The Expert Versus the Object

Download or read book The Expert Versus the Object written by Ronald D. Spencer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2004-04 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. 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.