When Art Isn't Real

How an initially valueless object becomes worth hundreds of millions. And vice versa. The art world is a multi-billion-dollar industry which captures world headlines on a regular basis, for both good and bad reasons. This book deals with one of the most-discussed areas of controversy: high-profile objects that have experts arguing about their veracity. Some may have been looted, others may be fakes, some may be heavily restored or misattributed. Often, in these cases, analytical science is called on to settle a dispute. The authors of this book have decades of experience in this field, working on a range of objects dating from prehistory to the twentieth century. They present seven of the most famous cases from the Getty Kouros to the Turin Shroud – some of which are still contested, and examine how a few words from a connoisseur or scientist can make a virtually valueless object worth hundreds of millions. And vice versa.

Read the introduction of the book

Listen to an interview with Andrew Shortland and Patrick Degryse at New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/when-art-isnt-real

Author Biography

Andrew Shortland is professor of Archaeological Science at Cranfield University, working on the identification and interpretation of material culture from the ancient and historical worlds. Patrick Degryse is professor of Archaeometry at KU Leuven, studying the history and use of mineral resources in ancient technology.