The Expert Versus the Object

Book excerpt: The authenticity of art has always commanded the attention of experts, dealers, collectors, and the art-minded public-especially those who relish the Robin Hoods of art forgery who deceive rich collectors and pompous experts. This book of essays, edited by a lawyer specializing in art law and authenticity, proposes to make the question of authenticity more easily understood. The main points to be argued are (1) that the perception of form in a work of art is not unlike other types of evidence accepted in courts of law; (2) that in determining authenticity, experts must adopt a careful, organized approach; and (3) that all authentication should be based on the consensus of experts at arm's length from an object.