Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Judging the imposter at Winterthur
Well, it certainly does look like an Andrew Wyeth watercolor.
And, it is hanging in a museum.
But, it is a fake.
The fake Wyeth and about 130 other works in the exhibition are part of the exhibit, “Treasures on Trial: the Art and Science of Detecting Fakes,” now at Winterthur through Jan. 7.
It sure looks like a baseball glove that Babe Ruth could have played with.
Linda Eaton, Winterthur’s John L. and Marjorie P. McGraw director of collections and senior curator of textiles, said the glove is real, but it was never owned by Babe Ruth. The museum bought it for $750 online; had it belonged to the Babe it would be worth $200,000.
“At least 50 percent of sports memorabilia on the market is fake – including fake certificates of authenticity,” Eaton said. “The association with Babe Ruth, that’s what people are paying for.”
Go to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and you’ll see painters in the galleries matching Van Gogh stroke for stroke.
It’s not illegal to copy a painting or produce a fake.
“It’s the intent, you have to have that intent to deceive and defraud,” Eaton said.
Winterthur picked up a real bargain. For $119.99, what was toted as a Stradivarius violin was purchased online. Jeez, the label inside said it is real.
You can become Sherlock Holmes at the exhibit. Plug in the headphones and listen to the real Stradivarius and then the fake.
You can easily tell the difference.
Some people with guns must love to shoot weathervanes. You can view two authentic looking antique weathervanes side-by-side. There is bullet damage to both, but the fake’s bullet damage does not pierce the metal.
It’s so obvious when you see the exhibit and realize the “bullets” were not shot at the fake from below on the ground, but at a right angle.
Was that a fake Tiffany lamp made with lead? Is the angle of the paint splatters in the Jackson Pollock painting off just a tad? How do we know that Chateau Lafitte wine wasn’t owned by Thomas Jefferson?
You will learn a great deal. The exhibit is composed of four categories: provenance – an object’s history; research; connoisseurship – does it pass the smell test? and scientific analysis.
Once an owner learned that the Wyeth painting was fake, it was put back onto the market and advertised as real. Another painting on display at the exhibit currently hangs in a museum and a copy of it was confiscated after World War II and was thought to be real.
Eaton said that images of an increasing amount of art are available online.
“Knowing that the genuine painting was in another collection was not as easy as it is today,” Eaton said.
So why do fakes still exist?
“Somebody’s got to ask a question,” Eaton said. “We don’t have time enough, and enough scientists and equipment, to analyze every art object in the world.”
Putting the stamp of approval on a real work of art is key. At Winterthur, there’s even a fake of a fake.
“It’s just as important to prove something is genuine as it is to prove something is fake,” Eaton said.
Curators and art experts compare an artist’s known work. Was the same technique used? Are there inconsistencies? Was it the same paint?
Winterthur even has a faker’s pallet displayed.
Motivation and intent when defrauding varies. It’s not just all about money.
Sometimes an artist seeks attention, is frustrated for not being recognized or is challenged to fool the experts.
The evidence is all there. How to prove it is the big question.
Often you can view objects side-by-side and compare for yourself. Be the detective.
Winterthur is especially beautiful in the spring. Ride the guided tram tour and hear about the gardens. Much blooms here and Mother5’s Day is one the busiest days of the year.
The DuPont estate sits on 982 acres, and includes one of the world’s finest gardens.
There are a variety of guided estate tours offered. Winterthur Museum hosts 175 room displays and 90,000 objects.
The 39th Point to Point horse race will be held Sunday, May 7. For more information, go to www.winterthur.org