COMPUTER RECOGNISES AND AUCTION SELLS FAKE ART

Two Dutch professors designed a computer program that can recognize fake art. The system already proved itself by identifying a fake painting in a series of authentic work of the late Dutch rock star and artist Herman Brood. According to the professors the computer is able to observe and recognize.

The scientists used 120 digital reproductions of Vincent van Gogh to provide the system of information on colour, composition and brush techniques. In this way the computer learns to recognize the specific characteristics of a painter. When the computer program was tested on 30 paintings and it came out the analysis of 27 of them was right. The professors think the program will play an important role in tracing fake art.

Lately a book came out on the percentage of fake art in the art business. It is said that 1 in 5 paintings is fake and that around 20% of the paintings in galleries is fake. The book is written as a guide for starting art buyers. Besides the fact that the largest art fair in the world, the TEFAF, is held in Maastricht, The Netherlands plays and important role in the art business. Also the branch itself is seriously investigated. Yearly books come out on the mafia practices. On how art is used to launder money and on the percentage of fake art in the business.

Also the fake art itself becomes a business. Apart from a real fake art museum also Dutch auctioneering firm started to organise special days were only fake art is auctioned. The Dutch have quite a history in counterfeited art. Two notorious forgers were Dutch. One of them is still alive. He always says that many of the art in museums is fake. And of some of the works he can be sure, because he made it himself. more features

November 3, 2003