The authenticity of a work of art is a big and serious issue. The problem has already been known since the Hellenistic Age and constantly appears in the Roman period, the Renaisance and more often in our time. The reasons which create this phenomenon are purely social and financial.
From the theoretic point of view a work of art can be both authentic and disputable. Authenticity can be proven through a research process, which can protect us from being misled and consists of the following:
1. Knowledge of the style and technique of the painting.
2. Research on the history of the painting: provenance, date of execution, previous owners, etc.
3. Sketching of the artist’s portrait through the painting: his world, visions, artistic physiognomy.
4. Application of scientific methods: radiations and chemical analyses for the determination of the painting materials and the detection of the possible obscure parts of the painting. The investigation for the authenticity of a painting demands the cooperation of a variety of specialists who must all share love of art.
