The contemporary art market is flourishing, with artworks increasingly becoming a significant component of asset allocation. However, due to the imbalance between supply and demand, art forgery and fraud have become rampant, causing substantial harm to the public. Some individuals unknowingly treasure counterfeit paintings as family heirlooms for a lifetime, only to discover the deception when attempting to sell, resulting in devastating financial losses.
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, the first Chinese scholar to earn a doctorate in art authentication, recognized this issue and believes everyone should possess fundamental authentication skills. Consequently, he curated the “Art Connoisseurship Exhibition” in the central corridor of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂), openly revealing the secrets to identifying art forgeries. The exhibition not only disseminates basic concepts of art authentication but also teaches the public authentication methods, techniques, and common forgery practices.
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin points out that as the contemporary art market thrives, art investment has become one of many options for asset allocation. However, due to the imbalance between supply and demand, art forgery and fraud have become rampant, causing significant harm to the public. Some people even treasure counterfeit paintings as family heirlooms, only to discover they’ve been deceived when attempting to sell, resulting in complete financial loss. In light of this, he believes everyone should possess basic authentication skills. Through this educational public welfare exhibition, he hopes to promote knowledge about art authentication, giving everyone the opportunity to become a Sherlock Holmes in the art collection world.Dr. Ye notes that the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a crucial and prestigious exhibition venue in Taiwan, attracting nearly 4.7 million visitors annually. The central corridor, being a landmark location within the hall, will bring even more visitors to the exhibition.
Dr. Ye publicly presents his innovative “Painting/Calligraphy Authentication Assessment Form,” based on the “Art Creation Methodology” he studied in the United Kingdom. This provides the most comprehensive, logical, and scientific approach to evaluating artworks. Following expert guidance, visitors can learn step-by-step how to collect and analyze evidence for determining art authenticity. The exhibition also showcases numerous fascinating real-world cases, offering visitors the opportunity to witness sophisticated forgery techniques firsthand. For instance, a piece of Yu You-ren (于右任)’s calligraphy, when taken to a mounting shop, can be transformed from one piece into two, doubling the profit through a process known in the industry as “two-layer separation.” The exhibition displays both the first and second layers, allowing visitors to compare the differences and avoid unknowingly purchasing a “second layer” piece.
Contemporary forgery techniques utilizing inkjet technology offer low-cost, high-efficiency, and high-quality reproductions. Their level of authenticity is so convincing that even experienced collectors are frequently deceived. However, under microscopic examination, the inkjet dots become unmistakably visible. The exhibition features numerous comparative cases where visitors can challenge themselves to distinguish between authentic and counterfeit pieces, testing their discerning eye. Additionally, the exhibition introduces modern scientific instruments that aid in art authentication, demonstrating practical applications through light tables, UV flashlights, and other tools that serve as powerful aids in the authentication process.
What is Art Authentication Studies?
Within the field of art, “Authentication Studies” is a unique discipline that is inherently interdisciplinary. It encompasses various fields including art creation methodology, technical studies, art history, aesthetics, archaeology, documentation studies, philology, and literature. Moreover, an excellent art authenticator is typically also an accomplished artist, as this enables them to discern the depth of skill in artworks, which serves as a crucial basis for determining authenticity.
“Art Authentication” is not an emotional creative activity. It requires rigorous comprehensive comparison, analysis, and research. Furthermore, it heavily relies on the accumulation of practical experience before one can make definitive conclusions about the authenticity of an artwork.
What Can Art Authentication Accomplish?
Generally speaking, art authentication serves to “distinguish authenticity and determine truth.” This involves verifying the authenticity of signed works and establishing proper attribution for unsigned or unevaluated pieces to confirm their authorship. However, beyond making authentication determinations, there are two deeper objectives: “evaluating excellence and revealing value.” This means assessing the artistic merit and aesthetic quality of works, attributing their aesthetic significance, and then bringing to light their inherent artistic value.
Traces at the Scene – Supporting Evidence for Authentication
Authentication work is an extremely meticulous process. Beyond style analysis, it requires supporting evidence to examine artworks comprehensively, systematically, and scientifically, thereby enhancing the accuracy and credibility of authentication conclusions. These supporting materials include seals and signatures, base materials and media, mounting styles and formats, textual and subject matter verification, documentation in literature, and results from modern scientific instrument analysis.
The Devil is in the Details – Scientific Instrument Authentication
The use of scientific instruments to assist in authenticating artworks has been practiced in the Western world for many years, with several successful cases emerging in recent years. However, scientific authentication of Chinese calligraphy and painting is just beginning. Over the past decade, due to the rapid advancement of high-tech forgery techniques across both sides of the strait, the calligraphy and painting market has become unprecedentedly chaotic. This has prompted concerned authenticators, collectors, and art researchers to begin exploring the feasibility of applying scientific instrument testing to calligraphy and painting authentication.
