulting old and antique books, vintage periodicals, old catalogues, archives, personal papers, manuscripts, letters, journals, unpublished theses, official administrative and legal documents, vintage photographs, and unpublished films. In the seventeen nations where we have researchers, this is the approach that we use.


It would be a mistake to suppose that a piece of art can be validated just by the examination of the materials for which it is constructed, despite the fact that forensics and technology are of tremendous assistance in the authentication process. During the 1800s, for instance, both painting and sketching were considered to be quite popular pastimes. There were hundreds of thousands of people who painted on Sundays, in addition to the tens of thousands of artists who employed themselves professionally. For a specific painting to be considered the artist's work, it is necessary for there to be more than just the pigments and canvas that were available at the time when the artist was alive. Research is extremely important for this reason.


It would be a mistake to suppose that a piece of art can be validated just by the examination of the materials for which it is constructed, despite the fact that forensics and technology are of tremendous assistance in the authentication process. During the 1800s, for instance, both painting and sketching were considered to be quite popular pastimes. There were hundreds of thousands of people who painted on Sundays, in addition to the tens of thousands of artists who employed themselves professionally. For a specific painting to be considered the artist's work, it is necessary for there to be more than just the pigments and canvas that were available at the time when the artist was alive. Research is extremely important for this reason.


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