Cataloguer, reasonable and members of the authentication of works of art can be called art-fighters invisible front: they are on guard reputations of artists and prevent mass distribution of counterfeit

ROBERT Motherwell
elegy dedicated to the Spanish Republic 70.
1961 Oil on canvas. 175,3 x 289,6
Source: moma.org

The Wall Street Journal tells us that this catalog is reasonable, who and how it is the difficulties faced by preparers and owners of works.

for health of the art market is very important to buyers and sellers were convinced of the authenticity of works of art that appear at auction. There are two basic ways to protect heritage and reputation of an artist from the encroachments of unscrupulous forgers and dealers: a commission for authentication and directory-Raisonné.

authentication Commission shall render its decisions directly at the request of her buyers and sellers of works of art. In interaction with certain commissions, for example, in case of appeal to recently announced the termination of his commission on the works of Andy Warhol , owner of the work must agree that, if found fake work, it will be put on the stamp "script not found": a kind way to control the market, used by such agencies.

Catalogue Raisonné, - is, by contrast, is independent of market research, including all the known works of certain artists. In the catalog, reasonable, as opposed to an exhibition or a book can not be arbitrary or selective presentation of works: this edition has an exhaustive coverage career of the author.

works for inclusion in the directory, reason given by individuals and organizations for several years. The work study, and experts are taking a final decision on their inclusion or not to include in the directory and in exceptional cases, this decision may be reconsidered. Such directories until recently emerged in the form of traditional paper books, but it is now available and their digital versions, for example, recently announced the imminent release of the online version of the catalog-Raisonné American-Japanese sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi (Isamu Noguchi).

works in the catalog-Raisonné located on the chronology, each work is accompanied by data on the size, technology, participation in exhibitions, all references in scientific monographs and articles, Provenance. Creating this directory requires pedantry and takes many years and sometimes decades.

In the catalog of works valued at three (rarely - four) criteria. It begins with a professional peer review of the picturesque style fabric, designed to determine how work is perceived and defined as the product of the artist. Particular attention is paid to the composition, manner of brushwork, color, colorful character of the surface signature, if available.

Next professionals study provenance of the work and trying to restore its entire path from the moment it left the artist's studio. This is a very easy task: as you know, the art market is not very transparent, and not all owners of works of art ready to be frank about when and where they got they own work. Even people who, by and large, have nothing to hide, do not always give permission to publish their names in the directories, for fear of robbery Raisonné either because of unwillingness to devote to strangers in their own financial affairs.

< p class = "mat1"> Critics draw attention to the historical context of the creation, by comparing the style of the work with the style of the artist's other works, performed at the same time. This point is significant because the authors of fakes often do not take into account when creating their "masterpieces "refractive index and changes over time in the style of the artist.

if necessary to help art historians may be called legal expert, who with the help of sophisticated equipment such as electron microscopes provides researchers with data that are lacking for a final decision about a particular product. For example, recently, Robert Motherwell Foundation (Dedalus Foundation) in such a way denied the authenticity of several works of outstanding abstract expressionist: by means of tests it was found that the establishment of the works used by a number of materials and techniques, Motherwell are not applied in his work. However, since such information can become a guide for counterfeiters, the reasons for including some of the directory is usually not made public.

Catalogue Raisonné, compiled primarily for scientists, in order to provide them with a credible full and detailed database of works some of the artist. However, the data in the catalogs, reasonable, for obvious reasons, are also of interest to collectors and dealers. If the price of a great artist are high, and original works rarely come on the market, here and there are fakes and they zapolonyayut a market for works by the artist and may ultimately provoke its collapse. It is therefore important to accurately establish the authenticity of the works sold.

The refusal to include some professional work in the resonator can significantly affect its market value, so the owners of works sometimes put pressure on the art. As a result of such pressure can occur even claims to commissions from collectors and dealers. Dedalus Foundation, for example, participated in the proceedings concerning of Motherwell "Spanish Elegy" which he considered a forgery. The owner of the commencement of the trial despite the fact that it had reached preliminary agreement on the resolution, if necessary, put a stamp on the job with the words "Not a genuine product of Robert Motherwell, a fake." more The Fund has even got a picture from the owner compensation for the cost of a lawyer.

result of the increased number of disputes with the owners of the expert commissions of works has been the unwillingness of many experts to share opinions about the authenticity of a work not only with the general public, but also with their colleagues. Some personal funds artists deliberately moved away from the issues of attribution, delaying or suspending the creation of catalogs, reasonable, and repealing the previously planned release of additions to the already published directories. Claims perturbed owners work more often than not yield any result and funds to turn a huge waste of time and money. Thus, Warhol Foundation, said that the reason for closing commission authentication has been a costly trial with collectors.

Prepared by Mary Estrova, AI

Source : artinvestment.ru

Editor's comment : Funds are tired of wrangling with angry collectors, can be understood. The owners often can not accept the idea that acquired a lot of money is the thing "wrong", and perceive the opinion of experts as a personal challenge. everywhere. Begins collection of alternative opinions, bills, making legends, and the "legal country" - and even exhausting trial. Worthy of money these "nerves" do not bring.'s funds and say enough is enough, sort it out yourself!

Russia has the same problem: the owners are afraid to take and record their work in the foundation of the artist, fearing a negative conclusion. As a result, fund quickly loses motivation and becomes" sluggish "mode.

Reason reputation thing, too. The reliability of this directory depends entirely on the reputation of the originator. And, as experience shows, the principle" that says a pen - not cut down with an ax "itself becomes obsolete today, need more flexibility (ability to add and exclude). I think that the future for a combined format. The expert groups will attribute the work and publish them in the online catalog (similar to the Raisonné). And earn on the examination and will be paid access to the site. But this is the future.

In Russia, cataloging-Raisonné comes with a big scratch. In the mess of the twentieth century it was not till provenance. navskidku: their catalogs have Schwartzman , Krasnopevtseva (painting), Krymov , (Paintings ), Kuznetsova , Mashkova , Kustodiev . Surprisingly, there is a chance that when a directory will Zvereva - this is a competent drivers. However, all of these directories only approach on the status of to Raisonné - they are quite full, though not definitive.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI