What an interesting question… and … Who wants to know?

Sometimes the Owners want to know, sometimes they don’t. To discover that a work of art is a fake and therefore no longer that valuable, can be an unpleasant experience.

Some Collectors prefer to be blissfully ignorant of a fake. It would mean one original less on their walls to adorn their pride.

Even Auction Houses would not like a counterfeit to be discovered. They could loose face and especially their commission.

A Museum or Gallery would look like a fool by acknowledging that artworks they had acquired for lots of money turned out to be not genuine.
In the past many such accusations were either brushed under the carpet or the person stating such claims was simply dismissed.

A Criminal who knows that the work is a fake will surely not want it to be discovered.

And then we have a group of people that is certainly interested in the authenticity of an artwork.
Detectives, Researchers, Someone who thinks he or she had paid too much, Restorers etc ….

How to find out, where to go for advice and whom to trust ?

Your own eye
Most importantly one can say “only buy what you personally like and can live with”. But is your new pride and joy authentic ? If you pay a few dollars for it this question becomes secondary, but if you pay a few million for it, this question will rise in ranking.

The sellers’ word
Monetary gain seems to overrule all moral ethics. It can be a rather dubious path to embark on when solely relying on the seller’s word.

The provenance
… is a good indication of a work’s authenticity. Unfortunately, many surviving dependents of famous artists have been found to substitute their pension by liberally signing all sorts of documents handed to them by eager sellers.
Hence the authenticity of a provenance, wherever it originated from, has to be researched rather carefully.

Scientific examination
… is just about your best bet to determine the authorship. A capable expert would apply scientific methods to determine the authenticity of a work of art.

  • Non-invasive investigating processes:
    Microscopic and macroscopic investigation
    Ultraviolet, infrared or x ray diagnostics
    Spontaneous Raman Spectroscopy
    Radio Carbon Dating
    Lead white dating technology
    Finger print analysis
    … and many more.
  • Invasive investigating processes:
    Micro sampling
    Cleaning and solubility testing

References:
“Authentication in Art” – Ingeborg de Jong, etc.
“The Art Thief” – Noah Charney
http://www.artexpertswebsite.com
http://artaccessresearch.com