Contributions to the 7th AICCM Book, Paper and Photographic Materials Symposium 29g31 August 2012 Brisbane, Australia
Abstract
Best practice for establishing the authenticity of an artwork should be a collaborative process, which results from the expertise of art historians and the technical examinations carried out by conservators. This is demonstrated by a number of forgeries that have appeared on the New Zealand art market. Four pencil drawings were brought to the conservation laboratory at the Auckland Art Gallery for assessment to help with their authentication.This paper describes the investigative path for establishing whether these were original drawings by one of New Zealand’s best-known portraitists, Charles F Goldie (1870-1947). The results of the examination and the cooperation with other professionals will be addressed. The author hopes to initiate a discussion regarding the role of conservators in public institutions and their potential responsibility to identify fakes and consequently prevent their circulation.